Translator’s Preface

كَلِمَةُ الْمُتَرْجِمِ

O Allah, we seek Your help and praise You for the abundant showers of blessings You have bestowed upon us. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon the choicest of Your creation and Your beloved, Muḥammad, the possessor of glory and generosity, and upon his pure family of lofty resolve and his noble Companions, the best of nations.

نَسْتَعِينُ بِكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَنَحْمَدُكَ عَلَى مَا صَرَفْتَ إِلَيْنَا مِنْ شَآبِيبِ النِّعَمِ، وَصَلِّ اللَّهُمَّ وَسَلِّمْ عَلَى صَفْوَةِ خَلْقِكَ وَحَبِيبِكَ مُحَمَّدٍ ذِي الْمَجْدِ وَالْكَرَمِ، وَعَلَى آلِهِ الطَّاهِرِينَ عِظَامِ الْهِمَمِ وَأَصْحَابِهِ الطَّيِّبِينَ خَيْرِ الْأُمَمِ.

Here, then, in brief, dear and gracious reader, is the method I followed in carrying out the work of Arabicizing ʿIlm al-Ṣīghah with a slight simplification. There is no wonder that the book ʿIlm al-Ṣīghah is extremely valuable in itself, because it comprehensively and integrally encompasses the science of morphology, upon which Arabic literature is founded, and because it is attributed to its towering author, who lived upon Islam and for Islam, both in his homeland and in exile, and rendered services to the Muslim community and performed deeds that would burden even a strong band of men.

فَدُونَكَ بِالْإِيجَازِ - أَيُّهَا الْقَارِئُ الْمِفْضَالُ - مَنْهَجِي فِي الْعَمَلِ إِبَّانَ الْقِيَامِ بِـ«تَعْرِيبِ عِلْمِ الصِّيغَةِ مَعَ تَسْهِيلٍ يَسِيرٍ»، فَلَا غَرْوَ أَنَّ الْكِتَابَ «عِلْمَ الصِّيغَةِ» غَالٍ جِدًّا فِي حَدِّ ذَاتِهِ؛ لِشُمُولِهِ عِلْمَ الصَّرْفِ - الَّذِي عَلَيْهِ قِوَامُ الْأَدَبِ الْعَرَبِيِّ - شُمُولًا جَامِعًا مُتَكَامِلًا، ثُمَّ نِسْبَتِهِ إِلَى مُؤَلِّفِهِ الْعِمْلَاقِ الَّذِي عَاشَ عَلَى الْإِسْلَامِ وَلِلْإِسْلَامِ، فِي مَوْطِنِهِ وَمَنْفَاهُ، وَقَدَّمَ خِدْمَاتٍ لِلْأُمَّةِ وَصَنَائِعَ تَنُوءُ بِالْعُصْبَةِ أُولِي الْقُوَّةِ.

For these two reasons, it received a fine acceptance. You will hardly find any corner of learning in the Indian subcontinent, or any region of it, in which thousands of students do not receive this book every year through study, understanding, and learning.

وَلِهَذَيْنِ السَّبَبَيْنِ حَظِيَ بِقَبُولٍ حَسَنٍ، فَلَا تَجِدُ زَاوِيَةً بِشِبْهِ الْقَارَّةِ الْهِنْدِيَّةِ مِنْ زَوَايَا الْعِلْمِ أَوْ نَاحِيَةً مِنْ أَنْحَائِهِ إِلَّا وَيَتَلَقَّى سَنَوِيًّا أُلُوفٌ مِنَ الطُّلَّابِ فِيهَا هَذَا الْكِتَابَ دَرْسًا وَفَهْمًا وَتَعَلُّمًا.

In this connection, the book is among the prescribed textbooks of the Organisation of Wifāq al-Madāris al-ʿArabiyyah and the Islamic Universities in Pakistan. Al-Jāmiʿah al-Fārūqiyyah is among its greatest member institutions, because of the major role it plays in activating its academic activities and developing its examination administration. It follows two programmes in educating its obedient sons and nurturing its righteous children: the Dars-i Niẓāmī curriculum affiliated with the organisation, and the curriculum of the Institute of Arabic Language and Islamic Studies, the bearer of the banner of the noble language of Ḍād in the atmosphere of Karachi.

وَمِنْ هَذَا الصَّدَدِ فَالْكِتَابُ مِنَ الْمُقَرَّرَاتِ الدِّرَاسِيَّةِ لَدَى «مُنَظَّمَةِ وِفَاقِ الْمَدَارِسِ الْعَرَبِيَّةِ وَالْجَامِعَاتِ الْإِسْلَامِيَّةِ بِبَاكِسْتَانَ»، وَالْجَامِعَةُ الْفَارُوقِيَّةُ مِنْ أَعْظَمِ أَعْضَائِهَا، لِمَا لَهَا يَدٌ طُولَى فِي تَنْشِيطِ نَشَاطَاتِهَا الْعِلْمِيَّةِ، وَتَنْمِيَةِ إِدَارَاتِهَا الِاخْتِبَارِيَّةِ، وَهِيَ تَنْتَهِجُ مَنْهَجَيْنِ فِي تَثْقِيفِ أَبْنَائِهَا الطَّائِعِينَ، وَتَرْبِيَةِ أَوْلَادِهَا الْأَبْرَارِ: مَنْهَجَ الدَّرْسِ النِّظَامِيِّ التَّابِعِ لِلْمُنَظَّمَةِ، وَمَنْهَجَ مَعْهَدِ اللُّغَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّةِ وَالدِّرَاسَاتِ الْإِسْلَامِيَّةِ، حَامِلَ لِوَاءِ لُغَةِ الضَّادِ الشَّرِيفَةِ فِي أَجْوَاءِ كَرَاتْشِي.

When I was assigned to teach ʿIlm al-Ṣīghah to the second-year intermediate students at the institute for the academic year 1416–1417 AH, I received the gracious instruction of our great Shaykh, the respected President of the university, may Allah preserve and protect him and grant us the benefit of his long life, to translate it from Persian into the language of the Noble Qur’an, so that its benefit might become widespread…

وَأَنَا حِينَمَا كُلِّفْتُ بِتَدْرِيسِ «عِلْمِ الصِّيغَةِ» لِطُلَّابِ الثَّانِيَةِ مِنَ الْمُتَوَسِّطَةِ بِالْمَعْهَدِ لِلْعَامِ الدِّرَاسِيِّ 1416هـ - 1417هـ تَلَقَّيْتُ الْأَمْرَ الْكَرِيمَ مِنْ شَيْخِنَا الْعَظِيمِ سَمَاحَةِ رَئِيسِ الْجَامِعَةِ - حَفِظَهُ اللَّهُ وَرَعَاهُ وَمَتَّعَنَا اللَّهُ بِطُولِ حَيَاتِهِ - بِتَعْرِيبِهِ مِنَ الْفَارِسِيَّةِ إِلَى لُغَةِ الْقُرْآنِ الْكَرِيمِ؛ لِيَعُمَّ

…both the Islamic and Arab worlds, and especially the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent, because their connection with Persian has ended, or is close to ending, owing to its global civilisational decline and its association as the official language with the oppressive Iranian Rāfiḍī dictatorship. In addition to that, we intended to strengthen the new generation’s connection with Arabic by having them receive their studies in this noble language, which occupies a great position in this age of globalisation and internationalisation, and which is internationally recognised among the five languages used by global organisations, administrations, and bodies. Thus, by this work, it was as though two targets were intended with a single arrow: translating the book into Arabic and promoting the Arabic language.

نَفْعُهُ لِلْعَالَمَيْنِ - الْإِسْلَامِيِّ وَالْعَرَبِيِّ - وَلَا سِيَّمَا لِأَبْنَاءِ الْإِسْلَامِ بِشِبْهِ الْقَارَّةِ الْهِنْدِيَّةِ؛ لِأَنَّ عَلَاقَتَهُمْ بِالْفَارِسِيَّةِ انْتَهَتْ أَوْ تَكَادُ تَنْتَهِي؛ لِتَخَلُّفِهَا الْحَضَارِيِّ عَالَمِيًّا، وَانْتِمَائِهَا إِلَى الدِّكْتَاتُورِيَّةِ الرَّافِضِيَّةِ الْإِيرَانِيَّةِ الْغَاشِمَةِ كَلُغَةٍ رَسْمِيَّةٍ، وَإِضَافَةً إِلَى ذَلِكَ رُمْنَا تَقْوِيَةَ صِلَةِ الْجِيلِ الْجَدِيدِ بِاللُّغَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّةِ عَنْ طَرِيقِ تَلَقِّي دِرَاسَتِهِمْ بِهَذِهِ اللُّغَةِ الْكَرِيمَةِ، الَّتِي لَهَا مَكَانَةٌ عُظْمَى فِي هَذَا الْعَصْرِ عَصْرِ الْعَوْلَمَةِ وَالتَّدْوِيلِ، كَمَا أَنَّهَا مُعْتَرَفٌ بِهَا دُوَلِيًّا مِنْ بَيْنِ اللُّغَاتِ الْخَمْسِ عِنْدَ الْمُنَظَّمَاتِ وَالْإِدَارَاتِ وَالْهَيْئَاتِ الْعَالَمِيَّةِ، فَكَأَنَّهُ أُرِيدَ بِهَذَا الْعَمَلِ اسْتِهْدَافُ فَرِيسَتَيْنِ بِسَهْمٍ وَاحِدٍ: تَعْرِيبُ الْكِتَابِ، وَتَرْوِيجُ اللُّغَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّةِ.

In compliance with the instruction of my great Shaykh, I rolled up my sleeves in earnest and began the work. Whenever we wished to deliver a lesson to our dear students, we prepared it thoroughly in terms of content and reliability, eloquence of expression and richness of meaning, in harmony with several commentaries and marginal notes on the book. Among the most important of these were the commentary of the Muftī of the Republic, Shaykh Muḥammad Rafīʿ al-ʿUthmānī, and the marginal notes of Shaykh Khudā Bakhsh al-Multānī, may Allah Most High preserve and protect them both. We also benefited from other books of the discipline, together with most dictionaries and lexicons of the language. In this way, we translated the book into Arabic lesson by lesson, adopting in the translation a simple and plain style suited to the level of its young student readers, avoiding obscurities, figurative devices, and riddles, observing the rules of spelling and punctuation, and avoiding excessive depth and over-elaboration.

فَتَلْبِيَةً لِأَمْرِ شَيْخِي الْعَظِيمِ شَمَّرْتُ عَنْ سَاعِدِ الْجِدِّ وَبَدَأْتُ بِالْعَمَلِ، فَكُلَّمَا كُنَّا نُرِيدُ أَنْ نُلْقِيَ دَرْسًا عَلَى تَلَامِذَتِنَا الْأَعِزَّةِ، نُعِدُّ إِعْدَادًا جَيِّدًا، مِنْ حَيْثُ الْفَحْوَى وَالْمِصْدَاقِيَّةِ، وَجَزَالَةِ اللَّفْظِ وَغَزَارَةِ الْمَعْنَى، مُتَمَاشِيًا مَعَ عِدَّةِ شُرُوحِ الْكِتَابِ وَحَوَاشِيهِ، مِنْ أَهَمِّهَا: شَرْحُ مُفْتِي الْجُمْهُورِيَّةِ الشَّيْخِ مُحَمَّدٍ رَفِيعٍ الْعُثْمَانِيِّ، وَحَاشِيَةُ الشَّيْخِ خُدَا بَخْشٍ الْمُلْتَانِيِّ - حَفِظَهُمَا اللَّهُ تَعَالَى وَرَعَاهُمَا - مُسْتَفِيدِينَ مِنْ كُتُبِ الْفَنِّ الْأُخْرَى مَعَ مُرَافَقَةِ مُعْظَمِ قَوَامِيسِ اللُّغَةِ وَمَعَاجِمِهَا، فَعَرَّبْنَا الْكِتَابَ هَكَذَا دَرْسًا دَرْسًا، سَالِكِينَ فِي التَّعْرِيبِ تَعْبِيرًا بَسِيطًا سَاذَجًا يَنْسَجِمُ مَعَ مُسْتَوَى قَارِئِيهِ مِنَ الطَّلَبَةِ النَّاشِئِينَ، مُبْتَعِدِينَ عَنِ التَّمْوِيهَاتِ وَالِاسْتِعَارَاتِ وَالْأَلْغَازِ، مُرَاعِينَ قَوَاعِدَ الْإِمْلَاءِ وَالتَّرْقِيمِ، مُحْتَرِزِينَ فِيهَا مِنَ التَّوَغُّلِ وَالْإِفْرَاطِ.

There is therefore no harm if we have introduced some rearrangement, bringing certain material forward or delaying it in a number of places, for this was for the sake of benefit and ease for the student brothers. We also presented the conjugational forms as fourteen forms according to the well-known order and left aside the confusing and tiresome summary treatment of the forms. Likewise, among the rules of weak verbs we find the omission of rule 21 because it is repeated after the explanation of the third rule. And, Allah Most High willing, you will find an elegant arrangement in the conjugations of the hamzated, weak, and doubled verbs, supplied with the number of the relevant rule together with an example. In addition to that, you will see additions and insertions between the sentences…

فَلَا ضَيْرَ لَوْ أَلْقَيْنَا شَيْئًا مِنَ التَّقَدُّمِ وَالتَّأْخِيرِ فِي عِدَّةِ مَوَاضِعَ؛ فَإِنَّهُ لِأَجْلِ الْفَائِدَةِ وَالتَّيْسِيرِ لِلْإِخْوَةِ الطَّلَبَةِ، كَمَا أَتَيْنَا بِالصِّيَغِ 14 صِيغَةً عَلَى التَّرْتِيبِ الْمَشْهُورِ، وَتَرَكْنَا الْإِجْمَالَ الْمُشَوِّشَ الْمُمِلَّ فِي الصِّيَغِ، كَمَا نَجِدُ فِي قَوَاعِدِ الْمُعْتَلِّ حَذْفَ الْقَاعِدَةِ 21؛ لِتَكْرَارِهَا بَعْدَ بَيَانِ الْقَاعِدَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ، وَسَتَتِمُّ - إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى - أَنَاقَةٌ فِي تَرْتِيبِ تَصَارِيفِ الْمَهْمُوزِ وَالْمُعْتَلِّ وَالْمُضَاعَفِ، وَتَزْوِيدِهَا بِرَقْمِ الْقَاعِدَةِ مَعَ الْمِثَالِ، وَإِضَافَةً إِلَى ذَلِكَ سَتَرَى زِيَادَاتٍ وَإِضَافَاتٍ بَيْنَ الْجُمَلِ

…in the briefest and shortest wording, from the beginning of the book to its end. You will not find any cutting or reduction in the original book except in the word “Āsmān”, where we have presented what is more correct according to the explicit statements of the distinguished commentators. Finally, we appended to the book a supplement on the special characteristics of the morphological forms, compiled from some of the most important works of morphology, whose names are listed there in the appendix below.

بِأَوْجَزِ كَلِمَةٍ وَأَقْصَرِهَا مِنْ بِدَايَةِ الْكِتَابِ إِلَى نِهَايَتِهِ، وَإِنْ تَجِدْ أَيَّ قَطْعٍ وَتَنْقِيصٍ فِي أَصْلِ الْكِتَابِ إِلَّا فِي كَلِمَةِ «آسْمَان» بِأَنَّنَا أَوْرَدْنَا هُنَاكَ الْأَصَحَّ حَسَبَ تَصْرِيحَاتِ أَصْحَابِ الْفَضِيلَةِ مِنَ الشَّارِحِينَ، وَأَخِيرًا أَلْحَقْنَا بِالْكِتَابِ مُلْحَقًا لِخَوَاصِّ الْأَبْوَابِ جَامِعِينَ مِنْ أَهَمِّ كُتُبِ الصَّرْفِ الْمُتَوَاجِدَةِ أَسْمَاؤُهَا هُنَاكَ فِي الذَّيْلِ هَذَا.

From another perspective, when we had completed the Arabicization and simplification, we presented it to our great Shaykh, the respected President of the university, may Allah preserve and protect him. He reviewed its texts up to the rules of weak verbs with his precise gaze and penetrating thought. Then, because a fever afflicted him during those days, he entrusted the remainder to the distinguished teacher Shaykh Nūr al-Bashar Nūr al-Ḥaqq. He also instructed the distinguished teacher Shaykh Ibn al-Ḥasan al-ʿAbbāsī to review, compare, and analyse it a second time, and the distinguished teacher Shaykh Dr. Manẓūr Aḥmad Mingal a third time.

وَمِنْ نَاحِيَةٍ أُخْرَى لَمَّا انْتَهَيْنَا عَنِ التَّعْرِيبِ وَالتَّسْهِيلِ قَدَّمْنَاهُ إِلَى شَيْخِنَا الْعَظِيمِ سَمَاحَةِ رَئِيسِ الْجَامِعَةِ - حَفِظَهُ اللَّهُ وَرَعَاهُ - فَرَاجَعَ نُصُوصَهُ إِلَى غَايَةِ قَوَاعِدِ الْمُعْتَلِّ بِنَظَرِهِ الدَّقِيقِ وَفِكْرِهِ الثَّاقِبِ، ثُمَّ لِحُمَّى أَصَابَتْهُ فِي تِلْكَ الْأَيَّامِ فَوَّضَ مَا بَقِيَ مِنْهُ إِلَى الْأُسْتَاذِ الْفَاضِلِ الشَّيْخِ نُورِ الْبَشَرِ نُورِ الْحَقِّ، كَمَا أَمَرَ الْأُسْتَاذَ الْفَاضِلَ الشَّيْخَ ابْنَ الْحَسَنِ الْعَبَّاسِيَّ لِلْمُرَاجَعَةِ وَالْمُقَارَنَةِ وَالتَّحْلِيلِ ثَانِيًا، وَالْأُسْتَاذَ الْفَاضِلَ الشَّيْخَ الدُّكْتُورَ مَنْظُورَ أَحْمَدَ مِنْغَلَ ثَالِثًا،

These noble and eminent men, may Allah Most High preserve and protect them all, spared no effort in correcting its words, expressions, formulations, grammar, morphology, language, composition, spelling, and punctuation. They expended strenuous effort and tireless striving upon it, seeking reward from Allah, Glorified and Exalted, and showing kindness to the new generation of Muslim youth. May Allah Most High reward their tremendous efforts, accept them with a good acceptance, and cause them to grow in goodness. I also thank them deeply, with sincere affection and the highest appreciation.

فَهَؤُلَاءِ النُّبَلَاءُ الْعِظَامُ - حَفِظَهُمُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى وَرَعَاهُمْ جَمِيعًا - لَمْ يَأْلُوا جُهْدًا فِي تَصْحِيحِ حُرُوفِهِ وَعِبَارَاتِهِ وَتَعْبِيرَاتِهِ مِنْ حَيْثُ النَّحْوُ وَالصَّرْفُ وَاللُّغَةُ وَالْإِنْشَاءُ وَالْإِمْلَاءُ وَالتَّرْقِيمُ، فَبَذَلُوا فِيهِ مَا بَذَلُوا مِنْ جُهْدٍ جَهِيدٍ وَسَعْيٍ مُسْتَمِيتٍ - احْتِسَابًا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى، وَإِحْسَانًا بِالنَّاشِئَةِ الْمُسْلِمَةِ الْجَدِيدَةِ، فَشَكَرَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى مَسَاعِيَهُمُ الْجَبَّارَةَ وَتَقَبَّلَهُمْ بِقَبُولٍ حَسَنٍ وَأَنْبَتَهُمْ نَبَاتًا حَسَنًا، كَمَا أَشْكُرُهُمْ جَزِيلًا مَعَ خَالِصِ الْحُبِّ وَفَائِقِ التَّقْدِيرِ،

Likewise, I direct my thanks to everyone among the distinguished teachers, fellow instructors, and dear students who helped me, encouraged me, guided me, advised me, and prayed for me in this endeavour. In the same way, I offer my thanks in advance to those who will help me, encourage me, guide me, advise me, and pray for me in the future. I ask Allah, the Most High, the Mighty, to make them among the best of those for whom we hope that their blessings and beneficence will extend throughout the regions of the world and the inhabited earth, together with complete health, lasting well-being, and a comfortable life.

وَكَذَلِكَ أَتَوَجَّهُ بِشُكْرِي إِلَى كُلِّ مَنْ سَاعَدَنِي وَشَجَّعَنِي وَهَدَانِي وَنَصَحَنِي وَدَعَا لِي فِي هَذَا الْمِضْمَارِ مِنَ الْأَسَاتِذَةِ الْأَفَاضِلِ، وَالْإِخْوَةِ الْمُدَرِّسِينَ وَالتَّلَامِيذِ الْأَعِزَّةِ، وَنَحْوَ ذَلِكَ أَسْبِقُ بِالشُّكْرِ إِلَى الَّذِينَ يُسَاعِدُونَنِي وَيُشَجِّعُونَنِي وَيَهْدُونَنِي وَيَنْصَحُونَنِي وَيَدْعُونَ لِي فِي الْمُسْتَقْبَلِ، وَأَرْجُو اللَّهَ الْعَلِيَّ الْعَزِيزَ أَنْ يَجْعَلَهُمْ مِنْ خَيْرِ مَا نَرْجُوهُ لَهُمْ مِنْ مَدِّ فُيُوضِهِمْ وَبَرَكَاتِهِمْ إِلَى أَنْحَاءِ الْعَالَمِ وَأَكْنَافِ الْمَعْمُورَةِ مَعَ تَمَامِ الصِّحَّةِ وَدَوَامِ الْعَافِيَةِ وَرَفَاهِيَةِ الْعَيْشِ.

And here I openly declare that I love the Arabic language and indeed hold it sacred. But, to my deep regret, I am not one of its native sons. Therefore, if you, dear and gracious reader, find in this work any errors of expression or any deficiency in the Arabicization, do not withhold it from me. Rather, I request that you inform me of it so that we may correct it in future editions, and so that it may become a treasure in the scale of your good deeds on the Day when neither wealth nor children will avail.

وَهَا أَنَا ذَا أُعْلِنُ بِأَنِّي أُحِبُّ اللُّغَةَ الْعَرَبِيَّةَ بَلْ وَأُقَدِّسُهَا وَلَكِنْ - لِلْأَسَفِ الشَّدِيدِ - لَسْتُ مِنْ أَبْنَائِهَا، فَلِذَا لَوْ رَأَيْتَ - أَيُّهَا الْقَارِئُ الْمِفْضَالُ - فِي هَذَا الْعَمَلِ أَخْطَاءً فِي التَّعْبِيرِ أَوْ نَقْصًا فِي التَّعْرِيبِ فَلَا تَدَّخِرْهُ مِنِّي، بَلْ إِنِّي أَلْتَمِسُ إِلَى جَنَابِكَ أَنْ تُخْبِرَنِي بِهِ؛ لِنَقُومَ بِإِصْلَاحِهِ فِي الطَّبَعَاتِ الْمُقْبِلَةِ، وَلِيَكُونَ ذُخْرًا فِي مِيزَانِ حَسَنَاتِكَ يَوْمَ لَا يَنْفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ.

Your brother,

Walī Khān al-Muẓaffar

Professor of Arabic Literature at al-Jāmiʿah al-Fārūqiyyah in Karachi
Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the magazine al-Fārūq (Arabic section)
Director of the Institute of Arabic Language and Islamic Studies
Private Secretary to the President of the Wifāq

أَخُوكَ

وَلِيُّ خَانِ الْمُظَفَّرِ

أُسْتَاذُ الْأَدَبِ الْعَرَبِيِّ بِالْجَامِعَةِ الْفَارُوقِيَّةِ بِكَرَاتْشِي
وَنَائِبُ رَئِيسِ التَّحْرِيرِ مَجَلَّةِ «الْفَارُوقِ» (الْقِسْمِ الْعَرَبِيِّ)
وَمُدِيرُ مَعْهَدِ اللُّغَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّةِ وَالدِّرَاسَاتِ الْإِسْلَامِيَّةِ
وَسِكْرِتِيرٌ خَاصٌّ لِرَئِيسِ الْوِفَاقِ.