In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may blessings and peace be upon the noblest of the prophets and messengers, our Prophet Muhammad, and upon all his family and companions.
This is a summary of what was presented in this part of the explanation of Imam al-Shafi’i’s book al-Risala, focusing on the important points and clarifications.
The importance of reading aloud in teaching language:
- Emphasis that the best way to teach a language, especially correct pronunciation, is reading aloud with correction from the teacher.
- He mentioned the example of the Prophet ﷺ reciting while Jibril, upon him be peace, listened.
The characteristics of the tongue of the Arabs:
- Breadth of the tongue: the multiplicity of the language’s modes and indications, and that Arabic is the broadest of languages in vocabulary and indication. The number of its words equals the number of words of the Latin languages combined.
- Natural disposition (custom or habit): it is the custom of the tongue of the Arabs to address something in an apparently general way intending the apparent generality, and to dispense with the latter part of it by the first part (universal terms). Example: al-Ka’bah is any cube-shaped building; al-sarh is any tall building.
- The general and the specific:
- Apparently general wording by which the general is intended, while the specific is included within it. Example: “Maintain with care the [obligatory] prayers and [in particular] the middle [i.e., ‘asr] prayer” (Al-Baqarah 2:238). The general (the prayers) is mentioned and then the specific (the middle prayer) to point out its honor.
- Apparently general wording by which the specific is intended. Example: the word hajj, which used to be applied to any intended journey, and was then specified in Islam for journeying to the Sacred House of Allah. Likewise the word salah, which meant supplication, and was then specified for particular sayings, actions, and postures.
- Apparent wording whose context shows that something other than its apparent meaning is intended. Example: “And they used to persist in the great violation (al-hinth al-‘azim)” (Al-Waqi’ah 56:46). Al-hinth means sin, and what is meant here is polytheism. Likewise yatahannath means “he devotes himself to worship,” not “he sins,” and yataharraj means “he keeps away from sin (haraj),” not “he falls into it.”
- Speech (kalam): Imam al-Shafi’i uses the word kalam for a meaningful sentence, and this is the correct usage in the language of the Qur’an and the hadith. As for the grammarians’ use of the word to mean a single word (a noun, verb, or particle), it is a technical term specific to them.
- Meanings in the mind: meanings exist in minds, and communication between people depends on the degree of harmony and agreement between the contents of their minds.
- Sign language: gestural language may be stronger than spoken language in conveying some meanings, especially emotional ones.
- Many names for one thing: example: the sword has many names (muhannad, husam, samsam…). Likewise the lion (layth, asad, dirgham…). Also the Most Beautiful Names of Allah, and the names of the Prophet ﷺ.
- Many meanings for one word: example: the word ‘ayn has many meanings (the eye as an organ, ‘ayn in the sense of a king, ‘ayn in the sense of a spring, ‘ayn in the sense of a spy, ‘ayn in the sense of emphasis). Likewise the word ‘amid has different meanings depending on the context.
- The means by which the Arabs knew their language: among these means is memorization, for which the Arabs were distinguished, to the point that it was almost agreed that their knowledge was knowledge of the ear (hearing). He mentioned examples of the strength of the Arabs’ memory, such as memorizing long poems, the story of Ibn Taymiyyah with the shaykh, and the story of Imam al-Bukhari in Baghdad.
- The Arabic poetry collections (dawawin): they reached us thanks to the strength of the Arabs’ memory.
- The amount of the language one is required to learn: every Muslim must learn as much of the tongue of the Arabs as his effort allows, so that he can bear witness in it that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, recite the Book of Allah in it, and utter in it the remembrance made obligatory upon him. The language is learned for a religious purpose, not merely for boasting and distinction.
This is a summary of what was presented in this part. We ask Allah the Exalted for success and guidance to what is right.
All parts of Summary of the Explanation of al-Risala by Shaykh Dr. Ahmad al-Naqeeb