وَسائِلٍand a questioner ليَof me عَنabout أَشياءَthings كَيفَhow أَتَتit occurred
وَسائِلٍ ليَ عَن أَشياءَ كَيفَ أَتَت
مَمنوعةَdenied الصرفfull declension فيin القرآنthe Qur'an أَشياءُthings
مَمنوعةَ الصرف في القرآن أَشياءُ
And a questioner asked me about ashyāʾ ('things'): how did
ashyāʾ occur in the Qur'an as a diptote?
وَكَيفَand how لَمdid not يَمنَعواthey deny full declension to أَمثالَهاwords like it زِنَةًin pattern
وَكَيفَ لَم يَمنَعوا أَمثالَها زِنَةً
فَجاءَso appeared بالصَرفwith full declension أَسماءٌnames وأَبناءُand sons
فَجاءَ بالصَرف أَسماءٌ وأَبناءُ
And why did they not restrict the declension of words of the same pattern,
so that asmāʾ ('names') and abnāʾ ('sons') remained fully declinable?
فَقُلتُso I said إِنّيindeed I am كَفيلٌa guarantor بالجَوابِof the answer لَهاfor it
فَقُلتُ إِنّي كَفيلٌ بالجَوابِ لَها
فاِسمعso listen فِللقَومfor the scholars have فيconcerning أَشياءthings آراءُviews
فاِسمع فِللقَوم في أَشياء آراءُ
So I said: I undertake to answer that;
listen, for the scholars have views on ashyāʾ.
فَقائِلٌso one says إِنَّهاthat it is فيin الأَصلِthe original form شَيّاءُthe form shayyāʾ
فَقائِلٌ إِنَّها في الأَصلِ شَيّاءُ
كمثلlike حَلفاءhalfa grass وَزناًin pattern فهيَso it is فَعلاءُthe pattern faʿlāʾ
كمثل حَلفاء وَزناً فهيَ فَعلاءُ
One says its original form is shayyāʾ,
like ḥalfāʾ ('halfa grass') in pattern: faʿlāʾ.
لكنَّهمbut they قَلبواthey transposed منpart of لفظهاits form فأَتَواso they brought
لكنَّهم قَلبوا من لفظها فأَتَوا
باللّامwith the final root consonant أَوَّلهاto its beginning فالوَزنُso the pattern is لَفعاءُthe pattern lafʿāʾ
باللّام أَوَّلها فالوَزنُ لَفعاءُ
But they transposed its form, bringing
the final root consonant to its beginning: the pattern is lafʿāʾ.
فَلَمso did not تَكُنbe جمعَa plural of شَيءٍa thing فهيَso it is مُفرَدَةٌsingular
فَلَم تَكُن جمعَ شَيءٍ فهيَ مُفرَدَةٌ
فَلَيسَso does not يُشبهُهاresemble it فيin الوَزنthe pattern أَسماءُnames
فَلَيسَ يُشبهُها في الوَزن أَسماءُ
So it was not a plural of shayʾ ('thing'); it is singular,
and thus asmāʾ does not resemble it in pattern.
وعلَّةُand the cause المَنعِof restricted declension فيهاin it عندهaccording to him أَلِفُalif التthe (split article)
وعلَّةُ المَنعِ فيها عنده أَلِفُ الت
تأنيثِfeminine marking وهوَand it is جَوابٌan answer فيهin it إِرضاءُsatisfaction
تأنيثِ وهوَ جَوابٌ فيه إِرضاءُ
According to him, its diptote status is due to the alif of
feminine marking—an answer that gives satisfaction.
وَقائِلٍand one says أَنَّهاthat it is جَمعٌa plural ومُفردُهاand its singular
وَقائِلٍ أَنَّها جَمعٌ ومُفردُها
شيءٌa thing وَمثلُهماand their analogue فيءٌshade وأَفياءُand shades
شيءٌ وَمثلُهما فيءٌ وأَفياءُ
Another says it is a plural, whose singular is
shayʾ ('thing'), like the pair fayʾ ('shade') and afyāʾ ('shades').
لكنَّهاbut it أَشبَهتresembled حَمراءَred (feminine) فاِمتنعَتso it was denied
لكنَّها أَشبَهت حَمراءَ فاِمتنعَت
صَرفاًfull declension كَماjust as اِمتنعَتit was denied فيin النَحوِgrammar حَمراءُred (feminine)
صَرفاً كَما اِمتنعَت في النَحوِ حَمراءُ
But it resembled ḥamrāʾ ('red,' feminine), and was denied
full declension, just as ḥamrāʾ is in grammar.
وَوجهُand the basis شِبهِهماof their likeness إِيرادُpresenting جَمعِهماboth together
وَوجهُ شِبهِهما إِيرادُ جَمعِهما
مِثلَينِas counterparts فيin الوَزنِpattern والأَلفاظِand the word forms أَسواءُequal
مِثلَينِ في الوَزنِ والأَلفاظِ أَسواءُ
The ground of their likeness is that both are presented
as counterparts in pattern, their word forms equal.
وَقائِلٍand one says إِنَّهاthat it is جَمعٌa plural وواحدُهاand its singular
وَقائِلٍ إِنَّها جَمعٌ وواحدُها
شيءٌa thing ولكنَّهاbut it is فيin الوَزنِpattern أَفعاءُthe pattern afʿāʾ
شيءٌ ولكنَّها في الوَزنِ أَفعاءُ
Another says it is a plural, whose singular is
shayʾ ('thing'), but its pattern is afʿāʾ.
وأَصلُهاand its original pattern أَفعلاءُthe pattern afʿilāʾ ثمّthen حوَّلهاchanged it
وأَصلُها أَفعلاءُ ثمّ حوَّلها
أَفعاءَto the pattern afʿāʾ حَذفٌa deletion لهfor it فيin الصَرفmorphology إِبداءُan explanation
أَفعاءَ حَذفٌ له في الصَرف إِبداءُ
Its original pattern was afʿilāʾ; then it was changed
to afʿāʾ by a deletion explained in morphology.
وعلَّةُand the cause المَنعِof restricted declension فيهاin it أَنَّthat آخرَهاits ending
وعلَّةُ المَنعِ فيها أَنَّ آخرَها
مدٌّlengthening كَماjust as مُنِعتwas denied full declension للمدِّbecause of lengthening صَحراءُa desert
مدٌّ كَما مُنِعت للمدِّ صَحراءُ
And the reason for its diptote status is that its ending
is lengthened, just as ṣaḥrāʾ ('desert') is a diptote for its long ending.
وَقيلand it was said جَمعُthe plural of شُييءٍa little thing (shuyayʾ) وَهوand it is مُفردُهاits singular
وَقيل جَمعُ شُييءٍ وَهو مُفردُها
عَلىon فُعَيلٍthe pattern fuʿayl كَماas قالواthey said أَخِلّاءُfriends
عَلى فُعَيلٍ كَما قالوا أَخِلّاءُ
It is also said to be the plural of shuyayʾ ('a little thing'), its singular,
on the pattern fuʿayl, as they say akhillāʾ ('friends').
فَأَصلُهاso its original pattern أَفِعلاءٌthe pattern afʿilāʾ ثمَّthen أَنَّهمthat they
فَأَصلُها أَفِعلاءٌ ثمَّ أَنَّهم
أَتواthey introduced بِحَذفٍa deletion إِلىuntil أَنthat قيلit was said أَفعاءُthe pattern afʿāʾ
أَتوا بِحَذفٍ إِلى أَن قيل أَفعاءُ
Its original pattern, then, was afʿilāʾ; afterward they
made a deletion, yielding the form afʿāʾ.
وَقيلَand it was said بَلrather أَصلُthe original form of شيءٍa thing فَيعِلٌthe pattern fayʿil زِنةًin pattern
وَقيلَ بَل أَصلُ شيءٍ فَيعِلٌ زِنةً
كهيِّنlike hayyin ('easy') وَلِهَذاand for this الإسمnoun أَسماءُnames
كهيِّن وَلِهَذا الإسم أَسماءُ
Or it is said: rather, shayʾ originally had the pattern fayʿil,
like hayyin ('easy'); this noun has names.
وَخفَّفوهand they lightened it بِحَذفٍby deletion مثلlike فِعلهمُtheir treatment
وَخفَّفوه بِحَذفٍ مثل فِعلهمُ
فيin هَيِّنhayyin ('easy') وَلهذاand for this الحَذفdeletion أَنحاءُvarious ways
في هَيِّن وَلهذا الحَذف أَنحاءُ
And they lightened it by deletion, as they did
with hayyin; this deletion has various forms.
فَجَمعُهso its plural أَشيياءٌthe form ashyiyāʾ عندaccording to قائلِهِits proponent
فَجَمعُه أَشيياءٌ عند قائلِهِ
كأهوِناءlike ahwināʾ ('easy ones') وبعدand after الحَذفthe deletion أَشياءُthings
كأهوِناء وبعد الحَذف أَشياءُ
Its plural, according to this view, is ashyiyāʾ,
like ahwināʾ ('easy ones'), and after deletion, ashyāʾ.
وَقيلَand it was said بَلrather هيَit is أَفعالٌthe pattern afʿāl وَقَدand indeed سُمعَتit was heard
وَقيلَ بَل هيَ أَفعالٌ وَقَد سُمعَت
ممنوعةًdenied full declension وهيand this is للأَقوالfor the views إِيفاءُcompletion
ممنوعةً وهي للأَقوال إِيفاءُ
Or it is said: rather, it is afʿāl, and has been heard
as a diptote; this completes the views.
فَتِلكَso those are سِتَّةُsix أَقوالٍviews مُنضَّدةٍarranged in order
فَتِلكَ سِتَّةُ أَقوالٍ مُنضَّدةٍ
ماnot شانَmarred ناظمَهاtheir versifier عيُّinarticulacy وإِعياءُand weariness
ما شانَ ناظمَها عيُّ وإِعياءُ
These, then, are six views arranged in order;
neither inarticulacy nor weariness marred their versifier.
وَالقَولُand the view ماwhat قالsaid عَمرٌوʿAmr وهوand it is أَوَّلُهاthe first of them
وَالقَولُ ما قال عَمرٌو وهو أَوَّلُها
وَكَمand how often لأَقوالهfor his views فيin النَحوgrammar إِمضاءُendorsement
وَكَم لأَقواله في النَحو إِمضاءُ
The sound view is what ʿAmr said—the first of them;
how often his views in grammar win endorsement!
فَقُلso say لمنto whoever يدَّعيclaims علماًknowledge أَعندكdo you have منof
فَقُل لمن يدَّعي علماً أَعندك من
هذيthese المَذاهبِdoctrines فيconcerning أَشياءَthings أَنباءُinformation
هذي المَذاهبِ في أَشياءَ أَنباءُ
So ask whoever claims learning: do you have any
knowledge of these doctrines concerning ashyāʾ?
فإِنthen if أَجابَكَhe answers you أَوor أَولاكَhe grants you مَعرفةًknowledge
فإِن أَجابَكَ أَو أَولاكَ مَعرفةً
فلِلأَفاضِلthen the worthy have إِفضالٌgenerosity وإِيلاءُand bestowal
فلِلأَفاضِل إِفضالٌ وإِيلاءُ
If he answers you or grants you knowledge,
then the worthy have generosity and gifts to bestow.
وإِنand if توقَّفَhe hesitates جَهلاًout of ignorance بالجَوابِof the answer فَقُلthen say
وإِن توقَّفَ جَهلاً بالجَوابِ فَقُل
حَفِظتَyou have memorized شَيئاًa thing وَغابَتand were absent عنكfrom you أَشياءُthings
حَفِظتَ شَيئاً وَغابَت عنك أَشياءُ
And if he hesitates, ignorant of the answer, say:
'You have memorized one thing, while other things escaped you.'
ثُمَّthen الصَلاةُblessings عَلىupon أَعلىthe highest الوَرىall creation شَرفاًin honor
ثُمَّ الصَلاةُ عَلى أَعلى الوَرى شَرفاً
وآلهِand his family ماas long as شَدَتsang فيin الأَيكthe grove وَرقاءُa gray dove
وآلهِ ما شَدَت في الأَيك وَرقاءُ
Then blessings upon the highest in honor of all creation,
and his family, as long as a gray dove sings in the grove.
Sol 6.1