The Arabic Grammatical Tradition: A Study inTaclìl 9781474472920

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The Arabic Grammatical Tradition A Study in ta‘līl

The concept of ta‘līl occupies a central position in the Arabic intellectual tradition. In grammar it covers a host of areas of immense theoretical interest, including description, methodology, epistemology and explanation. This book sets out to deal with the concept by investigating the major works of those grammarians who have contributed most in theoretical terms to its development and elaboration in the Arabic Grammatical Tradition. It seeks to do so by considering the relation between grammar, on the one hand, and jurisprudence and theology, on the other. In dealing with the above issues an appeal is made, both directly and indirectly, to some of the relevant ideas in the philosophy of science as they apply to this tradition. The approach adopted is cross-disciplinary in orientation to reflect the centrality of ta‘līl in the Arabic intellectual tradition, and reference is therefore made to the employment of this concept in jurisprudence and, to a lesser extent, theology. This is the first major study in any European language or in Arabic to be published on the topic. It will be of interest to Arabic grammarians, students of Arabic and general linguistics and to specialists in Islamic jurisprudence and philosophy. Professor Yasir Suleiman is the first holder of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Sa’id Chair of Modern Arabic Studies and a Fellow of King’s College, Cambridge. His many published works include Arabic Grammar and Linguistics (editor, 1998) and Arabic Sociolinguistics: Issues and Perspectives (editor, 1994).

The Arabic Grammatical Tradition

The Arabic Grammatical Tradition A Study in ta7zl

Yasir Suleiman

EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY PRESS

To my wife and raftqat darb'£ Shahla, with much love

© Yasir Suleiman, IQQQ Transferred to digital prinl, 2007

Edinburgh University Press Ltd. 22 George Square, Edinburgh Typeset in Baskerville by Koinonia, Bury, and printed and bound in Great Britain by CPI Antony Rowe, Easlbourne

A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN o 7486 o6g7 r (hardback) The right ofYasir Suleiman to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act rg88.

CONTENTS

Preface Acknowledgements 1

2

Introduction Preamble 1. Aim and Scope of the Present Study 2. Why Study ta'l'il? 3· Notes The Fundamental Principles of Grammar: 'Ural al-na}J,w Introduction 1. Sama' 2. 2.1 Transmitted Data 2.1.1 The Qur'an 2.1.2 Poetry Elicited Data 2.2 2.3 Sama'in AGT: General Considerations Qiyas 3· 3.1 Constituents of qiyas 3-1.1 11.)'l 3.1.2 Far' 3.1.3 lfukm 3.1.4 1lla 3.2 Types of qiyas Isti$Mb al-}J,al 4· Conclusion 5· Notes

3 Al-Zajjaji and ta'l'ilin the Arabic Grammatical Tradition Introduction 1. Types of 'illa 2. 1lla ta'lzmiyya 2.1 1lla qiyasiyya 2.2 2.3 1lla jadaliyya-na;ariyya

IX

xi

3 6

9 15 15

16 18 18

19 22

24

25

27 27 29 29 31 32 33 36 38

43 43 45 45 48 49

THE ARABIC GRAMMATICAL TRADITION

VI

The Epistemological Status of the 'illa Realism Phenomenalism Essentialism Hypothetico-realism Instrumentalism Fictionalism Sceptical Instrumentalism The Epistemological Nature of ta'lzlaccording to Zajjaji Conclusion Notes

3· 3·1. 3-l.l 3-1.2 3·1.3 3·2 3·2.1 3.2.2 3·3 4·

4 Ibn Jinni and ta 'lzl in the Arabic Grammatical Tradition Introduction Underlying Foundations 2. 2.1 Ta 'Ill in Grammar: Between Theology and Jurisprudence 2.2 'Illat al-'illa 2.3 Two Types of 'illa 2.4 The Epistemological Status of the 'illa Methodological Issues in ta 'lzl 3· 3·1 Isti/:l,san 3·2 Takh$Z$, ziyadat and 'idraj al-'illa 3·3 Ta'diyat al-'illa 3-4 Dawr and the 'illa 3·5 Ta'aruq al-'ilal 3·6 One /:l,ukm, Two 'illas 3·7 One 'illa, Two Contradictory /:l,ukms 3·s Tarafu' al- 'ahkam 3·9 Qiyas al-shabah 3·10 Provision of na~zr 3·II Contradiction in ta'lzl A Fundamental Principle of ta'lzl 4· 4·1 Nonce Words and Related Phenomena 4·2 Discounted Word-forms 4·3 Lightness versus Heaviness: A Summary Conclusion 5· Notes I.

5 Al-Anbari and ta'lzlin the Arabic Grammatical Tradition Introduction 'U$ill al-na/:l,w 2. 2.1 Naql 2.2 Qiyas 2.2.1 Objections to qiyas 2.3 Types of qiyas I.

52 53 53 53 54 54 55 55 s6 57 ss 64 64 66 66 71 73 75 So So Sz S6 S7 ss go 91 92 93 94 95 gS gS 101 102 103 IOS wg wg

II3 II3 ug I20 123

CONTENTS

2.3.1 Qiyas al-'illa 2.3.2 Qiyas al-shabah 2-3·3 Qiyas al-tard 2.4 Two Conditions of the 'illa 2.4.1 Tard 2.4.2 'Aks 2.5 Establishing the 'illa Mu'ararfa 3· Conclusion 4· Notes

Vll

123 124 125 128 128 130 132 134 136 137

6 Ibn Mac.fa' and ta 'lzl in the Arabic Grammatical Tradition Introduction I. Zahiri Doctrine: Between jurisprudence and Grammar 2. Qiyas: Between Zahirijurisprudence and Grammar 3· 3·1 Ibn I:Iazm's Critique of qiyas 3·2 Ibn Mac.fa"s Critique of qiyas 3·3 Ibn Mac.fa' and Ibn I:Iazm Ta'lzland 'illa: Between Zahirijurisprudence and Grammar 4· 4·1 Ibn I:Iazm and ta 'lzl 4·2 Ibn Mac.fa' and ta 'lzl 4·3 Ta'lzl: Ibn Mac.fa' and Ibn I:Iazm Ibn Mac.fa' and Beyond 5· Conclusion 6. Notes

145 145 148 151 151 156 161 162 162 164 168 169 171 174

7 Al-Suyup: and ta'lzlin the Arabic Grammatical Tradition Introduction I. Legitimacy of ta'lzl 2. of 'illa Types 3· Sama' 3·1 3·2 Tashbzh 3·3 Istighna' 3·4 Istitqal 3·5 Farq 3·6 Tawkzd 3·7 Ta'wzrf 3·8 Na;.zr 3·9 Naqzr! 3.10 lfaml 'ala al-ma'na 3·II Mushakala 3.12 Mu'adala 3· 13 Mujawara 3·14 Wujilb 3· 15 ]awaz

178 178 180 182 183 183 184 184 184 184 185 185 186 186 187 187 187 188 188

Vlll

THE ARABIC GRAMMATICAL TRADITION

3.16 Taghlzb 3·I7 Ikhti$tir 3.18 Takhfif 3· 19 'A$l 3.20 'Awlti 3.21 Dalalat al-htil 3.22 1sh'ar 3·23 Tarf,add 3·24 Tahlzl Mastilik al- 'illa 4· 4·1 Na$$ 1ma' 4·2 4·3 'Ilghti' alfariq Conclusion 5· Notes

189 189 190 190 190 191 191 191 192 193 1 93 194 194 1 95

97

1

8 Conclusion I. Introduction 2. Ta'lzlin AGT: A Comparative Perspective Ta'lzl and Explanation 3· Final Remarks 4·

205 210

Bibliography Glossary Index

212 219 224

199 199 20!

PREFACE

The aim of this book is to investigate ta 'Ill in its capacity as one of the most important components of the Arabic grammatical tradition. Ta'lzl covers a host of areas of immense grammatical interest, including description, methodology, epistemology and explanation, which are related to each other in various ways. The main thrust of this research will be directed at the last three areas, although the balance between them will vary from one grammarian to another. The examples setting out particular points of grammar in this work will therefore be used for illustrative purposes only rather than as statements of the descriptive enterprise in the Arabic grammatical tradition. In dealing with the above issues, an appeal will be made, both directly and indirectly, to some of the relevant ideas in the philosophy of science as they apply to this tradition. Our aim here will be to avoid applying to Arabic grammar an ill-fitting and ready-made outside framework whose unfettered utilisation would flout the restricted theoretical character and socio-cultural specificity of this field of inquiry. In addition, our approach will be cross-disciplinary in orientation. This reflects the multi-faceted nature of ta'lzl in the Arabic intellectual project whose elucidation would require the contribution of scholars from a set of neighbouring disciplines, especially those with an interest in jurisprudence and philosophy. Finally, our approach will depart from the all-consuming preoccupation with the historical sources of the Arabic grammatical tradition that is characteristic of a dominant strand in the Western treatments of this tradition. Chapters I and 2 are of an introductory nature. In Chapter I, an attempt is made to delimit the scope of this study and to outline the rationale behind it. It is perhaps worth pointing out in this connection that, to the best of our knowledge, the present research constitutes the first major study in any European language or in Arabic to deal extensively and in an integrated manner with the topics which fall within its scope. To carry out this task, the study of ta 'lzl is placed within the overall framework of 'u.rul alnahw, which is the main concern of Chapter 2. To understand where ta'lzl fits in this framework, the role of sama' (attestation/ corpus), qiyas (analogy), isti~htib al-hal (presumption of continuity) and, to a lesser extent, 'ijma'- as the main ingredients in the foundations of the Arabic grammatical tradition - is set out in some detail. In the next five chapters, the study of ta'lzl is pursued by examining the contribution of five major grammarians: al-Zajjaji (Chapter 3), Ibn Jinni (Chapter 4), al-Anbari (Chapter 5), Ibn Ma