A STUDY OF A VERSIFIED TREATISE ON ARABIC GRAMMAR: RA'IYYATU 'LCRAB Zakariyau I.

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Introduction Arabic grammar is a well-developed branch of Arabic Studies. Right from the time of Prophet Muhammed, attention has been paid to the grammar of the language as a means of understanding the Glorious Qur an. !his is because a small mista"e in Arabic ma# change the meaning of a te$t radicall#. As time progressed, leading muslim figures such as cAli ibn Abi A!alib, Abu %-Aswad al&u ali, 'i#ad idn Abihi and others contributed immensel# to the stud# and codification of Arabic grammar.% (asic grammatical rules were e$plained, standardised, illustrated and studied. !wo ma)or schools of grammar, (asran and *ufan emerged. As more and more people recognised the central role of grammar in the proficienc# of Arabic, more grammarians devised new methods of imparting the "nowledge of the sub)ect to learners. +ne of the new methods devised probabl# during the postcAbbasid period was versification. Some grammarians wrote mneomotechnic verse on grammatical rules. +nce a verse or a couple of verses is read, the relevant rule would become manifest. Some of such authors are ,bn Mali" and Abu ,Qasim ibn cAli al--ariri.. ,n /igeria, cAbdullah ibn Muhammad ibn 0udi wrote another one specificall# on morpholog# 1Sarf2 3&, and of course, we have also the treatise under stud# among others.

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Ra ,##atu %-% crab is a shori treatise on grammar b# a /igerian author, cAbdullah ibn Muhammad, a relativel# new scholar. 5 !his paper e$amines this grammar wor" which is popular among some old generation scholars of Arabic and ,slamic Studies scattered all over /igeria. Stud#ing this treatise is important in man# wa#s. 0irst, it will familiarise more scholars, especiall# those e$posed to a s#stematic mode of education of the 6estern t#pe, with the wor" which is at present "nown onl# to a selected few of the old crop of scholars. Secondl#, the present stud# will e$plain to the reader the scope of the treatise and the method emplo#ed b# the author in imparting the "nowledge of grammar to students b# versification. !his paper illustrates the wor" in its Arabic original as well as in the 7nglish translation of it. ,n addition, the basic copies covered in the wor" are e$plained. !he aim of the author e$pressed in the. opening verse is criticall# e$amined vis a-vis the content of the wor". +ne would li"e to "now how central the topics treated are in Arabic grammar. !he ade8uac# or otherwise of the illustrations given in the wor" is also loo"ed into.

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The English Translation of Ra'iyyatu '1-lcrab ,t is an R-rh#med poem on &esinental ,nflection. %. + #ou who see" to "now about dcsinental inflection, before #ou is a s#nopsis of its particles which , have composed in verse. .. ,t teaches #ou dcsinental inflection and it is eas# to understand, well arranged inverse and , have thoroughl# simplified it for #ou. 3. 1the# are2 thirt#-eight verses in all which #ou should ta"e care of for the# will teach #ou in a da# what #ou would 1otherwise2 be taught for a month. 5. Min and ila are two prepositions as in; <!he boo" was from -ind to (ishr.< 9. So also are cAn and cnlo prepositions too, e.g. <Go on and when #ou get to cAmmar, as" him about cAim"

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:. So also are mbba as well as the waw and la' of oath and the kaf which is also a particle for lashbih 1simile2. 4. >ou should as" for the remaining prepositions, for , have shortened m# speech based on the resolution to he brief. =. An is one of the particles that put the verb in the accusative as far as we are concerned, e.g. <, hope lo prosper at the sage s presence.< ? Kayla and kay are part of them, @as in2 <Aisit me so that , impart to #ou some "nowledge which no one can.< %B. So also are fort, idhan, liana, \hclam of e$planation and the lam of denial. %%. As for the jussi particles the# are many; , will give #ou the most important ones among them. %.. lam, alam, hmma, man and ma e.g. <Abu (a"r has not understood m# speech.< %3. +f them loo, are mata ma, ayna. aynama, ayyu, the lam of prohibition as well as the lam of command. %5. Abu ,Qasim the grammarian has stated that the parts of speech are three in the beginning of 1his2 poem. : %9. !he# are the noun, verb and particle which conve# meaningsC what a splendid thing had been said b# al-0ihri 4

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%:. Qama 1he rose, stood up2 and yaunu 1he is rising, standing2 are verbsC as for the nou, it is ever#thing that has a reflection e.g. al-dar 1the house2, al-thawb 1the cloth2, and al-dun- 1the pearls2.= %4. As for verbal nouns, the# are al-8i#am 1standing, stand2 and its li"e, while particles are an, min, and '!a. %=. Grammarians put the sub)ect in the nominative case e.g. the Mu"##in has announced the time of Midda# Pra#er. %?. 6ith us 1grammarians2, the ob)ect is put in the accusative b# the verb, e.g. <leave $ayd, for he has come up with an e$cuse.< .B. ,f an ob)ect is presented without a sub)ect, it should be in the nominative, as argued b# scholars. .%. An e$ample is <Muhammad s child was not beaten, and $ayd was not given his due b# Abu cAmr.< ... 6henever a noun is put in construct with another noun, the latter should be in the genitive case thus sa# the grammarians in famous boo"s. .3. An e$ample is <!his is the slave of 'a#d please sell to him, and he would give #ou one dinar at the end of the month.<

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.5. whenever a noun is )oined to a definite noun 1b# a con)unctive particle2 its declension must agree in the nominative, accusative or genitive. .9. An e$ample is <-onour Khalid and Muhammad, and be good to $ayd and DAmr for ever.< .:. "$ayd, cAmr and jacfar came to me on horses with radial blades.< .4. So also do the ad)ective, the emphatic and the permutative should be treated in declension li"e nouns in the con)unction; please, "eep the compan# of the intelligent ones. .=. 6ith us ever# noun in the vocative should be in the accusative, with the e$ception of the definite singular noun - do listen to m# admonition. .?. 0or e$ample, <G cAbbad, deliver m# trust and % &usuf, "eep the secret with #ou.< 3B. !he noun in the vocative, when in construct phrase, should be in the accusative, e.g. "%Abda %-*arim, carr# out m# order.< 3%. 7$cept the indefinite vocative, nouns intended for a message should be in accusative li"e e.g. <+ man, news has reached me.<

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3.. !he rule governing the undefined noun is also accusative, as in <+ man #ou have won the pearls.< 33. Grammarians put nouns in the beginning of sentences in the nominative, e.g. "$ayd is an intelligent scholar and a reciter 1of the +ur an2.< 35. ,f the predicate is a noun, #ou should put it in the nominative. &o understand and never be tired of learning and reflecting.< 39. And be generous with pra#er for Muhammad s son as he had been generous with teaching #ou grammar in verse. 3:. !he not-too-intelligent spo"e in order to attain nothing but the pleasure and pardon of God. 34. , beseech >ou, + the (enevolent, grant me the pleasure of its use and relieve me-of burdens. 3=. Ma# our Eord accept #our pra#er, + m# brother, and ours too, b# granting us pardon with than"s to -im. A Cri!i"ue #$ !%e !rea!ise -aving given the Arabic and 7nglish versions of the treatise, , shall begin this criti8ue with a highlight of the contents of the wor". !he treatise contains onl# 3= lines rh#med in letter ra hence it is called an R-rh#med verse on &esinental ,nflection. Eines %-3 form the introduction in which the author states 1boastsF2 that he would teach one within a da# what one should learn in a month. (earing in mind the difficult#

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often encountered b# students of Arabic grammar, the author tal"s about simplif#ing the wor" thoroughl#. Eines 5 -4 are on prepositions. ,n this section onl#, eight prepositions, namel# min 1from2, ila 1to2, can 1about, from2, caGa 1on, above2, waw 1of oath2, ta' 1of oath2 and "af 1of comparison2 are given. !hereafter the author as"s his reader to in8uire about the remaining prepositions.< Eines =-%B are on the particles which govern the sub)unctive. -ere we have an 1to2, *a#la 1so as not2, kay 1so that2, lan 1never2, idhan 1then, therefore, in that case2, hatta 1until2, lam of e$planation 1so that2, and lam of denial. !his is fairl# comprehensive. Eines %%-%3 are on the particles and nouns which govern the apocopate from, 1al-jawa#im'. !he# are basicall# si$teen in Arabic but onl# eleven are given here some of them being secondar# forms of the basic ones. !hose mentioned are lam 1not2, flam 1not2, lainina 1not #et2, man 1who2, ma 1what2, matama 1whenever2, ayna 1where2, aynama 1wherever2, ayyn 1which2, lam of prohibitionGadmonitionGentreat#, and lam of indirect command. Eines %5 - %9 are on the three ma)or parts of speech in Arabic; the noun, verb and particle. ,n fact, each of these three can be bro"en into several other parts of speech as understood in 7nglish, for instanceC%B , must state here that lines %5 and %9 ought to be at the beginning of the treatise immediatel# after the introduction. (ringing them there creates a problem for the learner especiall# if he is a beginner.

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Eines %: and %4 tal" of the verb and the noun, especiall# the verbal noun (tnnsdir' as well as some particles. !he two lines complement lines %9 and %:. Eines %= and %? treat the sub)ect of a verbal sentence (fail' and the direct ob)ect of verbal .sentence (maful'', which must ta"e the nominative and accusative respectivel#. !he two lines are ver# fascinating in their Arabic original. Eines .B - .4 contain a number of grammar topics, including the passive (al-majhul.' and the case of its <surrogate sub)ects<, i.e. the ob)ect whose sub)ect is omitted. +thers arc the construct phrase (al-idafnli', con)unction, and the ad)ective (al-nact'. As usual, e$amples are given to illustrate each topic. Eines .=-3. are on the vocative (al-munada'. !he various t#pes are illustrated with e$amples. !he# are 1a2 the definite singular noun 1which should be in the nominative2C 1b2 the first word in a construct phrase 1which should be in the accusative case when preceded b# the vocative panicle m2C 1c2 an indefinite non-intimate noun 1which must be in the accusative case2C 1d2 the indefinite intimate or intended noun 1which should be in the nominative case2. As usual e$amples are given. Eines 33 and 35 treat the sub)ect and predicate which are nouns. !he# should both be in the nominative case. Eastl#, line 39 - 3= contain pra#ers. ,bn Muhammad as"s his readers to pra# profusel# for him for teaching them grammar in verse. -e states his aim in writing the wor"C the 8uest for God s pleasure. lie also pra#s for himself and his readers. !his last Aspect reveals the ma)or factor which

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motivated man# ,slamic and Arabic scholars to write boo"s. !hat factor is the need for God s merc# and pleasure since the writer believes that he is e$erting himself to benefit people, both far and near. ,n the introductor# section of the treatise, certain claims are made b# the author. -e promises to teach aspects of grammar in Arabic in a thoroughl# simplified manner. ,n addition he claims that he would teach his students within a da# what the# would have laboured for a month to stud#. !he 8uestion now is; how realistic is that claim in view of our clear grasp of the content of the treatiseF !o begin with, the treatise is brief and touches onl# a few aspects of elementar# grammar. Man# basic elements of grammar such as the different classifications of verbs, different classes of ob)ects, kana, inna and #anna and their respective associates are not laughH at all. /othing is said about the diptote (ma la yansarif', which is ver# basic in this t#pe of wor".H% !he claim in the opening verses is, therefore, not tenable as it has not been )ustified practicall# b# the author. At best, the treatise is a revision wor" for those who alread# "now "e# grammatical terms in detail, and not a concise treatise to teach novices Arabic grammar in an# special manner. ,n fact, there is nothing said in the )a'iyyatu *-+crab which Abu %-Qasim al-(asir to whom our author also refers with deference did not sa# in a more comprehensive manner conse8uentl# ii is not right to claim that the wor" would leach one within a da# a month s academic wor". Perhaps,

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this is one of those familiar pretensions b# scholars in an at tempi to sell their wor"s. !he treatise is in the form of fia,ir al-'i'awil, one of the most famous metres in Arabic prosod#. ,t is a metre reserved in most cases for loft# and sublime poetr#. ,r2 a versified academic wor" such as his, -nhr al-)ajo# is often used because it is ver# fle$ible and does not neccssitme a rigid mono-rh#me formula. Ising -alir al-.awil and maintaining the R-rh#me throughout shews that the composer is not a novice in the art of composition. ,t is pertinent %B highlight here the heav# reliance on personal names in ending in <R< in the treatise. 0or instance, the auihor uses (ishir 1line 52, Amir 1Eine 92, Abu (a"r 1Eine %.2, al-0ihri, 1Eine %92 and cAmr 1Eine .%J. Such names provide cheap materials for the desired rh#me letter <R<. ,n a wor" of this nature, , must state that there is nothing wrong with such a practice. ,mportant too is the tangible ,slamic stamp on the verse. Intil about %?:B in /igeria, Arabic studies had been an e$clusive area cultivated b# Muslims alone. Arabic helps interested people to e$plore and probe deepl# into ,slamic sources and also places Arabic scholars in a special position higher than that of their counterparts in ,slamic Studies who arc not sound in Arabic.%3 +ne is not surprised, therefore, to notice a heav# ,slamic coloration in the treatise under stud#. !he first one is in line %= where an e$ample is given about a MueKKin announcing to the Muslim the time for 'uhr 1midda#2

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pra#er. !he second one is in the last four lines of the wor" 1lines 39-3=2. /otice how the erudite scholar begs his students to pra# for him and refers to himself as a dull man who composed the verses onl# to see" the pleasure of God, a servant who pleads ferventl# for God s pardon and pra#s for his students too. !his is a clear act of humilit# and modest#. !his t#pe of statement in both prose and poetr# is. commonplace in the Arabic literature of 6est Africa, especiall# the Lihad literature of /igeria. ,t is in most poems written b# cAhduliah ibn 0udi, his contemporaries, and those who came after him.%5 As is common with Arabic and ,slamic scholars in /igeria and elsewhere, an$iet# and Keal to ac8uire "nowledge are of primar# importance in life, hence the relish with which Mhe# learn and teach at 'arnu)iNs ta clim... which is a boo" on ,slamic education. !his boo"ish attitude is discernible in the treatise understud#. ,nterwoven with their deep love for "nowledge is the consciousness of ,slamic ethnics. ,n the e$amples given in the treatise, there are some references to aspects of ,slamic ethics couched in direct and indirect advice to readers or students. !he# are as follows; % Eeave 'a#d for he has come up with an e$cuse< 1Eine %?2.
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.<'a#cl was not given his due b# Abu Amr< 1Eine .%2.

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3. 1Eine .?2.

<+ >usuf, "eep the secret with #ou<

5. <+ Abcla H-*arim, carr# out m# order.< 1line 3B2. !he substance of the above statements is largel# in line with ,slamic ethics. , believe that this t#pe of illustration is in line with modern methods of education. !o me, it is one of the most outstanding achievements of the author. Conclusion ,t has been observed in the foregoing pages how a /igerian scholar cAbdullah ibn Muhammad treated selected grammatical topics in his 3= line treatise. 7ven though his wor" is not outstanding in pedagogical versification, it is nevertheless a good attempt. ,n spite of certain inade8uacies in it, it serves a ver# useful purpose as a revision wor" for learners of Arabic grammar. 7ach of the e$amples given to illustrate the topics bears testimon# to the fact that the writer has a good "nowledge of grammar in addition to his abilit# to compose in verse. Given the conservative and intricate nature of Arabic prosod#, an average student of Arabic "nows that is not eas# to compose an elegant poem, especiall# in the traditional si$teen metres in Arabic, more so in a non-Arab milieu. , am aware thai there are man# wor"s of similar

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nature in manuscripts in ,badan, Los, *aduna,etc. ,t is hoped that more research will be carried out on Arabic grammar wor"s of /igerian, origin. !he edition, annotation and publication of such wor"s will further ihe understanding of Arabic grammar and literature as well as Arabic and comparative linguistics. !his is a tas" from which Arabic scholars in /igeria and 6est Africa in general cannot sh# awa#. O Notes %. 0or details, sec &awud aH-cAilar, Muja# c/lttm alQur'an. !eheran. Mu assasat al-Q an al-*arim, %5B3 A.M., pp-%=9-?BC '. ,. +seni, <An e$amination of al-Ma))a) b. >usuf al-!ha8afi s ma)or Policies<, +slamic 0mdi"s, Aol. .4, /o. 5, 6inter %?== ,slamabad, pp. 3=-.BC M. A. MuaKu <Al-&ama ir wa isticmalatuha fi al-Qur an al-"arim, !hesis for Ph.& programme in Arabic 1,lorin, &epartment of Religions, Iniversit# of ,lorin2 Sept. %?==, pp. .%-55C and al-Mun)id al-Aclam. 1(eirut, &ar al-mashr"), %?432 p.5:5. .. !he two wor"s are;

1a2 Muhammad ibn mali", Alifiyyah on which numerous commentaries have been written. +ne of such commentaries is 0hark +bn cA1ilcak Alfiyyali +bn Malik ed. b# Muhammad Muh#i l-&in cAbduH ,--amid. Aols , P ,,. 1(eirut, dar al-0i"r, %?4.2. 1b2 Abu l-+asim ibn cAli al-,lariri al-Rasri, Miilhat allc rab. 1LiddahC As ad Muhammad Sa d al--ibal, n.d.2. !he

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MS. of this boo" is in the national Museum, Los LMGA.M.S.G%.9. 3. See cAbdullah ibn Muhammad ibn 0udi, Al-!isn alrasin fi clim al-0arf 1(eirut, dar ai-0i"r, n.d.2. 5. See Adam cAbdu,lah al-,luri, 0harh )a 2+yyati 3 i+c rab 1Qairo, AL-Mashhad al-llusa#ni, %3:3 A.-2 9. See Abu l-Qasim al--ariri, o4. cit 1note . above2. -e is the famous al-))ann who wrote al-Mn1amai. 5. Al-0ihri here refers most probabl# to al--ariri.

6. !he canop# referred to here is probabl# the definite article 1al2. =. 0or details on common grammar topics, sec AlSanha)u, Main (il-Ajurumiyyah. 1Qairo, Mustafa al-(abi, %?992C eld al-6asif Muhammad, Al-.uhfat al-0anniyyalt7 0harh al-janiyyah. 1Qairo, Mustafa al-(abi, %?3=2C &avid Qowan, Mod"rn 8it"rary Arabic 1Eondon, Qambridge Iniversit# Press, %?492C A. S. !ritton, Arabic. 1!each #ourself (oo"s. 1/ew >or", &avid Mc"a# Qo. ,nc. %?432C L. A. -a#wood P -. M. nahmad, 9"w Arabic :rammar of th" ;ritt"n 8an<ua<". 1Eondon; Eund -umphries, %?:92C ,. A. (. (olaghun P '. ,. +seni, A Modern Arabic Qourse ; (oo"s , - ,,,, 1Eagos ; ,slamic Publications (ureau, %?=. and =?C and >. Mohammed P M. -aron, =irst 0t"4s in

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Arabic :rammar. (>i"t"rmarii#bur<, Shuter and Shooter %?=?2C etc. ?. 0or e$ample, what is referred to as the noun (al-ism' here can be bro"en into personal pronouns, demonstrative pronouns, the active participle, the passive participle, the ad)ective, the permutativc, the verbal noun, nouns of instruments, nouns of place or lime, adverbs of manner, place or time, etc. %B. %%. See /ote /o.? above. See line %5 of the treatise under scrutin#.

%.. See ,. A. +gunbi#i, %f 9on-Muslim ?ulti@ators and >ro4a<ators of th" Arabic lan<ua<". 1,naugural Eectural series2. Eagos, Eagos State Iniversit#, %?=42, 3% pp. See also <!he Qommuni8ue of the national Qonference on Arabic Studies in /igeria and -igher 7ducation; Problems and Prospects<, 5th - :th +ctober. 1*ano, (a#cro Iniversit#, 5th - :th +ct., %?=42, 3BB. %3. See ine following, for instance; cAbdulHah ibn Muhammad, .a#yin al-;ara1at ed. M. -is"eit. 1,badan; ,badan Iniversit# Press, %?:3C cIthman A. >ususf 7le#inla, Al-hikmah GG al-0+iicr 1,)ebu-+de, Shebiolime Publications %?=42C Shams al-&in Muhammad al(adamasi, Al-Qasidah al-Mnkhamtnasah fi madh al-9abi. 1*ano, cAbdu,lah al->assar, %?:.2C cIthman b. 0udi, !al A i Mnsir, 1*ano, cAbdu,lah al-#assar, %?:.2C and Sambo 6.

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-unaid, <Al-Madh al-/abawi , a poem published in 9A.A+07 Bournal oft,i" 9i<"rian Association of ','cach"s of Arabic and +slamic 0tmhc.-. Aol. ,,, /o. , &ec. ,?R2pp. %3.-33. %5. !he full particulars of this famous hoo" in /igeria are; (urhan al-,slam al-'arnu)i.arnu)i, .a dim almutacallim tari1 al-tacalhtm. 1Qairo, Mustafa al-babi, %?5=G%3:4. %9. Public institutions where man# of such wor"s arc "ept included the Qentre for Arabic &ocumentation. Iniversit# of ,badan, Iniversit# of ,bailan Eibrar#, /ational Museum, Los, /ational Archive, *aduna, etc. and the private libraries of prominent scholars all over /igeria.

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