Mukhtasar al-Ma'ani by al-Taftazani, Vol. 1 (مختصر المعاني) — Page 18

Arabic text · النص

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

وَجْهُ تَرْجِيحِ الْفَنِّ الثَّالِثِ مِنَ الْعُلُومِ كَاللُّغَةِ وَالنَّحْوِ وَالصَّرْفِ تُعْرَفُ دَقَائِقُ الْعَرَبِيَّةِ وَأَسْرَارُهَا، فَيَكُونُ مِنْ أَدَقِّ الْعُلُومِ سِرًّا، وَيَكْشِفُ عَنْ وُجُوهِ الْإِعْجَازِ فِي نَظْمِ الْقُرْآنِ أَسْتَارَهَا، أَيْ بِهِ يُعْرَفُ أَنَّ الْقُرْآنَ مُعْجِزٌ؛ لِكَوْنِهِ فِي أَعْلَى مَرَاتِبِ الْبَلَاغَةِ لِاشْتِمَالِهِ عَلَى الدَّقَائِقِ وَالْأَسْرَارِ الْخَارِجَةِ عَنْ طَوْقِ الْبَشَرِ.

The reason for preferring the third discipline among the sciences, such as linguistics, grammar, and morphology, is that the subtleties and secrets of the Arabic language are known through it; thus, it is among the most subtle of sciences in its secrets, and it unveils the veils covering the aspects of inimitability in the composition of the Quran, meaning that through it, it is known that the Quran is miraculous, as it is in the highest ranks of eloquence due to its inclusion of subtleties and secrets that are beyond human capacity.

وَهَذَا وَسِيلَةٌ إِلَى تَصْدِيقِ النَّبِيِّ وَهُوَ وَسِيلَةٌ إِلَى الْفَوْزِ بِجَمِيعِ السَّعَادَاتِ، فَيَكُونُ مِنْ أَجَلِّ الْعُلُومِ لِكَوْنِ مَعْلُومِهِ وَغَايَتِهِ مِنْ أَجَلِّ الْمَعْلُومَاتِ وَالْغَايَاتِ.

This is a means to confirming the Prophet, and it is a means to attaining all forms of happiness; therefore, it is among the most noble of sciences because its subject matter and its ultimate goal are among the most noble of subject matters and goals.

وَتَشْبِيهُ وُجُوهِ الْإِعْجَازِ بِالْأَشْيَاءِ الْمُحْتَجِبَةِ تَحْتَ الْأَسْتَارِ اسْتِعَارَةٌ بِالْكِنَايَةِ، وَإِثْبَاتُ الْأَسْتَارِ لَهَا تَخْيِيلِيَّةٌ، وَذِكْرُ الْوُجُوهِ إِيهَامٌ، أَوْ تَشْبِيهُ الْإِعْجَازِ بِالصُّوَرِ الْحَسَنَةِ اسْتِعَارَةٌ بِالْكِنَايَةِ، وَإِثْبَاتُ الْوُجُوهِ لَهُ تَخْيِيلِيَّةٌ، وَذِكْرُ الْأَسْتَارِ تَرْشِيحٌ.

Comparing the aspects of inimitability to things hidden beneath veils is a metonymic metaphor (isti'arah bil-kinayah), attributing the veils to them is an imaginative metaphor (takhayyiliyyah), and mentioning the 'aspects' (wujuh) is an allusion (iham); or, comparing inimitability to beautiful images is a metonymic metaphor, attributing the aspects to it is an imaginative metaphor, and mentioning the veils is a reinforcement (tarshih).

عَلَى أَوْجُهٍ لَا مُتَنَاهِي، وَتِلْكَ الْأَسْرَارُ لَا تُعْلَمُ اكْتِسَابًا إِلَّا بِعِلْمِ الْمَعَانِي، وَالنَّحْوِيُّ وَإِنْ ذَكَرَ بَعْضَهَا فَهُوَ عَلَى وَجْهٍ إِجْمَالِيٍّ يَتَصَرَّفُ فِيهِ الْبَيَانِيُّ تَصَرُّفًا لَا يَصِلُ إِلَيْهِ النَّحْوِيُّ.

It is based on infinite aspects, and those secrets are not known through acquisition except through the science of meanings (ilm al-ma'ani); even if the grammarian mentions some of them, it is in a general manner, whereas the rhetorician handles them in a way that the grammarian cannot reach.

مِنَ الْعُلُومِ إِشَارَةٌ إِلَى أَنَّ الْحَصْرَ إِضَافِيٌّ، وَإِلَّا فَقَدْ تُعْرَفُ دَقَائِقُ اللُّغَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّةِ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ كَإِلْهَامٍ أَوْ سَلِيقَةٍ كَالْعَرَبِ.

The phrase 'among the sciences' is an indication that the restriction is relative; otherwise, the subtleties of the Arabic language might be known without formal science, such as through inspiration or natural disposition, as was the case with the Arabs.

لِاشْتِمَالِهِ عِلَّةٌ لِكَوْنِهِ فِي أَعْلَى مَرَاتِبِ الْبَلَاغَةِ لِكَوْنٍ وَفِي الْكَلَامِ حَذْفٌ أَيْ وَجَلَالَةُ الْعِلْمِ بِجَلَالَةِ مَعْلُومِهِ، وَغَايَتِهِ وَبِهَذَا تَمَّ التَّعْلِيلُ:

The phrase 'due to its inclusion' is the cause for it being in the highest ranks of eloquence, and there is an omission in the speech, meaning: the nobility of the science is due to the nobility of its subject matter and its goal, and with this, the explanation is complete.

مَعْلُومُهُ أَيْ مَا يُعْلَمُ مِنْ هَذَا الْعِلْمِ وَهُوَ كَوْنُ الْقُرْآنِ مُعْجِزًا وَهُوَ الْإِعْجَازُ كَمَا هُوَ ظَاهِرٌ مِنْ كَلَامِ الشَّارِحِ، وَوَجْهُ أَجْلِيَّةِ هَذَا الْمَعْلُومِ أَنَّهُ حَالُ أَشْرَفِ الْكَلَامِ الَّذِي هُوَ الْقُرْآنُ، وَغَايَتُهُ: يَجُوزُ أَنْ يُرَادَ بِهَا الْفَوْزُ، وَيَجُوزُ أَنْ يُرَادَ بِهَا تَصْدِيقُ النَّبِيِّ.

Its subject matter, meaning what is known from this science, is the fact that the Quran is miraculous, which is the inimitability, as is apparent from the commentator's words; the reason for the nobility of this subject matter is that it is the state of the most noble speech, which is the Quran; and as for its goal, it is permissible that it refers to success, and it is permissible that it refers to confirming the Prophet.

وَتَشْبِيهُ وُجُوهِ إِلَخِ الِاسْتِعَارَةُ بِالْكِنَايَةِ كَمَا سَيَجِيءُ: أَنْ يُشَبَّهَ شَيْءٌ بِشَيْءٍ فِي النَّفْسِ، فَيُسْكَتُ عَنْ ذِكْرِ أَرْكَانِهِ سِوَى الْمُشَبَّهِ وَالِاسْتِعَارَةُ التَّخْيِيلِيَّةُ أَنْ يُثْبِتَ لِلْمُشَبَّهِ شَيْءٌ مِنْ لَوَازِمِ الْمُشَبَّهِ بِهِ وَالْإِيهَامُ أَنْ يُذْكَرَ لَفْظٌ لَهُ مَعْنَيَانِ: قَرِيبٌ وَبَعِيدٌ، وَيُرَادُ بِهِ الْبَعِيدُ ذَكَرَ الشَّارِحُ لَهُ الْعِبَارَةَ الْمَتْنَ: وَجْهَيْنِ الْأَوَّلُ: أَنَّهُ مُشَبَّهٌ فِي النَّفْسِ وُجُوهُ الْإِعْجَازِ بِالْأَشْيَاءِ الْمُحْتَجِبَةِ تَحْتَ الْأَسْتَارِ وَأَثْبَتَ الْأَسْتَارَ لِلْوُجُوهِ فَالْتَّشْبِيهُ اسْتِعَارَةٌ بِالْكِنَايَةِ وَالْإِثْبَاتُ اسْتِعَارَةٌ تَخْيِيلِيَّةٌ، وَذِكْرُ الْوُجُوهِ إِيهَامٌ؛ فَإِنَّ الْوَجْهَ يُسْتَعْمَلُ فِي الْمَعْنَيَيْنِ: الْعُضْوُ الْمَخْصُوصُ وَهُوَ الْمَعْنَى الْقَرِيبُ وَالطَّرِيقُ وَهُوَ الْمَعْنَى الْبَعِيدُ، وَأُرِيدَ هَهُنَا الْبَعِيدُ.

The phrase 'comparing the aspects, etc.' refers to the metonymic metaphor, as will come later: that something is compared to something else in the mind, and the mention of its pillars is omitted except for the subject of the comparison (al-mushabbah); the imaginative metaphor is to attribute to the subject of the comparison something from the requirements of the object of comparison (al-mushabbah bihi); and the allusion (iham) is to mention a word that has two meanings: a near one and a far one, and the far one is intended. The commentator mentioned for it in the text two ways: the first is that the aspects of inimitability are compared in the mind to things hidden beneath veils, and he attributed the veils to the aspects, so the comparison is a metonymic metaphor, the attribution is an imaginative metaphor, and the mention of 'aspects' (wujuh) is an allusion; for the word 'wajh' is used for two meanings: the specific body part, which is the near meaning, and the path, which is the far meaning, and the far one is intended here.

أَوْ تَشْبِيهُ الْإِعْجَازِ: هَذَا هُوَ الْوَجْهُ الثَّانِي، وَتَقْرِيرُهُ أَنْ يُشَبَّهَ نَفْسُ الْإِعْجَازِ بِالصُّوَرِ الْحَسَنَةِ وَيُثْبِتَ الْوُجُوهَ لِلْإِعْجَازِ، فَالْتَّشْبِيهُ اسْتِعَارَةٌ بِالْكِنَايَةِ، وَالْإِثْبَاتُ اسْتِعَارَةٌ تَخْيِيلِيَّةٌ، وَذِكْرُ الْأَسْتَارِ تَرْشِيحٌ؛ لِكَوْنِهَا مُلَائِمَةٌ لِلْمُشَبَّهِ بِهِ وَهُوَ الصُّوَرُ الْحَسَنَةُ.

Or 'comparing inimitability': this is the second way, and its formulation is that the inimitability itself is compared to beautiful images, and he attributes the aspects to the inimitability; thus, the comparison is a metonymic metaphor, the attribution is an imaginative metaphor, and the mention of veils is a reinforcement, because they are appropriate for the object of comparison, which is the beautiful images.

تَرْشِيحٌ وَهُوَ أَنْ يُذْكَرَ شَيْءٌ يُلَائِمُ الْمُشَبَّهَ بِهِ.

Reinforcement (tarshih) is that something is mentioned which is appropriate for the object of comparison.

Vocabulary · المفردات (21 verbs · 75 nouns)

• عَرَفَ — to know
• كَشَفَ — to reveal
• أَعْجَزَ — to render incapable
• صَدَّقَ — to confirm
• حَجَبَ — to veil
• تَخَيَّلَ — to imagine
• تَنَاهَى — to reach an end
• عَلِمَ — to know
• ذَكَرَ — to mention
• تَصَرَّفَ — to act
• وَصَلَ — to arrive
• تَمَّ — to be completed
• جَازَ — to be permissible
• أَرَادَ — to intend
• جَاءَ — to come
• شَبَّهَ — to liken
• سَكَتَ — to be silent
• أَثْبَتَ — to establish
• لَزِمَ — to necessitate
• اسْتَعْمَلَ — to use
• لَاءَمَ — to suit
• وَجْهٌ — aspect
• تَرْجِيحٌ — preference
• فَنٌّ — art
• ثَالِثٌ — third
• عِلْمٌ — science
• لُغَةٌ — language
• نَحْوٌ — grammar
• صَرْفٌ — morphology
• دَقِيقَةٌ — subtlety
• عَرَبِيَّةٌ — Arabic language
• سِرٌّ — secret
• إِعْجَازٌ — inimitability
• نَظْمٌ — composition
• قُرْآنٌ — Quran
• سِتْرٌ — veil
• مَرْتَبَةٌ — rank
• بَلَاغَةٌ — eloquence
• اشْتِمَالٌ — inclusion
• خَارِجٌ — external
• طَوْقٌ — capacity
• بَشَرٌ — human
• وَسِيلَةٌ — means
• تَصْدِيقٌ — belief
• نَبِيٌّ — prophet
• فَوْزٌ — success
• جَمِيعٌ — all
• سَعَادَةٌ — happiness
• أَجَلٌ — most noble
• مَعْلُومٌ — known
• غَايَةٌ — goal
• تَشْبِيهٌ — simile
• شَيْءٌ — thing
• مُحْتَجِبٌ — veiled
• اسْتِعَارَةٌ — metaphor
• كِنَايَةٌ — metonymy
• إِثْبَاتٌ — establishment
• تَخْيِيلِيَّةٌ — imaginative
• ذِكْرٌ — mention
• إِيهَامٌ — illusion
• صُورَةٌ — image
• حَسَنَةٌ — beautiful
• تَرْشِيحٌ — reinforcement
• مَعْنًى — meaning
• نَحْوِيٌّ — grammarian
• بَعْضٌ — some
• إِجْمَالِيٌّ — general
• بَيَانِيٌّ — rhetorician
• تَصَرُّفٌ — disposal
• إِشَارَةٌ — indication
• حَصْرٌ — restriction
• إِضَافِيٌّ — relative
• إِلْهَامٌ — inspiration
• سَلِيقَةٌ — natural disposition
• عِلَّةٌ — cause
• كَلَامٌ — speech
• حَذْفٌ — omission
• جَلَالَةٌ — majesty
• تَعْلِيلٌ — reasoning
• ظَاهِرٌ — apparent
• شَارِحٌ — commentator
• أَجْلِيَّةٌ — clarity
• أَشْرَفٌ — most noble
• أَرْكَانٌ — pillars
• مُشَبَّهٌ — likened object
• لَازِمٌ — necessity
• لَفْظٌ — word
• قَرِيبٌ — near
• بَعِيدٌ — far
• عِبَارَةٌ — expression
• مَتْنٌ — text
• عُضْوٌ — organ
• مَخْصُوصٌ — specific
• طَرِيقٌ — path
• تَقْرِيرٌ — report
• مُلَائِمٌ — suitable