Sharh Durus al-Balagha by Ibn Uthaymeen (شرح دروس البلاغة) — Page 167

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

وَالنَّصُّ عَلَى عُمومِ السَّلْبِ، أَوْ سَلْبِ العُموم: فَالْأَوَّلُ يَكُونُ بِتَقْدِيمِ أَدَاةِ العُمومِ عَلَى أَدَاةِ النَّفْيِ نَحْوَ «كُلُّ ذَلِكَ لَمْ يَكُنْ»، أَيْ: لَمْ يَقَعْ هَذَا وَلَا ذَاكَ.

4 - Specifying the universality of negation, or the negation of universality: the former is achieved by placing the tool of universality before the tool of negation, such as 'All of that did not happen,' meaning: neither this nor that occurred.

رَابِعًا: «النَّصُّ عَلَى عُمومِ السَّلْبِ، أَوْ سَلْبِ العُمومِ مِثْلُ: عَدَمِ النَّقْلِ، وَنَقْلِ العَدَمِ، فَبَيْنَهُمَا فَرْقٌ عَظِيمٌ؛ إِذَا قُلْتَ: نَقْلُ العَدَمِ، أَوْ عَدَمُ النَّقْلِ، أَوْ إِذَا قُلْتَ سَلْبُ العُمومِ، أَوْ عُمومُ السَّلْبِ.

Fourth: 'Specifying the universality of negation, or the negation of universality is like: the absence of transmission, and the transmission of absence, for there is a great difference between them; if you say: the transmission of absence, or the absence of transmission, or if you say the negation of universality, or the universality of negation.

وَعُمومُ السَّلْبِ: مَعْنَى السَّلْبِ النَّفْيُ، وَمَعْنَى عُمومِ السَّلْبِ، أَيْ إِنَّنِي أُرِيدُ عُمومَ النَّفْيِ، أَمَّا سَلْبُ العُمومِ فَأَنَا أُرِيدُ نَفْيَ العُمومِ، مِثَالُ ذَلِكَ أَنْ أَقُولَ لَكَ: لَمْ يَأْتِ كُلُّ الطَّلَبَةِ، فَهَذَا النَّفْيُ هُوَ نَفْيُ العُمومِ، أَيْ: لَمْ يَأْتِ كُلُّ الطَّلَبَةِ وَلَكِنْ جَاءَ بَعْضُهُمْ، أَمَّا إِذَا قُلْتُ: كُلُّ الطَّلَبَةِ لَمْ يَأْتُوا، فَهَذَا عُمومُ النَّفْيِ، أَيْ إِنَّ الجَمِيعَ لَمْ يَأْتُوا، وَمِنْهُ عَلَى مَا يُرْوَى عَنِ الرَّسُولِ ﷺ لَمَّا قَالَ لَهُ ذُو اليَدَيْنِ: أَنَسِيتَ أَمْ قُصِرَتِ الصَّلَاةُ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ: كُلُّ ذَلِكَ لَمْ يَكُنْ.

The universality of negation: the meaning of negation is denial, and the meaning of the universality of negation is that I intend the universality of the denial, whereas the negation of universality means I intend to deny the universality; an example of that is for me to say to you: 'Not all the students came,' for this negation is the negation of universality, meaning: not all the students came, but some of them did come; however, if I say: 'All the students did not come,' then this is the universality of negation, meaning that everyone did not come; and from this is what is narrated about the Messenger (peace be upon him) when Dhu al-Yadayn said to him: 'Have you forgotten, or was the prayer shortened?' and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: 'All of that did not happen.'

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Vocabulary · المفردات (14 verbs · 23 nouns)

• كَانَ — to be
• وَقَعَ — to happen
• قَالَ — to say
• نَصّ — text
• عُمُوم — generality
• سَلْب — negation