Sharh Durus al-Balagha by Ibn Uthaymeen (شرح دروس البلاغة) — Page 17

Arabic text · النص

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

قَالَ الْمُصَنِّفُونَ -رَحِمَهُمُ اللهُ تَعَالَى-: (حَفْنِي نَاصِف، وَمُحَمَّد دِيَاب، وَسُلْطَان مُحَمَّد، وَمُصْطَفَى طُمُوم) فِي كِتَابِهِمْ (قَوَاعِدُ اللُّغَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّةِ): بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ.

The authors—may God Almighty have mercy upon them—(Hifni Nasif, Muhammad Diyab, Sultan Muhammad, and Mustafa Tumum) said in their book (Rules of the Arabic Language): In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

الْحَمْدُ للهِ الَّذِي قَصُرَتْ عِبَارَةُ الْبُلَغَاءِ عَنِ الْإِحَاطَةِ بِمَعَانِي آيَاتِهِ، وَعَجَزَتْ أَلْسُنُ الْفُصَحَاءِ عَنْ بَيَانِ بَدَائِعِ مَصْنُوعَاتِهِ، وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى مَنْ مَلَكَ طَرَفَيِ الْبَلَاغَةِ إِطْنَابًا وَإِيجَازًا، وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَأَصْحَابِهِ الْفَاتِحِينَ بِهَدْيِهِمْ إِلَى الْحَقِيقَةِ مَجَازًا.

[1] Praise be to God, whose signs the expressions of the eloquent fall short of encompassing, and whose wondrous creations the tongues of the articulate are unable to describe; and may peace and blessings be upon the one who possessed both ends of eloquence, in both prolixity and conciseness, and upon his family and companions who, through their guidance, opened the way to the truth metaphorically.

التَّعْلِيقُ: قَالَ فَضِيلَةُ الشَّيْخِ الْعَلَّامَةُ مُحَمَّد بْن صَالِح الْعُثَيْمِين -رَحِمَهُ اللهُ تَعَالَى-: الْحَمْدُ للهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ وَأُصَلِّي وَأُسَلِّمُ عَلَى نَبِيِّنَا مُحَمَّد وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَأَصْحَابِهِ وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ إِلَى يَوْمِ الدِّينِ، أَمَّا بَعْدُ:

Commentary: The eminent scholar, Sheikh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymin—may God Almighty have mercy upon him—said: Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds, and I invoke peace and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, his companions, and those who follow them in righteousness until the Day of Judgment; to proceed:

قَالَ الْمُصَنِّفُونَ -رَحِمَهُمُ اللهُ تَعَالَى-: «بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ الْحَمْدُ للهِ الَّذِي قَصُرَتْ عِبَارَةُ الْبُلَغَاءِ عَنِ الْإِحَاطَةِ بِمَعَانِي آيَاتِهِ» مِثْلُ هَذَا الْأُسْلُوبِ يُسَمِّيهِ الْعُلَمَاءُ بَرَاعَةَ الِاسْتِفْتَاحِ، أَيْ إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ يَسْتَفْتِحُ بِكَلَامٍ يَدُلُّ عَلَى الْمَوْضُوعِ.

[1] The authors—may God Almighty have mercy upon them—said: 'In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to God, whose signs the expressions of the eloquent fall short of encompassing.' Scholars call this style 'the brilliance of the opening,' meaning that a person begins with words that indicate the subject matter.

وَعِبَارَةُ «الْبُلَغَاءِ» إِشَارَةٌ إِلَى أَنَّ هَذَا الْفَنَّ هُوَ عِلْمُ الْبَلَاغَةِ وَالْفَصَاحَةِ.

The expression 'the eloquent' is an indication that this discipline is the science of rhetoric and eloquence.

وَ«بَدَائِعِ مَصْنُوعَاتِهِ» بَدَائِعُ: إِشَارَةٌ إِلَى عِلْمِ الْبَدِيعِ؛ لِأَنَّ هَذَا الْفَنَّ يَعُودُ عَلَى هَذَا الشَّيْءِ.

And 'wondrous creations,' the word 'wondrous' (bada'i') is an indication of the science of literary artifice (al-badi'); because this discipline refers back to this thing.

Vocabulary · المفردات (12 verbs · 47 nouns)

• صَنَّفَ — to author
• رَحِمَ — to have mercy
• قَصُرَ — to be short
• عَجَزَ — to be unable
• مَلَكَ — to possess
• صَلَّى — to pray
• سَلَّمَ — to greet
• تَبِعَ — to follow
• سَمَّى — to name
• اسْتَفْتَحَ — to open
• دَلَّ — to indicate
• عَادَ — to relate to
• تَعْلِيق — commentary
• بَلَاغَة — rhetoric
• كِتَاب — book
• قَاعِدَة — rule
• لُغَة — language
• مُصَنِّف — author
• بَلِيغ — eloquent person
• إِحَاطَة — comprehension
• مَعْنَى — meaning
• آيَة — verse
• لِسَان — tongue
• فَصِيح — eloquent
• بَيَان — clarification
• بَدِيعَة — masterpiece
• مَصْنُوعَة — creation
• صَلَاة — prayer
• سَلَام — peace
• طَرَف — side
• إِطْنَاب — verbosity
• إِيجَاز — brevity
• آل — family
• صَاحِب — companion
• فَاتِح — conqueror
• هَدْي — guidance
• حَقِيقَة — truth
• مَجَاز — metaphor
• فَضِيلَة — virtue
• شَيْخ — sheikh
• عَلَّامَة — scholar
• رَبّ — lord
• عَالَم — world
• نَبِيّ — prophet
• إِحْسَان — benevolence
• يَوْم — day
• دِين — religion
• مِثْل — likeness
• أُسْلُوب — style
• بَرَاعَة — skill
• اسْتِفْتَاح — opening
• إِنْسَان — human
• كَلَام — speech
• مَوْضُوع — topic
• إِشَارَة — indication
• فَنّ — art
• فَصَاحَة — eloquence
• بَدِيع — innovation
• شَيْء — thing