Sharh Qatr an-Nada by Ibn Hisham (شرح قطر الندى وبل الصدى) — Page 361

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

مَبَاحِثُ الِاسْتِغَاثَةِ.

Topics in seeking help (istighatha).

وَلَا يُسْتَعْمَلُ لَهُ مِنْ حُرُوفِ النِّدَاءِ إِلَّا (يَا) خَاصَّةً، وَالْغَالِبُ اسْتِعْمَالُهُ مَجْرُوراً بِلَامٍ مَفْتُوحَةٍ، وَهِيَ مُتَعَلِّقَةٌ بِيَا عِنْدَ ابْنِ جِنِّي؛ لِمَا فِيهَا مِنْ مَعْنَى الْفِعْلِ، وَعِنْدَ ابْنِ الصَّائِغِ وَابْنِ عُصْفُورٍ بِالْفِعْلِ الْمَحْذُوفِ، وَيُنْسَبُ ذَلِكَ إِلَى سِيبَوَيْهِ، وَقَالَ ابْنُ خَرُوفٍ: هِيَ زَائِدَةٌ فَلَا تَتَعَلَّقُ بِشَيْءٍ، وَذِكْرُ الْمُسْتَغَاثِ لَهُ بَعْدَهُ مَجْرُوراً بِلَامٍ مَكْسُورَةٍ دَائِماً عَلَى الْأَصْلِ، وَهِيَ حَرْفُ تَعْلِيلٍ، وَتَعَلُّقُهَا بِفِعْلٍ مَحْذُوفٍ، وَتَقْدِيرُهُ: أَدْعُوكَ لِكَذَا، وَذَلِكَ كَقَوْلِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ: (يَا لَلْمُسْلِمِينَ) - بِفَتْحِ اللَّامِ الْأُولَى وَكَسْرِ الثَّانِيَةِ - وَإِذَا عَطَفْتَ عَلَيْهِ مُسْتَغَاثاً آخَرَ؛ فَإِنْ أَعَدْتَ (يَا) مَعَ الْمَعْطُوفِ فَتَحْتَ اللَّامَ، قَالَ الشَّاعِرُ: يَا لَقَوْمِي وَيَا لِأَمْثَالِ قَوْمِي لِأُنَاسٍ عُتُوُّهُمْ فِي ازْدِيَادِ.

The only vocative particle used for this purpose is 'ya'. It is typically followed by a lam with a fatha, which Ibn Jinni links to 'ya' because of the verbal sense it carries. Ibn al-Sa'igh and Ibn 'Usfur argue it links to an elided verb, a view attributed to Sibawayh. Ibn Kharuf, however, considers it an extra particle with no link. The person for whom help is sought is mentioned afterward, governed by a lam with a kasra, as is standard. This lam indicates causality and links to an elided verb, understood as 'I call you for such-and-such.' An example is the saying of Umar, may Allah be pleased with him: 'Ya lal-muslimin,' with a fatha on the first lam and a kasra on the second. If you conjoin another person for whom help is sought and repeat 'ya,' you must use a fatha on the lam, as the poet says: 'O for my people and O for their likes, against people whose arrogance is ever-growing.'

أَيْ: وَالْغَالِبُ ذِكْرُ الْمُسْتَغَاثِ لَهُ بَعْدَ الْمُسْتَغَاثِ بِهِ، وَأَنْ يَكُونَ الْمُسْتَغَاثُ لَهُ مَجْرُوراً بِلَامِ الْجَرِّ مَكْسُورَةً عَلَى مَا هُوَ الْأَصْلُ فِي لَامِ الْجَرِّ الَّتِي تُبْنَى عَلَى الْكَسْرِ لِيُنَاسِبَ لَفْظُهَا عَمَلَهَا.

This means that usually, the person for whom help is sought follows the one from whom help is sought. The former is governed by a prepositional lam with a kasra, following the standard rule for this preposition, where the vowel reflects its function.

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Vocabulary · المفردات (21 verbs · 60 nouns)

• اِسْتَغَاثَ — to seek help
• اِسْتَعْمَلَ — to use
• تَعَلَّقَ — to relate
• مَبْحَثٌ — topic
• اسْتِغَاثَةٌ — seeking help
• حَرْفٌ — letter