Al-Jamie's explanations on the explanation of kafiyah

Abstract

Al-Kafiya Zavi Al-Arab Fī Ma'rifat Kalam al-'Arab, known also as Al-Kafiya Ibn Al-Hajib is one of the most famous books on syntax written by Ibn Hajib. His interest in simplifying syntactic rules caused him to put to pen a Preface entitled Al-Kafiya; naming the book as such clarifies the writer’s aim as it makes both the beginners and experts of the field refrain from consulting difficult-to-understand books on syntax. In other words, this is a book needed even by professors of the field.In his Preface, Ibn Hajib has made use of non-mystifying euphuistic language, a method which shows his ability and mastery over syntactic rules. The above book has attracted the attention of the scientists of the field so much so that they have entered into a race of better writing a commentary, a debate, or marginal notes on it, as it has dealt with all syntactic subjects, even though it is a complete simplified book for that purpose. Its unique characteristics have caused it to become the center of attention for the old and new scholars of syntax and gain the first place amongst all other related works in terms of attracting explanation, explication, sustenance, and marginal notes.Razi Astarabadi is one of the most famous critics of Al Kafiya. His exegesis is very famous and possesses a high rank with the scholars. Among the other famous commentaries one can refer to Al-Fawaid Al-Ziaiyya by Jami who made his best in this book to solve the difficulties and riddles of Al-Kafiya by resorting to various explanations. He has analyzed many relevant resources, chosen useful materials, and added sentences to them in order to satisfy the needs of the students, so much so that one can assert that Jami’s book is a summary of Razi’s commentaries on Al-Kafiya. Jami has printed Razi’s phrases and views in his book without any alterations so much so that the beginners are unable to distinguish between them, even though in most cases he has not abstained from mentioning Razi’s name; at times, to defend Ibn Hajib, he has taken issue with Razi’s commentaries. Making use of descriptive-analytical method, the present research has sought to show Jami’s critique on Razi Astarabadi’s analysis of the views and theories of the previous scholars of the field. Some of the results obtained explain that Jami has not limited himself only to expressing Razi’s views; on the contrary, he has critically mentioned the reasons for choosing, preferring, rejecting, or deleting them.