The Ājurrūmiyya

In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

The Types of Speech (kalām).

Speech (kalām) is the composed utterance (lafẓ) that conveys a complete meaning, by [linguistic] convention. Its divisions are three: the noun (ism), the verb (fiʿl), and the particle (ḥarf) that comes for a meaning.

The noun (ism) is known by: the genitive (khafḍ), nunation (tanwīn), the entry of the alif and the lām, and the genitive-governing particles (ḥurūf al-khafḍ), which are: min, ilā, ʿan, ʿalā, fī, rubba, the bāʾ, the kāf, and the lām, and the particles of oath (ḥurūf al-qasam), which are: the wāw, the bāʾ, and the tāʾ.

The verb (fiʿl) is known by qad, the sīn, sawfa, and the quiescent feminine tāʾ (tāʾ al-taʾnīth al-sākina).

The particle (ḥarf) is that with which neither the sign of the noun nor the sign of the verb is fitting.

Inflection (iʿrāb) is the changing of the endings of words, on account of the difference of the governing elements (ʿawāmil) that enter upon them, whether in actual pronunciation (lafẓan) or in estimation (taqdīran).

Its divisions are four: the nominative (rafʿ), the accusative (naṣb), the genitive (khafḍ), and the jussive (jazm). Nouns have of these the nominative, the accusative, and the genitive, and there is no jussive in them; and verbs have of these the nominative, the accusative, and the jussive, and there is no genitive in them.

The nominative (rafʿ) has four signs: the ḍamma, the wāw, the alif, and the nūn.

As for the ḍamma, it is a sign of the nominative (rafʿ) in four places: in the singular noun (al-ism al-mufrad), the broken plural (jamʿ al-taksīr), the sound feminine plural (jamʿ al-muʾannath al-sālim), and the present tense verb (al-fiʿl al-muḍāriʿ) to whose end nothing is attached.

As for the wāw, it is a sign of the nominative (rafʿ) in two places: in the sound masculine plural (jamʿ al-mudhakkar al-sālim) and in the Five Nouns (al-asmāʾ al-khamsa), which are: abūka (your father), akhūka (your brother), ḥamūka (your father-in-law), fūka (your mouth), and dhū māl (possessor of wealth).

As for the alif, it is a sign of the nominative (rafʿ) only in the dual (tathniya) of nouns.

As for the nūn, it is a sign of the nominative (rafʿ) in the present tense verb (al-fiʿl al-muḍāriʿ) when a dual pronoun (ḍamīr), a plural pronoun, or the pronoun of the addressed feminine (al-mukhāṭaba) is attached to it.

The accusative (naṣb) has five signs: the fatḥa, the alif, the kasra, the yāʾ, and the dropping (ḥadhf) of the nūn.

As for the fatḥa, it is a sign of the accusative (naṣb) in three places: in the singular noun, the broken plural (jamʿ al-taksīr), and the present tense verb (al-fiʿl al-muḍāriʿ) when an accusative-inducing particle (nāṣib) enters upon it and nothing is attached to its end.

As for the alif, it is a sign of the accusative (naṣb) in the Five Nouns (al-asmāʾ al-khamsa), as in: 'I saw your father (abāka) and your brother (akhāka)' and the like.

As for the kasra, it is a sign of the accusative (naṣb) in the sound feminine plural (jamʿ al-muʾannath al-sālim).

As for the yāʾ, it is a sign of the accusative (naṣb) in the dual (tathniya) and the (sound masculine) plural.

As for the dropping (ḥadhf) of the nūn, it is a sign of the accusative (naṣb) in the Five Verbs (al-afʿāl al-khamsa), whose nominative (rafʿ) is by the retention of the nūn.

The kasra, the yāʾ, and the fatḥa.

The genitive (khafḍ) has three signs:

As for the kasra, it is a sign of the genitive (khafḍ) in three places: in the declinable singular noun (al-munṣarif), the declinable broken plural (jamʿ al-taksīr al-munṣarif), and in the sound feminine plural (jamʿ al-muʾannath al-sālim).

As for the yāʾ, it is a sign of the genitive (khafḍ) in three places: in the Five Nouns (al-asmāʾ al-khamsa), in the dual (tathniya), and the (sound masculine) plural.

As for the fatḥa, it is a sign of the genitive (khafḍ) in the noun that is non-declinable (mā lā yanṣarif).

The jussive (jazm) has two signs: the sukūn and the dropping (ḥadhf).

As for the sukūn, it is a sign of the jussive (jazm) in the present tense verb (al-fiʿl al-muḍāriʿ) that is sound (ṣaḥīḥ) in its final letter.

As for the dropping (ḥadhf), it is a sign of the jussive (jazm) in the present tense verb (al-fiʿl al-muḍāriʿ) that is defective (muʿtall) in its final letter, and in the Five Verbs (al-afʿāl al-khamsa) whose nominative (rafʿ) is by the retention of the nūn.

Section: The Declinable Words (al-muʿrabāt)

The declinable words (al-muʿrabāt) are of two kinds: a kind declined (yuʿrab) by the vowel-signs (ḥarakāt), and a kind declined by letters (ḥurūf).

That which is declined (yuʿrab) by the vowel-signs (ḥarakāt) is of four types: the singular noun, the broken plural (jamʿ al-taksīr), the sound feminine plural (jamʿ al-muʾannath al-sālim), and the present tense verb (al-fiʿl al-muḍāriʿ) to whose end nothing is attached.

All of them are made nominative (turfaʿ) by the ḍamma, made accusative (tunṣab) by the fatḥa, made genitive (tukhfaḍ) by the kasra, and made jussive (tujzam) by the sukūn.

Three things are excepted from that: the sound feminine plural (jamʿ al-muʾannath al-sālim) is made accusative (yunṣab) by the kasra, the non-declinable noun (mā lā yanṣarif) is made genitive (yukhfaḍ) by the fatḥa, and the present tense verb (al-fiʿl al-muḍāriʿ) defective (muʿtall) in its final letter is made jussive (yujzam) by the dropping of its final letter.

That which is declined (yuʿrab) by letters (ḥurūf) is of four types: the dual (tathniya), the sound masculine plural (jamʿ al-mudhakkar al-sālim), the Five Nouns (al-asmāʾ al-khamsa), and the Five Verbs (al-afʿāl al-khamsa), which are: yafʿalāni, tafʿalāni, yafʿalūna, tafʿalūna, and tafʿalīna.

As for the dual (tathniya), it is made nominative (turfaʿ) by the alif, and made accusative (tunṣab) and genitive (tukhfaḍ) by the yāʾ.

As for the sound masculine plural (jamʿ al-mudhakkar al-sālim), it is made nominative (yurfaʿ) by the wāw, and made accusative (yunṣab) and genitive (yukhfaḍ) by the yāʾ.

As for the Five Nouns (al-asmāʾ al-khamsa), they are made nominative (turfaʿ) by the wāw, made accusative (tunṣab) by the alif, and made genitive (tukhfaḍ) by the yāʾ.

As for the Five Verbs (al-afʿāl al-khamsa), they are made nominative (turfaʿ) by the nūn, and made accusative (tunṣab) and jussive (tujzam) by its dropping.

Verbs are three: the past (al-māḍī), the present (al-muḍāriʿ), and the imperative (al-amr), as in: ḍaraba (he struck), yaḍribu (he strikes), iḍrib (strike!). The past: its final letter always bears a fatḥa, so it is called 'open at the end' (mafūḥ al-ākhir abadan). The imperative: it is always in the jussive-state (majzūm abadan).

The present tense (al-muḍāriʿ) is that at whose beginning stands one of the four additional letters (al-zawāʾid al-arbaʿ) gathered in the mnemonic word 'anaytu' [hamza, nūn, yāʾ, tāʾ]. It is always in the nominative (marfūʿ abadan), until an accusative-causing particle (nāṣib) or a jussive-causing particle (jāzim) enters upon it.

The accusative-causing particles (al-nawāṣib) are ten, and they are: an, lan, idhan, kay, the lām of purpose (lām kay), the lām of denial (lām al-juḥūd), ḥattā, the response introduced by fāʾ or wāw (al-jawāb bi-l-fāʾ wa-l-wāw), and aw.

The jussive-causing particles (al-jawāzim) are eighteen, and they are: lam, lammā, a-lam, a-lammā, the lām of command and supplication (lām al-amr wa-l-duʿāʾ), and 'lā' used in prohibition and supplication (al-nahy wa-l-duʿāʾ), in (if), mā, man, mahmā, idhmā, ayy, matā, ayyāna, ayna, annā, ḥaythumā, kayfamā, and idhā—in poetry specifically.

The nominatives (marfūʿāt) are seven, and they are:

The agent (fāʿil), and the object whose agent is not named, that is, the deputy agent (nāʾib al-fāʿil), and the inchoative (mubtadaʾ) and its predicate (khabar), and the noun of kāna and its sisters, and the predicate of inna and its sisters, and the follower of the nominative (al-tābiʿ), which is four things: the adjective (naʿt), the conjunct (ʿaṭf), the corroborative (tawkīd), and the substitute (badal).

The agent (fāʿil) is: the noun in the nominative (marfūʿ) whose verb is mentioned before it.

It is of two kinds: overt (ẓāhir), and hidden (muḍmar).

The overt (ẓāhir) is like your saying: 'Zayd stood,' and 'Zayd stands,' and 'the two Zayds stood,' and 'the two Zayds stand,' and 'the Zayds stood,' and 'the Zayds stand,' and 'the men stood,' and 'the men stand,' and 'Hind stood,' and 'Hind stands,' and 'the two Hinds stood,' and 'the two Hinds stand,' and 'the Hinds stood,' and 'the Hinds stand,' and 'the Hunūd stood,' and 'the Hunūd stand,' and 'your brother stood,' and 'your brother stands,' and 'my boy stood,' and 'my boy stands,' and whatever resembles that.

And the hidden (muḍmar) are twelve, like your saying: 'I struck,' 'we struck,' 'you (m.sg.) struck,' 'you (f.sg.) struck,' 'you two struck,' 'you (m.pl.) struck,' 'you (f.pl.) struck,' 'he struck,' 'she struck,' 'they two struck,' 'they (m.pl.) struck,' 'they (f.pl.) struck.'

It is the noun in the nominative (rafʿ) with which its agent (fāʿil) is not mentioned.

If the verb is past (māḍī): its first letter is given ḍamma and the letter before its last is given kasra. If it is present (muḍāriʿ): its first letter is given ḍamma and the letter before its last is given fatḥa. It is of two kinds: overt (ẓāhir) and concealed (muḍmar). The overt is like your saying: 'Zayd was struck (ḍuriba Zaydun)' and 'Zayd is struck (yuḍrabu Zaydun)' and 'ʿAmr was honored (ukrima ʿAmrun)' and 'ʿAmr is honored (yukramu ʿAmrun)'. The concealed is twelve forms, like your saying: 'ḍuribtu (I was struck), ḍuribnā (we were struck), ḍuribta (you, m.sg., were struck), ḍuribti (you, f.sg., were struck), ḍuribtumā (you two were struck), ḍuribtum (you, m.pl., were struck), ḍuribtunna (you, f.pl., were struck), ḍuriba (he was struck), ḍuribat (she was struck), ḍuribā (they two were struck), ḍuribū (they, m.pl., were struck), ḍuribna (they, f.pl., were struck)'.

The inchoative (mubtadaʾ) is the noun in the nominative (marfūʿ) that is free from verbal governors (ʿawāmil lafẓiyya).

The predicate (khabar) is the noun in the nominative that is attributed (musnad) to it, as in your saying: 'Zayd is standing,' 'the two Zayds are standing,' and 'the Zayds are standing.'

The inchoative is of two kinds: overt (ẓāhir) and pronominal (muḍmar).

The overt (ẓāhir) is that whose mention has preceded.

The pronominal (muḍmar) is twelve, and they are:

I, we, you (masc. sg.), you (fem. sg.), you two, you (masc. pl.), you (fem. pl.), he, she, they two, they (masc. pl.), they (fem. pl.), as in your saying: 'I am standing' and 'we are standing' and the like of that.

The predicate is of two kinds: single (mufrad) and non-single (ghayr mufrad).

The single (mufrad) is as in your saying: 'Zayd is standing.'

The non-single is four things: the preposition with its object (jārr wa-majrūr), the adverbial (ẓarf), the verb with its agent (fāʿil), and the inchoative with its predicate, as in your saying: 'Zayd is in the house,' 'Zayd is with you,' 'Zayd — his father stood,' and 'Zayd — his slave-girl is going.'

They are three things: kāna and its sisters (akhawāt), inna and its sisters, and ẓanantu and its sisters.

As for kāna and its sisters, they put the noun in the nominative (rafʿ) and the predicate in the accusative (naṣb). They are: kāna, amsā, aṣbaḥa, aḍḥā, ẓalla, bāta, ṣāra, laysa, mā zāla, mā infakka, mā fatiʾa, mā baraḥa, mā dāma, and whatever is inflected from them, such as: kāna, yakūnu, kun (its past, present, and imperative forms), and aṣbaḥa, yuṣbiḥu, aṣbiḥ. You say: "Zayd was standing (kāna Zaydun qāʾiman)" and "ʿAmr is not conspicuous (laysa ʿAmrun shākhiṣan)," and the like.

As for inna and its sisters, they put the noun in the accusative (naṣb) and the predicate in the nominative (rafʿ). They are: inna, anna, lākinna, kaʾanna, layta, and laʿalla. You say: "Zayd is indeed standing (inna Zaydan qāʾimun)" and "Would that ʿAmr were conspicuous (layta ʿAmran shākhiṣun)," and the like. The meaning of inna and anna is emphasis (tawkīd); of lākinna, correction (istidrāk); of kaʾanna, likening (tashbīh); of layta, wishing (tamannī); and of laʿalla, hoping and expecting (tarajjī and tawaqquʿ).

As for ẓanantu and its sisters, they put both the inchoative (mubtadaʾ) and the predicate (khabar) in the accusative (naṣb), on the grounds that the two of them are objects (mafʿūlān) of the verb. They are: ẓanantu (I thought), ḥasibtu (I supposed), khiltu (I imagined), zaʿamtu (I claimed), raʾaytu (I saw), ʿalimtu (I knew), wajadtu (I found), ittakhadhtu (I took), jaʿaltu (I made/reckoned), and samiʿtu (I heard). You say: "I thought Zayd was standing (ẓanantu Zaydan qāʾiman)" and "I saw ʿAmr conspicuous (raʾaytu ʿAmran shākhiṣan)," and the like.

The adjective (naʿt) is a follower (tābiʿ) of the noun described (manʿūt) in its nominative (rafʿ), its accusative (naṣb), its genitive (khafḍ), its definiteness (taʿrīf), and its indefiniteness (tankīr). You say: 'Zayd the intelligent stood,' 'I saw Zayd the intelligent,' and 'I passed by Zayd the intelligent.'

The definite noun (maʿrifa) is five things: the pronoun (ism muḍmar), such as 'I' and 'you'; the proper noun (ism ʿalam), such as Zayd and Mecca; the demonstrative noun (ism mubham), such as 'this' (masc.), 'this' (fem.), and 'these'; the noun bearing the alif and lām, such as 'the man' and 'the boy'; and whatever is annexed (muḍāf) to one of these four.

The indefinite noun (nakira) is every noun that is common within its kind, not specific to one thing to the exclusion of another. An approximation of it is everything upon which the entry of the alif and lām is fitting, such as 'man' and 'horse.'

The letters of conjunction (ḥurūf al-ʿaṭf) are ten, and they are:

the wāw ("and"), the fāʾ ("then/and so"), thumma ("then"), aw ("or"), am ("or"), immā ("either/or"), bal ("rather"), lā ("not"), lākin ("but"), and ḥattā ("even/until") in some contexts.

If you conjoin with them onto something in the nominative (marfūʿ), you put it in the nominative (rafʿ); or onto something in the accusative (manṣūb), you put it in the accusative (naṣb); or onto something in the genitive (makhfūḍ), you put it in the genitive (khafḍ); or onto something in the jussive (majzūm), you put it in the jussive (jazm). You say: "Zayd and ʿAmr stood," "I saw Zayd and ʿAmr," "I passed by Zayd and ʿAmr," and "Zayd did not stand nor sit."

Corroboration (tawkīd) is a follower (tābiʿ) of the corroborated word (muʾakkad) in its nominative case (rafʿ), its accusative case (naṣb), its genitive case (khafḍ), and its definiteness (taʿrīf).

It is effected by known expressions, which are: nafs (self), ʿayn (essence), kull (all), and ajmaʿ (altogether), together with the followers of ajmaʿ, which are: aktaʿ, abtaʿ, and abṣaʿ. You say: 'Zayd himself stood' (qāma Zaydun nafsuhu), 'I saw the people, all of them' (raʾaytu l-qawma kullahum), and 'I passed by the people, altogether' (marartu bi-l-qawmi ajmaʿīna).

When a noun is substituted (ubdila) for a noun, or a verb for a verb, it follows it in all of its declension (iʿrāb).

It is of four kinds:

The substitution (badal) of a thing for a thing, the substitution of the part for the whole, the substitution of inclusion (ishtimāl), and the substitution of error (ghalaṭ), as in your saying: 'Zayd, your brother, stood' (qāma Zaydun akhūka), 'I ate the loaf, a third of it' (akaltu al-raghīfa thuluthahu), 'Zayd benefited me, his knowledge' (nafaʿanī Zaydun ʿilmuhu), and 'I saw Zayd — the horse' (raʾaytu Zaydan al-farasa) — you had meant to say 'the horse,' but erred, and so substituted 'Zayd' for it.

The accusative (manṣūbāt) nouns are fifteen: the direct object (mafʿūl bih), the absolute object (maṣdar), the adverb of time (ẓarf al-zamān), the adverb of place (ẓarf al-makān), the circumstantial qualifier (ḥāl), the specifier (tamyīz), the excepted noun (mustathnā), the noun of 'lā' (ism lā), the vocative (munādā), the object of purpose (mafʿūl li-ajlihi), the object of accompaniment (mafʿūl maʿahu), the predicate of 'kāna' and its sisters (khabar kāna wa-akhawātihā), and the noun of 'inna' and its sisters (ism inna wa-akhawātihā).

And that which follows the accusative noun (al-tābiʿ lil-manṣūb) is four things: the descriptive adjective (naʿt), the conjunct (ʿaṭf), the corroborative (tawkīd), and the substitute (badal).

It is the noun in the accusative (manṣūb) upon which the action of the verb falls, as in: 'I struck Zayd' (ḍarabtu Zaydan), and 'I rode the horse' (rakibtu al-farasa).

It is of two kinds: the overt (ẓāhir) and the pronominal (muḍmar).

The overt (ẓāhir) is that whose mention has already preceded.

The pronominal (muḍmar) is of two kinds: the attached (muttaṣil) and the detached (munfaṣil).

The attached (muttaṣil) pronouns are twelve, namely: 'he struck me' (ḍarabanī), 'he struck us' (ḍarabanā), 'he struck you' [masc. sing.] (ḍarabaka), 'he struck you' [fem. sing.] (ḍarabaki), 'he struck you two' (ḍarabakumā), 'he struck you' [masc. pl.] (ḍarabakum), 'he struck you' [fem. pl.] (ḍarabakunna), 'he struck him' (ḍarabahu), 'he struck her' (ḍarabahā), 'he struck them two' (ḍarabahumā), 'he struck them' [masc. pl.] (ḍarabahum), 'he struck them' [fem. pl.] (ḍarabahunna).

The detached (munfaṣil) pronouns are twelve, namely: 'me' (iyyāya), 'us' (iyyānā), 'you' [masc. sing.] (iyyāka), 'you' [fem. sing.] (iyyāki), 'you two' (iyyākumā), 'you' [masc. pl.] (iyyākum), 'you' [fem. pl.] (iyyākunna), 'him' (iyyāhu), 'her' (iyyāhā), 'them two' (iyyāhumā), 'them' [masc. pl.] (iyyāhum), 'them' [fem. pl.] (iyyāhunna).

The *maṣdar* (verbal noun) is the noun in the accusative (*manṣūb*), which comes third in the conjugation (*taṣrīf*) of the verb, as in: ḍaraba, yaḍribu, ḍarban (he struck, he strikes, a striking).

It is of two kinds: verbal (*lafẓī*) and notional (*maʿnawī*). If its wording matches the wording of its verb, it is verbal (*lafẓī*), as in: qataltuhu qatlan (I killed him, a killing).

If it matches the meaning of its verb without matching its wording, it is notional (*maʿnawī*), as in: jalastu quʿūdan (I sat, a sitting), and qumtu wuqūfan (I stood, a standing), and the like.

The adverb of time (ẓarf al-zamān) is: the noun of time put in the accusative (manṣūb) with the implicit meaning of 'in,' such as: today, tonight, early morning, dawn, before daybreak, tomorrow, nightfall, morning, evening, forever, a span of time, a while, and the like.

The adverb of place (ẓarf al-makān) is: the noun of place put in the accusative (manṣūb) with the implicit meaning of 'in,' such as: in front of, behind, before, behind, above, below, near, with, opposite, facing, opposite, here, there, and the like.

The circumstantial qualifier (ḥāl) is: the noun in the accusative (manṣūb) that clarifies whatever is ambiguous concerning states of being, as in your saying: 'Zayd came riding (rākiban)' and 'I rode the horse saddled (musrajan)' and 'I met ʿAbd Allāh riding (rākiban)' and the like.

The ḥāl occurs only as an indefinite noun (nakirah), it occurs only after the completion of the sentence (kalām), and its possessor (ṣāḥib) is only a definite noun (maʿrifah).

The specification (tamyīz) is: the noun in the accusative (manṣūb) that clarifies what is ambiguous among essences (dhawāt), as in your saying: 'Zayd poured forth in sweat,' 'Bakr burst open in fat,' 'Muhammad became pleasant in soul,' 'I bought twenty as slave-boys,' 'I possessed ninety as ewes,' 'Zayd is more generous than you in respect of father,' and 'more handsome than you in respect of face.'

It is only ever an indefinite noun (nakira), and it only ever comes after the completion of the sentence (kalām).

The particles of exception (istithnāʾ) are eight: illā, ghayru, siwā, suwā, sawāʾu, khalā, ʿadā, and ḥāshā.

The excepted noun (mustathnā) with illā is put in the accusative (naṣb) when the sentence is complete (tāmm) and affirmative (mūjab), as in: 'The people stood, except Zayd' and 'The people went out, except ʿAmr.'

If the sentence is negated (manfī) and complete (tāmm), both substitution (badal) and the accusative (naṣb) of exception are permitted, as in: 'No one stood except Zayd' (accusative) and 'except Zayd' (nominative, as substitute).

If the sentence is incomplete (nāqiṣ), the case of the excepted noun follows the governing factors (ʿawāmil), as in: 'None stood except Zayd' (nominative), 'I struck none except Zayd' (accusative), and 'I passed by none except Zayd' (genitive).

The noun excepted by ghayr, siwā, suwā, and sawāʾ is genitive (jarr) only, with no other possibility.

The noun excepted by khalā, ʿadā, and ḥāshā may be either accusative (naṣb) or genitive (jarr), as in: 'The people stood, except Zayd' (accusative or genitive), 'except ʿAmr' (accusative or genitive), and 'except Bakr' (accusative or genitive).

Know that "lā" puts indefinite nouns (nakirāt) in the accusative (naṣb) without nunation (tanwīn) when it directly attaches to the indefinite noun and "lā" is not repeated, as in: "There is no man (lā rajula) in the house."

But if it does not directly attach to the noun, the nominative (rafʿ) becomes obligatory, and the repetition of "lā" becomes obligatory, as in: "There is neither in the house a man nor a woman."

If "lā" is repeated, both treating it as operative (iʿmāl) and treating it as non-operative (ilghāʾ) are permissible. If you wish, you may say: "There is no man in the house and no woman," [with the accusative, treating lā as operative]; and if you wish, you may say: "There is no man in the house and no woman," [with the nominative and nunation, treating lā as non-operative].

The vocative (al-munādā) is of five kinds: the single proper noun (al-mufrad al-ʿalam), the intended indefinite noun (al-nakira al-maqṣūda), the unintended indefinite noun (al-nakira ghayr al-maqṣūda), the annexed noun (al-muḍāf), and that which resembles the annexed noun (al-shabīh bi-l-muḍāf).

As for the single proper noun (al-mufrad al-ʿalam) and the intended indefinite noun (al-nakira al-maqṣūda), they are built (mabniyyān) upon the ḍamma without nunation (tanwīn), as in: "O Zayd (yā Zaydu)" and "O man (yā rajulu)."

The remaining three are in the accusative (manṣūba) and nothing else.

It is: the noun in the accusative (manṣūb) which is mentioned to clarify the reason for the occurrence of the verb (fiʿl), as in your saying: "Zayd stood out of reverence (ijlālan) for ʿAmr" and "I sought you out seeking (ibtighāʾa) your kindness."

It is the noun in the accusative (manṣūb) that is mentioned to clarify that with which the action was performed together, as in your saying: 'The commander came, along with the army' and 'The water became level with the plank.'

As for the predicate (khabar) of 'kāna' and its sisters, and the noun (ism) of 'inna' and its sisters, mention of both has already preceded in the chapter of the nominatives (marfūʿāt). Likewise the subordinates (tawābiʿ) have already been treated there.

Chapter on the genitives of the nouns.

The nouns put in the genitive (makhfūḍāt) are of three types: a noun put in the genitive (makhfūḍ) by a particle (ḥarf), a noun put in the genitive by construct (iḍāfa), and a word that follows (tābiʿ) the genitive noun.

As for the noun put in the genitive by a particle (ḥarf), it is what is put in the genitive by min, ilā, ʿan, ʿalā, fī, rubba, the bāʾ, the kāf, the lām, and by the particles of the oath (qasam), which are: the wāw, the bāʾ, and the tāʾ; and by the wāw of rubba; and by mudh and mundhu.

As for what is put in the genitive by construct (iḍāfa), it is like your saying, "the servant of Zayd." It is of two kinds: that which is understood as if with lām, and that which is understood as if with min. That which is understood as if with lām is like "the servant of Zayd," and that which is understood as if with min is like "a garment of silk," "a door of teak," and "a ring of iron."

It is finished, with praise to God.