Grammarians say the correct answer letters

Abstract

It includes grammarians' statements on nine words classified under the title "Letters of Answer." In this research, I have clarified what the description of a letter of answer applies to and what does not, relying on the words of ancient grammarians and those who came after them, based on what was transmitted in ancient and modern grammar and linguistic books, making their words a gateway to arriving at the truth about the letters of answer or not.

I began with the most common letters in Arabic speech, and discussed them sequentially, beginning with the letter (na'am), mentioning the statements of ancient grammarians regarding their meanings, positions, and grammatical analysis. The first of these grammarians was Sibawayh. I then stated my own opinion on the matter and what I tend toward—if the situation permits. Here, I do not claim to stand among them, but rather this is what researchers have followed and has become a standard practice in all the issues they address.

I then discussed the letter (bala). Because it is the most famous after "na'am," I reviewed the grammarians' statements on it, following the same steps as the letter "na'am." The discussion led us to the statement of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), "If they had said 'na'am, they would have disbelieved." This is one of the reasons that prompted me to choose this topic. Here, we must pause to consider the jurists' statements on the issue, which prompted grammarians to address their own arguments, which increased the discussion on "bala" over the rest of the letters. I must not fail to mention that I addressed Qur'anic verses and poets' statements as evidence for or against the grammarians' statements, depending on the context. Then, I addressed the letter "ajal" with several well-known letters in the answer, relying on the same grammarians' statements I used for the letters "na'am" and "bala," and so on with the rest of the letters, following the principles of research in my review of the issue. I have striven to arrive at the truth of these letters, perhaps someone will benefit from this, and Allah is the Knower of all intentions.