The introduction to Sibawayh's book

Abstract

Since Haji Khalifa (1067 AH) famously stated his opinion about Sibawayh's book, "There is no arrangement, no introduction, and no conclusion," contemporary scholars have attempted to express their views on this matter. Most of them argue that the book lacks an introduction and starts directly with the subject of grammar, without concluding with a formal ending. Some have gone as far as saying that it lacks any structure at all, a claim that many scholars have refuted. Upon closer examination, the book is systematically organized and methodically structured, as evidenced by scientific proofs presented by Dr. Mohammed Kazem Al-Bakaa in his doctoral thesis titled "Sibawayh's Methodology in Grammatical Evaluation." He subsequently republished the book under the title "A Systematic Classification and Scientific Verification."

Central to this research is the discussion about the supposed absence of an introduction in the book, a notion initially asserted by Haji Khalifa. This view was echoed by many modern scholars, including Professor Ali Al-Najdi Nasif, who stated that the book lacks both a conclusion and an introduction, opening directly with the statement "This is a chapter on the science of what is a word in Arabic," and concluding with "And like this is the saying of some of them: Scholars of the tribe of so-and-so omitted the 'lam,' intending 'upon the water, the tribe of so-and-so,' which is Arabic."