Explanation of Alfiyyah Ibn Malik, 3 Volumes

Author: Imam Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymin

Ibn Malik's Alfiyyah, also known as "Al-Khulasah" (The Summary), is a poetic text composed by Imam Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Malik al-Ta'i al-Jayyani. It is one of the most important poetic compositions in grammar and linguistics, due to the attention it received from scholars and literati who dedicated themselves to commenting on it with explanations and annotations. It is a text that he abridged from his larger poem, "Al-Kafiyah al-Shafiyah," in which he summarized the essence of grammar and morphology in an elegant poetic form, sometimes referencing the views of scholars and stating his preferred opinions. Scholars widely embraced this book, among his other works, to the extent that the compositions of earlier grammar imams were folded away, and those who came after him did not benefit by imitating them or claiming to add to them or do them justice. Had he not mentioned Ibn Mu'ti's Alfiyyah in his introduction, people would not have mentioned him or known him. Ibn Malik's Alfiyyah gained widespread acceptance among students of Arabic grammar, who diligently memorized and explained it more than other grammatical texts, due to its organization, simplicity of language, concise coverage of grammatical and morphological rules, and its precise arrangement of grammatical topics, with accurate substantiation for each. It is taught in many schools and institutes, especially religious and linguistic ones.