Approach of Grammatical Justification in Al-Khalil Ibn Ahmad Al-Farahidi "Semantic Explanation as a Model"

Abstract

The Arabs adopted grammatical justification from the time of Al-Khalil (100H – 170H), and all grammatical schools focused on identifying the underlying causes (ʿilla) governing the Arabic language. Among these scholars, Al-Khalil Ibn Ahmad Al-Farahidi played a central role, and his disciple Sibawayh faithfully transmitted what he had learned from him. Al-Khalil was distinguished by his deep mastery of the concept of justification, his extensive knowledge, and his interest in exploring its various forms. For him, the issue was not merely about listening to linguistic examples and testimonies but about conducting a systematic investigation that enabled him to rigorously establish grammatical and morphological rules, as evidenced by the work of his disciple Sibawayh.

Al-Khalil thus paved the way for identifying and extracting grammatical justifications, relying on his exceptional genius, his understanding of the purposes of Arabic speech, his mastery of linguistic styles, and his knowledge of Arabic aesthetics—what was considered elegant or displeasing in speech. His disciple’s work attests to the breadth and richness of his explanations, granting him a special status in establishing the foundations of grammatical justification in Arabic. Through this study, we examine his methodology in linguistic justification, focusing on semantic explanation as a model of study in Al-Khalil’s work and exploring its key characteristics that influenced the structuring of Arabic grammar.