Imam Abu al-Hasan al-Hufi and His Grammatical Views on the Iʿrāb of Qur’anic Verses: A Critical Analytical Grammatical Study

Abstract

This study presents a critical grammatical analysis of the choices of Imam Abu al-Hasan al-Hufi, one of the most prominent figures in grammar and exegesis in fifth-century Hijri Egypt, highlighting his grammatical views as transmitted by Abu Hayyan al-Andalusi in his famous exegesis Al-Bahr al-Muhit. The study aimed to trace a number of grammatical issues in selected Qur’anic verses, for the purpose of analyzing Imam al-Hufi’s method in iʿrāb, revealing the distinctive features of his approach, and determining the extent of his agreement with the leading grammarians of the Basran and Kufan schools, as well as other grammatical trends. The study adopted a descriptive, analytical, and critical approach based on collecting dispersed grammatical opinions, presenting them systematically, then analyzing and evaluating them through comparison with the views of those who preceded him and his contemporaries among the leading grammarians. The study concluded that Imam al-Hufi was not merely a transmitter of grammatical opinions, but rather a scholarly mujtahid and a man of opinion and verification, often inclined to choose what is consistent with the Qur’anic text and reinforces its significance; which highlights his linguistic competence and abilities, his firm mastery of the principles of grammar, his extensive familiarity with its sources, and his comprehensive knowledge of the views of its leading authorities.