"Mughni al-Labeeb 'An Kutub al-A'rabeeb" by Ibn Hisham- An Analytical Study

Abstract

This study examines the book Mughni al-Labeeb, one of the valuable and well-known works in Arabic grammar. It is a comprehensive text filled with issues, examples, discussions, and accounts of disagreements between grammatical schools and scholars. The book gained significant popularity and attention after the author's death, with many commentaries and explanations published, making it widely spread. The focus of this study is on a work of considerable utility and importance, authored by Imam Ibn Hisham al-Ansari, titled Mughni al-Labeeb 'An Kutub al-A'rabeeb. The research is divided into three chapters: the first chapter introduces the author Ibn Hisham, covering his name, title, fame, birth, upbringing, teachers, influences, and works; the second chapter is dedicated to introducing the book Mughni al-Labeeb, discussing the title, context of its writing, its status and value, the preface, the methodology of organizing topics, and the efforts of scholars in serving the book; the third chapter explores Ibn Hisham's methodology in Mughni al-Labeeb, examining the principles he relied upon, his approach to examples, his phrasing and style, and his digressions within the book. The study follows a descriptive methodology, which involves describing and analyzing each issue. Among the conclusions drawn are that Mughni al-Labeeb is both an educational and an interpretative book, Ibn Hisham adopted a different approach in organizing the topics of this book compared to his other works—this organization is based primarily on meaning, and Ibn Hisham’s judgments were primarily based on hearing, followed by analogy, and then consensus.