The Impact of Sibawayh's Linguistic Views on al-Shatibi's al-Maqasid al-Shafiya in Explaining al-Khulasa al-Kafiya

Abstract

       Sibawayh (d. 180 AH) is regarded as the leading authority among Arab grammarians and one of the foremost founders of Arabic linguistic studies. His book Al-Kitab became the primary reference upon which later generations of grammarians relied, particularly in subtle issues related to inflection (iʿrab) and indeclinability (binaʾ). His views had a profound influence on various grammatical works, including Al-Maqasid al-Shafiyah fi Sharh al-Khulasah al-Kafiyah by Imam al-Shatibi (d. 790 AH), one of the most important extensive commentaries on Ibn Malik’s Alfiyyah. This study examines the impact of Sibawayh’s grammatical opinions on the issues of indeclinability addressed in Al-Maqasid al-Shafiyah, by tracing the instances in which al-Shatibi relied on, discussed, or explicitly agreed with Sibawayh’s views. The study demonstrates that al-Shatibi was not merely a transmitter, but rather a critical analyst who compared the opinions of earlier scholars and expanded the scope of grammatical discussion, while showing particular regard for Sibawayh’s views as a foundational reference in matters of indeclinability. The significance of this research lies in highlighting an important aspect of grammatical transmission between the second and eighth centuries AH, illustrating the continuity of Sibawayh’s influence in later commentaries and the persistence of his methodological approach in grammatical theory. It also underscores al-Shatibi’s role in both preserving the grammatical heritage and re-presenting it through analytical refinement. Thus, the study goes beyond merely tracing influence to revealing the nature of the scholarly relationship between Sibawayh and al-Shatibi, thereby demonstrating the historical continuity and intellectual coherence of Arabic grammar across the centuries.