Arabic Grammar Books (Nahw) | Matns, Commentaries, Manuals

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What nahw is for

Nahw (النحو) is the science of word endings and of the function words perform within a sentence: it answers the question "why does this word carry this ending". It is what makes i'rab possible, and therefore the correct reading of an unvowelled text. Its subject is clearly distinct from that of sarf, which deals with the internal structure of the word before it enters the sentence. The two complement each other and are studied side by side: see the Arabic section for all the language sciences.

The classical curriculum, from matn to commentary

Entry level: Al-Ajurrumiyya (الآجرومية) by Ibn Ajurrum, a very short matn learned by heart, usually studied with Al-Tuhfa al-saniyya of Muhyi al-Din Abd al-Hamid. It establishes the basics: the three classes of words, the signs of i'rab, the marfu'at and the mansubat.
Intermediate: Qatr al-nada wa ball al-sada (قطر الندى) and Shudhur al-dhahab (شذور الذهب) by Ibn Hisham, with the author's own commentaries; Mulhat al-i'rab by al-Hariri for those who prefer a versified text.
Advanced: the Alfiyya of Ibn Malik (ألفية ابن مالك), a thousand verses covering almost the whole of nahw and sarf, studied with Sharh Ibn Aqil or Ibn Hisham's Awdah al-masalik.
Reference: Mughni al-labib by Ibn Hisham on particles and difficult cases of i'rab, and Al-Kitab of Sibawayh, the founding work of the discipline, consulted rather than read cover to cover.

Modern manuals

Alongside the path of the matns, institutes use manuals designed for graded learning: Al-Nahw al-wadih by Ali al-Jarim and Mustafa Amin, in two series (primary and secondary) with worked exercises; Jami' al-durus al-arabiyya by Mustafa al-Ghalayini, covering nahw and sarf in three volumes and often serving as the self-taught student's reference. These do not replace the matns, but they make studying them far more comfortable.

Matn, commentary, gloss: know what you are buying

Three levels of text circulate under the same title, and confusing them is expensive. The matn is the condensed base text, often versified, made to be memorised: on its own it is close to unreadable for a beginner. The sharh is the commentary that unfolds it phrase by phrase: that is what you need in order to study. The hashiya is a gloss on the commentary, for the advanced student already working the text with a teacher. Every listing states which of the three it is, who wrote it and which matn it comments on.

Choosing an edition

For a text worked on daily, three criteria matter: the tahqiq and the name of the scholar who established it, the presence of full vowelling (essential on versified matns and i'rab examples), and physical quality: paper that takes annotation, a sewn binding that opens flat, margins wide enough to write in. The major houses of the Levant, Egypt and Saudi Arabia do not hold the same standards on these points: see Publishers.

The other language sciences

Morphology and conjugation (sarf) is worked alongside nahw from the first level: the two subjects answer each other in every lesson. Rhetoric and eloquence (balagha) comes next, once the sentence is mastered. Arabic poetry supplies the shawahid cited throughout the nahw literature, and Arabic literature gives the practice without which the rule stays theoretical. Overview: Arabic.

Ordering and shipping

Quantities shown reflect stock actually available. Dispatched within 24 to 48 working hours, shipped across Europe and worldwide. For an institute or mosque order, or if you are hesitating between two editions of the same matn, write to us: we check the copy on the shelf before answering.

Which book should I start nahw with?

With Al-Ajurrumiyya, a very short matn, studied together with a clear commentary such as Al-Tuhfa al-saniyya. Starting with a large work is the commonest mistake: the subject is built of divisions that stack on each other, and the order of study matters as much as the content.

What is the difference between a matn, a sharh and a hashiya?

The matn is the condensed base text, often versified, made to be memorised. The sharh is the commentary explaining it phrase by phrase: that is the study book. The hashiya is a gloss on the commentary, for the advanced student. Every listing states which of the three it is.

Should I memorise Ibn Malik's Alfiyya?

In the classical curriculum, yes: a thousand verses covering almost all of nahw and sarf, serving as a lifelong mental reference. But it is not a beginner's step. You come to it after the Ajurrumiyya and Qatr al-nada, and you study it with a commentary, most often Sharh Ibn Aqil.

Do modern manuals replace the matns?

No, they accompany them. Al-Nahw al-wadih and Jami' al-durus al-arabiyya explain the material gradually and provide exercises, which the matns do not. But the memorised matn remains what fixes the science: it is what comes back to you in front of a sentence, not a paragraph from a manual.

Can I study nahw alone, without a teacher?

You can get far alone with a good graded manual and a lot of i'rab exercises. What goes wrong without correction is application: you believe you have understood a rule until you have to parse a real sentence. The useful minimum is someone who corrects your i'rab, even remotely and even intermittently.

Are your books entirely in Arabic?

Yes. The works in this section are in Arabic, text and commentary alike. That is what institute students and those following a classical curriculum ask for. The listing states the level required, so you do not buy above your level.

How do I choose between two editions of the same matn?

Look at three things: the name of the scholar who established the text, the vowelling (full or partial), and physical quality — paper that takes annotation, a sewn binding and wide enough margins. With an identical text, that is where the price difference lies. We state these points on every listing and can check the copy on the shelf before you order.

Arabic Grammar (Nahw)