Particles of Meaning in the Will of Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) to Hisham Ibn Al-Ḥakam (may God be pleased with him): A Grammatical and Semantic Study

Abstract

     The third dimension in the linguistic system, which encompasses the categories of speech, plays a significant role in conveying the intended meaning. Even though it does not possess the same independence as its counterparts, the noun and the verb. It nonetheless holds a power that serves to communicate the true intended meaning and to reveal the specific meaning and its various associated nuances. The particle conveys additional meanings depending on what follows it, and each particle has a primary meaning that dominates and distinguishes it. There has been disagreement regarding the possibility of one particle substituting for another: some, predominantly the Basran grammarians, permit this, while others do not accept it.

The blessed will that Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) entrusted to Hisham Ibn Al-Hakam, in addition to its profound content for building human thought, culture, and character, is a pinnacle of eloquence, rhetoric, and coherence in structure and composition. It contains a number of particles, the most frequently mentioned of which is the vocative particle (يا/ya "O"), which is used for addressing and carries the meaning of the verb "to call" in the context of invocation. Certain parts of the will are emphasized with the particle (إنّ/inna, "indeed"), followed by its sister (لكن/lakin, "but"), in its light form, which indicates exception or correction. Prepositions such as (بـ/bi, "with/by"), (على/ala, "upon/over"), and (عن/an "from/about") are also used, each carrying more than one meaning depending on the context. There is also the style of negation and prohibition represented by (لا/la, "no/not"), which in Arabic serves multiple functions understood from the context in which it appears. Negation differs from prohibition, even though the tool is the same; the meaning, however, is different.