💯 Miscellaneous Benefits from Yemen

BENEFIT 12: Too much Nahu can get you into trouble ▪️Background: Al-Mutawaffī (المتوفِّي with a yaa) -> the One Who causes death (i.e. Allāh). The 'Awaam (laymen) in most Arabic countries mistakenly use this word to mean 'deceased', whereas the correct word for deceased is Al-Mutawaffā (المتوفَّى with an Alif). ​ ▪️Sad story: One of the linguists said: “As I was walking past one day I saw a funeral procession and then I heard a man asking: Who is the Mutawaffi (المتوفِّي with a yaa)? I said to him: Allāh the Almighty, so I was beaten until I almost died.” [Durratul Ghawāṣ P. 290] ▪️Moral of the story: Beware of flexing your Arabic skills in front of the 'Awaam ____ Additional benefit (credit to Jamal Al-Jamaiki ḥafidahullāh) Sheikh Bakr ibn 'Abdillāh Abu Zayd mentions in his glossary of verbal prohibitions (492): وفي قوله تعالى: ﴿ وَالَّذِينَ يُتَوَفَّوْنَ مِنْكُمْ﴾ قراءتان، بالبناء للمعلوم وللمجهول. وأنّها على قراءة المبني للمعلوم (يَتَوَفَّوْنَ) بمعنى (اِسْتِيفَاء الأجل) قاله ابن النَّحّاس[12] وغيرُه. “There are two Qirā'ah (ways of reciting) with respect to the statement of Allāh Almighty: {وَالَّذِينَ يُتَوَفَّوْنَ مِنْكُم} 'And those of you who who die…'; (1) the passive voice (mabni lil majhool) -> يُتَوَفَّوْنَ (2) the active voice (mabni lil ma'loom) -> يَتَوَفَّوْنَ meaning, to fulfil one's lifespan, as mentioned by An-Naḥḥās and others. So it's correct to use المتوفِّي in reference to the deceased if the meaning intended is استيفاء الأجل - fulfilling one's lifespan. But with that said, Sheikh Al-Albāni raḥimahullāh states: فلانٌ تَوَفَّى: أي استوفى أجلَه. وخيرٌ منه أن يُقالَ: فلانٌ تَوَفَّاهُ اللّهُ؛ لأنّ الأوّلَ فيه إيهامٌ، والكلام من المُوهِمات ليس من أدب الإسلام، وهو يحتاج إلى تأويل، والكلام المؤوَّلُ لا حاجة إليه ما دامَ أنّ في الكلام سَعَةً في التّعبيرِ السَّليمِ. قال عليه الصّلاة والسّلام: " لا تَكَلَّمَنَّ بِكَلاَمٍ تَعْتَذِرُ به عند النَّاسِ.“ “So and so Tawaffā (تَوَفَّى فُلانٌ), meaning: تَوَفَّى أجلَه - he fulfilled his lifespan, and better than this is the expression: فلانٌ تَوَفَّاهُ اللهُ 'Allah caused so and so to pass away', this is better because the first expression may be confused/misunderstood, and using confusing speech is not from the ettiquettes of Islam. It also needs to be interpreted (to make sense), and there's no need to use interpreted speech as long as there's alternative expressions that are sound. He, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Do not speak with words for which you have to apologise among the people. [Silsilah Al-Hudā wa An-Nūr (Tape. 92, part 1, title: حكم الأذان)]