SOURCE-CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF ZIYĀʾ AD-DĪN AL-MAKKĪ AL-KHWARAZMĪ’S KIFĀYAT AN-NAḤW FĪ ʿILM AL-IʿRĀB

Abstract

This study presents a source-critical and philological analysis of Kifāyat an-Naḥw fī ʿIlm al-Iʿrāb, a classical Arabic grammatical manual attributed to the Khwarazmian scholar Ziyāʾ ad-Dīn al-Makkī al-Khwarazmī. Although Central Asian scholars made major contributions to Arabic linguistic thought, many instructional works from the region remain insufficiently examined as manuscript traditions. The study therefore investigates the textual transmission, codicological profile, structural organization, theoretical affiliations, and pedagogical function of Kifāyat an-Naḥw. It applies a four-part methodology combining codicological description, textual criticism, structural and terminological mapping, and intertextual source analysis across manuscript exemplars and relevant grammatical works. The findings indicate that the treatise organizes Arabic grammar through a concise tripartite framework of noun, verb, and particle, while emphasizing the concepts of iʿrāb and ʿāmil. Its terminology and organization reflect a predominantly Basran orientation, alongside identifiable affinities with al-Jurjānī and al-Zamakhsharī. Codicological evidence, including compact formats, multilingual glosses, marginal commentary, and ownership or reading marks, further suggests sustained use in madrasa instruction. The study concludes that Kifāyat an-Naḥw represents a significant Khwarazmian adaptation of classical Arabic grammatical theory for non-native learners in medieval Central Asia and contributes to understanding regional traditions of Arabic philology within broader histories of manuscript-based linguistic education and transmission.