Lafz, the starting point: Before Mantiq can analyse meanings, it must classify words. Lafz is any spoken or written sound that has been assigned a meaning by convention.
Three types of word: A meaningless sound is not a Lafz. Every word is one of three types.
Mufrad — the simple word: Mufrad is the simple word: a single word that carries a complete and independent meaning by itself — "Allah", "Insan" (human), "Kitab" (book), "Salah". Mufrad words are the subjects of Tasawwur; Sessions 3 and 4 deal entirely with defining and classifying them.
Murakkab Taam — the complete compound: Murakkab Taam is the complete compound: a combination of words that forms a complete meaning which can be judged true or false. This is the proposition (Qadiyya), the basic unit of Tasdiq — for example "Zayd is standing", "Salah is obligatory", "The Quran is the word of Allah".
Murakkab Naqis — the incomplete compound: Murakkab Naqis is the incomplete compound: words that do not yet form a complete meaning, so the listener waits for completion — "If the sun rises…", "Zayd, the scholar…", "In the name of Allah…". It cannot be judged true or false by itself.
Example
'Book' in two forms: "Book" is Mufrad — you understand it at once. "The book is on the table" is Murakkab Taam — now you can say it is true or false.
An unfinished sentence: "If the book is…" is Murakkab Naqis — you are waiting for the rest of the sentence.
Key Terms
- Lafz (اللفظ) — word/utterance
- Mufrad (المفرد) — simple word
- Murakkab Taam (المرکب التام) — complete compound
- Murakkab Naqis (المرکب الناقص) — incomplete compound
- Qadiyya (القضیة) — proposition
Quran or Hadith
None on this slide.
Fresh diagram to be drawn: Three-box branching diagram: Lafz → Mufrad / Murakkab Taam / Murakkab Naqis, with one example in each box. To be drawn in Project Desk colours.
- Lafz is any spoken or written sound that has been assigned a meaning by convention.
- "Book" is Mufrad — you understand it at once. "The book is on the table" is Murakkab Taam — now you can say it is true or false. "If the book is…" is Murakkab Naqis — you are waiting for the rest of the sentence.