Without: its Provisions and its Significance in the Hadith An Empirical Study in the Six Books

Abstract

This study deals both analytically and statistically with the article "without" in three chapters. The first presents its form and how grammarians are divided over it; and while the second introduces its prohibitive function the third introduces its urging function. The study presents the theoretical and practical aspects of "without". First it reviews its theoretical rules as discussed by grammarians then later the rules are applied to the texts of the glorious Hadith in its six main books. The study gives more weight to Basra grammarians' views about: the way "without" governs its following noun; and the three variants of this noun; how the meaning of without is being defined according to its context; and how the answer in its sentences are being classified and specified. Besides the study presents an accurate statistical frequency of the article with its types in the six books of Hadith.