Investigating a Part of Al-Shumunni’s Gloss "Al-Munsif" on Ibn Hisham’s Mughni Al-Labib: Clauses with No Place in Grammatical Analysis (The Disconnected Clause)

Abstract

This grammatical and rhetorical study investigates the rulings on clauses that have no place in grammatical analysis (lā maḥalla lahā min al-i‘rāb), focusing specifically on the disconnected clause (al-jumla al-munqaṭi‘a) as articulated in Al-Shumunni’s gloss "Al-Munsif" on Ibn Hisham’s "Mughni Al-Labib". The research defines the disconnected clause as one whose grammatical and structural connection to what precedes it is severed, either phonetically or semantically. It analyzes the parenthetical clause of supplication, which maintains a semantic link while lacking a literal connector, and addresses the problematic absence of explicit or implicit ties in certain Quranic verses. Furthermore, the study explores the rhetorical approach to specialized resumption (al-isti’nāf al-bayānī) as a precise response to implicit contextual questions, categorizing them into general causative inquiries, specific causative inquiries, and inquiries for emphasis and negation. It examines the rulings on clauses following implicit prepositions and the mechanics of coordination based on syntactic locus. Additionally, the analysis addresses structural connectors in nominal circumstantial clauses and reviews the major scholarly disagreements concerning introductory or resumptive clauses following the particle of extent (ḥattā).