Abu Hayyan Al-Andalusi in Confrontation with Grammatical Views Through Al-Bahr Al-Muhit: Agreement and Disagreement

This research explores an important aspect of the personality of Abu Hayyan Muhammad bin Yusuf bin Ali bin Yusuf bin Hayyan, known as Imam Athir al-Din al-Andalusi al-Gharnati. He was the leading grammarian, linguist, exegete, hadith scholar, reciter, historian, and literary figure of his time, and the author of Al-Bahr and Al-Nahr. Abu Hayyan employed his extensive knowledge in the service of Quranic eloquence, studying the views of scholars and exegetes who preceded or contemporaneously lived with him. He established principles and criteria for preferring one scholar's opinion over another, believing that the interpretation and grammatical analysis of Quranic text should not rely solely on the sciences of the Quran. Instead, he emphasized the necessity of understanding the language of the Arabs through authentic oral transmission, internalizing its usage, and grasping its meanings. He also argued that the science of exegesis is not solely dependent on grammar, as some people assume.
This study addresses key questions regarding Abu Hayyan’s academic allegiance—whether he adhered to a particular grammatical school over others or favored one scholar against another. It also examines whether his grammatical choices were objective and neutral based on syntactic evidence or influenced by personal inclinations. The research systematically traces the impact of these considerations on his grammatical selections, particularly in cases of agreement, transmission, and disagreement. This is evident in his book Al-Bahr Al-Muhit, where his grammatical preferences reveal his methodology, the grammatical schools whose views he endorsed in certain matters, and those whose opinions he refuted or deemed weak.