the divine spirit. The human being’s subtle reality appeared as light and was entrusted with the animal body.
For this reason He joined lights to wages, so divine favor accompanies this servant wherever he is. “God is All-Knowing, Wise” [al-Nisaʾ 4:26].
(Particles’ Mixing and Their Meanings)
Hence we say this is the Abode of Mixing, though it contains many sciences, including knowledge of grammatical particles, not letters of the alphabet. When some enter upon others, do they transfer them from the station of being a particle to the station of being a noun?
A particle does not govern another particle. How does one particle govern another when no one particle is stronger than its fellow?
Consider min entering upon the particle ʿan. The particle ʿan had conveyed passing beyond, but min makes it signify a direction or side as a noun does.
The poet said, “From off the right of al-ḥabyā, a glance before”—“من عن يمين الحبيا نظرة قبل”[6]. What governs yamīn, “right,” is undoubtedly ʿan. But does it govern as a particle because its form remains, or through genitive annexation, the governance exercised by nouns? Its governance would then be through the meaning min clothed it with by entering upon it, and ʿan would be governed by min. Or does it remain upon its root, so we admit that particles may enter upon one another, disregard one’s governance, and treat it as redundant, as we do with mā when treating it as redundant in the saying:
Notes
[6]
(The poetic citation is retained in the spelling supplied in the file. The point of evidence here is min entering upon ʿan.)
Translator’s note TN6259-1: The exact poetic spelling is retained as grammatical evidence. Its remaining wording is uncertain: الحبيا is left lexically unresolved as al-ḥabyā, while قبل is provisionally “before” but also permits a sense of facing or direction. No familiar verse has been substituted.
