The Funny Side of Nahu

من قال فى المسجد بطل وضوءه

Taken at face value, the above sentence would mean “whoever speaks in the mosque, his ablution is nullified.” Speaking or conversing is not among the actions that invalidate ablution. Therefore, this needs further examination to avoid contradictions with Islamic law. Speaking anywhere is permissible, it doesn’t nullify ablution.

The key difference lies in the word قال, which commonly means “said.” However, قال doesn’t just mean ‘said’, it also means “rested for a while,” with the verbal noun قولولة. Whereas, قال meaning “said,” its verbal noun is قولا.

Thus, it’s clear that interpreting an Arabic sentence requires caution to align with the intended meaning or purpose of that Arabic sentence itself. The intended meaning of this sentence is that someone who rests briefly in the mosque, his ablution is nullified. Of course, not because of sleeping while sitting, which, in the discussions of jurisprudence, doesn’t invalidate ablution.

Furthermore, in the study of Arabic grammar, especially in pesantren, there are some Arabic sentences that tend to be humorous. Besides being part of the learning technique, they are also meant to enliven the scholarly aspect.

من من من من الله من منه منا