A Survey of the Grammatical and Morphological Thousand Poems in Nigeria

Abstract

The grammatical verse form (NAZM) has taken a new shape, involving extended compositions of around a thousand lines each, known as Alfiyyahs. This follows the tradition of other Alfiyyahs that were composed in fields such as jurisprudence, hadith, medicine, Quranic science, theology, philosophy, and more. Ibn Mu’ti is considered a pioneer in this type of versified composition, being the first to compose a thousand-line sytantic Alfiyyah in grammar, consisting of 1,021 lines in two similar poetic meters: al-rajaz and al-sari’. His work showcased an unprecedented structure, highlighting his refined musical sense and extensive knowledge of prosody. Although Ibn Mu’ti and some other Arab scholars were pioneers in grammatical Alfiyyahs, Nigerian Arab scholars have followed the foot step of their Arab counterparts in this field. They have made significant efforts to compose grammatical and morphological Alfiyyahs as a testament to the importance of this form and its valuable role in advancing grammar studies and making Arabic grammar more accessible to students in Nigeria. This paper highlights the efforts of Nigerian scholars who excelled in grammatical and morphological Alfiyyahs.