 said to him who knows that the moon is eclipsed on such and such a night that scammony loosens the stomach when taken and that mardasang removes the acidity of vinegar when crushed and thrown into it only knew this from peoples conventions about it? he said no. i said how did he know this? there was nothing in it that would explain what i used to write grammar. then he said i say that they are all necessary thinking and expecting that it would be possible for him to include grammar among the necessary sciences. i said to him tell me about someone who knows that the one called by the singular vocative is raised and the one called by the genitive vocative is lowered. is he known as a natural necessary matter or something that is conventionalized by some people and not others? he stammered about things with which he wanted to prove that this matter was necessary from what he had heard from his two teachers so i went to show him his confusion and his foolishness along with the shyness intense embarrassment and the opportunity that befell him. the old man came laughing and said to him taste my son the flavor of knowledge which is in truth knowledge. we have mentioned this story as much as we have mentioned so that it may also be some of the reminders and motivations for the best matter since we have no purpose in this book except that and we do not intend with what has passed of our speech here of ignorance and disparagement for all those who are concerned with grammar and arabic and are occupied with them and take from them for among them are those for whom god has gathered in addition to that a plentiful share of knowledge but rather for the ignorant among them who do not see that there is any knowledge other than them nor that anyone deserves to be called a scholar except through them.
فقلت له فمن علم أن القمر ينكسف ليلة كذا وكذا، وأن السقمونيا يطلق البطن متى أخذ، وأن المرداسنج يذهب بحموضة الخل متى سحق وطرح فيه إنما صح له علم ذلك من اصطلاح الناس عليه؟ فقال لا. فقلت فمن أين علم ذلك؟ فلم يكن فيه من الفضل ما يبين عما به نحوت. ثم قال فإني أقول إنها كلها اضطرارية، ظنا منه وحسبانا أنه يتهيأ له أن يدرج النحو في العلوم الاضطرارية. فقلت له خبرني عمن علم أن المنادى بالنداء المفرد مرفوع وأن المنادى بالنداء المضاف منصوب، أعلم أمرا اضطراريا طبيعيا أم شيئا مصطلحا باجتماع من بعض الناس عليه دون بعض؟ فلجلج بأشياء يروم بها أن يثبت أن هذا الأمر اضطراري مما كان يسمعه من أستاذيه، فأقبلت أريه تداعيه وتهافته مع ما لحقه من استحياء وخجل شديد واغتنام. وأقبل الشيخ يتضاحك ويقول له ذق يا بني طعم العلم الذي هو على الحقيقة علم. وإنما ذكرنا من هذه القصة ما ذكرنا ليكون أيضا من بعض المنبهات والدواعي إلى الأمر الأفضل، إذ ليس لنا غرض في هذا الكتاب إلا ذاك ولسنا نقصد بما مر من كلامنا هذا من الاستجهال والاستنقاص لجميع من عني بالنحو والعربية واشتغل بهما وأخذ منهما، فإن فيهم من قد جمع الله له إلى ذلك حظا وافرا من العلوم، بل للجهال من هؤلاء الذين لا يرون أن علما موجود سواهما ولا أن أحدا يستحق أن يسمى عالما إلا بهما