18/09/2025
Amthilah Taṣrīfiyyah: The Foundational Text of Ṣarf in the Pesantren Tradition
The "Amthilah Taṣrīfiyyah" is one of the foundational works in the science of ṣarf (Arabic morphology) that holds great importance for students of knowledge, especially in traditional Islamic boarding schools (pesantren). Its virtue lies in its concise yet comprehensive structure, consisting of tables of verb and noun transformations that are easy to memorize and repeat.
Through this book, students are introduced to the jidhr (root word) and its various ishtiqāqāt (derivations), thereby gaining the tools to understand Arabic vocabulary in a systematic manner. Memorizing the Amthilah Taṣrīfiyyah is considered an essential step before advancing to higher texts of naḥw and ṣarf, while also facilitating comprehension of the Qur’ān and ḥadīth.
By mastering taṣrīf, a learner can recognize word meanings, plural forms, and morphological derivations that are crucial for understanding Islamic texts. Beyond sharpening linguistic skills, this book cultivates ḥifẓ (memorization discipline) and strengthens study habits, making it a compulsory tradition in many pesantrens. More than just a learning tool, the Amthilah Taṣrīfiyyah has been passed down through generations of scholars as a gateway to barakah (divine blessing), for it is through this book that many great ʿulamāʾ began their journey on the path of knowledge.
