LessonsAl-Waṣl: Connecting Clauses, Semantic Bonds and Circumstantial WāwQuiz

«لَا تَعْبُدُونَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا»
Worship none but Allah, and show kindness to parents.

In surface grammar, lā taʿbudūna (لا تعبدون) resembles a declarative verb. Within the covenant, however, its force is that of a binding instruction. The following clause likewise expresses a required act of kindness toward parents.

The two are coordinated because their directive meaning is compatible, even when their grammatical forms are not identical. This teaches a crucial distinction between surface sentence form and communicative function. The expression is a short excerpt from Sūrat al-Baqarah, verse 83.

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A declarative form that functions as a directive

Al-Waṣl: Connecting Clauses, Semantic Bonds and Circumstantial Wāw

«لَا تَعْبُدُونَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا»
Worship none but Allah, and show kindness to parents.

In surface grammar, lā taʿbudūna (لا تعبدون) resembles a declarative verb. Within the covenant, however, its force is that of a binding instruction. The following clause likewise expresses a required act of kindness toward parents.

The two are coordinated because their directive meaning is compatible, even when their grammatical forms are not identical. This teaches a crucial distinction between surface sentence form and communicative function. The expression is a short excerpt from Sūrat al-Baqarah, verse 83.