LessonsConditions of the Predicate: Ellipsis, Reconstruction and ExpressionQuiz

وَضَرَبَ لَنَا مَثَلًا وَنَسِيَ خَلْقَهُ قَالَ مَنْ يُحْيِي الْعِظَامَ وَهِيَ رَمِيمٌ
He posed an example, forgetting his own creation, and asked who would revive the decayed bones. (Yā-Sīn 36:78)

«مَنْ» seeks an agent; «يُحْيِي» is an imperfect verb; «الْعِظَامَ» is its object; «وَهِيَ رَمِيمٌ» is a circumstantial clause underscoring decay.

Grammatically the question asks for the reviver, but the surrounding argument challenges the possibility and power of resurrection. A bare name could identify the agent. To overcome the objection, however, explicitly asserting the act and providing evidence can be more effective. The form of the question and the intention behind it must both be read.

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«Who will revive the bones?»: recognizing the challenge

Conditions of the Predicate: Ellipsis, Reconstruction and Expression

وَضَرَبَ لَنَا مَثَلًا وَنَسِيَ خَلْقَهُ قَالَ مَنْ يُحْيِي الْعِظَامَ وَهِيَ رَمِيمٌ
He posed an example, forgetting his own creation, and asked who would revive the decayed bones. (Yā-Sīn 36:78)

«مَنْ» seeks an agent; «يُحْيِي» is an imperfect verb; «الْعِظَامَ» is its object; «وَهِيَ رَمِيمٌ» is a circumstantial clause underscoring decay.

Grammatically the question asks for the reviver, but the surrounding argument challenges the possibility and power of resurrection. A bare name could identify the agent. To overcome the objection, however, explicitly asserting the act and providing evidence can be more effective. The form of the question and the intention behind it must both be read.