«لَا، وَأَيَّدَكَ اللَّهُ»
No—and may Allah support you.
“Lā” is a negative reply, while “ayyadaka llāh” is a positive prayer. Without wāw, the sequence could be heard as “May Allah not support you.”
The conjunction keeps the denial and the benevolent prayer distinct and thus averts the opposite of the intended meaning.
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Ellipsis in Istiʾnāf and Two Grounds for Waṣl
«لَا، وَأَيَّدَكَ اللَّهُ»
No—and may Allah support you.
“Lā” is a negative reply, while “ayyadaka llāh” is a positive prayer. Without wāw, the sequence could be heard as “May Allah not support you.”
The conjunction keeps the denial and the benevolent prayer distinct and thus averts the opposite of the intended meaning.