LessonsInshāʾ: Requestive and Non-requestive Forms, Imperative Constructions and Rhetorical FunctionsQuiz

كُونُوا حِجَارَةً أَوْ حَدِيدًا
Be stones or iron.

In Qurʾān 17:50 the listeners are not being given a practical assignment to transform themselves into stone or iron. The words confront deniers with the inadequacy of their apparent toughness before divine power. The rhetorical classification here is ihānah, an expression of belittlement or humiliation.

كُونُوا: an imperative of kāna, with plural wāw as its subject.
حِجَارَةً: accusative predicate of kūnū.
أَوْ حَدِيدًا: a coordinated accusative predicate.

Since the speaker is not expecting a literal transformation, the effect lies in exposing the hearers’ insignificance, not requesting or permitting an ordinary action.

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7. Humiliation (ihānah)

Inshāʾ: Requestive and Non-requestive Forms, Imperative Constructions and Rhetorical Functions

كُونُوا حِجَارَةً أَوْ حَدِيدًا
Be stones or iron.

In Qurʾān 17:50 the listeners are not being given a practical assignment to transform themselves into stone or iron. The words confront deniers with the inadequacy of their apparent toughness before divine power. The rhetorical classification here is ihānah, an expression of belittlement or humiliation.

كُونُوا: an imperative of kāna, with plural wāw as its subject.
حِجَارَةً: accusative predicate of kūnū.
أَوْ حَدِيدًا: a coordinated accusative predicate.

Since the speaker is not expecting a literal transformation, the effect lies in exposing the hearers’ insignificance, not requesting or permitting an ordinary action.