LessonsInterrogation (al-Istifhām): Particles, Conception, Assent and Rhetorical UsesQuiz

أَيُّ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ خَيْرٌ مَقَامًا
Which of the two groups is better in standing? (Maryam 19:73)

Ayy identifies a particular member among alternatives sharing some class, category, or characteristic. The question is framed within a previously known set.

أَيُّ الْكِتَابَيْنِ قَرَأْتَ؟
Which of the two books did you read?

The alternatives are two particular books. Ayy is a declinable interrogative noun, with case varying according to its syntactic function. Unlike man, it need not be confined to rational beings; unlike mā, it is not restricted to asking about a thing's nature.

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Ayy: identifying one member of a known class

Interrogation (al-Istifhām): Particles, Conception, Assent and Rhetorical Uses

أَيُّ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ خَيْرٌ مَقَامًا
Which of the two groups is better in standing? (Maryam 19:73)

Ayy identifies a particular member among alternatives sharing some class, category, or characteristic. The question is framed within a previously known set.

أَيُّ الْكِتَابَيْنِ قَرَأْتَ؟
Which of the two books did you read?

The alternatives are two particular books. Ayy is a declinable interrogative noun, with case varying according to its syntactic function. Unlike man, it need not be confined to rational beings; unlike mā, it is not restricted to asking about a thing's nature.