الْهَمْزَةُ
The interrogative hamza.
Istifhām seeks a mental representation. If the desired outcome is a judgment on whether a relation obtains, it is taṣdīq; if it is the identification of an entity or another constituent, it is taṣawwur.
Hamza serves both; hal primarily serves assent. Word order and the nature of alternatives reveal the focus of a hamza question, while the expected answer and context help confirm the analysis.
FormQuestion targetSuitable answer
A-qāma Zayd?Whether he stoodYes / no
A-qāma Zayd am lā?Occurrence/non-occurrenceYes / no
A-dibs ... am ʿasal?Which substanceSyrup / honey
A-Zaydun qāma?Which actor (in context)Zayd / ʿAmr
A-ʿAmran ʿarafta?Which objectʿAmr / another