«والحال هو الأمر الحامل للمتكلم على أن يورد عبارته على صورة مخصوصة»
The ḥāl is the factor that prompts a speaker to present an utterance in a particular form.
The term is not restricted to the physical time or location. The listener's knowledge and expectations, the purpose of the exchange, the question being answered, and other features of the occasion may all affect the choice of form.
The companion term maqām similarly refers to the relevant setting. One and the same proposition may call for different verbal arrangements as the listener's state changes.