LessonsSupplementary Practice 15: Caravan Reports, Attribution and the Limits of InferenceQuiz

إِنْ يَسْأَلُوا عَنْ سَبَبِ التَّأَخُّرِ ...
If they ask about the cause of the delay ...

In isolation this does not determine the apodosis: “tell them,” “show the letter,” and other responses remain possible. But consider: أَظْهِرِ الرِّسَالَةَ لِلنَّاسِ، وَإِنْ سَأَلُوا عَنْ سَبَبِ التَّأَخُّرِ ...
Show the people the letter; and if they ask about the delay ...

The earlier command can supply an intelligible reconstruction. Still, words not established by context should not be passed off as a certain verbatim answer. Ellipsis is rhetorically effective only where the intended response can be reliably recovered.

Opening interactive controls...

Ellipsis of a conditional answer

Supplementary Practice 15: Caravan Reports, Attribution and the Limits of Inference

إِنْ يَسْأَلُوا عَنْ سَبَبِ التَّأَخُّرِ ...
If they ask about the cause of the delay ...

In isolation this does not determine the apodosis: “tell them,” “show the letter,” and other responses remain possible. But consider: أَظْهِرِ الرِّسَالَةَ لِلنَّاسِ، وَإِنْ سَأَلُوا عَنْ سَبَبِ التَّأَخُّرِ ...
Show the people the letter; and if they ask about the delay ...

The earlier command can supply an intelligible reconstruction. Still, words not established by context should not be passed off as a certain verbatim answer. Ellipsis is rhetorically effective only where the intended response can be reliably recovered.