أداة التشبيه
The comparison marker is a word or expression by which likeness between the two terms is communicated.
“ka-”: “Zayd ka-l-asad” — Zayd is like a lion.
“mithl”: “Huwa mithl al-baḥr fī al-sakhāʾ” — He is like the sea in generosity.
“kaʾanna”: “Kaʾanna wajhahu qamar” — His face is as though it were the moon.
The marker may be expressed or omitted. In “Zayd is a lion” the relation of likeness is understood without a separate particle. Thus identifying four analytical elements does not mean that all four must appear verbally in every example.