Morphological tense is indicated by the verb’s form; intended temporal reference is established with particles, context and the event described. They need not coincide mechanically.
Example 1: «لو جئتني لأكرمتك» — an unrealized past visit.
Example 2: «لو يطيعكم ... لعنتم» — an imperfect evoking repeated obedience.
Example 3: «ولو ترى إذ وقفوا» — a future scene brought before the eyes.
A correct rhetorical reading of law requires more than identifying the conjugation of the verb following it.
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The Rhetoric of Law: Nonoccurrence, Entailment, Hypothesis and Tense
Morphological tense is indicated by the verb’s form; intended temporal reference is established with particles, context and the event described. They need not coincide mechanically.
Example 1: «لو جئتني لأكرمتك» — an unrealized past visit.
Example 2: «لو يطيعكم ... لعنتم» — an imperfect evoking repeated obedience.
Example 3: «ولو ترى إذ وقفوا» — a future scene brought before the eyes.
A correct rhetorical reading of law requires more than identifying the conjugation of the verb following it.