Ithbāt affirms that an action occurs; nafy denies it. Affirmation and negation can apply to different tenses, so they should not be confused with the past/present distinction.
Word / formMeaning / explanation
ضَرَبَhe struck; affirmative past.
مَا ضَرَبَhe did not strike; negative past.
يَضْرِبُhe strikes; affirmative imperfect.
لَا يَضْرِبُhe does not strike; negative imperfect.
The last example negates a statement, unlike the prohibition لَا تَضْرِبْ (“Do not strike!”).
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Introduction to ʿIlm al-Ṣarf and Basic Terminology
Ithbāt affirms that an action occurs; nafy denies it. Affirmation and negation can apply to different tenses, so they should not be confused with the past/present distinction.
Word / formMeaning / explanation
ضَرَبَhe struck; affirmative past.
مَا ضَرَبَhe did not strike; negative past.
يَضْرِبُhe strikes; affirmative imperfect.
لَا يَضْرِبُhe does not strike; negative imperfect.
The last example negates a statement, unlike the prohibition لَا تَضْرِبْ (“Do not strike!”).