Joining Prepositions to Pronouns (Part Two)

1. What Will We Learn in This Section?

● In this section, we will learn the complete forms of إِلَى and عَلَى with attached pronouns.
● We will study how the final alif maqṣūrah changes to a silent yāʾ when these prepositions join pronouns.
● We will also see a comparative chart of all prepositions joined to the first-person singular pronoun.
● We will practise making sentences using these prepositions and attached pronouns.

2. Conjugating إِلَى with Pronouns

● Study the complete forms of the preposition إِلَى, 'towards,' with attached pronouns:

Person and genderSingularDualPlural
Third-person masculineإِلَيْهِإِلَيْهِمَاإِلَيْهِمْ
Third-person feminineإِلَيْهَاإِلَيْهِمَاإِلَيْهِنَّ
Second-person masculineإِلَيْكَإِلَيْكُمَاإِلَيْكُمْ
Second-person feminineإِلَيْكِإِلَيْكُمَاإِلَيْكُنَّ
First personإِلَيَّإِلَيْنَاإِلَيْنَا

● Rule: When إِلَى joins pronouns, its alif maqṣūrah changes to a silent yāʾ, and the third-person pronouns are pronounced with kasrah.

3. Conjugating عَلَى with Pronouns

● Study the complete forms of the preposition عَلَى, 'on,' with attached pronouns:

Person and genderSingularDualPlural
Third-person masculineعَلَيْهِعَلَيْهِمَاعَلَيْهِمْ
Third-person feminineعَلَيْهَاعَلَيْهِمَاعَلَيْهِنَّ
Second-person masculineعَلَيْكَعَلَيْكُمَاعَلَيْكُمْ
Second-person feminineعَلَيْكِعَلَيْكُمَاعَلَيْكُنَّ
First personعَلَيَّعَلَيْنَاعَلَيْنَا

● Rule: عَلَى changes according to the same rule as إِلَى; its alif maqṣūrah becomes a silent yāʾ, as in عَلَيْهِ.

4. Comparison and Special Spelling Forms

● Remember this comparison of prepositions joined to the first-person singular yāʾ:
○ Without combination or shaddah: لِي (for me), بِي (with me). These have no shaddah or combination.
○ With a doubled first-person yāʾ: فِيَّ (in me), إِلَيَّ (towards me), عَلَيَّ (on me). The first-person yāʾ is doubled in these forms.
○ With a doubled nūn: مِنِّي (from me), عَنِّي (from/about me). The nūn is pronounced doubled in these forms.
● These spelling differences are important for reading and writing Arabic texts.

5. Practical Examples and Exercise

● Study the following Arabic phrases and their English meanings:
○ Peace be upon you: -> سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكَ.
○ To You is the return: -> وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ.
○ Peace be upon me: -> وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَيَّ.
○ To Us is the return: -> إِلَيْنَا الْمَرْجِعُ.
○ Mercy is upon them: -> عَلَيْهِمْ رَحْمَةٌ.