LessonsMore Prepositions: مِنْ، عَنْ، إِلَى، عَلَى، حَتَّى، لـ, and OthersQuiz

● In this section, we will study the remaining important prepositions in detail.
● We will learn the meanings, Arabic examples, and spelling effects of مِنْ، عَنْ، إِلَى، عَلَى، حَتَّى، and لـ.
● We will learn that the nūn of مِنْ takes a fatḥah when it is joined in pronunciation to the following definite noun.
● We will understand the special spelling rule when the preposition لـ joins a noun with al-.
● We will receive a brief introduction to six other prepositions: مُذْ، مُنْذُ، خَلَا، حَاشَا، عَدَا, and رُبَّ.

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More Prepositions: مِنْ، عَنْ، إِلَى، عَلَى، حَتَّى، لـ, and Others

Read the bilingual lesson for More Prepositions: مِنْ، عَنْ، إِلَى، عَلَى، حَتَّى، لـ, and Others and test your understanding with a focused quiz.

Lesson

1. What Will We Learn in This Section?

● In this section, we will study the remaining important prepositions in detail.
● We will learn the meanings, Arabic examples, and spelling effects of مِنْ، عَنْ، إِلَى، عَلَى، حَتَّى، and لـ.
● We will learn that the nūn of مِنْ takes a fatḥah when it is joined in pronunciation to the following definite noun.
● We will understand the special spelling rule when the preposition لـ joins a noun with al-.
● We will receive a brief introduction to six other prepositions: مُذْ، مُنْذُ، خَلَا، حَاشَا، عَدَا, and رُبَّ.

2. Prepositions: مِنْ (from) and عَنْ (from/about)

● 6. The preposition مِنْ (from):
○ This preposition comes before a genitive noun, as in مِنْ مَّكَّةَ (مَكَّةَ is a diptote in the genitive case).
○ Important rule: If it is followed by a noun with al-, the silent nūn takes a fatḥah to connect the pronunciation, as in مِنَ الْمَدِينَةِ, مِنَ الْبَيْتِ, and مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ.
● 7. The preposition عَنْ (from / about / concerning):
○ It frequently carries the meaning 'from':
■ Narrated from Anas: -> عَنْ أَنَسٍ | From Abū Hurayrah: -> عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ.
■ From indecency: -> عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ | From the remembrance of Allah: -> عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللهِ.

3. Prepositions: إِلَى (to/towards) and عَلَى (on/upon)

● 8. The preposition إِلَى (to / towards / up to):
○ It is used to show a destination or direction:
■ Towards a mountain: -> إِلَى جَبَلٍ | Towards the house: -> إِلَى الْبَيْتِ.
■ Towards al-Masjid al-Aqṣā: -> إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الْأَقْصَى | Towards the remembrance of Allah: -> إِلَى ذِكْرِ اللهِ.
● 9. The preposition عَلَى (on / upon):
○ It shows that something is on top of another thing:
■ On the chair: -> عَلَى الْكُرْسِيِّ | On the Throne: -> عَلَى الْعَرْشِ.
■ Over all the worlds: -> عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ (الْعَالَمِينَ is a sound masculine plural in the genitive case.)
■ Upon their hearts: -> عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ | Upon their eyes: -> عَلَى أَبْصَارِهِمْ.

4. Prepositions: حَتَّى (until) and لـ (for)

● 10. The preposition حَتَّى (until / up to):
○ It marks an endpoint:
■ Until an appointed time: -> حَتَّى حِينٍ.
■ Until the break of dawn: -> حَتَّى مَطْلَعِ الْفَجْرِ.
● 11. The preposition لـ (for):
○ It joins the beginning of a noun to express possession or purpose:
■ For Zayd: -> لِزَيْدٍ | For a human being: -> لِبَشَرٍ | For the command of Allah: -> لِأَمْرِ اللهِ.
○ Special spelling rule: When it joins a noun with al-, the connecting hamzah, the alif, is dropped: لِـ + اَلْوَلَدِ -> لِلْوَلَدِ, 'for the boy.'
■ For the God-conscious: -> لِلْمُتَّقِينَ | For the disbelievers: -> لِلْكَافِرِينَ.

5. Introduction to the Remaining Six Prepositions

● The remaining six Arabic prepositions are used in specific contexts:
1. مُذْ and مُنْذُ (since): They mark the beginning of a period, as in مُذْ يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ, 'since Friday.'
2. خَلَا, حَاشَا, and عَدَا (except): They are used for exclusion, as in خَلَا زَيْدٍ, 'except Zayd.'
3. رُبَّ (some / many): It may indicate a small or large number, as in رُبَّ رَجُلٍ, 'many a man' or 'some men.'
● These particles also make the following explicit noun genitive (majrūr).

Practice questions

Question 1

When the preposition مِنْ is joined in pronunciation to a noun with al-, such as الْبَيْتِ, which vowel appears on its nūn?

  • The nūn takes a fatḥah, as in مِنَ الْبَيْتِ
  • The nūn takes a kasrah, as in مِنیِ الْبَيْتِ
  • The nūn remains silent

Question 2

Why does the noun مَكَّةَ take a fatḥah instead of a kasrah after the preposition مِنْ?

  • Because Makkah is a diptote that takes a fatḥah instead of a kasrah in the genitive case
  • Because Makkah is dual
  • Because it has al-

Question 3

When the preposition لـ joins a noun with al-, such as اَلْوَلَدُ, the connecting hamzah, the alif, remains in writing.

  • True
  • False

Question 4

Towards the remembrance of Allah

Question 5

Until the break of dawn

Question 6

Match the following Arabic prepositional phrases with their correct English meanings:

Question 7

Sort the following less familiar prepositions into their correct meaning groups:

Question 8

What is the written form when the preposition عَلَى comes before the noun الْعَالَمِينَ?

  • عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ
  • عَلَى الْعَالَمُونَ
  • عَلَى الْعَالَمَانِ

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