Definition, morphology, dependent cases, iḍāfah, all eighteen ranked combinations and commentary nuances Read the bilingual lesson for Ṣifah Mushabbahah: Stable Qualities, Government and 18 Patterns and test your understanding with a focused quiz.
Lesson
1. Chapter: The Resembling Adjective
فَصْلٌ: الصِّفَةُ الْمُشَبَّهَةُ
Translation: Chapter on the ṣifah mushabbahah, the resembling adjective. We move beyond kātib and maktūb to qualities such as ḥasan and karīm: stable descriptive sense, grammatical government, and 18 case combinations.
2. The Textbook Definition
الصِّفَةُ الْمُشَبَّهَةُ اسْمٌ مُشْتَقٌّ مِنْ فِعْلٍ لَازِمٍ لِيَدُلَّ عَلَى مَنْ قَامَ بِهِ الْفِعْلُ بِمَعْنَى الثُّبُوتِ.
Textbook definition: a derived noun formed from an intransitive verb to describe its bearer with a sense of relative stability. Focus on derivation, intransitivity, and enduring descriptive meaning.
3. Derived versus Underived
حَسَنٌ — جَبَلٌ
Ḥasan is a derived quality related to ḥasuna. Jabal names a mountain; being a noun alone does not make something a ṣifah mushabbahah.
4. Connection to an Intransitive Verb
حَسُنَ وَجْهُ زَيْدٍ.
Ḥasuna is intransitive. Wajhu is its nominative subject, not a direct object. The adjective ḥasan belongs to the same root.
5. What Relative Stability Means
زَيْدٌ كَرِيمٌ.
Karīm depicts generosity as a characteristic, not merely an isolated event. Thubūt means a relatively stable characterization, not an immutable, lifelong property.
6. Contrast with the Active Participle
زَيْدٌ قَائِمٌ — زَيْدٌ حَسَنٌ.
Qāʾim ordinarily describes standing as an event or state; ḥasan attributes beauty as a quality. Both are derived but differ in customary temporal interpretation.
7. Contrast with the Passive Participle
مُكْرَمٌ — كَرِيمٌ
Mukram denotes a recipient of an act of honoring; karīm describes an intrinsic or habitual quality such as generosity. Similar English glosses do not erase the grammatical difference.
8. Three Examples from the Chapter
حَسَنٌ — صَعْبٌ — ظَرِيفٌ
The author illustrates with ḥasan (beautiful), ṣaʿb (difficult), and ẓarīf (refined or pleasant). Each denotes a quality.
9. Why Patterns Are Lexically Attested
حَسَنٌ — صَعْبٌ — ظَرِيفٌ
The three source examples follow faʿal, faʿl, and faʿīl. The chapter treats their lexical patterns as attested rather than universally predictable by one single template.
10. More Established Quality Adjectives
كَرِيمٌ — كَبِيرٌ — جَمِيلٌ
Supplementary examples: karīm, kabīr, jamīl, all on faʿīl. This shows a productive-looking pattern without implying every verb must take it.
11. Color and Defect Patterns
أَسْوَدُ — أَبْيَضُ — أَعْرَجُ
The commentary qualifies the lexical-pattern statement: color and visible-defect adjectives commonly follow afʿal, such as aswad, abyaḍ, aʿraj.
12. Hunger, Thirst, and Satiety
جَوْعَانُ — عَطْشَانُ — شَبْعَانُ
The commentary also identifies faʿlān in adjectives such as jawʿān, ʿaṭshān, shabʿān. The class has multiple morphological shapes.
13. Feminine Agreement
حَسَنٌ — حَسَنَةٌ؛ جَمِيلٌ — جَمِيلَةٌ
Ḥasan → ḥasanah and jamīl → jamīlah are regular feminine pairs. Not every adjective follows this one feminine ending.
14. Feminine of Faʿlān
عَطْشَانُ — عَطْشَىٰ؛ جَوْعَانُ — جَوْعَىٰ
These faʿlān adjectives form the feminine as faʿlā: ʿaṭshā and jawʿā, rather than simply adding -ah.
15. Agreement with the Described Noun
رَجُلٌ حَسَنٌ — امْرَأَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ
Ḥasan and ḥasanah agree with the noun described. Agreement with the head noun is different from the participle-like government of a dependent.
16. Number Agreement
حَسَنٌ — حَسَنَانِ — حَسَنُونَ
The commentary notes singular, dual, and plural agreement: ḥasan, ḥasanān, ḥasanūn. Other plurals may exist; these illustrate agreement only.
17. Government of the Adjective
وَهِيَ تَعْمَلُ عَمَلَ فِعْلِهَا.
Textbook statement: it governs like its underlying verb. Since that verb is intransitive, the raised dependent is a subject; its other constructions require separate case analysis.
18. An Overt Raised Subject
زَيْدٌ حَسَنٌ وَجْهُهُ.
Zayd is the sentence topic. Ḥasan is the predicate and qualifying adjective. Wajhuhu is its nominative subject; the attached pronoun links back to Zayd.
19. The Pronoun Link
وَجْهُهُ = وَجْهُ + هُ
Wajhu is nominative as the adjective’s subject; -hu is genitive as a possessive suffix. The two parts have distinct grammatical functions.
20. Predicate versus Its Subject
زَيْدٌ حَسَنٌ وَجْهُهُ.
Ḥasan is the predicate of Zayd; wajhuhu is the adjective’s internal subject. Both may be nominative, but their syntactic relations differ.
21. Accusative Indefinite Dependent
زَيْدٌ حَسَنٌ وَجْهًا.
Wajhan is an accusative indefinite specification (tamyīz), identifying the aspect in which Zayd is handsome. It is not a true direct object.
22. Accusative Definite Dependent
زَيْدٌ حَسَنٌ الْوَجْهَ.
Al-wajha is definite and accusative; the standard Basran analysis calls it an accusative resembling an object, not a true direct object of an intransitive verb.
23. A Scholarly Parsing Difference
حَسَنٌ الْوَجْهَ
Commentators report alternative analyses for a definite accusative: often treated as an object-like accusative, while some grammarians allow calling it tamyīz. Learn the standard classroom distinction first.
24. Genitive through Idāfah
زَيْدٌ حَسَنُ الْوَجْهِ.
Ḥasanu is a nominative predicate and muḍāf, without tanwīn. Al-wajhi is genitive as muḍāf ilayh; this is a formal (lafẓiyyah) iḍāfah construction.
25. Three Cases and Why
وَجْهُهُ — وَجْهًا — الْوَجْهِ
Wajhuhu is nominative as subject; wajhan accusative as specification; al-wajhi genitive as an iḍāfah complement. Case follows syntactic role, not surface similarity alone.
26. Reliance Condition for Government
زَيْدٌ حَسَنٌ وَجْهُهُ.
The chapter refers to a reliance condition like that discussed for the active participle. Here ḥasan is supported by its role as predicate of the preceding subject.
27. Reliance Is Not a Tense Restriction
الثُّبُوتُ لَيْسَ حُدُوثًا مَقْصُودًا
The commentary distinguishes freedom from a present/future time restriction from the continuing reliance condition. Absence of a tense condition does not mean absence of every grammatical condition.
28. Al Is Not Relative Here
الْحَسَنُ الْوَجْهَ
The commentary specifically cautions that the al- of this adjective is not a relative al- in the same sense allowed with active and passive participles.
29. Why the Source Counts 18
2 × 3 × 3 = 18
The theoretical grid is 2 adjective definiteness types × 3 dependent forms × 3 dependent cases = 18. The traditional treatment ranks them by acceptability, not all as equally good.
30. Two Adjective Forms
الْحَسَنُ — حَسَنٌ
The adjective may be al-ḥasanu (with al) or ḥasanun (without al). The form of the governed dependent must be analyzed separately.
31. Three Dependent Forms
وَجْهُهُ — الْوَجْهُ — وَجْهٌ
The dependent is either possessively suffixed, definite with al, or bare indefinite. These display nominative illustrations only; case is varied next.
32. Group 1: Al + Possessive Dependent
الْحَسَنُ وَجْهُهُ — الْحَسَنُ وَجْهَهُ — الْحَسَنُ وَجْهِهِ
With al-ḥasan and a possessive dependent: nominative wajhuhu is preferred; accusative wajhahu is permitted but less preferred; genitive wajhihi in this specific iḍāfah is disallowed.
33. Group 2: Both Have Al
الْحَسَنُ الْوَجْهُ — الْحَسَنُ الْوَجْهَ — الْحَسَنُ الْوَجْهِ
When both adjective and dependent have al: nominative is ranked stylistically weak; accusative and genitive are preferred. Qabīḥ does not mean the same as mamnūʿ.
34. Group 3: Al + Bare Indefinite
الْحَسَنُ وَجْهٌ — الْحَسَنُ وَجْهًا — الْحَسَنُ وَجْهٍ
Al-ḥasan with a bare noun: nominative is weak, accusative preferred, and genitive iḍāfah in this configuration prohibited.
35. Group 4: Bare + Possessive
حَسَنٌ وَجْهُهُ — حَسَنٌ وَجْهَهُ — حَسَنُ وَجْهِهِ
Without al, a possessive dependent can be nominative (preferred), accusative (acceptable), or genitive (disputed). The third differs sharply from the prohibited genitive after al-ḥasan.
36. Group 5: Bare Adjective + Al Noun
حَسَنٌ الْوَجْهُ — حَسَنٌ الْوَجْهَ — حَسَنُ الْوَجْهِ
Without al on the adjective but with al on the dependent: nominative weak; accusative and genitive preferred.
37. Group 6: Both Bare
حَسَنٌ وَجْهٌ — حَسَنٌ وَجْهًا — حَسَنُ وَجْهٍ
Both adjective and dependent are bare: nominative is weak, accusative as tamyīz preferred, and genitive by iḍāfah preferred.
38. Complete Status Count
9 + 2 + 4 + 1 + 2 = 18
Traditional classification: 9 preferred, 2 acceptable, 4 weak, 1 disputed, 2 disallowed—total 18. The following slides enumerate each category completely.
39. All Nine Preferred Patterns
الْأَحْسَنُ فِي الصِّيَغِ
All nine preferred patterns: al-ḥasan al-wajha; al-ḥasan al-wajhi; ḥasan al-wajha; ḥasan al-wajhi; al-ḥasan wajhan; ḥasan wajhan; ḥasan wajhin; al-ḥasan wajhuhu; ḥasan wajhuhu.
40. Both Acceptable Patterns
الْحَسَنُ وَجْهَهُ — حَسَنٌ وَجْهَهُ
The two merely acceptable patterns use accusative wajhahu with a possessive suffix, after either definite or indefinite ḥasan.
41. All Four Weak Patterns
الْوَجْهُ — وَجْهٌ
Four stylistically weak configurations have a nominative dependent without an explicit pronoun link to the described noun. Weak is not synonymous with syntactically barred.
42. Both Prohibited Patterns
الْحَسَنُ وَجْهِهِ — الْحَسَنُ وَجْهٍ
Two disallowed iḍāfah combinations involve al-ḥasan with a genitive dependent that lacks al, whether pronominally suffixed or bare. They are patterns to recognize as barred, not model output.
43. The One Disputed Pattern
حَسَنُ وَجْهِهِ
The genitive iḍāfah ḥasanu wajhihi is disputed. The commentary records different judgments. Do not classify it universally as either prohibited or preferred.
44. Why One Pattern Is More Preferred
زَيْدٌ حَسَنٌ وَجْهُهُ — زَيْدٌ حَسَنٌ وَجْهَهُ
In the traditional ranking, a single pronoun link is preferred. The accusative possessive-dependent version has an additional implicit link in the adjective and is merely acceptable.
45. Pronoun Link and Preference
وَجْهُهُ — وَجْهَهُ — الْوَجْهُ
A standard mnemonic ranks one linking pronoun higher than two; nominative dependents without the expected link are weak. The two prohibited and single disputed patterns remain special exceptions.
46. Implicit Pronoun in Accusative and Genitive
زَيْدٌ حَسَنٌ وَجْهًا — زَيْدٌ حَسَنُ الْوَجْهِ
With accusative or genitive dependents, an implicit pronoun in the adjective links it to the qualified noun. With a raised dependent, that noun itself fills the subject position.
47. The Verbal Root and Meaning
حَسُنَ — حَسَنٌ؛ صَعُبَ — صَعْبٌ
The intransitive verbs ḥasuna and ṣaʿuba underlie descriptive ḥasan and ṣaʿb. These are not passive participles.
48. Compare Three Complete Sentences
زَيْدٌ حَسَنٌ وَجْهُهُ. / زَيْدٌ حَسَنٌ وَجْهًا. / زَيْدٌ حَسَنُ الْوَجْهِ.
Three useful full sentences illustrate nominative subject, accusative tamyīz, and genitive iḍāfah complement. The descriptive meaning is close but the case analyses differ.
49. Case Change, Role Change
حَسَنٌ وَجْهُهُ — حَسَنٌ وَجْهَهُ
In ḥasanun wajhuhu the dependent is nominative subject; in ḥasanun wajhahu it is accusative with an object-like analysis. The suffix -hu stays genitive in both.
50. Common Misreadings
حَسَنٌ وَجْهُهُ — حَسَنٌ وَجْهًا — حَسَنُ الْوَجْهِ
Avoid treating the raised dependent as direct object, the indefinite accusative as direct object, or the genitive as unexplained. Do not conflate weak and forbidden patterns, or stable description with unchangeability.
51. Comprehensive Review
الصِّفَةُ الْمُشَبَّهَةُ — الثُّبُوتُ — الْإِعْمَالُ
A derived, relatively stable quality from an intransitive verb; several attested patterns; a dependent can be nominative subject, accusative specification/object-like complement, or genitive iḍāfah; 18 configurations ranked 9/2/4/1/2. Next: ism al-tafḍīl.
Practice questions
Question 1
What kind of source verb underlies a ṣifah mushabbahah?
- Always imperative
- Intransitive verb
- Always passive
- Only a preposition
Question 2
What does thubūt indicate?
- Describing a relatively stable quality
- Never changing under any circumstance
- Past tense only
- A momentary physical movement only
Question 3
How does the chapter use ḥasan?
- Passive participle
- Vocative particle
- Past verb
- Resembling adjective
Question 4
Common semantic difference between kātib and ḥasan?
- Both are past verbs
- Both are passive participles
- Agent of an activity versus stable quality
- Both are particles
Question 5
Which of mukram and karīm is passive?
Question 6
Why is jabal not a ṣifah mushabbahah?
- It is an entity noun, not a derived quality
- It has tanwīn
- It has three letters
- It may be nominative
Question 7
Pattern of ḥasan?
Question 8
Pattern of ṣaʿb?
Question 9
Pattern of ẓarīf?
Question 10
What does calling the patterns samāʿī mean here?
- No universal one-size-fits-all pattern
- The adjectives have no patterns
- All roots are transitive
- Every adjective is fāʿil
Question 11
A common pattern for color adjectives?
Question 12
Pattern of ʿaṭshān?
Question 13
Feminine of ʿaṭshān?
- ʿAṭshānah
- ʿAṭshā
- ʿAṭīshah
- ʿAṭshūn
Question 14
Why is jamīlah feminine?
- Its described noun is feminine
- It is an object
- It is always plural
- It is a negative particle
Question 15
Case role of ḥasan in Zaydun ḥasanun wajhuhu?
- Accusative direct object
- Genitive complement
- Past verb
- Nominative predicate
Question 16
Why is wajhuhu nominative?
- Accusative tamyīz
- Direct object
- Subject governed by the adjective
- Preposition
Question 17
Case of the suffix -hu in wajhuhu?
- Separate nominative subject
- Genitive possessive complement
- Accusative specification
- Nominative topic
Question 18
Role of wajhan in Zaydun ḥasanun wajhan?
- Accusative specification
- Nominative subject
- Genitive complement
- Nominative predicate
Question 19
Standard analysis of al-wajha in ḥasan al-wajha?
- Passive subject
- Genitive complement
- Sentence subject
- Accusative resembling a direct object
Question 20
What nuance does the commentary give for definite accusatives?
- It is always subject
- It is always genitive
- Different grammatical analyses
- It always contains a vocative
Question 21
Why is al-wajhi genitive?
- Vocative
- Iḍāfah
- Passive verb
- Tamyīz
Question 22
Why no tanwīn on ḥasanu in ḥasanu al-wajhi?
- Because it is muḍāf
- Because it is imperative
- Because it is sound feminine plural
- Because it is a preposition
Question 23
What case is ḥasanu in Zaydun ḥasanu al-wajhi?
- Genitive complement
- Accusative specification
- Invariable on sukūn
- Nominative predicate
Question 24
Correct case sequence?
- Genitive, nominative, accusative
- Accusative, genitive, nominative
- Nominative, accusative, genitive
- All nominative
Question 25
How does the commentary treat the time restriction?
- Past only
- No strict present/future time condition
- Future only
- Imperative only
Question 26
What condition still matters for government?
- Reliance
- Oath particle
- Exception marker
- Nūn of emphasis
Question 27
How does the commentary interpret al- here?
- Always a preposition
- Always tanwīn
- Always negation
- Not treated as relative al- here
Question 28
Which product yields the 18 configurations?
- 2 × 2 × 2
- 3 × 3
- 2 × 3 × 3
- 5 × 5
Question 29
Which are the two adjective types?
- Only past and present
- With and without al
- Only singular and dual
- Only noun and verb
Question 30
Which list contains all three dependent forms?
- Possessive, al-definite, bare indefinite
- Past, present, command
- Singular, plural, verb
- Subject, particle, separator pronoun
Question 31
How many preferred (aḥsan) cases?
Question 32
How many merely acceptable (ḥasan) cases?
Question 33
How many weak (qabīḥ) cases?
Question 34
How many disputed cases?
Question 35
How many prohibited configurations?
Question 36
Ranking of al-ḥasanu wajhuhu?
- Acceptable
- Weak
- Preferred
- Prohibited
Question 37
Ranking of al-ḥasanu wajhahu?
- Preferred
- Acceptable
- Weak
- Prohibited
Question 38
Status of al-ḥasanu wajhihi?
- Prohibited
- Preferred
- Acceptable
- Weak
Question 39
Ranking of al-ḥasanu al-wajha?
- Acceptable
- Weak
- Disputed
- Preferred
Question 40
Ranking of al-ḥasanu al-wajhu?
- Prohibited
- Preferred
- Weak
- Disputed
Question 41
Ranking of al-ḥasanu wajhan?
- Acceptable
- Preferred
- Weak
- Prohibited
Question 42
Ranking of al-ḥasanu wajhin?
- Prohibited
- Weak
- Acceptable
- Preferred
Question 43
Ranking of ḥasanun wajhuhu?
- Acceptable
- Disputed
- Weak
- Preferred
Question 44
Ranking of ḥasanun wajhahu?
- Preferred
- Prohibited
- Acceptable
- Disputed
Question 45
Status of ḥasanu wajhihi?
- Universally prohibited
- Disputed
- Universally weak
- Universally preferred
Question 46
Ranking of ḥasanun al-wajhu?
- Weak
- Preferred
- Acceptable
- Prohibited
Question 47
Ranking of ḥasanu al-wajhi?
- Acceptable
- Weak
- Prohibited
- Preferred
Question 48
Ranking of ḥasanun wajhun?
- Prohibited
- Preferred
- Weak
- Acceptable
Question 49
Ranking of ḥasanu wajhin?
- Prohibited
- Preferred
- Disputed
- Weak
Question 50
What does qabīḥ mean in this chapter?
- Stylistically weak construction
- Always prohibited
- The only correct form
- Spelling mistake only
Question 51
If the dependent is indefinite accusative, what is its usual analysis?
- Subject
- Genitive complement
- Passive subject
- Tamyīz
Question 52
Typical analysis of a definite accusative dependent?
- Obligatory ḥāl
- Subject of kāna
- Object-like accusative
- Preposition
Question 53
Main distinction between raised and accusative dependents?
- Both genitive complements
- Raised subject versus accusative specification/object-like
- Both imperatives
- Both conjunctions
Question 54
Which chapter follows ṣifah mushabbahah?
- Elative
- Passive participle
- Verbal noun
- Active participle
Question 55
Ḥasan is a descriptive noun, not a past verb.
Question 56
Thubūt means the quality can never change.
Question 57
Ṣaʿb follows faʿl.
Question 58
Ẓarīf and ḥasan have the same pattern.
Question 59
ʿAṭshā is feminine of ʿaṭshān.
Question 60
A resembling adjective can raise a subject.
Question 61
Zayd is the adjective’s overt subject in that sentence.
Question 62
In wajhuhu, wajhu is nominative and -hu genitive.
Question 63
Wajhan is a specification in ḥasanun wajhan.
Question 64
Every accusative dependent is a true direct object.
Question 65
Al-wajhi is genitive through iḍāfah.
Question 66
Reliance and temporal conditions mean the same thing.
Question 67
All 18 configurations are preferred.
Question 68
The form ḥasanu wajhihi is disputed.
Question 69
Qabīḥ and mamnūʿ are the same category here.
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