LessonsPeople's Rights, Comprehensive Counsel, Backbiting, and the Nature of Worldly Life (Accounts 28–32)Quiz

أَتَدْرُونَ مَا الْغِيبَةُ؟
“Do you know what backbiting is?”

The initial أَ introduces a question; تَدْرُونَ is a second-person plural present-tense verb, and مَا is interrogative.

قِيلَ: أَفَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ كَانَ فِي أَخِي مَا أَقُولُ؟
“It was asked: what if what I say is actually present in my brother?”

قِيلَ is a passive past-tense verb, “it was said.” إِنْ كَانَ begins a condition, answered by فَقَدِ اغْتَبْتَهُ. The following clause uses the contrasting condition to identify a false accusation.

بَهَتَّهُ means “you falsely accused him.” Grammar here supports the moral distinction; a lengthy independent grammar lesson is unnecessary.

Opening interactive controls...

Account 30: Grammar of the dialogue

People's Rights, Comprehensive Counsel, Backbiting, and the Nature of Worldly Life (Accounts 28–32)

أَتَدْرُونَ مَا الْغِيبَةُ؟
“Do you know what backbiting is?”

The initial أَ introduces a question; تَدْرُونَ is a second-person plural present-tense verb, and مَا is interrogative.

قِيلَ: أَفَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ كَانَ فِي أَخِي مَا أَقُولُ؟
“It was asked: what if what I say is actually present in my brother?”

قِيلَ is a passive past-tense verb, “it was said.” إِنْ كَانَ begins a condition, answered by فَقَدِ اغْتَبْتَهُ. The following clause uses the contrasting condition to identify a false accusation.

بَهَتَّهُ means “you falsely accused him.” Grammar here supports the moral distinction; a lengthy independent grammar lesson is unnecessary.