Surah ‘Abasa — Part 2

Ayahs 10–18 · word-by-word grammatical analysis Read the bilingual lesson for Surah ‘Abasa — Part 2 and test your understanding with a focused quiz.

Lesson

1. Surah ‘Abasa · Ayah 10

فَأَنتَ عَنْهُ تَلَهَّىٰ Sentence structure This is the response to the second side. أَنتَ is the subject, تَلَهَّىٰ its verbal predicate, and عَنْهُ is linked to the verb. Ayah summary Yet at that moment, attention was turned away from him. فَأَنتَ — But you Grammar: فَ marks the answer to أَمَّا. أَنتَ is a detached pronoun functioning as the subject of the nominal sentence. عَنْهُ — from him Grammar: عَنْ is a preposition functioning as the linked complement. Attached هُ is a third-person masculine singular pronoun functioning as the genitive complement. تَلَهَّىٰ — (are) distracted Grammar: A form V, second-person masculine singular imperfect verb in the indicative mood; its original form is تَتَلَهَّىٰ, with one initial tāʾ omitted, and its understood subject is أَنتَ.

2. Surah ‘Abasa · Ayah 11

كَلَّآ إِنَّهَا تَذْكِرَةٌ Sentence structure كَلَّآ is a deterrent particle. In the emphatic nominal clause, the attached pronoun is the subject of إِنَّ and تَذْكِرَةٌ its predicate. Ayah summary The Quran is a universal reminder and does not depend on the acceptance of the arrogant. كَلَّآ — Nay Grammar: كَلَّآ is a deterrent particle. إِنَّهَا — Indeed, it Grammar: إِنَّ is an accusative and emphatic particle. Attached هَا is its noun. تَذْكِرَةٌۭ — (is) a reminder Grammar: nominative noun functioning as the predicate of inna.

3. Surah ‘Abasa · Ayah 12

فَمَن شَآءَ ذَكَرَهُۥ Sentence structure مَن introduces a condition, شَآءَ is its verb, and ذَكَرَهُۥ is the answer; its attached pronoun is the object. Ayah summary Whoever seeks benefit may take heed of this reminder. فَمَن — So whosoever Grammar: فَ is a resumption particle. مَن is a conditional pronoun. شَآءَ — wills Grammar: third-person masculine singular perfect verb; it functions as the condition clause. ذَكَرَهُۥ — may remember it Grammar: third-person masculine singular perfect verb; it functions as the answer to the condition. Attached هُۥ is a third-person masculine singular pronoun functioning as the object.

4. Surah ‘Abasa · Ayah 13

فِى صُحُفٍ مُّكَرَّمَةٍ Sentence structure The prepositional phrase فِى صُحُفٍ continues the description of the reminder, while recognized analyses differ over its exact attachment. مُّكَرَّمَةٍ is a genitive adjective of صُحُفٍ. Ayah summary This reminder is recorded in honoured scriptures. فِى — In Grammar: فِى is a preposition functioning as the linked complement. صُحُفٍۢ — sheets Grammar: genitive noun functioning as the genitive complement. مُّكَرَّمَةٍۢ — honored Grammar: genitive adjective functioning as the adjective.

5. Surah ‘Abasa · Ayah 14

مَّرْفُوعَةٍ مُّطَهَّرَةٍۭ Sentence structure Both words are further genitive passive-participle adjectives of صُحُفٍ, showing feminine-singular agreement with a non-human broken plural. Ayah summary Those scriptures are exalted and purified. مَّرْفُوعَةٍۢ — Exalted Grammar: genitive adjective functioning as the adjective. مُّطَهَّرَةٍۭ — purified Grammar: genitive adjective functioning as the adjective.

6. Surah ‘Abasa · Ayah 15

بِأَيْدِى سَفَرَةٍ Sentence structure بِأَيْدِى is a prepositional phrase continuing the description of صُحُفٍ, and سَفَرَةٍ is the genitive complement of أَيْدِى. Ayah summary They are in the hands of honoured scribes. بِأَيْدِى — In (the) hands Grammar: بِ is a preposition; أَيْدِى is its genitive noun and is also mudāf to سَفَرَةٍ. سَفَرَةٍۢ — (of) scribes Grammar: genitive noun functioning as the genitive complement.

7. Surah ‘Abasa · Ayah 16

كِرَامٍۭ بَرَرَةٍ Sentence structure Both words are genitive adjectives describing the scribes mentioned in the preceding ayah. Ayah summary Those scribes are noble and righteous. كِرَامٍۭ — Noble Grammar: genitive adjective functioning as the adjective. بَرَرَةٍۢ — dutiful Grammar: genitive adjective functioning as the adjective.

8. Surah ‘Abasa · Ayah 17

قُتِلَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ مَآ أَكْفَرَهُۥ Sentence structure The passive verb قُتِلَ has ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ as its passive subject. One recognized analysis treats مَآ أَكْفَرَهُۥ as an exclamatory construction; an interrogative analysis is also recognized. Ayah summary The ungrateful human being deserves severe reproach for failing to value Allah’s great favour. قُتِلَ — Is destroyed Grammar: third-person masculine singular passive perfect verb. ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ — [the] man Grammar: ٱلْ is the definite article. nominative noun functioning as the passive subject. مَآ — how Grammar: In one recognized analysis, an exclamatory indefinite complete noun serving as the subject; an interrogative analysis is also recognized. أَكْفَرَهُۥ — ungrateful is he Grammar: form IV third-person masculine singular perfect verb; it functions as the predicate. Attached هُۥ is a third-person masculine singular pronoun functioning as the object.

9. Surah ‘Abasa · Ayah 18

مِنْ أَىِّ شَىْءٍ خَلَقَهُۥ Sentence structure The prepositional interrogative phrase asks from what thing he was created. خَلَقَهُۥ is the verb with an understood subject and an attached object pronoun. Ayah summary The human being should consider from what Allah created him. مِنْ — From Grammar: مِنْ is a preposition functioning as the linked complement. أَىِّ — what Grammar: A genitive interrogative noun governed by مِنْ and serving as mudāf to شَىْءٍ. شَىْءٍ — thing Grammar: A genitive noun functioning as the mudāf ilayh of أَىِّ. خَلَقَهُۥ — He created him Grammar: third-person masculine singular perfect verb. Attached هُۥ is a third-person masculine singular pronoun functioning as the object.

Practice questions

Question 1

فَأَنتَ عَنْهُ تَلَهَّىٰ ۝١٠ What is the correct identity of تَلَهَّىٰ here?

  • Third-person perfect
  • Second-person imperfect; originally تتلهى
  • Passive imperative
  • Verbal noun

Question 2

كَلَّآ إِنَّهَا تَذْكِرَةٌ ۝١١ What is تَذْكِرَةٌ after إِنَّهَا?

  • Noun of inna
  • Subject
  • Predicate of inna
  • Direct object

Question 3

فَمَن شَآءَ ذَكَرَهُۥ ۝١٢ What is attached هُ in ذَكَرَهُۥ?

  • Subject pronoun
  • Genitive pronoun
  • Predicate
  • Direct-object pronoun

Question 4

فِى صُحُفٍ مُّكَرَّمَةٍ ۝١٣ What is مُّكَرَّمَةٍ with صُحُفٍ?

  • Genitive adjective
  • Nominative predicate
  • Direct object
  • Cognate accusative

Question 5

مَّرْفُوعَةٍ مُّطَهَّرَةٍۭ ۝١٤ Why are both adjectives feminine singular?

  • They are dual objects
  • They describe the non-human broken plural صحف
  • They describe a masculine singular noun
  • They are imperative verbs

Question 6

بِأَيْدِى سَفَرَةٍ ۝١٥ What is سَفَرَةٍ after بِأَيْدِى?

  • Subject
  • Direct object
  • Genitive complement in an iḍāfa
  • Predicate

Question 7

كِرَامٍۭ بَرَرَةٍ ۝١٦ What is the relation of كِرَامٍ بَرَرَةٍ to سَفَرَةٍ?

  • Nominative predicate
  • Direct object
  • Cognate accusative
  • Genitive adjective

Question 8

قُتِلَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ مَآ أَكْفَرَهُۥ ۝١٧ What is ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ after passive قُتِلَ?

  • Deputy subject
  • Direct object
  • Predicate
  • Genitive complement

Question 9

مِنْ أَىِّ شَىْءٍ خَلَقَهُۥ ۝١٨ What governs the genitive case of أَىِّ?

  • Subjecthood
  • The preposition min
  • Objecthood
  • The particle inna

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