Ayahs 36–42 · word-by-word grammatical analysis Read the bilingual lesson for Surah ‘Abasa — Part 5 and test your understanding with a focused quiz.
Lesson
1. Surah ‘Abasa · Ayah 36
وَصَـٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَبَنِيهِ
Sentence structure
Both genitive nouns continue the coordination with أَخِيهِ, each with an attached genitive pronoun.
Ayah summary
And he will flee from his wife and children.
وَصَـٰحِبَتِهِۦ — And his wife
Grammar: وَ is a conjunction. genitive noun functioning as the coordinated element. Attached هِۦ is a third-person masculine singular pronoun functioning as the genitive complement.
وَبَنِيهِ — and his children
Grammar: وَ is a conjunction. genitive noun functioning as the coordinated element. Attached هِ is a third-person masculine singular pronoun functioning as the genitive complement.
2. Surah ‘Abasa · Ayah 37
لِكُلِّ ٱمْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ شَأْنٌ يُغْنِيهِ
Sentence structure
The fronted phrase لِكُلِّ ٱمْرِئٍ is the predicate and شَأْنٌ the delayed subject. يُغْنِيهِ is an adjectival clause describing that matter; يَوْمَئِذٍ is a time adverb for whose attachment more than one recognized parsing exists.
Ayah summary
On that Day, every person will be occupied by a concern that leaves no attention for anyone else.
لِكُلِّ — For every
Grammar: لِ is a preposition. genitive noun functioning as the genitive complement.
ٱمْرِئٍۢ — man
Grammar: genitive noun functioning as the genitive complement.
مِّنْهُمْ — among them
Grammar: مِّنْ is a preposition and attached هُمْ its genitive pronoun. The phrase relates to an omitted adjective of ٱمْرِئٍ.
يَوْمَئِذٍۢ — that Day
Grammar: يَوْمَئِذٍ is a time adverb functioning as the linked complement.
شَأْنٌۭ — (will be) a matter
Grammar: An indefinite masculine nominative noun functioning as the delayed subject.
يُغْنِيهِ — occupying him
Grammar: form IV third-person masculine singular imperfect verb; it functions as the adjective. Attached هِ is a third-person masculine singular pronoun functioning as the object.
3. Surah ‘Abasa · Ayah 38
وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ مُّسْفِرَةٌ
Sentence structure
وُجُوهٌ is a nominative topic. In one grammatical reading, مُّسْفِرَةٌ is its predicate; another recognized analysis takes it as an adjective and continues the predicate into ayah 39. يَوْمَئِذٍ is a time adverb.
Ayah summary
On that Day, the faces of the believers will be radiant.
وُجُوهٌۭ — Faces
Grammar: A nominative broken-plural noun functioning as the topic.
يَوْمَئِذٍۢ — that Day
Grammar: يَوْمَئِذٍ is a time adverb functioning as the linked complement.
مُّسْفِرَةٌۭ — (will be) bright
Grammar: A form IV, feminine singular nominative active participle agreeing with the non-human broken plural وُجُوهٌ. It is the predicate in one grammatical reading; an adjective reading is also recognized.
4. Surah ‘Abasa · Ayah 39
ضَاحِكَةٌ مُّسْتَبْشِرَةٌ
Sentence structure
Both words are feminine-singular nominative active participles describing the faces in ayah 38. They may be parsed as further predicates or as adjectives.
Ayah summary
They will be smiling and rejoicing.
ضَاحِكَةٌۭ — Laughing
Grammar: A feminine singular nominative active participle describing وُجُوهٌ; it may be parsed as a further predicate or an adjective.
مُّسْتَبْشِرَةٌۭ — rejoicing at good news
Grammar: A form X, feminine singular nominative active participle describing وُجُوهٌ; it may be parsed as a further predicate or an adjective.
5. Surah ‘Abasa · Ayah 40
وَوُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَلَيْهَا غَبَرَةٌ
Sentence structure
وُجُوهٌ introduces another nominal clause. Within its predicate clause, عَلَيْهَا is the fronted predicate and غَبَرَةٌ the delayed subject.
Ayah summary
Other faces on that Day will be covered with dust.
وَوُجُوهٌۭ — And faces
Grammar: وَ is a conjunction; وُجُوهٌ is a nominative broken-plural noun functioning as the outer topic.
يَوْمَئِذٍ — that Day
Grammar: يَوْمَئِذٍ is a time adverb functioning as the linked complement.
عَلَيْهَا — upon them
Grammar: عَلَى is a preposition and attached هَا its genitive pronoun; the complete phrase عَلَيْهَا is the fronted predicate in the inner nominal clause.
غَبَرَةٌۭ — (will be) dust
Grammar: A feminine indefinite nominative noun functioning as the delayed subject in the inner clause عَلَيْهَا غَبَرَةٌ.
6. Surah ‘Abasa · Ayah 41
تَرْهَقُهَا قَتَرَةٌ
Sentence structure
تَرْهَقُ is the verb, its attached pronoun the object referring to the faces, and قَتَرَةٌ the delayed subject. The whole clause may be a second adjective or a circumstantial clause.
Ayah summary
Darkness and gloom will overwhelm them.
تَرْهَقُهَا — Will cover them
Grammar: third-person feminine singular imperfect verb. Attached هَا is a third-person feminine singular pronoun functioning as the object.
قَتَرَةٌ — darkness
Grammar: nominative noun functioning as the subject.
7. Surah ‘Abasa · Ayah 42
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْكَفَرَةُ ٱلْفَجَرَةُ
Sentence structure
In the analysis shown here, أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ is the outer subject, while هُمُ begins an inner nominal clause whose predicate is ٱلْكَفَرَةُ and whose adjective is ٱلْفَجَرَةُ. A separating-pronoun analysis is also recognized.
Ayah summary
Those will be the disbelieving and wicked people.
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ — Those
Grammar: A demonstrative in the nominative position as the outer topic.
هُمُ — [they]
Grammar: A detached third-person masculine plural pronoun serving as the inner subject in the analysis shown here; it may alternatively be parsed as a separating pronoun.
ٱلْكَفَرَةُ — (are) the disbelievers
Grammar: ٱلْ is the definite article. nominative noun functioning as the predicate.
ٱلْفَجَرَةُ — the wicked ones
Grammar: ٱلْ is the definite article. nominative adjective functioning as the adjective.