Surah ‘Abasa — Part 5

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.

Practice questions

Question 1

وَصَـٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَبَنِيهِ ۝٣٦ What marks the genitive case of بَنِيهِ?

  • Nominative, marked by wāw
  • Accusative, marked by alif
  • Jussive, marked by sukūn
  • Genitive, marked by yāʾ

Question 2

لِكُلِّ ٱمْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ شَأْنٌ يُغْنِيهِ ۝٣٧ What is شَأْنٌ after fronted لِكُلِّ ٱمْرِئٍ?

  • Delayed subject
  • Direct object
  • Genitive complement
  • Circumstantial accusative

Question 3

وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ مُّسْفِرَةٌ ۝٣٨ Which form underlies مُّسْفِرَةٌ?

  • Form II
  • Form IV
  • Form X
  • Form V

Question 4

ضَاحِكَةٌ مُّسْتَبْشِرَةٌ ۝٣٩ Which form underlies مُّسْتَبْشِرَةٌ?

  • Form II
  • Form IV
  • Form X
  • Form V

Question 5

وَوُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَلَيْهَا غَبَرَةٌ ۝٤٠ What is the primary construction of عَلَيْهَا غَبَرَةٌ?

  • Verb and subject
  • Possessive construction
  • Adjective and noun
  • Fronted predicate and delayed subject

Question 6

تَرْهَقُهَا قَتَرَةٌ ۝٤١ What is قَتَرَةٌ after تَرْهَقُهَا?

  • Subject
  • Direct object
  • Predicate
  • Adjective

Question 7

أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْكَفَرَةُ ٱلْفَجَرَةُ ۝٤٢ What type of word is هُمُ?

  • Detached third-person masculine plural pronoun
  • Attached first-person plural pronoun
  • Demonstrative
  • Relative pronoun

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