Ayahs 11–19 · word-by-word grammatical analysis Read the bilingual lesson for Surah Al-A‘la — Part 2 and test your understanding with a focused quiz.
Lesson
1. Surah Al-A‘la · Ayah 11
وَيَتَجَنَّبُهَا ٱلْأَشْقَى
Sentence structure
وَيَتَجَنَّبُهَا is coordinated with the preceding verb. Its attached هَا is the object, while ٱلْأَشْقَى is the nominative subject.
Ayah summary
The most wretched person will turn away from the reminder.
وَيَتَجَنَّبُهَا — And will avoid it
Grammar: وَ coordinates; يَتَجَنَّبُ is a third-person masculine-singular Form V indicative imperfect. Attached هَا is its feminine-singular object.
ٱلْأَشْقَى — the wretched one
Grammar: ٱل is the definite article; أَشْقَى is a masculine-singular nominative noun functioning as the subject of يَتَجَنَّبُ, with an estimated ḍammah.
2. Surah Al-A‘la · Ayah 12
ٱلَّذِى يَصْلَى ٱلنَّارَ ٱلْكُبْرَىٰ
Sentence structure
ٱلَّذِى is an adjective of ٱلْأَشْقَى. يَصْلَى is its relative-clause verb with an understood subject; ٱلنَّارَ is the object and ٱلْكُبْرَىٰ its accusative adjective.
Ayah summary
He will enter the great Fire.
ٱلَّذِى — The one who
Grammar: A masculine-singular relative noun functioning as a nominative adjective of ٱلْأَشْقَى.
يَصْلَى — will burn
Grammar: A third-person masculine-singular indicative imperfect in the relative clause with understood subject هُوَ.
ٱلنَّارَ — (in) the Fire
Grammar: ٱل is the definite article; نَّارَ is a feminine-singular accusative object of يَصْلَى.
ٱلْكُبْرَىٰ — [the] great
Grammar: ٱل is the definite article; كُبْرَىٰ is a feminine-singular accusative adjective of ٱلنَّارَ, with an estimated fatḥah.
3. Surah Al-A‘la · Ayah 13
ثُمَّ لَا يَمُوتُ فِيهَا وَلَا يَحْيَىٰ
Sentence structure
ثُمَّ coordinates with delay. لَا يَمُوتُ فِيهَا is a negative verbal clause; وَلَا يَحْيَىٰ is coordinated with it. Both imperfects are indicative and have understood subjects.
Ayah summary
There he will neither die nor enjoy a restful life.
ثُمَّ — Then
Grammar: A conjunction indicating sequence with delay.
لَا — not
Grammar: A non-governing negative particle negating the following indicative imperfect.
يَمُوتُ — he will die
Grammar: A third-person masculine-singular indicative imperfect with understood subject هُوَ.
فِيهَا — therein
Grammar: فِى is a preposition and attached هَا a third-person feminine-singular pronoun in the genitive; the phrase is linked to يَمُوتُ.
وَلَا — and not
Grammar: وَ coordinates and لَا negates the following indicative imperfect.
يَحْيَىٰ — will live
Grammar: A third-person masculine-singular indicative imperfect coordinated with يَمُوتُ, with understood subject هُوَ and an estimated ḍammah.
4. Surah Al-A‘la · Ayah 14
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّىٰ
Sentence structure
قَدْ confirms the perfect أَفْلَحَ. مَن is its subject, and تَزَكَّىٰ is the relative clause with an understood subject.
Ayah summary
Successful is the one who purifies himself.
قَدْ — Certainly
Grammar: A particle of confirmation preceding a perfect verb.
أَفْلَحَ — has succeeded
Grammar: A third-person masculine-singular Form IV perfect.
مَن — (one) who
Grammar: A relative noun functioning as the nominative subject of أَفْلَحَ.
تَزَكَّىٰ — purifies (himself)
Grammar: A third-person masculine-singular Form V perfect in the relative clause, with understood subject هُوَ.
5. Surah Al-A‘la · Ayah 15
وَذَكَرَ ٱسْمَ رَبِّهِۦ فَصَلَّىٰ
Sentence structure
وَذَكَرَ is coordinated with تَزَكَّىٰ and has an understood subject. ٱسْمَ is its object and رَبِّهِۦ completes the annexation. فَصَلَّىٰ is coordinated and also has an understood subject.
Ayah summary
He remembers the name of his Lord and performs prayer.
وَذَكَرَ — And remembers
Grammar: وَ coordinates; ذَكَرَ is a third-person masculine-singular perfect with understood subject هُوَ.
ٱسْمَ — (the) name
Grammar: A masculine-singular accusative noun functioning as the object of ذَكَرَ and annexed to رَبِّهِۦ.
رَبِّهِۦ — (of) his Lord
Grammar: رَبِّ is the genitive complement of ٱسْمَ; attached هِۦ is a third-person masculine-singular genitive possessor.
فَصَلَّىٰ — and prays
Grammar: فَ coordinates; صَلَّىٰ is a third-person masculine-singular Form II perfect with understood subject هُوَ.
6. Surah Al-A‘la · Ayah 16
بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا
Sentence structure
بَلْ shifts to the new statement. تُؤْثِرُونَ is a second-person masculine-plural indicative imperfect: attached و is the subject and final ن marks the indicative. ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ is the object and ٱلدُّنْيَا its adjective.
Ayah summary
Yet you prefer the life of this world.
بَلْ — Nay
Grammar: A transition particle shifting from the preceding statement to what follows; it has no case governance.
تُؤْثِرُونَ — You prefer
Grammar: A second-person masculine-plural Form IV indicative imperfect. Attached و is the subject and final ن marks the indicative in one of the five verbs.
ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ — the life
Grammar: ٱل is the definite article; حَيَوٰةَ is a feminine-singular accusative object of تُؤْثِرُونَ.
ٱلدُّنْيَا — (of) the world
Grammar: ٱل is the definite article; دُّنْيَا is a feminine-singular accusative adjective of ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ, with an estimated fatḥah.
7. Surah Al-A‘la · Ayah 17
وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةُ خَيْرٌۭ وَأَبْقَىٰٓ
Sentence structure
وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةُ begins a coordinated nominal clause and is the nominative topic. خَيْرٌ is its predicate, and وَأَبْقَىٰٓ is coordinated with that predicate.
Ayah summary
The Hereafter is better than this world and everlasting.
وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةُ — While the Hereafter
Grammar: وَ coordinates, ٱل is the definite article, and ءَاخِرَةُ is a feminine-singular nominative topic.
خَيْرٌۭ — (is) better
Grammar: An indefinite masculine-singular nominative noun functioning as the predicate of ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةُ.
وَأَبْقَىٰٓ — and everlasting
Grammar: وَ coordinates; أَبْقَىٰٓ is a nominative noun coordinated with the predicate خَيْرٌ, with an estimated ḍammah.
8. Surah Al-A‘la · Ayah 18
إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَفِى ٱلصُّحُفِ ٱلْأُولَىٰ
Sentence structure
إِنَّ opens the emphatic clause and هَـٰذَا is its noun. In لَفِى, لَ emphasizes and فِى begins the predicate phrase; ٱلصُّحُفِ is genitive and ٱلْأُولَىٰ its adjective.
Ayah summary
This same teaching is written in the earlier scriptures.
إِنَّ — Indeed
Grammar: An accusative/emphatic particle opening a nominal clause.
هَـٰذَا — this
Grammar: A masculine-singular demonstrative pronoun functioning as the noun of إِنَّ in the accusative position.
لَفِى — surely (is) in
Grammar: لَ is the emphatic lām and فِى a preposition; the phrase beginning here supplies the predicate of إِنَّ.
ٱلصُّحُفِ — the Scriptures
Grammar: ٱل is the definite article; صُّحُفِ is a feminine-plural genitive noun governed by فِى.
ٱلْأُولَىٰ — [the] former
Grammar: ٱل is the definite article; أُولَىٰ is a feminine genitive adjective of ٱلصُّحُفِ, with an estimated kasrah.
9. Surah Al-A‘la · Ayah 19
صُحُفِ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَمُوسَىٰ
Sentence structure
صُحُفِ is a genitive apposition to the preceding ٱلصُّحُفِ. إِبْرَٰهِيمَ is its genitive complement, marked with fatḥah because it is diptote; وَمُوسَىٰ is coordinated with it and is likewise genitive in position.
Ayah summary
It is also found in the scriptures of Abraham and Moses, peace be upon them.
صُحُفِ — (The) Scriptures
Grammar: A feminine-plural genitive noun functioning as an apposition to the preceding ٱلصُّحُفِ and annexed to إِبْرَٰهِيمَ.
إِبْرَٰهِيمَ — (of) Ibrahim
Grammar: A masculine proper noun functioning as the genitive complement of صُحُفِ, marked with fatḥah because it is diptote.
وَمُوسَىٰ — and Musa
Grammar: وَ coordinates; مُوسَىٰ is a masculine proper noun coordinated with إِبْرَٰهِيمَ and genitive in position, with an estimated case ending.