Surah Al-A‘la — Part 2

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.

Practice questions

Question 1

وَيَتَجَنَّبُهَا ٱلْأَشْقَى ۝١١ What is attached هَا in وَيَتَجَنَّبُهَا?

  • Subject
  • Predicate
  • Object
  • Adjective

Question 2

ٱلَّذِى يَصْلَى ٱلنَّارَ ٱلْكُبْرَىٰ ۝١٢ What is ٱلْكُبْرَىٰ?

  • Subject
  • Object
  • Predicate
  • Accusative adjective of ٱلنَّارَ

Question 3

ثُمَّ لَا يَمُوتُ فِيهَا وَلَا يَحْيَىٰ ۝١٣ What is attached هَا in فِيهَا?

  • Pronoun in the genitive after a preposition
  • Subject
  • Object
  • Predicate

Question 4

قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّىٰ ۝١٤ What is مَن with أَفْلَحَ?

  • Object
  • Nominative subject
  • Predicate
  • Genitive complement

Question 5

وَذَكَرَ ٱسْمَ رَبِّهِۦ فَصَلَّىٰ ۝١٥ What is ٱسْمَ with ذَكَرَ?

  • Subject
  • Predicate
  • Accusative object
  • Genitive adjective

Question 6

بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۝١٦ What does final ن mark in تُؤْثِرُونَ?

  • Accusative
  • Jussive
  • Perfect tense
  • Indicative

Question 7

وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةُ خَيْرٌۭ وَأَبْقَىٰٓ ۝١٧ What is خَيْرٌ with ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةُ?

  • Nominative predicate
  • Subject
  • Object
  • Genitive complement

Question 8

إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَفِى ٱلصُّحُفِ ٱلْأُولَىٰ ۝١٨ What is هَـٰذَا after إِنَّ?

  • Predicate
  • Noun of إِنَّ
  • Subject of a verb
  • Genitive complement

Question 9

صُحُفِ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَمُوسَىٰ ۝١٩ Why is إِبْرَٰهِيمَ genitive with fatḥah?

  • It is an object
  • It is a verb
  • It is diptote
  • It is a predicate

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