Ayahs 1–10 · word-by-word grammatical analysis Read the bilingual lesson for Surah Al-Balad — Part 1 and test your understanding with a focused quiz.
Lesson
1. Surah Al-Balad · Ayah 1
لَآ أُقْسِمُ بِهَـٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ Sentence structure In one grammatical reading, لَآ negates أُقْسِمُ, a Form IV imperfect whose subject is understood أَنَا. بِهَـٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ is linked to the verb; ٱلْبَلَدِ clarifies the demonstrative. Ayah summary Allah swears by this city of Makkah. لَآ — Nay Grammar: In one grammatical reading, a non-governing negative particle linked to أُقْسِمُ. أُقْسِمُ — I swear Grammar: A Form IV first-person singular indicative imperfect with understood subject أَنَا. بِهَـٰذَا — by this Grammar: بِ is a preposition and هَـٰذَا a masculine-singular demonstrative in the genitive position. This phrase is linked to «أُقْسِمُ». ٱلْبَلَدِ — city Grammar: ٱل defines the masculine genitive noun بَلَدِ, an appositional clarification of هَـٰذَا.
2. Surah Al-Balad · Ayah 2
وَأَنتَ حِلٌّۢ بِهَـٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ Sentence structure وَ resumes the nominal clause. أَنتَ is the topic and حِلٌّ its predicate; بِهَـٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ is linked to the predicate, with ٱلْبَلَدِ clarifying the demonstrative. Ayah summary And the restriction in this city would not remain upon you, O Prophet ﷺ. وَأَنتَ — And you Grammar: وَ resumes/coordinates and أَنتَ is a second-person masculine-singular pronoun functioning as topic. حِلٌّۢ — (are) free (to dwell) Grammar: An indefinite masculine-singular nominative noun functioning as the predicate of أَنتَ. بِهَـٰذَا — in this Grammar: بِ is a preposition and هَـٰذَا a masculine demonstrative in the genitive position. This phrase is linked to «حِلٌّۢ». ٱلْبَلَدِ — city Grammar: ٱل defines the masculine genitive noun بَلَدِ, clarifying the demonstrative.
3. Surah Al-Balad · Ayah 3
وَوَالِدٍۢ وَمَا وَلَدَ Sentence structure وَوَالِدٍ is coordinated as a genitive oath noun. وَمَا coordinates a relative noun, and وَلَدَ is its relative-clause verb with understood subject هُوَ. Ayah summary And He swears by a parent and the offspring he begot. وَوَالِدٍۢ — And the begetter Grammar: وَ coordinates and serves in the oath sequence; وَالِدٍ is an indefinite genitive active participle/noun. وَمَا — and what Grammar: وَ coordinates and مَا is a relative pronoun whose clause follows. وَلَدَ — he begot Grammar: A third-person masculine-singular perfect with understood subject هُوَ, forming the relative clause of مَا.
4. Surah Al-Balad · Ayah 4
لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ فِى كَبَدٍ Sentence structure لَ emphasizes and قَدْ confirms the perfect خَلَقْنَا; attached نَا is its subject. ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ is the object, and فِى كَبَدٍ describes the state in which he was created. Ayah summary The human being was created amid hardship. لَقَدْ — Certainly Grammar: لَ is emphatic and قَدْ is a particle of certainty before the perfect. خَلَقْنَا — We have created Grammar: A first-person plural perfect; attached نَا is the subject. ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ — man Grammar: ٱل defines the masculine-singular accusative object of خَلَقْنَا. An omitted circumstantial element is associated with «ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ». فِى — (to be) in Grammar: A preposition governing the following noun and beginning a circumstantial phrase. This phrase is linked through an omitted element. كَبَدٍ — hardship Grammar: An indefinite masculine genitive noun governed by فِى.
5. Surah Al-Balad · Ayah 5
أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌۭ Sentence structure أَ opens the question; يَحْسَبُ has understood subject هُوَ. The clause أَن لَّن يَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌ is its object; لَّن makes يَقْدِرَ subjunctive and أَحَدٌ is that verb's subject. Ayah summary Does he think that no one will be able to overpower him? أَيَحْسَبُ — Does he think Grammar: أَ is interrogative; يَحْسَبُ is a third-person masculine-singular indicative imperfect with understood subject هُوَ. أَن — that Grammar: A subordinating/source particle introducing the clause that functions as the object of يَحْسَبُ. لَّن — not Grammar: A particle of future negation and subjunctive governing يَقْدِرَ. يَقْدِرَ — has power Grammar: A third-person masculine-singular imperfect, subjunctive after لَّن. عَلَيْهِ — over him Grammar: عَلَىٰ is a preposition and attached هِ a masculine-singular pronoun in the genitive position. This phrase is linked to «يَقْدِرَ». أَحَدٌۭ — anyone Grammar: An indefinite masculine-singular nominative subject of يَقْدِرَ.
6. Surah Al-Balad · Ayah 6
يَقُولُ أَهْلَكْتُ مَالًۭا لُّبَدًا Sentence structure يَقُولُ has understood subject هُوَ. أَهْلَكْتُ مَالًا لُّبَدًا is the quoted object clause: attached تُ is subject, مَالًا object, and لُّبَدًا its adjective. Ayah summary He boasts that he has spent heaps of wealth. يَقُولُ — He will say Grammar: A third-person masculine-singular indicative imperfect with understood subject هُوَ; the next clause is its quoted object. أَهْلَكْتُ — I have squandered Grammar: A Form IV first-person singular perfect; attached تُ is the subject. مَالًۭا — wealth Grammar: An indefinite masculine accusative object of أَهْلَكْتُ. لُّبَدًا — abundant Grammar: An indefinite masculine accusative adjective of مَالًا.
7. Surah Al-Balad · Ayah 7
أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّمْ يَرَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ Sentence structure أَ asks and يَحْسَبُ has understood subject. The clause after أَن is its object: لَّمْ makes يَرَ jussive, attached هُۥٓ is the object, and أَحَدٌ the subject. Ayah summary Does he think that no one has seen him? أَيَحْسَبُ — Does he think Grammar: أَ is interrogative; يَحْسَبُ is a third-person masculine-singular indicative imperfect with understood subject. أَن — that Grammar: A subordinating/source particle introducing the clause that functions as the object of يَحْسَبُ. لَّمْ — not Grammar: A particle of negation and jussive governing the following imperfect. يَرَهُۥٓ — sees him Grammar: A third-person masculine-singular jussive imperfect after لَّمْ; attached هُۥٓ is the object and final yā is omitted for jussive. أَحَدٌ — anyone Grammar: An indefinite masculine-singular nominative subject of يَرَ.
8. Surah Al-Balad · Ayah 8
أَلَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُۥ عَيْنَيْنِ Sentence structure In أَلَمْ, the hamzah asks and لَمْ negates and makes نَجْعَل jussive; its subject is understood نَحْنُ. عَيْنَيْنِ is its dual object and لَّهُۥ is linked to the verb. Ayah summary Allah granted him two eyes. أَلَمْ — Have not Grammar: أَ is interrogative and لَمْ negates and makes the following imperfect jussive. نَجْعَل — We made Grammar: A first-person plural jussive imperfect governed by لَمْ, with understood subject نَحْنُ. لَّهُۥ — for him Grammar: لِ is a preposition and attached هُۥ a masculine-singular pronoun in the genitive position. This phrase is linked to «نَجْعَل». عَيْنَيْنِ — two eyes Grammar: A feminine dual accusative object of نَجْعَل, marked by yā.
9. Surah Al-Balad · Ayah 9
وَلِسَانًۭا وَشَفَتَيْنِ Sentence structure This continues the objects of نَجْعَل: وَلِسَانًا is coordinated with عَيْنَيْنِ, and وَشَفَتَيْنِ is coordinated with لِسَانًا. Both are accusative. Ayah summary And He granted him a tongue and two lips. وَلِسَانًۭا — And a tongue Grammar: وَ coordinates; لِسَانًا is an indefinite masculine accusative noun coordinated with the preceding object. وَشَفَتَيْنِ — and two lips Grammar: وَ coordinates; شَفَتَيْنِ is a feminine dual accusative noun marked by yā.
10. Surah Al-Balad · Ayah 10
وَهَدَيْنَـٰهُ ٱلنَّجْدَيْنِ Sentence structure وَهَدَيْنَـٰهُ is a perfect verb: attached نَا is subject and هُ the first object. ٱلنَّجْدَيْنِ is the definite dual second object. Ayah summary Allah showed him both the paths of good and evil. وَهَدَيْنَـٰهُ — And shown him Grammar: وَ coordinates; هَدَيْ is a first-person-plural perfect, attached نَا subject and هُ first object. ٱلنَّجْدَيْنِ — the two ways Grammar: ٱل defines the masculine dual accusative second object, marked by yā.
Practice questions
Question 1
لَآ أُقْسِمُ بِهَـٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ ١ Which morphology describes أُقْسِمُ?
- Imperfect verb, first-person singular
- Perfect verb, third-person masculine singular
- Imperative verb, second-person masculine singular
- Imperfect verb, third-person masculine plural
Question 2
وَأَنتَ حِلٌّۢ بِهَـٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ ٢ What is حِلٌّ in the nominal clause?
- Topic
- Predicate
- Object
- Genitive complement
Question 3
وَوَالِدٍۢ وَمَا وَلَدَ ٣ Which morphology describes وَلَدَ?
- Imperfect verb, third-person masculine singular
- Imperative verb, second-person masculine singular
- Perfect verb, third-person masculine singular
- Verbal noun
Question 4
لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ فِى كَبَدٍ ٤ What is attached نَا in خَلَقْنَا?
- Object
- Possessor
- Predicate
- Subject
Question 5
أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌۭ ٥ What is أَحَدٌ with يَقْدِرَ?
- Nominative subject
- Object
- Predicate
- Adjective
Question 6
يَقُولُ أَهْلَكْتُ مَالًۭا لُّبَدًا ٦ What is مَالًا with أَهْلَكْتُ?
- Subject
- Accusative object
- Predicate
- Genitive complement
Question 7
أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّمْ يَرَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ ٧ What is attached هُۥٓ in يَرَهُۥٓ?
- Subject
- Possessor
- Object
- Predicate
Question 8
أَلَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُۥ عَيْنَيْنِ ٨ What is عَيْنَيْنِ with نَجْعَل?
- Dual subject
- Dual predicate
- Genitive dual
- Dual accusative object
Question 9
وَلِسَانًۭا وَشَفَتَيْنِ ٩ What is شَفَتَيْنِ grammatically?
- A coordinated dual accusative noun
- A dual subject
- A singular adjective
- A genitive possessor
Question 10
وَهَدَيْنَـٰهُ ٱلنَّجْدَيْنِ ١٠ What is ٱلنَّجْدَيْنِ with هَدَيْنَـٰهُ?
- First object
- Second object
- Subject
- Predicate
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