Ayahs 11–20 · word-by-word grammatical analysis Read the bilingual lesson for Surah Al-Balad — Part 2 and test your understanding with a focused quiz.
Lesson
1. Surah Al-Balad · Ayah 11
فَلَا ٱقْتَحَمَ ٱلْعَقَبَةَ
Sentence structure
فَ resumes and لَا negates the perfect ٱقْتَحَمَ, whose subject is understood هُوَ. ٱلْعَقَبَةَ is its accusative object.
Ayah summary
Yet he did not cross the difficult ascent of faith and righteous conduct.
فَلَا — But not
Grammar: فَ is resumptive/resultative and لَا a non-governing negative particle before the perfect.
ٱقْتَحَمَ — he has attempted
Grammar: A Form VIII third-person masculine-singular perfect with understood subject هُوَ.
ٱلْعَقَبَةَ — the steep path
Grammar: ٱل defines the feminine-singular accusative object of ٱقْتَحَمَ.
2. Surah Al-Balad · Ayah 12
وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلْعَقَبَةُ
Sentence structure
مَآ is interrogative. أَدْرَىٰكَ is a Form IV perfect with understood subject هُوَ and attached كَ as first object; مَا ٱلْعَقَبَةُ is its second object, a nominal question with ٱلْعَقَبَةُ as predicate.
Ayah summary
And what will make you understand what that difficult ascent is?
وَمَآ — And what
Grammar: وَ coordinates/resumes and مَآ is an interrogative pronoun functioning as the topic.
أَدْرَىٰكَ — can make you know
Grammar: A Form IV third-person masculine-singular perfect with understood subject هُوَ; attached كَ is its first object.
مَا — what
Grammar: An interrogative pronoun functioning as the topic of the nominal question and together with its predicate as the second object of أَدْرَىٰكَ.
ٱلْعَقَبَةُ — the steep path (is)
Grammar: ٱل defines the feminine-singular nominative predicate of interrogative مَا.
3. Surah Al-Balad · Ayah 13
فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ
Sentence structure
An understood topic is supplied by the question. فَكُّ is its nominative predicate and is annexed to genitive رَقَبَةٍ.
Ayah summary
It is to free a person from slavery or debt.
فَكُّ — (It is) freeing
Grammar: A definite-by-annexation masculine verbal noun, nominative predicate of an understood topic and annexed to the next noun.
رَقَبَةٍ — a neck
Grammar: An indefinite feminine-singular genitive complement of فَكُّ.
4. Surah Al-Balad · Ayah 14
أَوْ إِطْعَـٰمٌۭ فِى يَوْمٍۢ ذِى مَسْغَبَةٍۢ
Sentence structure
أَوْ coordinates إِطْعَـٰمٌ with فَكُّ. فِى يَوْمٍ is linked to feeding; ذِى is an adjective of يَوْمٍ and annexed to مَسْغَبَةٍ.
Ayah summary
Or to provide food on a day of severe hunger.
أَوْ — Or
Grammar: A conjunction coordinating the following nominative verbal noun with فَكُّ.
إِطْعَـٰمٌۭ — feeding
Grammar: An indefinite masculine Form IV verbal noun, nominative and coordinated with فَكُّ.
فِى — in
Grammar: A preposition governing the following time noun and linked to إِطْعَـٰمٌ.
يَوْمٍۢ — a day
Grammar: An indefinite masculine genitive noun governed by فِى.
ذِى — of
Grammar: A masculine genitive adjective of يَوْمٍ, annexed to the next noun.
مَسْغَبَةٍۢ — severe hunger
Grammar: An indefinite feminine genitive noun functioning as the complement of ذِى.
5. Surah Al-Balad · Ayah 15
يَتِيمًۭا ذَا مَقْرَبَةٍ
Sentence structure
يَتِيمًا is the accusative object of إِطْعَـٰمٌ. ذَا is its accusative adjective and is annexed to genitive مَقْرَبَةٍ.
Ayah summary
It is to feed an orphan who is a near relative.
يَتِيمًۭا — An orphan
Grammar: An indefinite masculine-singular accusative object of the feeding verbal noun in the preceding ayah.
ذَا — of
Grammar: A masculine accusative adjective of يَتِيمًا, annexed to the next noun.
مَقْرَبَةٍ — near relationship
Grammar: An indefinite feminine genitive noun functioning as the complement of ذَا.
6. Surah Al-Balad · Ayah 16
أَوْ مِسْكِينًۭا ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍۢ
Sentence structure
أَوْ coordinates مِسْكِينًا with يَتِيمًا as another object of feeding. ذَا is its accusative adjective, annexed to مَتْرَبَةٍ.
Ayah summary
Or to feed an extremely needy person lying in the dust.
أَوْ — Or
Grammar: A conjunction coordinating the next object with يَتِيمًا.
مِسْكِينًۭا — a needy person
Grammar: An indefinite masculine-singular accusative noun, coordinated as another object of feeding.
ذَا — in
Grammar: A masculine accusative adjective of مِسْكِينًا, annexed to the next noun.
مَتْرَبَةٍۢ — misery
Grammar: An indefinite feminine genitive noun functioning as the complement of ذَا.
7. Surah Al-Balad · Ayah 17
ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلْمَرْحَمَةِ
Sentence structure
ثُمَّ كَانَ continues the description; its noun is understood هُوَ and مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ is the predicate. ءَامَنُوا۟ is the relative clause; both وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ clauses are coordinated with it and take prepositional complements.
Ayah summary
Then he should be among the believers who urge one another to patience and mercy.
ثُمَّ — Then
Grammar: A conjunction indicating sequence with delay.
كَانَ — he is
Grammar: A defective third-person masculine-singular perfect with understood noun/subject هُوَ and a prepositional predicate.
مِنَ — of
Grammar: A preposition governing the following relative pronoun and beginning the predicate of كَانَ.
ٱلَّذِينَ — those who
Grammar: A masculine-plural relative pronoun in the genitive position after مِنَ.
ءَامَنُوا۟ — believe
Grammar: A Form IV third-person masculine-plural perfect; attached وا۟ is the subject and the clause completes the relative pronoun.
وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ — and enjoin (each other)
Grammar: وَ coordinates; تَوَاصَ is a Form VI masculine-plural perfect and attached وْا۟ its subject.
بِٱلصَّبْرِ — to patience
Grammar: بِ is a preposition, ٱل the definite article, and صَّبْرِ its masculine genitive noun linked to تَوَاصَوْا۟.
وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ — and enjoin (each other)
Grammar: وَ coordinates; تَوَاصَ is a Form VI masculine-plural perfect and attached وْا۟ its subject.
بِٱلْمَرْحَمَةِ — to compassion
Grammar: بِ is a preposition, ٱل the definite article, and مَرْحَمَةِ its feminine genitive noun linked to the verb. This phrase is linked to «تَوَاصَوْا۟».
8. Surah Al-Balad · Ayah 18
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْمَيْمَنَةِ
Sentence structure
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ is the plural demonstrative topic. أَصْحَـٰبُ is its nominative predicate and is annexed to genitive ٱلْمَيْمَنَةِ.
Ayah summary
These are the fortunate people of the right side.
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ — Those
Grammar: A plural demonstrative pronoun functioning as the topic of a nominal clause; final كَ is an address suffix, not a possessor.
أَصْحَـٰبُ — (are the) companions
Grammar: A masculine-plural nominative predicate, annexed to the following noun.
ٱلْمَيْمَنَةِ — (of) the right (hand)
Grammar: ٱل defines the feminine genitive complement of أَصْحَـٰبُ.
9. Surah Al-Balad · Ayah 19
وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا هُمْ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْمَشْـَٔمَةِ
Sentence structure
وَٱلَّذِينَ begins a coordinated topic; كَفَرُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا is its relative clause. هُمْ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْمَشْـَٔمَةِ is the predicate nominal clause: هُمْ is its topic and أَصْحَـٰبُ its predicate.
Ayah summary
Those who reject Our signs are the unfortunate people of the left side.
وَٱلَّذِينَ — But those who
Grammar: وَ coordinates and ٱلَّذِينَ is a masculine-plural relative pronoun functioning as topic.
كَفَرُوا۟ — disbelieve
Grammar: A third-person masculine-plural perfect; attached وا۟ is the subject and the clause completes ٱلَّذِينَ.
بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا — in Our Verses
Grammar: بِ is a preposition; ءَايَـٰتِ is a feminine-plural genitive noun and attached نَا its possessor. This phrase is linked to «كَفَرُوا۟».
هُمْ — they
Grammar: A third-person masculine-plural detached pronoun functioning as the topic of the predicate nominal clause.
أَصْحَـٰبُ — (are the) companions
Grammar: A masculine-plural nominative predicate of هُمْ, annexed to the following noun.
ٱلْمَشْـَٔمَةِ — (of) the left (hand)
Grammar: ٱل defines the feminine genitive complement of أَصْحَـٰبُ.
10. Surah Al-Balad · Ayah 20
عَلَيْهِمْ نَارٌۭ مُّؤْصَدَةٌۢ
Sentence structure
عَلَيْهِمْ is the fronted prepositional predicate. نَارٌ is the delayed nominative topic, and مُّؤْصَدَةٌ is its feminine nominative adjective.
Ayah summary
They will be enclosed in the Fire from every side.
عَلَيْهِمْ — Over them
Grammar: عَلَىٰ is a preposition and attached هِمْ a masculine-plural genitive pronoun; the phrase is the fronted predicate.
نَارٌۭ — (will be the) Fire
Grammar: An indefinite feminine-singular nominative delayed topic.
مُّؤْصَدَةٌۢ — closed in
Grammar: An indefinite feminine-singular nominative passive-participle adjective of نَارٌ.