Surah Al-Balad — Part 2

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.

Practice questions

Question 1

فَلَا ٱقْتَحَمَ ٱلْعَقَبَةَ ۝١١ What is ٱلْعَقَبَةَ with ٱقْتَحَمَ?

  • Subject
  • Predicate
  • Accusative object
  • Genitive adjective

Question 2

وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلْعَقَبَةُ ۝١٢ What is attached كَ in أَدْرَىٰكَ?

  • Subject
  • Possessor
  • Predicate
  • First object

Question 3

فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ ۝١٣ What is رَقَبَةٍ with فَكُّ?

  • Genitive complement
  • Subject
  • Object
  • Predicate

Question 4

أَوْ إِطْعَـٰمٌۭ فِى يَوْمٍۢ ذِى مَسْغَبَةٍۢ ۝١٤ What is إِطْعَـٰمٌ?

  • Accusative object
  • A nominative verbal noun coordinated with فَكُّ
  • Perfect verb
  • Genitive adjective

Question 5

يَتِيمًۭا ذَا مَقْرَبَةٍ ۝١٥ What is يَتِيمًا?

  • Subject
  • Predicate
  • Object of feeding
  • Genitive complement

Question 6

أَوْ مِسْكِينًۭا ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍۢ ۝١٦ What is ذَا with مِسْكِينًا?

  • Subject
  • Object
  • Predicate
  • Accusative adjective

Question 7

ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلْمَرْحَمَةِ ۝١٧ What is attached وْا۟ in تَوَاصَوْا۟?

  • Subject
  • Object
  • Possessor
  • Predicate

Question 8

أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْمَيْمَنَةِ ۝١٨ What is أَصْحَـٰبُ with أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ?

  • Topic
  • Nominative predicate
  • Object
  • Adjective

Question 9

وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا هُمْ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْمَشْـَٔمَةِ ۝١٩ What is attached نَا in بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا?

  • Subject
  • Object
  • Genitive possessor
  • Predicate

Question 10

عَلَيْهِمْ نَارٌۭ مُّؤْصَدَةٌۢ ۝٢٠ What is مُّؤْصَدَةٌ with نَارٌ?

  • Subject
  • Object
  • Predicate
  • Nominative adjective

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