Surah Al-Buruj — Part 1

Ayahs 1–8 · word-by-word grammatical analysis Read the bilingual lesson for Surah Al-Buruj — Part 1 and test your understanding with a focused quiz.

Lesson

1. Surah Al-Buruj · Ayah 1

وَٱلسَّمَآءِ ذَاتِ ٱلْبُرُوجِ Sentence structure وَ is the oath preposition and ٱلسَّمَآءِ its genitive oath noun. ذَاتِ is a genitive adjective annexed to ٱلْبُرُوجِ. Ayah summary Allah swears by the sky containing great constellations. وَٱلسَّمَآءِ — By the sky Grammar: وَ is the oath preposition, ٱل the definite article, and سَّمَآءِ the genitive oath noun. ذَاتِ — containing Grammar: A genitive feminine-singular adjective of ٱلسَّمَآءِ, annexed to ٱلْبُرُوجِ. ٱلْبُرُوجِ — the constellations Grammar: ٱل is the definite article; بُرُوجِ is the genitive complement of ذَاتِ.

2. Surah Al-Buruj · Ayah 2

وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْمَوْعُودِ Sentence structure وَٱلْيَوْمِ is coordinated with the preceding genitive oath noun, and ٱلْمَوْعُودِ is its matching genitive adjective. Ayah summary An oath is sworn by the promised Day of Resurrection. وَٱلْيَوْمِ — And the Day Grammar: وَ coordinates, ٱل is the definite article, and يَوْمِ is a genitive noun coordinated with the preceding oath noun. ٱلْمَوْعُودِ — Promised Grammar: ٱل is the definite article; مَوْعُودِ is a passive participle serving as the genitive adjective of ٱلْيَوْمِ.

3. Surah Al-Buruj · Ayah 3

وَشَاهِدٍۢ وَمَشْهُودٍۢ Sentence structure وَشَاهِدٍ is another coordinated genitive oath noun. وَمَشْهُودٍ is coordinated with it and is likewise genitive. Ayah summary An oath is sworn by the witness and what is witnessed. وَشَاهِدٍۢ — And (the) witness Grammar: وَ coordinates; شَاهِدٍ is an indefinite genitive active participle used as a noun in the oath series. وَمَشْهُودٍۢ — and what is witnessed Grammar: وَ coordinates; مَشْهُودٍ is an indefinite genitive passive participle coordinated with شَاهِدٍ.

4. Surah Al-Buruj · Ayah 4

قُتِلَ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْأُخْدُودِ Sentence structure قُتِلَ is passive perfect. أَصْحَـٰبُ is its nominative deputy subject and is annexed to ٱلْأُخْدُودِ. Ayah summary The people who dug the fiery trenches were cursed and destroyed. قُتِلَ — Destroyed were Grammar: A third-person masculine-singular passive perfect. أَصْحَـٰبُ — (the) companions Grammar: A nominative masculine-plural deputy subject of قُتِلَ, annexed to ٱلْأُخْدُودِ. ٱلْأُخْدُودِ — (of) the pit Grammar: ٱل is the definite article; أُخْدُودِ is the genitive complement of أَصْحَـٰبُ.

5. Surah Al-Buruj · Ayah 5

ٱلنَّارِ ذَاتِ ٱلْوَقُودِ Sentence structure ٱلنَّارِ is a genitive appositional noun explaining ٱلْأُخْدُودِ. ذَاتِ is its genitive adjective and is annexed to ٱلْوَقُودِ. Ayah summary They kindled a fire in the trenches with abundant fuel. ٱلنَّارِ — (Of) the fire Grammar: ٱل is the definite article; نَّارِ is a genitive appositional noun explaining ٱلْأُخْدُودِ. ذَاتِ — full Grammar: A genitive feminine-singular adjective of ٱلنَّارِ, annexed to ٱلْوَقُودِ. ٱلْوَقُودِ — (of) the fuel Grammar: ٱل is the definite article; وَقُودِ is the genitive complement of ذَاتِ.

6. Surah Al-Buruj · Ayah 6

إِذْ هُمْ عَلَيْهَا قُعُودٌۭ Sentence structure إِذْ introduces the time clause. هُمْ is its topic, قُعُودٌ the nominative predicate, and عَلَيْهَا is linked to that predicate. Ayah summary They sat around that fire. إِذْ — When Grammar: A time adverb introducing the following nominal clause; its wider attachment is not made a scored fact. هُمْ — they Grammar: A third-person masculine-plural detached pronoun functioning as the topic. عَلَيْهَا — by it Grammar: عَلَىٰ is a preposition and attached هَا its genitive pronoun; the phrase is linked to قُعُودٌ. قُعُودٌۭ — (were) sitting Grammar: An indefinite nominative verbal noun functioning as the predicate of هُمْ.

7. Surah Al-Buruj · Ayah 7

وَهُمْ عَلَىٰ مَا يَفْعَلُونَ بِٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ شُهُودٌۭ Sentence structure هُمْ is the topic and شُهُودٌ its predicate. عَلَىٰ مَا يَفْعَلُونَ is linked to the predicate; يَفْعَلُونَ is the relative clause of مَا with an omitted returning object. Ayah summary They watched the believers burn in the fire and showed them no mercy. وَهُمْ — And they Grammar: وَ coordinates, while هُمْ is a detached third-person masculine-plural pronoun functioning as the topic. عَلَىٰ — over Grammar: A preposition governing the following relative pronoun and linked to شُهُودٌ. مَا — what Grammar: A relative pronoun in the genitive position after عَلَىٰ; its relative clause follows. يَفْعَلُونَ — they were doing Grammar: A third-person masculine-plural indicative imperfect forming the relative clause. Attached و is the subject, final ن marks the indicative, and the returning object is omitted. بِٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ — to the believers Grammar: بِ is a preposition, ٱل the definite article, and مُؤْمِنِينَ a masculine-plural active participle in the genitive, marked by yāʾ. شُهُودٌۭ — witnesses Grammar: An indefinite masculine-plural nominative active participle functioning as the predicate of هُمْ.

8. Surah Al-Buruj · Ayah 8

وَمَا نَقَمُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ إِلَّآ أَن يُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلْحَمِيدِ Sentence structure مَا negates نَقَمُوا۟. إِلَّآ restricts the statement to the verbal-noun clause أَن يُؤْمِنُوا۟; بِٱللَّهِ is linked to the verb and the last two words are genitive adjectives. Ayah summary The believers’ only offence was their faith in Allah, the Almighty and Praiseworthy. وَمَا — And not Grammar: وَ coordinates and مَا is a non-governing negative particle. نَقَمُوا۟ — they resented Grammar: A third-person masculine-plural perfect. Attached و is the subject and the final alif is orthographic. مِنْهُمْ — [of] them Grammar: مِنْ is a preposition and attached هُمْ its genitive pronoun; the phrase is linked to نَقَمُوا۟. إِلَّآ — except Grammar: A non-governing restrictive/exception particle introducing the sole stated cause. أَن — that Grammar: A subjunctive and verbal-noun particle making يُؤْمِنُوا۟ subjunctive. يُؤْمِنُوا۟ — they believed Grammar: A Form IV third-person masculine-plural imperfect made subjunctive by أَن. Attached و is the subject; its indicative nūn is deleted and the final alif is orthographic. بِٱللَّهِ — in Allah Grammar: بِ is a preposition and ٱللَّهِ the genitive proper name linked to يُؤْمِنُوا۟. ٱلْعَزِيزِ — the All-Mighty Grammar: ٱل is the definite article; عَزِيزِ is a masculine-singular genitive adjective of ٱللَّهِ. ٱلْحَمِيدِ — the Praiseworthy Grammar: ٱل is the definite article; حَمِيدِ is a masculine-singular genitive adjective of ٱللَّهِ.

Practice questions

Question 1

وَٱلسَّمَآءِ ذَاتِ ٱلْبُرُوجِ ۝١ What is ٱلسَّمَآءِ after the oath-wāw?

  • Genitive oath noun
  • Subject
  • Object
  • Predicate

Question 2

وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْمَوْعُودِ ۝٢ What is ٱلْمَوْعُودِ?

  • Object
  • Genitive adjective of ٱلْيَوْمِ
  • Subject
  • Predicate

Question 3

وَشَاهِدٍۢ وَمَشْهُودٍۢ ۝٣ How is وَمَشْهُودٍ connected?

  • Predicate
  • Object
  • Coordinated genitive noun
  • Subject

Question 4

قُتِلَ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْأُخْدُودِ ۝٤ What is أَصْحَـٰبُ with passive قُتِلَ?

  • Object
  • Adjective
  • Genitive complement
  • Nominative deputy subject

Question 5

ٱلنَّارِ ذَاتِ ٱلْوَقُودِ ۝٥ What is the case of ٱلنَّارِ?

  • Genitive
  • Nominative
  • Accusative
  • Jussive

Question 6

إِذْ هُمْ عَلَيْهَا قُعُودٌۭ ۝٦ What is قُعُودٌ in the nominal clause?

  • Topic
  • Nominative predicate
  • Object
  • Adjective

Question 7

وَهُمْ عَلَىٰ مَا يَفْعَلُونَ بِٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ شُهُودٌۭ ۝٧ What does final ن mark in يَفْعَلُونَ?

  • Accusative
  • Jussive
  • Indicative
  • Past tense

Question 8

وَمَا نَقَمُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ إِلَّآ أَن يُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلْحَمِيدِ ۝٨ What is مَا in وَمَا نَقَمُوا۟?

  • Relative pronoun
  • Interrogative
  • Subject
  • Negative particle

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