Surah Al-Buruj — Part 3

Ayahs 16–22 · word-by-word grammatical analysis Read the bilingual lesson for Surah Al-Buruj — Part 3 and test your understanding with a focused quiz.

Lesson

1. Surah Al-Buruj · Ayah 16

فَعَّالٌۭ لِّمَا يُرِيدُ Sentence structure فَعَّالٌ is another nominative predicate, or a predicate with an understood topic. لِّمَا is linked to it; يُرِيدُ is the relative clause of مَا with an omitted returning object. Ayah summary He does whatever He wills according to His wisdom, and none can hinder Him. فَعَّالٌۭ — Doer Grammar: An intensive active participle in the nominative, functioning as another predicate or as the predicate of an understood topic. لِّمَا — of what Grammar: لِّ is a preposition and مَا a relative pronoun in the genitive position; the phrase is linked to فَعَّالٌ. يُرِيدُ — He intends Grammar: A Form IV third-person masculine-singular indicative imperfect with understood هُوَ as subject; it forms the relative clause and has an omitted returning object.

2. Surah Al-Buruj · Ayah 17

هَلْ أَتَىٰكَ حَدِيثُ ٱلْجُنُودِ Sentence structure هَلْ introduces the question. أَتَىٰكَ has attached كَ as its fronted object, while حَدِيثُ is the delayed nominative subject annexed to ٱلْجُنُودِ. Ayah summary Has the account of the earlier armies reached you? هَلْ — Has Grammar: A non-governing interrogative particle. أَتَىٰكَ — come to you Grammar: A third-person masculine-singular perfect; attached كَ is its fronted accusative object. حَدِيثُ — (the) story Grammar: A nominative delayed subject of أَتَىٰكَ, annexed to ٱلْجُنُودِ. ٱلْجُنُودِ — (of) the hosts Grammar: ٱل is the definite article; جُنُودِ is the genitive complement of حَدِيثُ.

3. Surah Al-Buruj · Ayah 18

فِرْعَوْنَ وَثَمُودَ Sentence structure فِرْعَوْنَ is a genitive apposition to ٱلْجُنُودِ, marked by fatḥa because it is diptote. وَثَمُودَ is coordinated with it and has the same genitive marking. Ayah summary Pharaoh and Thamud were given respite, then seized severely for their disbelief and rebellion. فِرْعَوْنَ — Firaun Grammar: A proper name functioning as a genitive apposition to ٱلْجُنُودِ, marked by fatḥa because it is diptote. وَثَمُودَ — and Thamud Grammar: وَ coordinates; ثَمُودَ is a proper name coordinated with فِرْعَوْنَ and genitive with fatḥa because it is diptote.

4. Surah Al-Buruj · Ayah 19

بَلِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ فِى تَكْذِيبٍۢ Sentence structure بَلِ resumes with contrast. ٱلَّذِينَ is the nominative topic and كَفَرُوا۟ its relative clause; فِى تَكْذِيبٍ is the predicate. Ayah summary Instead of taking warning from earlier events, the deniers persist in rejecting the truth. بَلِ — Nay Grammar: A non-governing contrastive/resumptive particle; its final kasra avoids two consonants meeting. ٱلَّذِينَ — Those who Grammar: A masculine-plural relative pronoun functioning as the nominative topic; its relative clause follows. كَفَرُوا۟ — disbelieve Grammar: A third-person masculine-plural perfect forming the relative clause. Attached و is the subject and the final alif is orthographic. فِى — (are) in Grammar: A preposition; the phrase فِى تَكْذِيبٍۢ functions as the predicate of ٱلَّذِينَ. تَكْذِيبٍۢ — denial Grammar: An indefinite Form II verbal noun in the genitive after فِى.

5. Surah Al-Buruj · Ayah 20

وَٱللَّهُ مِن وَرَآئِهِم مُّحِيطٌۢ Sentence structure ٱللَّهُ is the nominative topic and مُّحِيطٌۢ its nominative predicate. مِن وَرَآئِهِم is linked to the predicate; attached هِم is the possessor of وَرَآءِ. Ayah summary Allah has encompassed them in His power, so they cannot escape His punishment. وَٱللَّهُ — But Allah Grammar: وَ coordinates and ٱللَّهُ is the nominative topic. مِن — from Grammar: A preposition governing وَرَآئِهِم; the phrase is linked to مُّحِيطٌۢ. وَرَآئِهِم — behind them Grammar: وَرَآءِ is genitive after مِن and attached هِم its genitive possessor. مُّحِيطٌۢ — encompasses Grammar: An indefinite masculine-singular nominative Form IV active participle functioning as the predicate of ٱللَّهُ.

6. Surah Al-Buruj · Ayah 21

بَلْ هُوَ قُرْءَانٌۭ مَّجِيدٌۭ Sentence structure بَلْ resumes with contrast. هُوَ is the topic, قُرْءَانٌۭ its nominative predicate, and مَّجِيدٌۭ a matching nominative adjective. Ayah summary This Qur’an is glorious, and the deniers’ rejection cannot diminish its greatness. بَلْ — Nay Grammar: A non-governing contrastive/resumptive particle. هُوَ — It Grammar: A detached third-person masculine-singular pronoun functioning as the nominative topic. قُرْءَانٌۭ — (is) a Quran Grammar: An indefinite nominative proper noun functioning as the predicate of هُوَ. مَّجِيدٌۭ — Glorious Grammar: An indefinite masculine-singular nominative adjective of قُرْءَانٌۭ.

7. Surah Al-Buruj · Ayah 22

فِى لَوْحٍۢ مَّحْفُوظٍۭ Sentence structure فِى لَوْحٍ continues the description of the Quran: فِى governs لَوْحٍ, and مَّحْفُوظٍۭ is its matching genitive adjective. Ayah summary It is written in the Preserved Tablet and safeguarded from every alteration. فِى — In Grammar: A preposition governing لَوْحٍۢ; the phrase continues the description of the Quran. لَوْحٍۢ — a Tablet Grammar: An indefinite masculine-singular genitive noun after فِى. مَّحْفُوظٍۭ — Guarded Grammar: An indefinite masculine-singular genitive passive participle functioning as the adjective of لَوْحٍۢ.

Practice questions

Question 1

فَعَّالٌۭ لِّمَا يُرِيدُ ۝١٦ What is مَا in لِّمَا?

  • Negative particle
  • Interrogative
  • Subject
  • Relative pronoun in the genitive position

Question 2

هَلْ أَتَىٰكَ حَدِيثُ ٱلْجُنُودِ ۝١٧ What is حَدِيثُ with أَتَىٰكَ?

  • Nominative subject
  • Object
  • Predicate
  • Adjective

Question 3

فِرْعَوْنَ وَثَمُودَ ۝١٨ Why is فِرْعَوْنَ genitive with fatḥa?

  • It is plural
  • It is diptote
  • It is dual
  • It is an object

Question 4

بَلِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ فِى تَكْذِيبٍۢ ۝١٩ What is فِى تَكْذِيبٍۢ?

  • Object
  • Subject
  • Predicate of ٱلَّذِينَ
  • Adjective

Question 5

وَٱللَّهُ مِن وَرَآئِهِم مُّحِيطٌۢ ۝٢٠ What is مُّحِيطٌۢ?

  • Object
  • Adjective
  • Genitive complement
  • Nominative predicate of ٱللَّهُ

Question 6

بَلْ هُوَ قُرْءَانٌۭ مَّجِيدٌۭ ۝٢١ What is قُرْءَانٌۭ after هُوَ?

  • Nominative predicate
  • Object
  • Genitive complement
  • Circumstance

Question 7

فِى لَوْحٍۢ مَّحْفُوظٍۭ ۝٢٢ What is مَّحْفُوظٍۭ?

  • Subject
  • Genitive adjective of لَوْحٍۢ
  • Object
  • Predicate

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