Surah Al-Fajr — Part 1

1. Surah Al-Fajr · Ayah 1

وَٱلْفَجْرِ
Sentence structure
وَ is the oath preposition. ٱلْفَجْرِ is its genitive noun, with the definite article attached.

Ayah summary
Allah swears by the dawn.

وَٱلْفَجْرِ — By the dawn
Grammar: وَ is an oath preposition; ٱل is the definite article and فَجْرِ its genitive masculine noun. The oath phrase is linked to an omitted oath verb.

2. Surah Al-Fajr · Ayah 2

وَلَيَالٍ عَشْرٍۢ
Sentence structure
وَ coordinates this oath with the first one. لَيَالٍ is genitive after the oath preposition, and عَشْرٍ is its genitive adjective.

Ayah summary
And He swears by the ten nights.

وَلَيَالٍ — And the nights
Grammar: وَ coordinates and serves as the oath preposition; لَيَالٍ is its indefinite feminine-plural genitive noun.

عَشْرٍۢ — ten
Grammar: A cardinal-number adjective, genitive to match لَيَالٍ.

3. Surah Al-Fajr · Ayah 3

وَٱلشَّفْعِ وَٱلْوَتْرِ
Sentence structure
Both ٱلشَّفْعِ and ٱلْوَتْرِ are genitive oath nouns. The second وَ coordinates the latter with the former.

Ayah summary
And He swears by the even and the odd.

وَٱلشَّفْعِ — And the even
Grammar: وَ coordinates and is an oath preposition; ٱل defines the masculine genitive noun شَّفْعِ.

وَٱلْوَتْرِ — and the odd
Grammar: وَ coordinates and is an oath preposition; ٱل defines the masculine genitive noun وَتْرِ.

4. Surah Al-Fajr · Ayah 4

وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا يَسْرِ
Sentence structure
وَٱلَّيْلِ continues the oath. إِذَا introduces a time clause, and يَسْرِ is an imperfect verb with understood subject هُوَ, referring grammatically to the night.

Ayah summary
And He swears by the night as it passes.

وَٱلَّيْلِ — And the night
Grammar: وَ coordinates and is an oath preposition; ٱل defines the masculine genitive noun لَّيْلِ. An omitted circumstantial element is associated with «ٱلَّيْلِ».

إِذَا — when
Grammar: A non-governing time/condition adverb introducing the following verbal clause. This phrase is linked through an omitted element.

يَسْرِ — it passes
Grammar: A third-person masculine-singular imperfect verb with understood subject هُوَ; its final yā is omitted in pause/verse ending.

5. Surah Al-Fajr · Ayah 5

هَلْ فِى ذَٰلِكَ قَسَمٌۭ لِّذِى حِجْرٍ
Sentence structure
هَلْ opens the question. فِى ذَٰلِكَ is a fronted prepositional phrase, قَسَمٌ the delayed topic, and لِّذِى حِجْرٍ describes those addressed as people of understanding.

Ayah summary
These oaths carry great significance for people of understanding.

هَلْ — Is
Grammar: A non-governing interrogative particle opening a yes/no question.

فِى — in
Grammar: A preposition governing the following demonstrative in the genitive position. This phrase is linked through an omitted element.

ذَٰلِكَ — that
Grammar: A masculine-singular demonstrative in the genitive position after فِى; كَ is the address suffix, not a possessor.

قَسَمٌۭ — (not) an oath
Grammar: An indefinite masculine-singular nominative noun functioning as the delayed topic. An omitted predicate is associated with «قَسَمٌ».

لِّذِى — for those
Grammar: لِ is a preposition and ذِى a genitive noun, annexed to the next noun. This phrase is linked to «قَسَمٌ».

حِجْرٍ — who understand
Grammar: An indefinite masculine genitive noun functioning as the complement of ذِى.

6. Surah Al-Fajr · Ayah 6

أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِعَادٍ
Sentence structure
In أَلَمْ, the hamzah asks and لَمْ negates and makes تَرَ jussive; its subject is understood أَنْتَ. The clause from كَيْفَ onward is the object of seeing; رَبُّكَ is the subject of فَعَلَ.

Ayah summary
Have you not seen what your Lord did with the people of ‘Ad?

أَلَمْ — Did not
Grammar: أَ is interrogative; لَمْ negates the past meaning and makes the following imperfect jussive.

تَرَ — you see
Grammar: A second-person masculine-singular jussive imperfect governed by لَمْ, with understood subject أَنْتَ; final yā is omitted for jussive.

كَيْفَ — how
Grammar: An interrogative adverb functioning circumstantially with فَعَلَ.

فَعَلَ — dealt
Grammar: A third-person masculine-singular perfect verb.

رَبُّكَ — your Lord
Grammar: رَبُّ is the nominative subject of فَعَلَ; attached كَ is a genitive possessor.

بِعَادٍ — with Aad
Grammar: بِ is a preposition; عَادٍ is a proper noun governed in the genitive. This phrase is linked to «فَعَلَ».

7. Surah Al-Fajr · Ayah 7

إِرَمَ ذَاتِ ٱلْعِمَادِ
Sentence structure
إِرَمَ identifies the preceding Aad. ذَاتِ describes Iram and is annexed to ٱلْعِمَادِ, which is genitive.

Ayah summary
They were the people of ‘Ad of Iram, possessors of lofty pillars.

إِرَمَ — Iram
Grammar: A proper noun identifying the preceding Aad; it is diptote and therefore bears fatḥah in its genitive/appositional position.

ذَاتِ — possessors (of)
Grammar: A feminine genitive adjective of إِرَمَ, annexed to the following noun.

ٱلْعِمَادِ — lofty pillars
Grammar: ٱل is the definite article; عِمَادِ is the genitive complement of ذَاتِ.

8. Surah Al-Fajr · Ayah 8

ٱلَّتِى لَمْ يُخْلَقْ مِثْلُهَا فِى ٱلْبِلَـٰدِ
Sentence structure
ٱلَّتِى introduces a relative clause describing Iram. لَمْ makes passive يُخْلَقْ jussive; مِثْلُهَا is its deputy subject and attached هَا a genitive possessor.

Ayah summary
No people like them had been created in the lands.

ٱلَّتِى — Which
Grammar: A feminine-singular relative pronoun functioning as an adjective/clarifier of Iram; the following clause is its relative clause.

لَمْ — not
Grammar: A particle of negation and jussive governing the following imperfect.

يُخْلَقْ — had been created
Grammar: A third-person masculine-singular passive imperfect, jussive after لَمْ.

مِثْلُهَا — like them
Grammar: مِثْلُ is the nominative deputy subject of the passive verb; attached هَا is a genitive possessor.

فِى — in
Grammar: A preposition governing the following noun. This phrase is linked to «يُخْلَقْ».

ٱلْبِلَـٰدِ — the cities
Grammar: ٱل is the definite article; بِلَادِ is a feminine-plural genitive noun governed by فِى.

9. Surah Al-Fajr · Ayah 9

وَثَمُودَ ٱلَّذِينَ جَابُوا۟ ٱلصَّخْرَ بِٱلْوَادِ
Sentence structure
وَثَمُودَ is coordinated with the preceding peoples. ٱلَّذِينَ describes them; جَابُوا۟ is its relative-clause verb, attached و the subject, and ٱلصَّخْرَ the object.

Ayah summary
And Thamud carved homes out of the rocks in the valley.

وَثَمُودَ — And Thamud
Grammar: وَ coordinates; ثَمُودَ is a proper noun coordinated in the genitive position and marked with fatḥah because it is diptote.

ٱلَّذِينَ — who
Grammar: A masculine-plural relative pronoun describing Thamud; the following clause is its relative clause.

جَابُوا۟ — carved out
Grammar: A third-person masculine-plural perfect; attached و is the subject.

ٱلصَّخْرَ — the rocks
Grammar: ٱل defines the masculine accusative object صَّخْرَ.

بِٱلْوَادِ — in the valley
Grammar: بِ is a preposition, ٱل the definite article, and وَادِ its genitive masculine noun. This phrase is linked to «جَابُوا۟».

10. Surah Al-Fajr · Ayah 10

وَفِرْعَوْنَ ذِى ٱلْأَوْتَادِ
Sentence structure
وَفِرْعَوْنَ is coordinated with the preceding objects of consideration. ذِى is its genitive adjective and is annexed to ٱلْأَوْتَادِ.

Ayah summary
And Pharaoh, the possessor of stakes, met the same end.

وَفِرْعَوْنَ — And Firaun
Grammar: وَ coordinates; فِرْعَوْنَ is a proper noun in the coordinated genitive position, marked with fatḥah as a diptote.

ذِى — owner of
Grammar: A masculine genitive adjective of Pharaoh, annexed to the next noun.

ٱلْأَوْتَادِ — stakes
Grammar: ٱل is the definite article; أَوْتَادِ is the genitive complement of ذِى.