Ayahs 1–10 · word-by-word grammatical analysis Read the bilingual lesson for Surah Al-Fajr — Part 1 and test your understanding with a focused quiz.
Lesson
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.
Practice questions
Question 1
وَٱلْفَجْرِ ١ What is وَ in وَٱلْفَجْرِ?
- Oath preposition
- Negative particle
- Vocative particle
- Future prefix
Question 2
وَلَيَالٍ عَشْرٍۢ ٢ What is عَشْرٍ with لَيَالٍ?
- Subject
- Genitive adjective
- Object
- Predicate
Question 3
وَٱلشَّفْعِ وَٱلْوَتْرِ ٣ What does the second وَ do in this ayah?
- Negates
- Makes jussive
- Coordinates ٱلْوَتْرِ
- Calls someone
Question 4
وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا يَسْرِ ٤ In وَٱلَّيْلِ, what is the grammatical case of the noun?
- Nominative
- Accusative
- Indeclinable
- Genitive
Question 5
هَلْ فِى ذَٰلِكَ قَسَمٌۭ لِّذِى حِجْرٍ ٥ What is قَسَمٌ in the nominal question?
- Delayed nominative topic
- Accusative object
- Genitive adjective
- Vocative
Question 6
أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِعَادٍ ٦ What makes تَرَ jussive?
Question 7
إِرَمَ ذَاتِ ٱلْعِمَادِ ٧ What is ٱلْعِمَادِ with ذَاتِ?
- Subject
- Object
- Genitive complement
- Predicate
Question 8
ٱلَّتِى لَمْ يُخْلَقْ مِثْلُهَا فِى ٱلْبِلَـٰدِ ٨ What is مِثْلُهَا with passive يُخْلَقْ?
- Object
- Predicate
- Genitive adjective
- Deputy subject
Question 9
وَثَمُودَ ٱلَّذِينَ جَابُوا۟ ٱلصَّخْرَ بِٱلْوَادِ ٩ What is attached و in جَابُوا۟?
- Subject
- Object
- Possessor
- Adjective
Question 10
وَفِرْعَوْنَ ذِى ٱلْأَوْتَادِ ١٠ What is ذِى with Pharaoh?
- Object
- Genitive adjective
- Subject
- Verb
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