Surah Al-Fil — Part 1

Ayahs 1–5 · word-by-word grammatical analysis Read the bilingual lesson for Surah Al-Fil — Part 1 and test your understanding with a focused quiz.

Lesson

1. Surah Al-Fil · Ayah 1

أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِأَصْحَـٰبِ ٱلْفِيلِ ۝١ Sentence structure أَ opens the question and لَمْ makes تَرَ jussive. The clause from كَيْفَ to ٱلْفِيلِ is the object of تَرَ. Within it, فَعَلَ has explicit subject رَبُّكَ, and بِأَصْحَـٰبِ ٱلْفِيلِ is linked to the verb. Ayah summary Allah’s dealing with the People of the Elephant was a well-known event. أَلَمْ — Have ... not Grammar: Prefixed interrogative أَ followed by negating and jussive particle لَمْ. تَرَ — you see / consider Grammar: A second-person masculine-singular imperfect made jussive by لَمْ; its final weak letter is dropped in jazm, and its subject is the hidden pronoun «أَنْتَ». كَيْفَ — how Grammar: An interrogative noun functioning adverbially as a circumstantial expression linked to فَعَلَ. فَعَلَ — did / dealt Grammar: A third-person masculine-singular perfect with the following explicit subject رَبُّكَ. رَبُّكَ — your Lord Grammar: رَبُّ is the nominative subject of فَعَلَ; attached كَ is a genitive possessive pronoun. بِأَصْحَـٰبِ — with the companions Grammar: Preposition بِ governs plural genitive أَصْحَـٰبِ, which is annexed to the next noun; the prepositional phrase is linked to فَعَلَ. ٱلْفِيلِ — the Elephant Grammar: A defined masculine-singular genitive complement of أَصْحَـٰبِ.

2. Surah Al-Fil · Ayah 2

أَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ كَيْدَهُمْ فِى تَضْلِيلٍ ۝٢ Sentence structure أَ and لَمْ continue the question and make يَجْعَلْ jussive. كَيْدَهُمْ is its accusative object, while فِى تَضْلِيلٍۢ is a prepositional phrase linked to the verb. Ayah summary Allah caused their plan to fail completely. أَلَمْ — Did ... not Grammar: Prefixed interrogative أَ followed by negating and jussive particle لَمْ. يَجْعَلْ — make / place Grammar: A third-person masculine-singular imperfect made jussive by لَمْ; its subject is the hidden pronoun «هُوَ». كَيْدَهُمْ — their plan Grammar: كَيْدَ is the accusative object of يَجْعَلْ; attached هُمْ is its genitive possessive pronoun. فِى — in Grammar: A preposition governing the following noun; فِى تَضْلِيلٍۢ is linked to يَجْعَلْ. تَضْلِيلٍۢ — ruin / failure Grammar: An indefinite masculine genitive verbal noun governed by فِى.

3. Surah Al-Fil · Ayah 3

وَأَرْسَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ ۝٣ Sentence structure وَ coordinates the Form IV perfect أَرْسَلَ. عَلَيْهِمْ is linked to it, طَيْرًا is its accusative object, and أَبَابِيلَ is an accusative adjective of طَيْرًا. Ayah summary Allah sent flocks of birds against them. وَأَرْسَلَ — and He sent Grammar: وَ coordinates a Form IV third-person masculine-singular perfect أَرْسَلَ; its subject is the hidden pronoun «هُوَ». عَلَيْهِمْ — upon them Grammar: Preposition عَلَى with attached masculine-plural genitive pronoun هِمْ, linked to أَرْسَلَ. طَيْرًا — birds Grammar: An indefinite accusative collective noun functioning as the object of أَرْسَلَ. أَبَابِيلَ — in flocks Grammar: An accusative adjective describing طَيْرًا.

4. Surah Al-Fil · Ayah 4

تَرْمِيهِم بِحِجَارَةٍ مِّن سِجِّيلٍ ۝٤ Sentence structure The verbal clause تَرْمِيهِم بِحِجَارَةٍۢ مِّن سِجِّيلٍۢ describes طَيْرًا in the preceding ayah. In this clause, attached هُم is the object of تَرْمِى, بِحِجَارَةٍۢ is linked to the verb, and مِّن سِجِّيلٍۢ states the stones' material. Ayah summary Those birds pelted them with small stones. تَرْمِيهِم — pelting them Grammar: A third-person feminine-singular imperfect whose subject is the hidden pronoun «هِيَ»; attached masculine-plural هُم is its object, and the verbal clause describes the preceding طَيْرًا. بِحِجَارَةٍۢ — with stones Grammar: Preposition بِ governs the indefinite plural genitive noun حِجَارَةٍۢ; the phrase is linked to تَرْمِيهِم. مِّن — of / from Grammar: A preposition beginning مِّن سِجِّيلٍۢ; this phrase is linked to an omitted adjective describing حِجَارَةٍۢ. سِجِّيلٍۢ — baked clay Grammar: An indefinite masculine genitive noun governed by مِّن; the phrase states the material of the stones.

5. Surah Al-Fil · Ayah 5

فَجَعَلَهُمْ كَعَصْفٍ مَّأْكُولٍۭ ۝٥ Sentence structure فَ links the result and جَعَلَ is a perfect verb with attached object هُمْ. كَعَصْفٍۢ is a comparative prepositional phrase, and مَّأْكُولٍۭ is a genitive passive-participle adjective of عَصْفٍۢ. Ayah summary Allah reduced them to scattered, eaten straw. فَجَعَلَهُمْ — so He made them Grammar: فَ links the result; جَعَلَ is a third-person masculine-singular perfect whose subject is the hidden pronoun «هُوَ», and attached هُمْ is its first object. كَعَصْفٍۢ — like eaten straw Grammar: Comparative preposition كَ governs عَصْفٍۢ; the phrase is linked to the omitted second object of جَعَلَ. مَّأْكُولٍۭ — eaten Grammar: An indefinite masculine genitive Form I passive participle adjective of عَصْفٍۢ.

Practice questions

Question 1

أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِأَصْحَـٰبِ ٱلْفِيلِ ۝١ What is the role of رَبُّكَ?

  • Nominative subject of فَعَلَ
  • Accusative object
  • Genitive adjective
  • Preposition

Question 2

أَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ كَيْدَهُمْ فِى تَضْلِيلٍ ۝٢ What is the role of كَيْدَهُمْ?

  • Subject of يَجْعَلْ
  • Accusative object of يَجْعَلْ
  • Adjective of تَضْلِيلٍۢ
  • Prepositional phrase

Question 3

وَأَرْسَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ ۝٣ What is the relation of أَبَابِيلَ to طَيْرًا?

  • Its subject
  • Its object
  • Its accusative adjective
  • A conjunction

Question 4

تَرْمِيهِم بِحِجَارَةٍ مِّن سِجِّيلٍ ۝٤ What is prefixed بِ in بِحِجَارَةٍۢ?

  • A conjunction
  • An interrogative noun
  • An accusative particle
  • A preposition

Question 5

فَجَعَلَهُمْ كَعَصْفٍ مَّأْكُولٍۭ ۝٥ What is the analysis of مَّأْكُولٍۭ?

  • A genitive passive-participle adjective of عَصْفٍۢ
  • A nominative subject
  • A negative particle
  • A comparative preposition

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