Ayahs 16–22 · word-by-word grammatical analysis Read the bilingual lesson for Surah Al-Mutaffifin — Part 3 and test your understanding with a focused quiz.
Lesson
1. Surah Al-Mutaffifin · Ayah 16
ثُمَّ إِنَّهُمْ لَصَالُوا۟ ٱلْجَحِيمِ
Sentence structure
ثُمَّ coordinates the clause. Attached هُمْ is the noun of إِنَّ, and لَصَالُوا۟ ٱلْجَحِيمِ is its emphatic predicate in an annexation construction.
Ayah summary
Then they will enter Hell.
ثُمَّ — Then
Grammar: a conjunction.
إِنَّهُمْ — indeed, they
Grammar: إِنَّ is accusative/emphatic; attached هُمْ is its accusative noun.
لَصَالُوا۟ — (surely) will burn
Grammar: لَ is emphatic. صَالُوا۟ is not a perfect verb here: it is a nominative masculine-plural active participle functioning as the predicate of إِنَّ; its nūn is omitted because it is annexed to ٱلْجَحِيمِ.
ٱلْجَحِيمِ — (in) the Hellfire
Grammar: A definite genitive noun functioning as the genitive complement of صَالُوا۟.
2. Surah Al-Mutaffifin · Ayah 17
ثُمَّ يُقَالُ هَـٰذَا ٱلَّذِى كُنتُم بِهِۦ تُكَذِّبُونَ
Sentence structure
Passive يُقَالُ introduces reported speech, and the complete reported nominal clause occupies its deputy-subject position. Within that clause هَـٰذَا is the topic; in one grammatical reading ٱلَّذِى is its predicate and كُنتُم بِهِۦ تُكَذِّبُونَ the relative clause.
Ayah summary
They will be told that this is the very punishment they used to deny.
ثُمَّ — Then
Grammar: a conjunction.
يُقَالُ — it will be said
Grammar: A third-person masculine-singular passive imperfect; the reported nominal clause fills its deputy-subject position.
هَـٰذَا — This
Grammar: A masculine-singular demonstrative functioning internally as the topic; the whole reported clause occupies the deputy-subject position of يُقَالُ.
ٱلَّذِى — (is) what
Grammar: A masculine-singular relative pronoun, used as the predicate of هَـٰذَا in this grammatical reading; its relative clause follows.
كُنتُم — you used to
Grammar: A deficient second-person masculine-plural perfect; attached تُم is its nominative noun.
بِهِۦ — [of it]
Grammar: بِ is a preposition and attached هِۦ its genitive pronoun; the phrase is linked to تُكَذِّبُونَ.
تُكَذِّبُونَ — deny
Grammar: A Form II second-person masculine-plural imperfect forming the predicate of كُنتُم. Attached و is the subject and final ن marks the indicative.
3. Surah Al-Mutaffifin · Ayah 18
كَلَّآ إِنَّ كِتَـٰبَ ٱلْأَبْرَارِ لَفِى عِلِّيِّينَ
Sentence structure
This parallels ayah 7: كِتَـٰبَ is the noun of إِنَّ, ٱلْأَبْرَارِ its genitive complement, and لَفِى عِلِّيِّينَ the emphatic predicate.
Ayah summary
The wicked and the righteous cannot have the same end; the record of the righteous is in Illiyyin.
كَلَّآ — Nay
Grammar: a deterrent particle.
إِنَّ — Indeed
Grammar: An accusative and emphatic particle. كِتَـٰبَ is its accusative noun and لَفِى عِلِّيِّينَ its emphatic predicate.
كِتَـٰبَ — (the) record
Grammar: An accusative noun functioning as the noun of إِنَّ and annexed to ٱلْأَبْرَارِ.
ٱلْأَبْرَارِ — (of) the righteous
Grammar: A definite genitive plural noun functioning as the genitive complement of كِتَـٰبَ.
لَفِى — (will be) surely in
Grammar: لَ is the displaced emphatic lām and فِى a preposition; the phrase forms the predicate of إِنَّ.
عِلِّيِّينَ — Illiyin
Grammar: genitive noun functioning as the genitive complement.
4. Surah Al-Mutaffifin · Ayah 19
وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا عِلِّيُّونَ
Sentence structure
The first interrogative مَآ is the topic and أَدْرَىٰكَ its predicate. The inner nominal question مَا عِلِّيُّونَ supplies what is made known.
Ayah summary
A person cannot know by themselves what Illiyyin is.
وَمَآ — And what
Grammar: وَ resumes/coordinates; interrogative مَآ functions as the topic.
أَدْرَىٰكَ — can make you know
Grammar: A Form IV perfect with an understood subject; attached كَ is the first object and the following question supplies the second.
مَا — what
Grammar: An interrogative pronoun functioning as the topic of the inner nominal question.
عِلِّيُّونَ — (is) Illiyun
Grammar: A nominative plural noun functioning as the predicate of the inner interrogative مَا.
5. Surah Al-Mutaffifin · Ayah 20
كِتَـٰبٌۭ مَّرْقُومٌۭ
Sentence structure
كِتَـٰبٌ is the nominative predicate of an omitted topic, and مَّرْقُومٌ is its nominative adjective.
Ayah summary
Illiyyin is a written register containing the names and deeds of the people of Paradise.
كِتَـٰبٌۭ — A book
Grammar: An indefinite nominative noun functioning as the predicate of an omitted topic.
مَّرْقُومٌۭ — written
Grammar: An indefinite nominative passive-participle adjective describing كِتَـٰبٌ.
6. Surah Al-Mutaffifin · Ayah 21
يَشْهَدُهُ ٱلْمُقَرَّبُونَ
Sentence structure
The verbal clause is a second adjective for كِتَـٰبٌ. Attached هُ is the object of يَشْهَدُ, while ٱلْمُقَرَّبُونَ is its subject.
Ayah summary
Those brought near witness this record and are present at that station.
يَشْهَدُهُ — Witness it
Grammar: A third-person masculine-singular imperfect in a clause describing كِتَـٰبٌ; attached هُ is its object.
ٱلْمُقَرَّبُونَ — those brought near
Grammar: A definite Form II masculine-plural passive participle functioning as the subject of يَشْهَدُ, nominative with wāw; final nūn is nominal.
7. Surah Al-Mutaffifin · Ayah 22
إِنَّ ٱلْأَبْرَارَ لَفِى نَعِيمٍ
Sentence structure
إِنَّ makes ٱلْأَبْرَارَ accusative as its noun. The emphatic prepositional phrase لَفِى نَعِيمٍ is its predicate.
Ayah summary
The righteous will be amid the blessings and comforts of Paradise.
إِنَّ — Indeed
Grammar: an accusative and emphatic particle.
ٱلْأَبْرَارَ — the righteous
Grammar: A definite accusative plural noun functioning as the noun of إِنَّ.
لَفِى — (will be) surely in
Grammar: لَ is the displaced emphatic lām and فِى a preposition; the phrase forms the predicate of إِنَّ.
نَعِيمٍ — bliss
Grammar: genitive noun functioning as the genitive complement.