Ayahs 38–46 · word-by-word grammatical analysis Read the bilingual lesson for Surah An-Nazi‘at — Part 5 and test your understanding with a focused quiz.
Lesson
1. Surah An-Nazi‘at · Ayah 38
وَءَاثَرَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا
Ayah summary
He preferred the life of this world over the Hereafter.
Sentence structure
وَءَاثَرَ is coordinated with طَغَىٰ. ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ is its object and ٱلدُّنْيَا describes that object.
وَءَاثَرَ — And preferred
Grammar: وَ is a conjunction. form IV third-person masculine singular perfect verb; it is coordinated with the preceding verb.
ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ — the life
Grammar: ٱلْ is the definite article. accusative noun functioning as the object.
ٱلدُّنْيَا — (of) the world
Grammar: ٱل is the definite article. A accusative adjective describing the preceding noun.
2. Surah An-Nazi‘at · Ayah 39
فَإِنَّ ٱلْجَحِيمَ هِىَ ٱلْمَأْوَىٰ
Ayah summary
Hell will be the dwelling place of such a person.
Sentence structure
فَإِنَّ introduces the response to the first أَمَّا branch. ٱلْجَحِيمَ is the accusative noun of إِنَّ. In the primary parse, هِىَ is the subject and ٱلْمَأْوَىٰ its predicate; the whole nominal clause is the predicate of إِنَّ. A recognized alternative treats هِىَ as a separating pronoun.
فَإِنَّ — Then indeed
Grammar: فَ introduces the response to the first أَمَّا branch, and إِنَّ is an accusative particle resembling a verb.
ٱلْجَحِيمَ — the Hellfire
Grammar: A definite accusative noun functioning as the noun of إِنَّ.
هِىَ — it
Grammar: In the primary parse, a third-person feminine singular detached pronoun functioning as subject, with ٱلْمَأْوَىٰ as its predicate. It may alternatively be parsed as a separating pronoun.
ٱلْمَأْوَىٰ — (is) the refuge
Grammar: ٱلْ is the definite article. nominative noun functioning as the predicate.
3. Surah An-Nazi‘at · Ayah 40
وَأَمَّا مَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِۦ وَنَهَى ٱلنَّفْسَ عَنِ ٱلْهَوَىٰ
Ayah summary
He feared standing before Allah for judgment and restrained the self from unlawful desire.
Sentence structure
وَأَمَّا opens the second branch. مَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِۦ identifies the person who feared standing before his Lord, and وَنَهَى ٱلنَّفْسَ عَنِ ٱلْهَوَىٰ adds his restraint of the self. The response follows in ayah 41.
وَأَمَّا — But as for
Grammar: وَ is a conjunction. أَمَّا is a particle of detailed division.
مَنْ — (him) who
Grammar: An indeclinable expression identifying “the one who”; خَافَ begins the description in this second أَمَّا branch.
خَافَ — feared
Grammar: A third-person masculine singular perfect verb completing the description of مَنْ.
مَقَامَ — standing
Grammar: accusative noun functioning as the object.
رَبِّهِۦ — (before) his Lord
Grammar: genitive noun functioning as the genitive complement. Attached هِۦ is a third-person masculine singular pronoun functioning as genitive complement.
وَنَهَى — and restrained
Grammar: وَ is a conjunction. third-person masculine singular perfect verb; it is coordinated with the preceding verb.
ٱلنَّفْسَ — his soul
Grammar: ٱل is the definite article. accusative noun functioning as the object.
عَنِ — from
Grammar: عَنِ is a preposition; the resulting prepositional phrase is linked to its governing word.
ٱلْهَوَىٰ — the vain desires
Grammar: ٱلْ is the definite article. A genitive noun governed by the preceding preposition.
4. Surah An-Nazi‘at · Ayah 41
فَإِنَّ ٱلْجَنَّةَ هِىَ ٱلْمَأْوَىٰ
Ayah summary
Paradise will be the dwelling place of such a person.
Sentence structure
فَإِنَّ introduces the response to the second أَمَّا branch. ٱلْجَنَّةَ is the accusative noun of إِنَّ. In the primary parse, هِىَ is the subject and ٱلْمَأْوَىٰ its predicate; the whole nominal clause is the predicate of إِنَّ. A recognized alternative treats هِىَ as a separating pronoun.
فَإِنَّ — Then indeed
Grammar: فَ introduces the response to the second أَمَّا branch, and إِنَّ is an accusative particle resembling a verb.
ٱلْجَنَّةَ — Paradise
Grammar: A definite accusative noun functioning as the noun of إِنَّ.
هِىَ — it (is)
Grammar: In the primary parse, a third-person feminine singular detached pronoun functioning as subject, with ٱلْمَأْوَىٰ as its predicate. It may alternatively be parsed as a separating pronoun.
ٱلْمَأْوَىٰ — the refuge
Grammar: ٱلْ is the definite article. nominative noun functioning as the predicate.
5. Surah An-Nazi‘at · Ayah 42
يَسْـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلسَّاعَةِ أَيَّانَ مُرْسَىٰهَا
Ayah summary
The deniers asked when the Resurrection would finally take place.
Sentence structure
The verbal clause states that they ask you about the Hour. أَيَّانَ مُرْسَىٰهَا is the quoted question: when will its appointed occurrence be?
يَسْـَٔلُونَكَ — They ask you
Grammar: third-person masculine plural imperfect verb. In the ending ونَ, “و” is wāw al-jamāʿah, the attached subject pronoun, while “نَ” is the indicative nūn. Attached كَ is a second-person masculine singular pronoun functioning as object.
عَنِ — about
Grammar: عَنِ is a preposition; the resulting prepositional phrase is linked to its governing word.
ٱلسَّاعَةِ — the Hour
Grammar: ٱل is the definite article. A genitive noun governed by the preceding preposition.
أَيَّانَ — when
Grammar: An interrogative time adverb meaning “when,” linked to an omitted fronted predicate; مُرْسَىٰهَا is the delayed subject.
مُرْسَىٰهَا — its appointed occurrence
Grammar: مُرْسَىٰ is a nominative verbal noun meaning the appointed occurrence and functions as the delayed subject; attached هَا is its genitive complement referring to the Hour.
6. Surah An-Nazi‘at · Ayah 43
فِيمَ أَنتَ مِن ذِكْرَىٰهَآ
Ayah summary
Determining and announcing the time of the Resurrection is not the responsibility of the Messenger of Allah.
Sentence structure
فِيمَ is formed from فِى and interrogative مَا, whose alif is omitted after the preposition. In the standard parse, فِيمَ is linked to an omitted fronted predicate, أَنتَ is the delayed subject, and مِن ذِكْرَىٰهَا is linked to that predicate.
فِيمَ — In what
Grammar: Formed from preposition فِى and interrogative مَا, whose alif is omitted after the preposition; the phrase is linked to an omitted fronted predicate.
أَنتَ — (are) you
Grammar: أَنتَ is a pronoun.
مِن — [of]
Grammar: مِن is a preposition; the resulting prepositional phrase is linked to its governing word.
ذِكْرَىٰهَآ — (to) mention it
Grammar: A genitive noun governed by the preceding preposition. Attached هَآ is a third-person feminine singular pronoun functioning as genitive complement.
7. Surah An-Nazi‘at · Ayah 44
إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ مُنتَهَىٰهَآ
Ayah summary
Exact knowledge of the time of the Resurrection belongs to Allah alone.
Sentence structure
The prepositional phrase إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ is the fronted predicate, while nominative مُنتَهَىٰهَآ is the delayed subject.
إِلَىٰ — To
Grammar: إِلَىٰ is a preposition; the resulting prepositional phrase is linked to its governing word.
رَبِّكَ — your Lord
Grammar: A genitive noun governed by the preceding preposition. Attached كَ is a second-person masculine singular pronoun functioning as genitive complement.
مُنتَهَىٰهَآ — (is) its finality
Grammar: nominative noun. Attached هَآ is a third-person feminine singular pronoun functioning as genitive complement.
8. Surah An-Nazi‘at · Ayah 45
إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مُنذِرُ مَن يَخْشَىٰهَا
Ayah summary
The Messenger warns of the Resurrection; those who fear the Hereafter benefit from the warning.
Sentence structure
إِنَّمَآ creates restriction. أَنتَ is the subject, مُنذِرُ its predicate, and the relative construction مَن يَخْشَىٰهَا is in the genitive position after مُنذِرُ.
إِنَّمَآ — only
Grammar: Attached مَآ is kāffah: it prevents إِنَّ from governing. Together, إِنَّمَآ expresses restriction, meaning “only.”
أَنتَ — you
Grammar: أَنتَ is a pronoun.
مُنذِرُ — (are) a warner
Grammar: nominative noun functioning as the predicate.
مَن — (for him) who
Grammar: مَن is a relative pronoun functioning as the genitive complement.
يَخْشَىٰهَا — fears it
Grammar: third-person masculine singular imperfect verb; it functions as the relative clause. Attached هَا is a third-person feminine singular pronoun functioning as object.
9. Surah An-Nazi‘at · Ayah 46
كَأَنَّهُمْ يَوْمَ يَرَوْنَهَا لَمْ يَلْبَثُوٓا۟ إِلَّا عَشِيَّةً أَوْ ضُحَىٰهَا
Ayah summary
When people see the Resurrection, their life in this world will seem no longer than one evening or one morning.
Sentence structure
كَأَنَّهُمْ introduces a comparison. يَوْمَ يَرَوْنَهَا gives the time, and لَمْ يَلْبَثُوٓا۟ إِلَّا... is its predicate: it will seem that they stayed only an evening or its morning.
كَأَنَّهُمْ — As though they
Grammar: كَأَنَّ is a particle resembling a verb that expresses comparison; attached هُمْ is its noun.
يَوْمَ — (the) Day
Grammar: يَوْمَ is a time adverb functioning as the linked complement.
يَرَوْنَهَا — they see it
Grammar: third-person masculine plural imperfect verb. In the ending وْنَ, “و” is wāw al-jamāʿah, the attached subject pronoun, while “نَ” is the indicative nūn. Attached هَا is a third-person feminine singular pronoun functioning as object.
لَمْ — not
Grammar: لَمْ is a negative and jussive particle. The complete verbal clause لَمْ يَلْبَثُوٓا۟ إِلَّا عَشِيَّةً أَوْ ضُحَىٰهَا functions as the predicate of كَأَنَّ.
يَلْبَثُوٓا۟ — they had remained
Grammar: A third-person masculine plural imperfect verb in the jussive mood, forming the verb of the predicate clause of كَأَنَّ. In the ending وٓا۟, “و” is wāw al-jamāʿah and the subject pronoun; the indicative nūn is omitted because of لَمْ, and the final alif is orthographic.
إِلَّا — except
Grammar: إِلَّا is a particle of restriction.
عَشِيَّةً — an evening
Grammar: An indefinite feminine accusative noun functioning as an adverb of time: an evening.
أَوْ — or
Grammar: أَوْ is a conjunction.
ضُحَىٰهَا — or its morning
Grammar: ضُحَىٰ is an accusative time expression coordinated with عَشِيَّةً; attached هَا is a genitive pronoun.