Surah At-Takwir — Part 3

Ayahs 17–23 · word-by-word grammatical analysis Read the bilingual lesson for Surah At-Takwir — Part 3 and test your understanding with a focused quiz.

Lesson

1. Surah At-Takwir · Ayah 17

وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا عَسْعَسَ Sentence structure وَٱلَّيْلِ is a coordinated oath noun. إِذَا is a time adverb, and the clause عَسْعَسَ is annexed to it with an understood subject referring to the night. Ayah summary Allah swears by the night as it spreads or begins to depart. وَٱلَّيْلِ — And the night Grammar: وَ is a conjunction. ٱلَّ is the definite article. genitive noun functioning as the coordinated element. إِذَا — when Grammar: إِذَا is a time adverb functioning as the linked complement. عَسْعَسَ — it departs Grammar: An active perfect, third-person masculine singular; its understood subject refers to the night.

2. Surah At-Takwir · Ayah 18

وَٱلصُّبْحِ إِذَا تَنَفَّسَ Sentence structure This oath is parallel to ayah 17. إِذَا is a time adverb, and Form V تَنَفَّسَ has an understood subject referring to the dawn. Ayah summary Allah swears by the morning as its light begins to appear. وَٱلصُّبْحِ — And the dawn Grammar: وَ is a conjunction. ٱل is the definite article. genitive noun functioning as the coordinated element. إِذَا — when Grammar: إِذَا is a time adverb functioning as the linked complement. تَنَفَّسَ — it breathes Grammar: A Form V active perfect, third-person masculine singular; its understood subject refers to the dawn.

3. Surah At-Takwir · Ayah 19

إِنَّهُۥ لَقَوْلُ رَسُولٍ كَرِيمٍ Sentence structure This nominal clause is the response to the oath. In إِنَّهُۥ the pronoun is the noun of إِنَّ, while قَوْلُ is its emphatic nominative predicate and is annexed to رَسُولٍ. Ayah summary This Qur’an is a message conveyed through an honoured angelic messenger. إِنَّهُۥ — Indeed, it Grammar: إِنَّ is an accusative and emphatic particle; attached هُ is its noun. لَقَوْلُ — (is) surely a word Grammar: Emphatic لَ precedes the nominative predicate قَوْلُ, which is also mudāf. رَسُولٍۢ — (of) a Messenger Grammar: genitive noun functioning as the genitive complement. كَرِيمٍۢ — noble Grammar: genitive adjective functioning as the adjective.

4. Surah At-Takwir · Ayah 20

ذِى قُوَّةٍ عِندَ ذِى ٱلْعَرْشِ مَكِينٍ Sentence structure The two occurrences of ذِى are genitive members of the five nouns. عِندَ is a locative adverb, while مَكِينٍ further describes the messenger. Ayah summary That angel is mighty and holds an honoured rank with the Lord of the Throne. ذِى — Possessor of Grammar: A genitive adjective of رَسُولٍ; it is one of the five nouns, marked with yā, and is mudāf. قُوَّةٍ — power Grammar: genitive noun functioning as the genitive complement. عِندَ — with Grammar: An accusative locative adverb meaning “with”; it is mudāf. ذِى — (the) Owner of Grammar: The genitive complement of عِندَ; it is one of the five nouns, marked with yā, and is mudāf. ٱلْعَرْشِ — the Throne Grammar: ٱلْ is the definite article. genitive noun functioning as the genitive complement. مَكِينٍۢ — secure Grammar: genitive adjective functioning as the adjective.

5. Surah At-Takwir · Ayah 21

مُّطَاعٍ ثَمَّ أَمِينٍ Sentence structure مُّطَاعٍ and أَمِينٍ are further genitive adjectives of the messenger; ثَمَّ is a locative adverb meaning “there.” Ayah summary That messenger is obeyed there and is trustworthy. مُّطَاعٍۢ — One to be obeyed Grammar: A Form IV passive participle and genitive adjective of رَسُولٍ. ثَمَّ — there Grammar: A locative adverb meaning “there.” أَمِينٍۢ — trustworthy Grammar: genitive adjective functioning as the adjective.

6. Surah At-Takwir · Ayah 22

وَمَا صَاحِبُكُم بِمَجْنُونٍ Sentence structure مَا negates the nominal clause. صَاحِبُكُم is nominative with attached كُم as its genitive possessor, and بِمَجْنُونٍ is the predicate phrase strengthened by بِ. Ayah summary Your well-known companion, the Prophet ﷺ, is certainly not mad. وَمَا — And not Grammar: وَ resumes the discourse and مَا negates the clause without an undisputed dialectal parse. صَاحِبُكُم — (is) your companion Grammar: A nominative noun; attached كُم is a second-person plural genitive possessor. بِمَجْنُونٍۢ — mad Grammar: Emphatic بِ strengthens the negation; مَجْنُونٍ is genitive in form and occupies the predicate position.

7. Surah At-Takwir · Ayah 23

وَلَقَدْ رَءَاهُ بِٱلْأُفُقِ ٱلْمُبِينِ Sentence structure وَلَقَدْ combines resumption, emphasis and verification. رَءَاهُ is a perfect verb with an understood subject and attached object, while the horizon phrase supplies the setting. Ayah summary The Prophet ﷺ clearly saw Jibril عليه السلام on the open horizon. وَلَقَدْ — And certainly Grammar: وَ resumes, لَ emphasizes, and قَدْ confirms the perfect verb. رَءَاهُ — he saw him Grammar: An active perfect, third-person masculine singular; its subject is understood and attached هُ is the direct object. بِٱلْأُفُقِ — in the horizon Grammar: بِ is a preposition. ٱلْ is the definite article. genitive noun functioning as the genitive complement. ٱلْمُبِينِ — the clear Grammar: ٱلْ is the definite article. genitive adjective functioning as the adjective.

Practice questions

Question 1

وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا عَسْعَسَ ۝١٧ What is the subject of عَسْعَسَ?

  • An implied pronoun referring to the night
  • The explicit noun الليل
  • The dawn
  • The stars

Question 2

وَٱلصُّبْحِ إِذَا تَنَفَّسَ ۝١٨ What is the subject of تَنَفَّسَ?

  • The explicit noun الصبح
  • The night
  • The messenger
  • An implied pronoun referring to the dawn

Question 3

إِنَّهُۥ لَقَوْلُ رَسُولٍ كَرِيمٍ ۝١٩ What is قَوْلُ after إِنَّهُۥ?

  • Direct object
  • Adjective
  • Predicate of inna
  • Noun of inna

Question 4

ذِى قُوَّةٍ عِندَ ذِى ٱلْعَرْشِ مَكِينٍ ۝٢٠ Why is the second ذِى in عِندَ ذِى ٱلْعَرْشِ marked with yāʾ?

  • It is jussive
  • It is genitive and belongs to the five nouns
  • It is accusative
  • It is dual

Question 5

مُّطَاعٍ ثَمَّ أَمِينٍ ۝٢١ What is ثَمَّ here?

  • A locative adverb meaning there
  • Conjunction meaning then
  • Negative particle
  • Conditional particle

Question 6

وَمَا صَاحِبُكُم بِمَجْنُونٍ ۝٢٢ What is the function of بِ in بِمَجْنُونٍ?

  • A causal preposition
  • A conjunction
  • An interrogative particle
  • An extra preposition strengthening the negation

Question 7

وَلَقَدْ رَءَاهُ بِٱلْأُفُقِ ٱلْمُبِينِ ۝٢٣ What is attached هُ in رَءَاهُ?

  • Genitive pronoun
  • Predicate
  • Direct-object pronoun
  • Subject pronoun

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