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.