Surah At-Takwir — Part 4

Ayahs 24–29 · word-by-word grammatical analysis Read the bilingual lesson for Surah At-Takwir — Part 4 and test your understanding with a focused quiz.

Lesson

1. Surah At-Takwir · Ayah 24

وَمَا هُوَ عَلَى ٱلْغَيْبِ بِضَنِينٍ Sentence structure مَا negates the nominal clause. هُوَ is its topic, عَلَى ٱلْغَيْبِ relates to ضَنِينٍ, and emphatic بِ makes the predicate genitive in form. Ayah summary The Prophet ﷺ does not withhold the revealed knowledge of the unseen from people. وَمَا — And not Grammar: وَ resumes the discourse. مَا is a negative particle; in the learner-default Hijazi analysis it functions like لَيْسَ. هُوَ — he (is) Grammar: هُوَ is a pronoun functioning as the اسم ما. عَلَى — on Grammar: عَلَى is a preposition functioning as the linked complement. ٱلْغَيْبِ — the unseen Grammar: ٱلْ is the definite article. genitive noun functioning as the genitive complement. بِضَنِينٍۢ — a withholder Grammar: Emphatic بِ makes the predicate ضَنِينٍ genitive in form.

2. Surah At-Takwir · Ayah 25

وَمَا هُوَ بِقَوْلِ شَيْطَـٰنٍ رَّجِيمٍ Sentence structure The negative nominal clause has هُوَ as its topic. قَوْلِ is the predicate, genitive in form after emphatic بِ, شَيْطَـٰنٍ its genitive complement, and رَّجِيمٍ an adjective. Ayah summary The Qur’an is not a message brought by any accursed devil. وَمَا — And not Grammar: وَ connects this clause to the preceding denial. مَا is a negative particle; it does not make any verb jussive. هُوَ — it Grammar: هُوَ is a pronoun functioning as the اسم ما. بِقَوْلِ — (is the) word Grammar: Emphatic بِ makes predicate قَوْلِ genitive in form; it is also mudāf. شَيْطَـٰنٍۢ — (of) Shaitaan Grammar: genitive noun functioning as the genitive complement. رَّجِيمٍۢ — accursed Grammar: genitive adjective functioning as the adjective.

3. Surah At-Takwir · Ayah 26

فَأَيْنَ تَذْهَبُونَ Sentence structure أَيْنَ is an interrogative locative adverb. تَذْهَبُونَ is a second-person plural imperfect of the five verbs: its penultimate و is the subject and final ن marks the indicative. Ayah summary After these clear proofs, where are you going by turning away from the truth? فَأَيْنَ — So where Grammar: فَ resumes or draws an inference; أَيْنَ is an accusative interrogative locative adverb. تَذْهَبُونَ — are you going Grammar: A second-person masculine plural imperfect of the five verbs. The penultimate و is wāw al-jamāʿah and the subject; the final ن is the indicative marker of the five verbs.

4. Surah At-Takwir · Ayah 27

إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌ لِّلْعَـٰلَمِينَ Sentence structure Here إِنْ is a non-governing negative particle, not a condition. هُوَ is the topic, إِلَّا restricts the meaning, and ذِكْرٌ is the nominative predicate. Ayah summary The Qur’an is a reminder for all people. إِنْ — Not Grammar: A non-governing negative particle meaning “not”; it is not conditional here. هُوَ — it Grammar: هُوَ is a detached third-person masculine singular pronoun functioning as the topic. إِلَّا — (is) except Grammar: A restrictive particle forming the negative-exceptive construction. ذِكْرٌۭ — a reminder Grammar: nominative noun functioning as the predicate. لِّلْعَـٰلَمِينَ — to the worlds Grammar: لِّ is a preposition. لْ is the definite article. genitive noun functioning as the genitive complement.

5. Surah At-Takwir · Ayah 28

لِمَن شَآءَ مِنكُمْ أَن يَسْتَقِيمَ Sentence structure لِمَن is a prepositional relative phrase, شَآءَ its relative clause, and أَن يَسْتَقِيمَ the infinitival object of willing; يَسْتَقِيمَ is subjunctive after أَن. Ayah summary This reminder benefits whoever sincerely wishes to follow the straight path. لِمَن — For whoever Grammar: لِ is a preposition and relative مَن is genitive; the phrase is appositional to the preceding beneficiaries. شَآءَ — wills Grammar: third-person masculine singular perfect verb; it functions as the relative clause. مِنكُمْ — among you Grammar: مِنْ is a preposition and attached كُمْ its genitive pronoun; the phrase qualifies مَن. أَن — to Grammar: أَن is an infinitival particle that makes the following imperfect subjunctive; the full clause أَن يَسْتَقِيمَ forms the object of شَآءَ. يَسْتَقِيمَ — take a straight way Grammar: A Form X active imperfect, third-person masculine singular, subjunctive after أَن.

6. Surah At-Takwir · Ayah 29

وَمَا تَشَآءُونَ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ Sentence structure The negative-exceptive construction limits human willing to Allah’s will. تَشَآءُونَ is an indicative verb of the five verbs: its penultimate و is the subject and final ن marks the indicative. يَشَآءَ is subjunctive after أَن, and ٱللَّهُ is its explicit subject. Ayah summary A person’s will becomes effective only when Allah, Lord of all worlds, wills. وَمَا — And not Grammar: وَ is a resumption particle. مَا is a non-jussive negative particle. تَشَآءُونَ — you will Grammar: A second-person masculine plural imperfect of the five verbs. The penultimate و is wāw al-jamāʿah and the subject; the final ن is the indicative marker of the five verbs. إِلَّآ — except Grammar: إِلَّآ is أداة حصر functioning as the حصر. أَن — that Grammar: أَن is a subordinating particle. يَشَآءَ — wills Grammar: A third-person masculine singular active imperfect, subjunctive after أَن. ٱللَّهُ — Allah Grammar: The proper name of Allah, nominative as the explicit subject of يَشَآءَ. رَبُّ — Lord Grammar: A nominative adjective or apposition to ٱللَّهُ; it is mudāf. ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ — (of) the worlds Grammar: ٱلْ is the definite article. genitive noun functioning as the genitive complement.

Practice questions

Question 1

وَمَا هُوَ عَلَى ٱلْغَيْبِ بِضَنِينٍ ۝٢٤ Why is ضَنِينٍ genitive in form?

  • Because it is an adjective
  • Because of the emphatic extra bāʾ
  • Because it is a subject
  • Because it follows an iḍāfa

Question 2

وَمَا هُوَ بِقَوْلِ شَيْطَـٰنٍ رَّجِيمٍ ۝٢٥ What is شَيْطَـٰنٍ after قَوْلِ?

  • Genitive complement
  • Subject
  • Direct object
  • Predicate

Question 3

فَأَيْنَ تَذْهَبُونَ ۝٢٦ What is the grammatical role of أَيْنَ?

  • Direct object
  • Subject
  • Negative particle
  • Interrogative adverb of place

Question 4

إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌ لِّلْعَـٰلَمِينَ ۝٢٧ What is إِنْ in this ayah?

  • An emphatic particle
  • A preposition
  • A negative particle
  • A conditional particle

Question 5

لِمَن شَآءَ مِنكُمْ أَن يَسْتَقِيمَ ۝٢٨ What makes يَسْتَقِيمَ subjunctive?

  • The verb shāʾa
  • The preceding particle an
  • The preposition min
  • The negative particle in

Question 6

وَمَا تَشَآءُونَ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ ۝٢٩ Who is the subject of يَشَآءَ?

  • Allah
  • The worlds
  • The pronoun you
  • The straight path

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