Tasheel Al Nahw

TASHEEL AL-NAHW
TASHEEL AL-NAHW
based on
Ilm al-Nahw of Mawlana Mushtaq Ahmad Charthawali
Revised & Edited by

Aamir Bashir
Copyright Dr al-Sadah Publications 2011

First Online Edition July 2011
Second Online Edition July 2012
ilmresources.wordpress.com
General and unrestricted permission is granted for the unaltered
duplication, distribution, and transmission of this text.
In Plain English: Make as many copies as you want.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of Contents
List of Tables
Acknowledgments
Foreword
i
vii
ix
xi
Arabic Terms

xiii
CHAPTER 1
1.1.
Arabic Grammar
1.2 The Word
Noun
Verb
Particle
1.3
1.4
2
3
3
4
Types of Noun

Types of Verb

Types of Particle
4
4
4
Sentences and Phrases
1.4.1

Nominal Sentence
Verbal Sentence
1.4.2

Types of Phrases

1.4.3

Descriptive Phrase
1.

Possessive Phrase
2.

Demonstrative Phrase
3.

4. /
Numerical Phrase
i
6
6
6
7
8
9
9
9
10
10

Indeclinable Phrase

1.4.4 Additional Notes About
5.
Summary
1.5
11
14
15
16
Signs of a Noun

Signs of a Verb

Sign of a Particle
16
16
16
1.5.1 General Notes

Personal Pronouns
1.7

Prepositions
1.8
Those Particles That Resemble the Verb

Auxiliary (Defective) Verbs
1.9

1.6
CHAPTER 2
17
19
20
22
25
27
Declinable and Indeclinable Words

2.1
27

Signs of Iraab
Conditions of Murab
27
27
Difference Between
and

2.2 Indeclinable Word
28
29

2.3
Declinable Word
Types of Indeclinable Nouns
2.4

2.4.1
Personal Pronouns
2.4.2
- Relative Pronouns
Demonstrative Pronouns
2.4.3

Those Nouns Which Have the Meaning of Verbs

2.4.4

Those Nouns Which Denote a Sound
2.4.5

ii
30
31
32
33
39
42
45
46
2.4.6
Adverbs
47
Adverbs of Time

Adverbs of Place
2.4.7
Those Nouns Which Indicate an Unspecified Quantity
2.4.8
Numerical phrase
Types of Declinable Nouns
2.5

2.6
Iraab of the Various Types of Murab Nouns

CHAPTER 3
Further Discussion of Nouns
47
49
52
52
53
53
53
53
58
61
3.1
Relative Adjective
61
3.2
Diminutive Noun
63
3.3 Definite and Common Nouns
3.4
Masculine and Feminine Nouns
Singular, Dual and Plural

3.5
3.6
Types of Plural
64
65
67
68
3.7
- Words Which Are Always Marfoo

Subject/Doer
3.7.1
73
73
3.7.2
/ Substitute of
75
The Noun of Those and , Which Are

3.7.3

76
The of That Which Negates an Entire

3.7.4
( Class)
77
Similar to
3.8

Words Which Are Always Mansoob
3.8.1 Object
79
79
iii
3.8.2
81
/ 3.8.3

81
3.8.4
81
/
3.8.5

82
3.8.6
State / Condition
84
/ 3.8.7
87
) (Numerals Rules for
88
3.8.8

92
95
3.9
Words Which Are Always Majroor
3.10
96
3.10.1
Adjective
96
Emphasis 3.10.2
111
Substitute 3.10.3
103
105
Conjunction
3.10.4
/

3.10.5

105
108
CHAPTER 4
109
Governing Words

4.1
Governing Particles
110
Particles Which Govern Nouns
110
Particles Which Govern

110
111
114

4.1.1
Particles That Give Nasb
4.1.2

Particles That Give Jazm

4.2
Governing Verbs
116
4.2.1
Active Verb
116
116
4.2.2
Passive Verb
116
4.2.3
Intransitive Verb
iv

4.2.4

116
4.2.5
Transitive Verb
117
4.2.6

119
121

4.2.7
Verbs of Praise and Blame

4.2.8
Verbs of Wonder

123
Governing Nouns
4.3

124
124
4.3.1
Conditional Nouns

4.3.2
126
4.3.2.1
127
4.3.3
129
130
That Adjective Which is Similar to

4.3.4

4.3.5
4.3.6

132
134
4.3.7

135
4.3.8
135
4.3.9

136
137
137
137
138

4.4
Non-Governing Particles
1.
Particles of Notification

2.
Particles of Affirmation
Particles of Clarification
3.
4.

138
138
139
139

5.
Particles of Exhortation
6.
Particle of Anticipation

Particles of Interrogation
7.
8.

Particle of Rebuke
140
9.
140
10.
140
11.

140
12.

Extra Particles
141
13.
Conditional Particles That Do Not Give Jazm

14. )
(
142
143

15.

143
Appendix
145
Bibliography
149
vi
LIST OF TABLES
Page No
19
20
22
25
34
35
36
37
39
39
42
42
45
45
59
69
69
Table No

Personal Pronouns

Prepositions

Auxiliary (Defective) Verbs
in
)
( )
(also called

in
)
(also called

and
in
(also called

and
)

in
)
( )

(also called

Nouns in the Meaning of


70
70
73
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6
2.7
2.8
2.9
2.10
2.11
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
77
and Its Iraab Different Forms of the Noun of
3.6
81
Rules Governing the Iraab of
3.7
vii
93
111
114
117
Verbs Requiring Three
118
119
124
127
130
132
viii
3.8
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.5
4.6
4.7
4.8
4.9
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
There are many people whom I would like to thank for making this project a success. To
begin with, I am in debt to Sr. A. Naviwala who typed up the old Tasheel al-Nahw, and thus
helped to kick-start the project. I would also like to thank Mawlana Ibrahim Memon and his
students of Darul Uloom al-Madanias eAlim program for their valuable feedback. Last but
not the least, I am indebted to my First year students at Darul Uloom al-Madania (both
20102011 and 20112012), who have been continuously giving me feedback. I would
especially like to mention my current First year students Abdullah, Ayyub, Muhammad,
Saeed, Umair, Umar, and Wahid. I have greatly benefitted from their intelligent questions,
wise comments, useful suggestions, and help with proof-reading. May Allah reward them, and
all others for their contributions and help.
ix

FOREWORD
This book is the second edition of the revised Tasheel al-Nahw, which in turn was a somewhat
expanded translation of the Urdu language primer of Arabic grammar, Ilm al-Nahw by
Mawlana Mushtaq Ahmad Charthawali. Mawlana Charthawalis primers for Nahw (Arabic
grammar) and Sarf (Arabic Morphology) are standard textbooks in Western madrasahs. The
original English translation of Ilm al-Nahw was prepared by scholars from Madrasah
Islamiyyah, Benoni, South Africa. They put in a lot of hardwork and made the English
translation much more beneficial than the Urdu original. May Allah reward them. At least
two versions of this translation are available online. The first one had many errors and typing
issues. The newer version made some improvements but issues remained, especially with
regards to language and clarity of the English and Arabic texts. In 2010, we decided to bring
out a revised edition of this translation to address these issues. During the course of our
revision and editing, we consulted various grammar works including al-Nahw al-Wadih, Sharh
ibn Aqil, Mujam al-Qawaid al-Arabiyyah, and A Simplified Arabic Grammar. We completely
revised some sections, as well as a number of definitions. The organization was changed in a
way that we felt would make it easier for students to understand how each section fits in the
overall picture.
This second edition has undergone more changes. Further improvements have been
made in many sections; some sections have been completely revised; confusing sentences have
been elaborated; more examples and exercises have been included, including many from alNahw al-Wadih and Muallim al-Insha; and where needed, the relevant al-Nahw al-Wadih
section has been pointed out in the footnotes. These footnotes are for the benefit of the
teachers. The students can choose to ignore them. Lastly, an appendix has been attached at
the end, identifying Tasheel al-Nahws place in Nahw texts, as well as suggesting a possible
curriculum of classical Arabic studies.
This is a beginner-to-intermediate level text; therefore, we have not transliterated Arabic
words exactly, keeping in mind that most people at this stage will not be comfortable with
Arabic transliteration schemes. Rather, we have used approximate equivalents that are easier
to read for the untrained. Nevertheless, non-English words have been italicized to reflect their
non-English origin. The documentation in the foot-notes does not follow any particular
academic standard; rather, it has been modified for ease of the students. It should also be
noted that the English equivalents of Arabic grammar terms are mere approximations. In
some cases, they convey the exact meaning. In many cases, they do not. The student is,
therefore, urged to focus on the original term in Arabic.
We would also like to point out that this is not a do-it-yourself text. First of all, it
assumes some prior knowledge of Arabic such as that acquired through studying Ten Lessons of
Arabic and/or Durus al-Lughah al-Arabiyyah vol. 1. Moreover, it needs to be studied with a
xi
teacher. However, it can be used as a revision text by those who have already studied Nahw
using other texts. It is respectfully suggested to the teachers to also use al-Nahw al-Wadih (all
six volumes) while teaching, as reference and for additional examples and exercises, as and
when needed. Moreover, it should also be pointed out that this is not an exhaustive text. It
does not cover every issue of Nahw, in brief or in detail. It is assumed that the student will be
studying relatively advanced Nahw texts (such as Hidayat al-Nahw or al-Nahw al-Wadih) after
this to round off his/her training of Nahw. The sample curriculum given in the appendix can
be used for that purpose.
To the best of our ability, we have tried to remove all errors. However, we are merely
human. There are bound to be some mistakes in it, and definitely, room for improvement.
Your comments, constructive criticism, and suggestions are all welcome. You can contact us
with your feedback at the email address given at the end.
We hope and pray that this revised translation will be of benefit to the students. We
also pray that Allah Most High accepts this humble effort from all those who have contributed
to it in any way, and gives us the power to continue with more. We also request the readers
and all those who benefit from it in any way to remember us in their prayers.
And He alone gives success.

Aamir Bashir
Buffalo, NY
14th Shaban, 1433 (4th July, 2012)
E-mail: ainbay97@yahoo.com
xii

ARABIC TERMS
Approximate
Transliteration
Equivalent English Term /
ism
Noun
fil
Verb
harf
Particle
mudhakkar
Masculine
muannath
Feminine
waahid
Singular
tathniyah
Dual
jam
Plural
dammah
fathah
kasrah
harakah
plural: harakaat
Short vowels, i.e., dammah , fathah , kasrah
huroof al-illah
Long vowels i.e., -
iraab
These are the variations at the end of the word, which

take place in accordance with the governing word.
tanween
two fathahs (), two dammahs ( ) , two kasrahs ( )
sukoon
saakin
A letter with sukoon
tashdeed
mushaddad
A letter with tashdeed
faail
Subject i.e. the doer
mafool
aamil
Arabic Term
Description of the meaning
Object i.e. the person or thing upon whom or which

the work is done.
Governing word i.e. that word, which causes iraab
change in the word(s) following it.
xiii
Equivalent English Term /
Arabic Term
Approximate
Transliteration
mamool
fil maroof
fil majhool
fil laazim
fil mutaaddi
marifah
nakirah
marfoo
It is that word, which is in the state of , which is

generally represented by a dammah on the last letter.
mansoob
It is that word, which is in the state of

, which is
generally represented by a fathah on the last letter.
majroor
It is that word, which is in the state of

, which is
generally represented by a kasrah on the last letter.
Description of the meaning

The governed word i.e. that word in which the iraab
change occurred.
The active verb i.e. that verb whose doer is
known/mentioned.
The passive verb i.e. that verb whose doer is not
known/mentioned.
The intransitive verb i.e. that verb, which can be
understood without a .
The transitive verb i.e. that verb, which cannot be
fully understood without a .
Definite noun. It is generally indicated by an . For

example,
the house (a particular/specific house).
Common noun. It is generally indicated by a tanween.

e.g. a house (any house).
xiv
CHAPTER 1
Section 1.1
Arabic Grammar
Definition:
Nahw is that science, which teaches us how to join a noun, verb and particle to form a correct
sentence, as well as what the ( condition) of the last letter of a word should be.
Subject Matter:
Its subject matter is ( word) and ( sentence).
Objective:
The immediate objective is to learn how to read, write and speak Arabic correctly, and
to avoid making mistakes in this. For example, , ,

, and are four words.
The science of Nahw teaches us how to put them together to form a correct sentence.
The mid-term objective is to use our Arabic skills to understand the Quran, Hadeeth,
Fiqh and other Islamic sciences, so that we can act upon them.
The ultimate objective through the above is to gain the pleasure of Allah Most High.
Section 1.2
The Word
Any word uttered by humans is called a . If it has a meaning, it is called

(meaningful); and if it does not have any meaning, it is called ( meaningless).
In Arabic,
( meaningful word) is of two types: and .
1. Singular: It is that single word, which conveys one meaning. It is also called
.
2. Compound: It is a group of words. They may form a complete sentence or an
incomplete one.
Types of
There are three types of :

1. ( noun)
2. ( verb)
3.
(particle)
Noun:
It is that whose meaning can be understood without the need to combine it with
another word.
It does not have any tense.1
It is the name of a person, place or thing.2
e.g.
man
house
Note: A noun can never have a ( tanween) and an at the same time.
The first two bullets combine to form the classical definition of
. See, for example, Abdullah ibn Aqil,
Sharh ibn Aqil ala Alfiyyat ibn Malik, (Cairo: Dar al-Turath, 1980), vol. 1, 15. The definition given by ibn
Aqil is as follows: (
) .

This third bullet by itself is the definition found in more modern texts like al-Nahw al-Wadih. See, for
example, Ali al-Jaarim & Mustafa Ameen, al-Nahw al-Wadih li al-Madaris al-Ibtidaiyyah, (Cairo: Dar alMaarif, n.d.), vol. 1, 16. Their definition of is as follows:
(
:)
Verb:
It is that whose meaning can be understood without the need to combine it with
another word.
It has one of the three tenses: past, present, or future.3
It denotes an action.4
e.g.
He hit.
He helped.

Note: A can never have a ( tanween) or an .
Particle:
It is that whose meaning cannot be understood without joining an or a or both to
it.
e.g.
(from)
( on top)
EXERCISES
1. State with reason whether the following words are or

.
i.
ii.
(He sat.)
iii.
(and)
iv.
(girl)
(He broke.)
2. Find the meaning and the plural of the following nouns using a dictionary.
i.
ii.
3
4
iii.
iv.
The first two bullets combine to form the classical definition of . See Sharh ibn Aqil, vol. 1, 15.
The last two bullets combine to form the definition of
Wadih, Ibtidaiyyah, vol. 1, 16.
as given in al-Nahw al-Wadih. See al-Nahw al-
Section 1.3
Types of Noun
is of three types:
Primary Noun: It is that which is neither derived from another word nor is any
1.
word derived from it.

e.g.

horse
girl
2.
Root Noun: It is that from which many words are derived.
e.g.

to hit
to help
3.
Derived Noun: It is that which is derived from a masdar.
e.g.

hitter
the helped
Types of Verb
is of four types:
1.
Past tense
2.
Present and Future tense
3.
4.
e.g.
e.g.
Positive Command/
Imperative
e.g.
Negative Command/
Prohibitive
e.g.
He hit.
He is hitting or will
hit.
Hit!
Dont hit!
Types of Particle
is of two types:
Causative Particle: It is that , which causes change in the word after it.
1.
e.g.
Zayd is in the mosque.
Non-Causative: It is that , which does not cause change in the word
2.

after it.
e.g.
then
and
EXERCISES
1.
Correct the following words (stating a reason) and give its meaning.
i.
ii.
2.
iii.
iv.
Find the meaning and the plural of the following nouns using a dictionary.
i.
ii.
3.
iii.
iv.
Translate the following sentences, and identify the different types of verbs in them.
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
Section 1.4
Sentences and Phrases

is of two types: and .
is also called , and . This is a complete sentence.
Often, it is just called .

is also called , and . This is a phrase, i.e.,
an incomplete sentence.
From now onwards, when we use sentence, we will be referring to complete sentences; and
when we use phrase, we will be referring to incomplete sentences.
Types of Sentences
There are two types of sentences:
: It is that sentence, which has the possibility of being true or false.
A.
B.
: It is that sentence, which does not have the possibility of being true or false.
Section 1.4.1
is of two types:
1. Nominal Sentence:
Definition: It is that sentence, which begins with a noun.
The second part of the sentence can be a noun or a verb.

The first part of the sentence is called ( subject) or
( the word about which
information is being given).
The second part of the sentence is called
(predicate) or ( the word giving the
information).
The is generally and the

generally .
Both parts ( and
) are .
Sentence Analysis
The house is clean.

+
Note: A sentence may have more than one

.
Sentence Analysis
= 2 + 1 +
The man is tall and strong.

2. Verbal Sentence:
Definition: It is that sentence, which begins with a verb.
The first part of the sentence is called or
.
or and is always .
The second part of the sentence is called

Sentence Analysis
Zayd sat.
+
i.e. it is a verb whose meaning can be

Note: In the above example, the verb is
understood without a .
Note: If the verb is

i.e. a verb whose meaning cannot be fully understood without
a , then a will be added and will be
.
Sentence Analysis

= +
Allah created the sky.
EXERCISES5
1.
Translate, fill in the iraab, and analyze the following sentences.

iv.
i.
ii.
v.
iii.
vi.
2. What is the difference between (v) and (vi) above?

5
For more examples and exercise, please refer to al-Nahw al-Wadih, Ibtidaiyyah, vol. 1, 11-19 & 36-46.
Section 1.4.2
is of ten types:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Positive Command
e.g.

Negative Command
e.g.

e.g.
Interrogative

Desire
e.g.

!

Note:
is generally used for something unattainable.

Hope
Exclamation
e.g.
Note:
is generally used for something attainable.
6.
7.
Request/Offer
Hit!
Dont Hit!
Did Zayd hit?
I wish youth would
return.
Hopefully, the
examination will be easy.
!
O Allah!
e.g.
Will you not come to me

e.g.
so that I may give you a

dinar?
Note:
is a mere request; no answer is anticipated.

9.

10.

8.
Oath
Amazement
Transaction
!
e.g. !

e.g.
e.g.
By Allah!
How good Zayd is!
The seller says

I sold this book.

and the buyer says I bought it.
. However, Islamic law recognizes them

Note: The sentences for are in reality
as
with respect to all contracts, and requires that they (past tense verbal sentences)
be used to convey definiteness.
Sentence Analysis:
Did Zayd hit?

+ +

EXERCISE
1. State what type of

are the following sentences.

i. !

ii.
iii.

iv.

Section 1.4.3
- Types of Phrases
Phrases are of five types:
1.
Descriptive Phrase:6 It is a phrase in which one word describes the other.
.
The describing word is called
The object being described is called

.
The
and must correspond in four things:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Iraab.
Gender i.e. being masculine or feminine.
Number i.e. being singular, dual or plural.
Being marifah or nakirah.
For example,

2.
a righteous men
the intelligent/wise girl
Possessive Phrase: It is a phrase in which the first word (

) is
attributed to the second one (
) . In some cases, this means that the second word
owns or possesses the first.

The
never gets an or a .
The
is always .
e.g.
Zayds book
The iraab of the

will be according to the governing it. For example,

I found Zayds book.
For more examples and exercises, please refer to al-Nahw al-Wadih, Ibtidaiyyah, vol. 1, 82-86.
Notes:
1.
Sometimes many
,
are found in one single phrase. For example,
the door of the mans house

of the is brought, it should come immediately after the with an
2. If a
and should have the same iraab as that of the

. For example,
3.
the new door of the house
of the is brought, it should come immediately after it () , and

If a
it should correspond to it (
) i.e. in the four aspects mentioned earlier. For
example,
the door of the new house
) points
3.
Demonstrative Phrase: It is a phrase in which one noun (
towards another noun (

) .
The
must have an .
e.g.
This man
Note: If the
does not have an , it would be a complete sentence.
e.g.
This is a man.
4.
/ Numerical Phrase: It is a phrase in which two numerals are
joined to form a single word (number).
A
originally linked the two.
e.g.
( eleven)
It was originally
.
This phrase is found only in numbers 11-19.

e.g.
( 11), ( 12),
( 13), ( 19).
10
Both parts of this phrase will always be except the number 12 (

) .
e.g.
(
)
Eleven men came.
I saw eleven men.

(
)
(
)
I passed by eleven men.
As for number 12, its second part is always while the first part changes. Thus, in

, it is written as , with an at the end of the first part. However, in

and
, the first part is given a in place of the ) ( .
e.g.
(
)
(
)
Eleven men came.

I passed by twelve men.
I saw twelve men.
(
)
5.
Indeclinable Phrase: It is a phrase in which two words are joined to
form a single word.
The first part of this phrase is always .
.
The second part changes according to the
Examples:
1.
is the name of a region in Yemen. It is composed of two words
and .

is a verb, which means he/it became present and is a noun, which means
death. Thus, literally,
means [a place where] death became present.

2. is a city in Lebanon. It is composed of two words and
. was the name
of an idol and
was the name of a king.
Note: The above mentioned various types of phrases/incomplete sentences form part of a
complete sentence.
Example 1
11
The trustworthy/honest trader

gained profit.
Every faail is marfoo

and every mafool is
mansoob.
I bought this book.
Example 2
Example 3

Fourteen men came.

+
=
This is Balabakk.
Example 4
Example 5
EXERCISES
Translate, fill in the iraab and analyze the following phrases.

vi.
vii.
viii.

ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
i.
?What is the difference between the following sentences
and
and
and
and
12
1.

ii.
iii.
iv.
i.
2.
3.
Correct the following and state the reason(s).

ii.
i.
4.
iii.
iv.

Translate, fill in the iraab and analyze the following.

i.
13
Section 1.4.4
Additional Notes About
7
1. Sometimes, the
is not mentioned, in which case it will be regarded as hidden () .
e.g.
The Imam is in the mosque.
][
2. The
can be a complete sentence.

Example 1:
Zayds father is knowledgeable.

Example 2:
Zayd ate the food.
EXERCISE
1.

i.
ii.
However, generally, to simplify matters, the
is taken to be . See Mawlana Hasan Dockrat, A Simplified
Arabic Grammar, (Azaadvillle: Madrasa Arabia Islamia, 2003 ), 37.
14
Summary
15
Section 1.5
Signs of a Noun:
1.
It is preceded by an .
2.
It accepts
.
3.
There is tanween on the last letter.
4.
It ends with a round .
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
It is a dual )(.8
It is a plural )(.
It is a
) or (.
It is
.
It is
.
10. It is .
11. It is
.
12. It is
.
e.g.
the man

in Zayds new house
e.g.

e.g.

e.g.
a man
a word
e.g.

e.g.

two men
men
e.g.

e.g.
e.g.
e.g.
e.g.
e.g.
e.g.
The man is strong.

Zayd sat.
book of Zayd
tall man
O man!
a little man
a Makkan
Signs of a Verb:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
It is preceded by .
It is preceded by
.
It is preceded by
.
It is preceded by
.

It is preceded by
.

It has a hidden
.
It is an imperative )( .
It is a prohibitive )( .
It has taa saakin (

) at the end.
e.g.

e.g.

He has gone out.
e.g.

e.g.

He did not go out.
He will soon go out.
e.g.

He will go out after a while.

He will never go out.
e.g.

e.g.

He went out.
e.g.

She ate.
e.g.

Go out.
Do not go out.
Sign of a Particle:
That word which has no sign of a noun or verb is a particle (a particle has no sign of its own).
Verbs are said to be dual and plural with respect to their doers
plurality are signs of a noun and not a verb.
16
(. The action is one. Thus, duality and

)
Section 1.5.1
General Notes
.
1. The indefiniteness of a noun ) ( is indicated by a tanween. Such a noun is called
e.g.
a house (any house)
2. The definiteness of a noun is indicated by an . Such a noun is called .

e.g.
the house (a specific house)
3. A noun can never have a tanween and an at the same time.

e.g.
is incorrect.
4. When the last letter of a word and the first letter of the following word have sukoon (), it

is called

( the meeting of two sukoons). In this case, the first sukoon is
generally changed to a kasrah.
. The before the will not be
e.g.
will become

pronounced.
In some case, the first sukoon is changed to a fathah.

( from Japan) will become
.
e.g.

In some cases, the first sukoon is changed to dammah.
e.g.
( you understood the lesson) will become

.
5. When an appears before a noun, which begins with a letter from

( sun
letters) then the of must not be pronounced. The of will not get a sukoon. Instead
the
will get a tashdeed.
the tree
the sun

=

e.g.
6. The remaining letters are known as

( moon letters). In these, the of will get
a sukoon and will be pronounced. The
will not get a tashdeed.
e.g.
the pen
the moon
7. Generally, a noun ending with a round ( ) is a feminine ) ( noun.
blackboard
etc. of a ( non-human) plural will

8. The

generally be .
e.g.
17
e.g.

many idols

these idols
The idols do not benefit.

The guard dogs are sitting.
The houses were many.
9. When writing a noun ending with two fathahs (), an alif ) ( must be added at the end.
e.g.
However, If there is a round ( ) at the end of such a word, alif should not be
added.
e.g.
18
Section 1.6
Personal Pronouns
) are those words, which are used in place of names and refer
Definition:
(singular:
(or the third person )( .

to the speaker ) ( or the second person )
Table 1.1
Personal Pronouns
Unattached Form )(
He (one male), it
I (one male or female)
They (two males)

They (many males)
She (one female), it
They (two females)
They (many females)
You (one male)
You (two males)
You (many males)
You (one female)
You (two females)
You (many females)

We (many males or females)
Attached Form )(

their, them

their, them

her, its

their, them

their, them

your

your

your
your
your

your

9
my, mine, me ) (

our
)(
his, its, him
In the unattached form, these dameers can appear as mubtada, faail, etc. In the attached form,
they can appear as mafool or mudaaf ilayhi. For more details, see section 2.4.1.
e.g.
He is Zayd.
I am a student.
your pen
I helped her.
) ( is added before the

to protect an iraab as in
, which would otherwise be
incorrectly read as
(the of is ) .

9
Sometimes, a
19
Section 1.710
Prepositions
Effect: A
gives a to the noun it enters upon, which is then known as .

Table 1.2
Prepositions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
with
by (for oath)
by (oath)
10.

11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
Example 1:
10
Meaning
like
for
since
since/for
besides, except
many a
besides, except
from
Example
I wrote with the pen.

By Allah!
Zayd is like a lion.

All praise is for Allah.
By Allah!
I have not seen him since a week.
The people came except Zayd.
I have not see him for four days.

Many a learned person acts on his
knowledge.
I returned from the journey.
in, regarding

from, regarding

on

up to, until

up to, towards

besides, except

Zayd is in the house.
The doctor asked about the patient.
The cloth/clothes is/are on the chair.
I slept till dawn.
I travelled to Madinah.
Grammar in speech is like salt in food.
20
Example 2 with Sentence Analysis:
I wrote with the pen.
+
=
Note: Together, the

and are known as ( connected) of the in
(there is more detail to this, and will follow later), and of the in .
EXERCISE
1.
Translate, fill in the iraab and analyze the following sentences.

i.
iii.
ii.
iv.
21
Section 1.811
( also called ) Those Particles That Resemble the

Verb
These are called
because like , they also govern two words.

These
appear before a and ( ) .
Effect: Such a particle gives a

to the which is then known as ( or and so
on) and a to the
which is then known as ( or and so on).
Table 1.3

2.
1.
Meaning
certainly, verily, indeed

that

Example
Verily Allah is All-Knowing.
I know that the examination is
near.
as if
but, however
4.

It is as if the house is new.

The house is new but the
if only, I wish
6. maybe, hopefully,
3.
5.
perhaps
furniture is old.
I wish youth would return.

Hopefully, the examination
will be easy.
Sentence Analysis:
Indeed, Allah is All-Knowing.
Notes:
1. Difference between and :
a. is generally used at the beginning of a sentence.
is generally used in the middle of a sentence.
11
22
b. Sometimes, appears in the middle of a sentence. This happens in the following

two cases:
i.
When it is used after a word with root letters .
e.g.
ii.
He says, indeed, it is a yellow cow.
I visited the one whom I respect.
.12
When it is at the beginning of a
e.g.
2. The
can be a complete sentence.

Example 1:
Indeed, Zayds mother is pious.
)= (

Example 2:
Indeed, Zayd ate the food.
) = ( +
3. If the
is () , then the will appear first and the second.
e.g.
Indeed, to us is their return.
12

)(

)(

will be discussed in Section 2.4.2.

23
4. When is joined to any of these

, their effect is cancelled.
e.g.
Your god is only one god.
Note: In this example, the meaning has also changed to only.

5. by itself conveys emphasis. Sometimes, can be added before the
to convey
even more emphasis. In this case, the

must be .
e.g.
Indeed, I know your brother.
EXCERISE
1. Translate, fill in the iraab, and analyze the following sentences.
i.

v.
vi.
iv.
ii.
iii.
24
Section 1.913
( also called ) Auxiliary (Defective) Verbs

is called ( incomplete/defective) because even though it is a , it needs
) . The sentence remains incomplete with one .
two mamools (
e.g.

Zayd was (the sentence remains incomplete).
These verbs enter on a and a
.
Effect: They give to the , which becomes known as ( or

and so on) and
to the , which becomes known as ( or

and so on).
Table 1.4
1.
2.
3.

Meaning
was
became
happen in the morning
OR
became
4.
happen in the evening,

became
5.

happen at midmorning,
became
6.
happen during the day,

became
7.

happen during the

night, became
8.

as long as
Example
12.
always, continuously
13.
9.

10.

11.
no, not
13
The house was clean.

The man became wealthy.
Zayd became ill in the
morning.
Zayd became rich.
The worker became tired in
the evening.
The clouds became dense at
mid morning.
It rained the whole day.
Zayd passed the night
sleeping.
Sit as long as Zayd is sitting.
Zayd was continuously sick.
Zayd was always fasting.
Zayd was always active.
The trader was always
truthful.
The servant is not strong.
For more examples and exercises, please refer to al-Nahw al-Wadih, Ibtidaiyyah, vol. 1, 62-68 & vol. 2, 151155.
25
Sentence Analysis:
The house was clean.
Notes:
1. When is used with
, it gives the meaning of past continuous or past habitual.
Zayd was writing/Zayd used to write.

Note: Here, the

of is a . Also, note the two ways it is translated above.
e.g.
2.

and as well.
can be used in

3.

can be used in
but not in .

4.
and
or ).
have a past tense only (no
5.
must be preceded by another sentence.
6. The
of
is sometimes prefixed with a .
Is Allah not the greatest of rulers/best of judges?
e.g.
7. If the
is () , then the will appear first and the second.
e.g.
)
(
) (
There were clouds in the sky.

EXERCISE
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
vii.
26
CHAPTER 2
Declinable and Indeclinable Words

Words are of two types with respect to changes, which may or may not take place at their
ends. If the end of a word remains the same in all conditions, it is called ; and that word
whose end changes is called .
Section 2.114
: Those conditions or states (
) , which remain unchanged at the end of words
are four:
, , and . These are called
.
: Those conditions or states (
) , which occur at the end of words are four:
( for short). These changes are
,
, , and . These are called

brought about at the end of a word in accordance with the requirement of the
(governing word).
Signs of Iraab

( signs of iraab). The
Iraab can be expressed in different ways. These are called

two common ones are as follows:
: These are the basic signs and are the most common. Iraab is shown by
1.

means of a
or or or ( which is the absence of a ) .
i.e.
e.g.

: Sometimes, the iraab is shown by means of any of the
2.
i.e. or or

.
e.g.
States of Murab
As mentioned above, the conditions or states that occur at the end of words are four.
Below, we look at them in more detail.
14
This section is based upon the discussion in al-Nahw al-Wadih. See al-Nahw al-Wadih, Ibdtidaiyyah, vol. 2,
7-18.
27
() appears at the
1.
is the condition in which a
or its substitute such as
end of a word. Such a word is said to be .

e.g.
() appears at
2. is the condition in which a
the end of a word. Such a word is said to be

.
e.g.
() appears at the
end of a word. Such a word is said to be

.
e.g.

appears at the end of a word or its substitute (
in the case of
) is dropped from the end. Such a word is said to be .
e.g.
Note: It should be remembered that verbs can only be in the state of ,

or , while
nouns can only be in a state of ,
, or .
Difference Between and
The words
are used to describe the states at the end of a , e.g.
has

a at the end. It is .
The words
are used for all other places where (), ( )and ( )appear.
In other words, (), ( )and ( )are normally called

, respectively, wherever
they occur except when one needs to precisely point out the end of a word. Thus, one
could say
has a on (), a on (), and a on (), but one must say (
) is

.
28
Section 2.2
Indeclinable Word
As mentioned earlier, a is that word whose end remains unchanged in all conditions i.e.
governing it.
irrespective of the requirement of the
e.g.
This came.
I saw this.
I passed by this.
Note: The
at the end of remained constant and did not change according to the
requirement.
Types of :
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
All Particles )
(*
*

*
Those seeghahs of
that are ( and ) or have ( and
) .
Amongst nouns )( , those whose ends remain constant are called i.e.
nouns, which do not give place to changes. These nouns are and are recognized by
their resemblance with any one of the three types of

words ( or
or
) . This resemblance can be in any one of the following ways:
a. Resemblance in meaning. For example, the noun ( give grace/respite) resembles

( one of the ) and has the same
the word , which is

b.
meaning.
( , which is
Resemblance in dependency. For example, the noun )

dependent on a
to give meaning, resembles a ( one of the
) ,
which is also dependent on another word to give meaning.
c.
d.
Resemblance in having less than three letters. For example, the noun , which is
less than three letters, resembles
(e.g. ) , which is also generally less than three
letters.
Resemblance in having had a
originally. For example, the noun
resembles a
in the sense that originally it contained a ( ) .
*These three are known as

.
29
:15
When a word appears in a sentence in a place where it is supposed to be in the state of ,
, , or , its end does not change because it is . However, it is said that it is in the
place of ,
, , or (
) , in accordance with its place in the
sentence.
For example,
We helped him.
Keeping in mind that all pronouns are , this sentence will be analyzed as follows:
is and is .
, is and .
is

is ,
is and
.
EXERCISE
1. Analyze the following sentences like in the example given above.
i.

ii.
iii.
15
30
Section 2.3
Declinable Word
As mentioned above, a is that word whose end accepts any of the iraab according to the
governing it.
requirement of the
e.g.
A man came.
I saw a man.
I passed by a man.
.
Note: The iraab of kept on changing according to the requirement of the
Types of :
1. Amongst verbs )( , all of the seeghahs of

besides those of ( and
)and those with ( and ) are .
2. Amongst nouns )( , those nouns, which accept iraab changes are . They are
known as i.e. nouns which give place to iraab changes.
Note: These nouns will be only when they are used in a sentence. If not used in a
sentence, such a word will be . For example, on its own, when not part of a
sentence, will be .
EXERCISES
1. State with reason whether the following words are or .

ii.
iii.

iv.

vi.
vii.

viii.
i.
v.
2. Translate the following sentences and identify the and words in them.

vi.

vii.
viii.

ii.

iii.

iv.

i.
v.
31
Section 2.4
Types of Indeclinable Nouns

The types of are as follows:
1.
( personal pronouns)
2.
( relative pronouns)
( demonstrative pronouns)
3.

( those nouns which have the meaning of verbs)

4.

( those nouns which denote a sound)
5.

6.
( adverbs)
7.
( those nouns which indicate an unspecified quantity)
8.
( numerical phrase)
In the following pages, we will look at each of these in detail.
32
Section 2.4.116
Personal Pronouns
We have discussed
before. Now, we will look at them in greater detail.
) are those words, which are used in place of names and refer
Definition:
(singular:
(or the third person )( .

to the speaker ) ( or the second person )
There are two types of

:
1.

Visible or Independent Pronoun: It is that
, which is visible and has a
distinct form. It can appear on its own, i.e. unattached to another word (known as
) , or it can be attached to another word (known as
). These two are defined as
follows:

i.

: The unattached pronoun is that pronoun which can be
pronounced on its own without being connected to another word.

ii.

: The attached pronoun is that pronoun which cannot be pronounced
2.

on its own without being connected to another word.

Hidden or Implied Pronoun: It is that
, which is not visible but is
).
implied. It is always attached (
Note: A hidden
. (refer to Table 2.2)
can only appear in
Below are tables showing different forms that the
will assume in the various
conditions/states (haalaat).
16
For more details, examples, and exercises, please refer to al-Nahw al-Wadih, Ibtidaiyyah, vol. 2, 120-135.
33
Table 2.1
)
in (
) (also called
( )
( )

)
(
34
e.g.
Table 2.2
in
) (also called

( )
( )
( )

( )

( )

( )

)

(

()

()

()

()

()

()

( )

()

()

()

()

()
()
()
()
()

()
( )
()
()
( )

()

()
, is indicated after its

, which in many cases is the
Note: In the table above, the

respective verb in parentheses.
35
Table 2.3
) and (also called in and

( )

( )
( )
Example
Dameer

( )

17

You alone we worship.
)
(

e.g.
( is added before the )

to protect an iraab as in
, which would otherwise
be incorrectly read as
). is of (the

Sometimes, a
36
17
. One is when it is preceded appears in

( ) There are two ways in which

by a
; and the other is when some other word is
to it.

Table 2.4
) (also called in()
( )
( )
His house is his.

+

(

)

e.g.
.
Note: The
will always be
in
37
:
It is that
, which sometimes appears at the beginning of a sentence without a
( an earlier word that it refers to). The sentence after it clarifies such a
.
e.g.

Indeed, the matter is that Zayd is standing.
:
It is that
, which sometimes appears at the beginning of a sentence without a
( an earlier word that it refers to). The sentence after it clarifies such a
.
e.g.
Indeed, the matter is that Fatimah is standing.
:
It is that
, which appears between a and a for emphasis.
e.g.

It is they who are successful.

EXERCISE
1. Translate, fill in the iraab and analyze the following sentences, pointing out all the
,
as well as their type and
.
i.
iii.

iv.
ii.
38
Section 2.4.218
- Relative Pronouns
Definition: An
is an whose meaning/purpose is understood through the
.
sentence, which comes after it, which is called
An
cannot form a complete part of a sentence on its own. It must have a
, which is generally a , must have a
which relates (refers back) to it. The
is called .
(visible or hidden) referring to the
. This
Table 2.5
who, that, which

those two who, that, which
those who, that, which
Table 2.6
Examples
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
18
who, that, which

The one (masculine) who helped you, came.

The two (masculine) who helped you, came.
I saw the two (masculine) who hit you.
I met those (masculine) who helped me.
The one (feminine) who helped you, came.
The two (feminine) who helped you, came.
39
7.
8.
I saw the two (feminine) who hit you.

Those (feminine) who helped you, came.
Additional Relative Pronouns:

1. and ( that and who)
These are used for all genders and all numbers.

The difference is that is used for intelligent beings ( ) and is used for nonintelligent beings () .
e.g.
Show goodness to that person who has

shown goodness to you.
I read what you wrote.
2. and
They are generally and used in

.
has the meaning of .

e.g.

from which book
has the meaning of .
e.g.
which girl
and an , has the effect of .

3. , which appears before an

e.g.
would equal
would equal
would equal
4.
According to the dialect of the tribe , it is an

.
It is used for all genders and all numbers, without its form changing.
e.g.
equals
equals
equals
40
The one who hit you, came.

I saw the one who hit you.
I passed by the one who hit you.
Sentence Analysis:
That person whose father is knowledgeable, came.
+ =
EXERCISE

ii.
iii.
iv.
i.
41
Section 2.4.319
Demonstrative Pronouns
is that noun, which is used to point at something. These nouns are
Definition: An

of of two types.
: It is used for pointing at something near.
i.
ii.
: It is used for pointing at something far.
Table 2.7
this
these
two
these
two
these
that
those
two
those
two
those
Table 2.8
e.g.
19
this
these
two
these
two
these
that
those
two
those
two
those
that book
these women
those men
42
Notes:

1. In the case of
, for both masculine and feminine, the in the beginning is
. It is, in fact, a
not part of the actual
. However, it is so often used with

the
, that it is normally considered a part of them.
( ) is sometimes changed according to the number of persons being

2. The of

addressed. The meaning will not be affected.

e.g.

He is the Lord of both of you.
is a , then the
3. If the
will come after the

e.g.
this book of yours
occurs as a , then the will generally be a .

4. If the

This is a book.
should be added between the ,
However, if the
is also , then a suitable
, and the for it to remain a complete sentence.

which is an

e.g.
This is the book.

If no
is added, it would be an incomplete sentence.
e.g.
this book

e.g.
to be added between the and

5. If the
, then there will be no need for a
is a
the
.
e.g.
This is the son of the king.
. However, they do not have any special

6. or ( here) and
( there) are also
rules.
Sentence Analysis:
This pen is precious.

+
43
EXERCISE

ii.
iii.
iv.
i.
v.
vi.
44
1.
Section 2.4.420
Those Nouns Which Have the Meaning of Verbs

Definition: These are nouns that have the meaning of verbs but do not accept its signs.
, gives the noun after it a raf; and the one
That which has the meaning of

which has the meaning of
, gives the noun after it a nasb.
Table 2.9
Noun
Verb
Meaning
he/it became far, it is
far (from him)
same as above; and

what a difference,
there is a difference
Example

It is far from (beyond)
Zayd to do this.
What a difference there is

between the learned and
the ignorant!
between
he hastened
Zayd hastened.
Table 2.10
Noun
Verb
Meaning
Example
Give respite!
Leave!; Give up!
Take!
Hold on to (it)!;
(It is) incumbent on
you
Come!; Hasten!
20
Give Zayd respite.

Give up thinking about
that which does not
concern you.
Take the milk.
Hold on to my
Sunnah.
Come to salah.
For more examples and exercises, please refer to Ali al-Jaarim & Mustafa Ameen, al-Nahw al-Wadih li alMadaris al-Thanawiyyah, (Cairo: Dar al-Maarif, n.d.), vol. 1, 40-43.
45
Notes:
1. There are some other nouns which have the meaning of verbs. These are as follows:
accept)
come)
(
(

suffice)
(

( away from me)

(
keep quite)
( bring, give)
( bring him/it to me)
2. Some of these nouns are inflectable (

) , i.e. their form changes.
i.
e.g.
Say: bring your proof, if you are truthful.
ii.

e.g.

21

...

Say: O people of the book! Come to a word
e.g.

) (

Then, come, I will make provision for you and release you with
kindness.
Section 2.4.5
Those Nouns Which Denote a Sound

21
To denote a cough.
To denote pain.
To denote happiness, pleasure.
To make a camel sit.
To denote the cawing of a crow.
( until the end of the ayah).

is an abbreviation for
46
Section 2.4.622
Adverbs
Definition: An is that noun, which gives us an idea of the place or time when (or
where) some work is done. It is also called .

are of two kinds:
( adverb of time) and

( the adverb of place).
Adverbs of Time:
1.
(when)
even when it appears before .

It gives the meaning of

or a .
The sentence after could be a

e.g.
e.g.
raising the foundation of the House (Kaba).
Sometimes, it gives the meaning of suddenness )

( . This is called .
e.g.

Remember when you were less.
And when Ibrahim (Allah give him peace) was

I came out and suddenly the principal of
the school was watching.

). This is called .
Sometimes, it gives the meaning of because (
e.g.

) (

That you are together in punishment will never benefit you today because
you oppressed.
[This is according to one translation.]
2.
(when/if)

even when it appears before .
and but does not give either a .
or preferably a .
The sentence after could be a

e.g.
e.g.
22
...

I will come to you when the sun is up.

When the help of Allah comes...
The list of given in this section is by no means exhaustive. There are many more that should be studied
in advanced books of Nahw.
47
Sometimes, it gives the meaning of suddenness )

( , in which case must be
.
followed by a
e.g.
I came out and suddenly the dog was standing.
3.
(when)
It can be used as an interrogative )( .
e.g.
When will you travel?
When you fast, I will fast.
It can also be used as a conditional noun in which case the

and get a .
e.g.
4.
( how)
It is used to enquire condition.
e.g.
How are you? (In what condition are you?)

5.
(when)
It is used as an interrogative.
e.g.

When will be the day of recompense?
Note: is used only to enquire of great events of the future as compared to .
( yesterday)
6.

e.g.
Zayd came to me yesterday.
7. ( since, from)
These two can be used to convey the beginning of a time period.
e.g.

I have not seen him since Friday.
/

They can also be used to refer to an entire period.
/
e.g.
I have not seen him for two days.

These can be used as

( followed by a ) or as , which will be regarded

as a followed by a .
e.g.

/

/

I have not seen him since Friday.
48
8.
(not, never)
.
It is used to emphasize
e.g.
I never hit him.
9.
( never)
It is used to emphasize
.

e.g.
10.

I will never hit him.
(before)
(after)
They are when they are

and the
is not mentioned, but intended.
e.g.

)
(
Allahs is the decision before and after (i.e. before everything and after
everything).
e.g.

)

(
I have been present from before (i.e. before you).

e.g.
)
(
When will you come after (i.e. after this)?
is mentioned, they will be .

When the

e.g.
before the victory
Adverbs of Place:
1.
( where)
It is generally
to a sentence.
e.g.
2.

Sit where Zayd is sitting.
(in front of)
&
(behind)
It has the same rules as those for

and .
e.g.
)

(

The people stood in front and behind.

(i.e. in front of him and behind him).
49
3.
&
( on top, above)
( under)
It has the same rules as those for
and .
e.g.
)

(

Zayd sat under and Amr above. (i.e. under the tree and above the tree.)
4.
(by, at, near, with)

The money is with Zayd.
Note: will get a kasrah if it is preceded by .

e.g.
from Allah
e.g.
5. /( where)
They are used for .
e.g.

Where are you going?
They are used for

( and will get a ) .
e.g.
Where you sit, I will sit.
6. /( at, by, near, with (same meaning as )) .

e.g.
The money is with Zayd.

from the All-Wise, All-Knowing
is generally preceded by .
When used in the meaning of possession (with), the difference between /
and is that in the case of / , the possessed thing must be present with the
person; whereas, in the case of , the possessed thing need not be present with
the person.
Note: That adverb which is and is
to a sentence or the word , could be
.
or it could get the iraab according to the
e.g.
the adverb which is

in the following ayahs:
and

This is the day when the truth of the truthful will benefit them.
and
faces on that day
50
EXERCISE
in them. Also identify 1. Translate the follows ayahs of the Quran and identify the

whether they are from among
or
.

51
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
vii.
viii.
ix.
x.
Section 2.4.7
Those Nouns Which Indicate an Unspecified Quantity

1. ( so many, so much, how many, how much)
They can be used for numbers

e.g.

How many silver coins do you have?
e.g.
I took this many silver coins.
He said to me such and such.
is also used in the meaning of such and such.

e.g.
2.

( so and so, such and such)
e.g.
e.g.

or

or

Section 2.4.8
Numerical Phrase
This has been discussed earlier. Please, refer to section 1.4.3.
52
I said such and such.

I did such and such.
Section 2.5
Types of Declinable Nouns

These are of two types:
1.
Definition: It is that noun which does not have two causes from amongst the nine causes

that prevent declension (
) or one such cause, which is equivalent to two.

It accepts all harakaat as well as tanween.
2.
Definition: It is that noun which has two causes from amongst the nine causes that

prevent declension (
) or one such cause, which is equivalent to two.

Such a noun does not accept a kasrah and never gets a tanween. In
, it gets a
fathah in place of a kasrah.
23
There are nine reasons/causes which prevent iraab changes. Each one of these has its own
conditions, which must exist for it to be a cause. The nine causes are as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

6.
7.
8.
9.

1. :
It refers to the case when a noun gives up its original form to assume a new form.
is of two types:
: It refers to the case when a noun has an original.
i.

e.g.
In the case of
( three and three together), the original is .
ii. :
It refers to the case when it is assumed that a noun had an original because
it is used as
by the Arabs.
e.g.
The Arabs use as

. However, there is only one apparent cause,
. Therefore, in order to keep the grammar rule intact, it is assumed that the
.
second reason is , and the original for is
23
This discussion is based upon Hidayat al-Nahw. It is presented in an entirely different manner in al-Nahw alWadih. See al-Nahw al-Wadih, Ibdtidaiyyah, vol. 3, 125-133.
53
24
2.
/
: There can be two cases when a noun, which is a , would be ghayr munsarif.
These are as follows:
was originally devised to give a descriptive ( ) meaning. If such a is
i. The
on the wazn of () , and does not accept taa for its , it will be ghayr munsarif.

red

green
has
. Its conditions are given below in (7).
ii. The

e.g.
3. : It refers to the case when a noun is a proper noun (name of a person, place or thing).

e.g.
female name

name of a region in Yemen
4. : It refers to the case when a noun is such a feminine proper noun, which has one of
the following characteristics:
i. It ends with a round . For example,
25

ii. It does not end with a round and has more then three letters. For example,
.
iii. It is a non-Arabic three-letter word and the middle letter is

.
. For example,
Note:
All nouns ending in

( ) or

() are feminine.

e.g.
pregnant
red
Presence of
( ) or

() is equivalent to two reasons.

5.
It refers to the case when a word, which is a proper noun in a non-Arabic language,
:
has either
more than three letters

e.g.

or
has three letters and the middle letter is
.
( name of a fort)
Thus, is munsarif because its middle letter is not
.
24
Sharh ibn Aqil, vol. 3, 322-324.
25
Even though
e.g.
is a masculine proper noun, it is considered a feminine noun because of the presence of a
round . For more discussion on the subject, see Section 3.4.
54
Note: The difference between and

is that
is a feminine noun because of
it being the name of a country, while is not a feminine noun. Thus,

is
ghayr munsarif because of and , while is munsarif because it only has .
does not apply to either.
6. : It refers to the case when a word is a combination of two words. This word must be
an .
e.g.
name of a city in Lebanon

name of a region in Yemen
: It refers to the case when a noun ends with an and )

( and one of
7.
the following is true:

i.
The and appear at the end of such a noun which is an ( proper noun).
e.g.
Note: Thus, the word

(grass) is not ghayr munsarif because it is not a proper
ii.
noun.
whose feminine is not on the
The and appear at the end of such a
of .
26
e.g.
27 thirsty
intoxicated
Their feminines are not on the of .
Note: Thus, the word is not ghayr munsarif because its feminine ) ( is on
the wazn of .
) but are part of the original letters

If the and are not extra or added (i.e. not
of the word, then it will not be ghayr munsarif. For example, .
is mainly used as ghayr munsarif (without tanween), and is sometimes used as munsarif (with tanween).
The reason is that it has two feminines. The main feminine is
, which requires that the masculine be ghayr
munsarif (
) . However, in the dialect of Banu Asad, the feminine is . This requires that the masculine
be munsarif (
) . See E. W. Lane, An Arabic-English Lexicon, (Beirut: Librairie du Liban, 1968), book I, part
26
4, 1391.
is interchangeably used as munsarif (with tanween) and ghayr munsarif (without tanween). The reason
is that it has two feminines. One is , and the other is
. Considering the first, it becomes ghayr
munsarif (
;) and considering the second, it becomes munsarif () . See Lane, book I, part 5, 2079.
27
55

8. : It refers to the case when a proper noun ) ( is on the wazn of a or when a
is on the wazn of .

You are not more advanced/ahead than Ahmad.

Here, is an and is on the wazn of the verb

is a and
, and
is on the wazn of the verb . Therefore, these two are ghayr munsarif.
e.g.

Yazeed came.
Here, is an and is on the wazn of the verb
.
e.g.
9.
: It is that plural, which has after the

( alif of plural) one of the
following:
two
letters.
i.
e.g.
one
letter.
ii.
e.g.
three letters, the middle letter being

.
iii.
e.g.
mosques

animals
keys
Note:
If any of the above words ends with a round , it will not be ghayr munsarif.
polishers

is equivalent to two reasons/causes.
e.g.
General Note: A ghayr munsarif noun will get a kasrah in

in the following cases:
when it is
.
when it has before it.
I prayed in their mosques.

e.g.

e.g.

I went to the graves.
EXERCISES
1.
Mention with reason why the following words are munsarif or ghayr munsarif.
i.
v.
28
ii.
vi.
iii.
vii.
iv.
viii. 29
28
This is the name of a major Hanafi Imam. It is non-Arabic in origin and is pronounced with a dammah on
the first letter and a fathah on the second letter.
29
Its main feminine is

. In the dialect of Banu Asad, its feminine is
. See Lane, book I, part 6, 2265.
56
2. Translate, fill in the iraab and point out with reason the words which are ghayr munsarif.
i.
ii.
... iii.
iv.
... v.
vi.
... vii.
() viii.
57
Section 2.6
Iraab of the Various Types of Murab Nouns

We begin this section by defining some terms. Then, we will outline the iraab of each of the
various types of murab nouns.
: It is that noun, which does not end with any of the

( ) .
e.g.
man
: It is that noun, which ends with a or preceded by a .
bucket

deer
: These are six nouns, which are not in their diminutive form )
( . These
e.g.
are as follows:
father
brother
brother-in-law
( plural: )
mouth
something insignificant
someone who possesses something
.
: It is that noun, which ends with an
()

e.g.
: It is that noun which ends with a preceded by a kasrah.

e.g.

the judge
Note: It should be remembered that the is visible in an when it is .
, the is not visible, e.g.
, it
When it is
becomes . However, in
( I saw a judge).
does become visible, e.g.

Before we list the iraab of each of the various types of murab nouns in a table, it
would be useful to remember that a simple method of illustrating different iraab is to make
three sentences on the following pattern:
Zayd came.
I saw Zayd.
I passed by Zayd.
In these three sentences, the word is displaying the different iraab according to the
changing state (
, and a fathah in
, and a
). Thus, it has a dammah in
kasrah in
.
58
Table 2.11
hidden
hidden
hidden
b. When
to
c. when not

hidden
hidden
hidden
hidden
hidden
hidden
hidden
hidden
hidden
hidden
Examples for Each State

30

Noun Type
32
a. When
to
any noun besides
dameer.31 the
dameer. the
) (masculine
) (feminine
) (masculine
) (feminine
)

(
I said to some men.

For example, it is dropped in the
dameer.
is dropped when it is of The

to any noun besides the
30
31
followng hadith: ...

) (Whatever you put in the mouth of your wife
59
Both of them.
32
Table 2.11 Continued

Noun Type
hidden

33
34

(plural of )
)
(
Examples for Each State
EXERCISE35
1.
Translate, fill in the iraab and identify which rule from among those given in Table
2.11, is applicable.
i.

ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
vii.
was originally . First, the was dropped because of

. It became
. Then, the was
changed to a and the two were joined according to the following morphological )
( rule: when a and a
appear together and the first is

, then the is changed to a , and the two are joined (this is called ) ,
and the dammah before the is changed into a kasrah. Thus, it became
.
34
was originally
. It became
. Then, the two
. First, the was dropped because of
were joined () . Thus, it became
.
33
35
For more exercises, refer to al-Nahw al-Wadih, Ibtidaiyyah, vol. 2, 13-51 & 83-94.
60
CHAPTER 3
Further Discussion of Nouns
Section 3.1
Relative Adjective
Definition: It is that noun, which shows something or someone to be related to it.
e.g.

someone or something from Baghdad
an expert in morphology
an expert in Arabic grammar
someone or something from India
Rules of Forming :
To show this relation, a )

( preceded by a kasrah is added at the end of the
noun after affecting the following changes, if needed:
, then ()
1. If a three-letter or a four-letter noun ends with an
()

should be changed to a .
e.g.
becomes
e.g.
becomes
becomes
would remain as is.
should be dropped.
Note: In the case of a five-letter noun, the
()

2. If a noun ends with an

() , then the should be changed to a .
e.g.
3. That noun which already ends with a does not require

.
e.g.
4. The round at the end of a noun should be dropped.

e.g.
becomes
becomes
5. The round and of a noun, which appears on the of and should be

dropped.
e.g.

becomes

becomes

61
6. In case of the noun, which appears on the of and ends with a , the first should
be changed to a preceded by a fathah, and the second should be dropped.
e.g.
( )
becomes
7. If the fourth letter of a noun is a preceded by a kasrah, then the can be dropped or it
can be changed to a .
e.g.
becomes
or
8. If an original letter from the end of a noun was dropped, it should first be brought back,
and then, the relative adjective should be made.
e.g.
( originally )
( originally )
( originally )
becomes
becomes
becomes
9. Some words do not follow any particular rule. They are based on usage.
e.g.

becomes

becomes
EXERCISE
1. Form the relative adjective from the following words.
i.
iv.
ii.
v.
iii.
62
Section 3.2
Diminutive Noun
Definition: It is that noun, which is used to express the diminutive form of a noun.
Sometimes, the purpose is to show affection or contempt.
Rules:
1. A three-letter noun would come on the wazn of ( or for feminine).
e.g.
becomes
becomes
( a little man)
( a little slave)
2. A four-letter noun would come on the wazn of .
e.g.
becomes
3. A five-letter noun, without a , or as the fourth, would also come on the wazn of .
The fifth letter would be dropped.
e.g.
( name of a plant)
becomes
A five-letter noun, having a , or as the fourth letter, would come on the scale of .
( paper)
e.g.
becomes
Notes:
1. In the diminutive form, the hidden of a becomes apparent.
e.g.
becomes
2. In the diminutive form, the last letter of a noun which has been dropped becomes
apparent.
e.g.
(originally )
becomes

( was originally , and underwent a morphological process to become )
EXERCISE
1. Form the diminutive noun from the following words.
i.
iv.
iii.
vi.
ii.
v.
63
Section 3.3
Definite and Common Nouns

( common noun): It is that noun, which denotes something unspecified.
e.g.
a man
( definite noun): It is that noun which denotes something specific. There are seven types
of .
1.
: It is a personal pronoun. It has been discussed earlier in Section 2.4.1.
2. : It is a proper noun, i.e. the name of a specific person, place or thing.
e.g.
: It is the demonstrative pronoun. It has been discussed earlier in section 2.4.3.

3.

4.
: It is the relative pronoun. It has been discussed earlier in Section 2.4.2.

5.
: It is that noun, which has ( definite particle) at the beginning.
e.g.
the man
6. That common noun ) (which is mudaaf to any of the above five definite nouns.
e.g.
7. : It is the vocative noun, i.e. that noun, which appears after a

.
e.g.

EXERCISE
1. Which of the following words are marifah (state what type) and which are nakirah.
i.
v.
ii.
vi.
iii.
vii.
iv.
viii.
64
Section 3.4
Masculine and Feminine Noun

- Masculine Noun: It is that noun, which does not have any sign from amongst the
( .
signs of femininity )

- Feminine Noun: It is that noun, which has a sign from amongst the signs of
femininity. This sign could be apparent or hidden.
: The signs of being feminine are of two types:

1. ( in words): It is that sign, which is visible in words. These signs are of the
following three types:
: This renders the word

even if the appears in a masculine proper
noun.
e.g.

( a masculine proper noun)

e.g.

()

e.g.

()
If a word has any of these three signs it will be

.
2. ( assumed): It is that sign, which is not visible in words and is assumed to exist.
This is determined by looking at the diminutive form )
( of a particular word.
This reveals the original letters of the word.
e.g.
The diminutive form is

.
. Therefore, it is
The diminutive form is

.
. Therefore, it is
Based on the signs of femininity being or ,

is of two types:
1.
( according to rule): It is that feminine noun, which has a sign of
femininity.
2.
( according to usage): It is that feminine noun, which has a sign of
femininity.
In terms of ( essence),
is of two types:
1.
: It is that feminine noun, which has an opposite masculine.
e.g.
( woman). Its masculine is ( man).
2. : It is that feminine noun, which does not have an opposite masculine.

e.g.
( darkness)
( spring)
65
Notes:
1. The following are used as feminine )( :
a.
Name of females.
e.g.
b.
c.
e.
f.
g.
Words denoting the feminine gender.

e.g.
Names of countries, cities, towns and tribes.

e.g.
d.
Parts of the body found in pairs.

e.g.
Note: There are exceptions to the rule.

(cheek), ( eyebrow) etc. are
masculine.
Names of various types of winds.
e.g.
Various names of Jahannam (hell).

e.g.

( are generally used as . They can also be used

Letters of the alphabet )

as masculine.
e.g.
..
2. There are some words that Arabs use as feminine without regard to the presence or absence
of signs of femininity. Examples include the following:
(bucket)
( tillage/field)

(well)
(self)
(fire)
66
(house)
Section 3.5
Singular, Dual and Plural

Singular: It is that noun, which denotes one.
e.g.

one man
Dual: It is that noun, which denotes two. It is formed by placing at the end of a
(one of the following:
singular )
[for
An preceded by a fathah and followed by a with a kasrah i.e. ]

.
)
(
e.g.

two men
A preceded by a fathah and followed by a with a kasrah i.e. ] [ for

. )(

e.g.
two men
Plural: It is that noun, which denotes more than two.

e.g.

men
Note: The of and is dropped in case of
.
e.g.
but the was dropped due to

(Originally,
.)
(Originally,
.)

(Originally,
.)
(Originally, but the was dropped due to
.)
EXERCISE
1. Translate the following into Arabic.
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
The boys two bicycles.

The farmers two servants.
Your parents came.
I saw your parents.
The servants of deen.
The teachers of the school.
67
Section 3.6
Types of Plural
does not
Sound Plural: It is that plural whose ( letter sequence/form) of
change, when its plural is made. In other words, the singular letter sequence does not break.
e.g.

(singular
)
:

1.
2.
Masculine Sound Plural: It is formed by adding at the end of a singular
) ( one of the following:
A preceded by a dammah and followed by a with a fathah i.e. ] [ for

. )
(
e.g.

A preceded by a kasrah and followed by a with a fathah i.e. [ ] for

. )(
e.g.

Feminine Sound Plural: It is formed by discarding the round and
adding at the end of a singular, one of the following:
An preceded by a fathah and followed by a madmoom long i.e. ] [for

. )
(
e.g.

An preceded by a fathah and followed by a maksoor long i.e. ] [for

. )
(
e.g.

Broken Plural: It is that plural whose ( the singular letter sequence/form) of

changes, when its plural is made. In other words, the singular letter sequence breaks.
e.g.

(singular
)
68
Restricted Plural: It is that plural, which denotes a number from three to ten. It has
four common .
Table 3.1

Wazn
Examples
Meaning
Singular
self
statement
food
boy
Plural
Note: The masculine and feminine sound plural, which is not preceded by an is also
considered .
e.g.
intelligent males
intelligent females
Unrestricted Plural: It is that plural, which denotes a number from ten upwards.
Some of the common are given below.
Table 3.2

Wazn
Examples
Meaning
Singular
slave
knowledgeable
prophet
messenger
star
servant
patient
student
group/sect
boy
69
Plural
Note: The masculine and feminine sound plural which is preceded by an is also
considered as .
e.g.
Plural of a Plural: It is the plural of a plural. Sometimes, it appears on the wazn

. Every plural does not have a plural.
of
and sometimes on the wazn of

Some examples of plurals, which have a plural are given below.
Table 3.3
Singular
Meaning
Plural
Plural of Plural
blessing
nail
house
well-qualified
: It is that plural, which has after the

( alif of plural), one of the following:
two
letters.
e.g.
one
letter.
e.g.
three letters, the middle one being

.
e.g.
( the original being

)

Some of the common wazns of

are given below:
Table 3.4

Wazn
Examples
Meaning
Singular
mosque
key
rule/maxim
message/letter
elder
70
Plural
Collective Noun:36 It is a singular noun, which gives a plural meaning. Generally,

it does not have a singular from the same word.
e.g.

nation
group
Note:
1. These words have plurals.
e.g.

2. In usage, if the word is considered, it will be used as a singular noun.

e.g.
The people are present.

If its meaning is considered (as is commonly done), it will be used as a plural noun.
e.g.
righteous people
Notes:
1. Some plurals do not have the same root letters as their singulars.
e.g.

(woman)

(the one who possesses something)

2. Some plurals are not according to rule )
( .
e.g.
(mother)
(mouth)
(water)
(human being)
(goat/sheep)
). Because of
Generic Noun:37 It is that noun, which is devised for an essence (
that, it refers to an entire genus (category/class). Generally, its singular has a (). For example,
refers to trees. Its singular is ( a tree).

refers to date-palm trees. Its singular is ( a date-palm tree).
36
For more details, please refer to Abd al-Ghaniyy al-Daqr, Mujam al-Qawaid al-Arabiyyah fi al-Nahw wa alTasreef, (Damascus: Dar al-Qalam, 1986), 36.
37
For more details, please refer to Mujam al-Qawaid al-Arabiyyah, 36.
71
EXERCISE
1. What type of plurals are the following?
i.
iv.
vii.
ii.
v.
viii.
72
iii.
vi.
ix.
Section 3.7
- Words That Are Always Marfoo

There are eight words that are always in the state of . These are as follows:

1.
2.
3.
4.

8.

5.
6.
7.

Some of these have been discussed before. ( subject) and
(predicate) were
was
discussed in Section 1.4.1,
was discussed in Section 1.8, and

discussed in Section 1.9. We discuss the rest below.

Section 3.7.1
Subject/Doer
Definition: It is the doer of the action or of the meaning contained in the verb.
( i.e. visible in words after the
can either be a personal pronoun or an
The
) . We have discussed personal pronouns before in Section 2.4.1. Now, we will

.
discuss what the should be for various types of
Table 3.5
If the is
Then the will be
Example
and there is

no word between the
.
and the
and its singularity,

2.

-

duality, or plurality will

1.
be according to the
preceding noun that it
refers to.
and there is

or
a word between the and
.
the
or

4.

or

5.

3.
73

or
or

or

Table 3.5 Continued

If the is
Then the will be
beside the
corresponding in
6. any
above five categories

gender
7.
and its singularity,
8.

or
duality, or plurality will

be according to the
preceding noun that it
refers to
Example

or

EXERCISE
1. Fill in a suitable in the spaces below.
i.
_______
ii.
_______/_______
iii. _______
v.
_______ /_______
vi. _______ /_______
iv.
_______/_______
74
Section 3.7.2
Substitute of /
(passive voice). The original of a
is
Definition: It is that noun, which is the

) or (substitute of
subsitutes it. This is why, it is called dropped and the
is not mentioned). whose of such a (the

e.g.

)Zayd was hit. (The doer is not known/mentioned.

usage rules apply as mentioned above in Table 3.5.
The same
e.g.
1.

2.

or
3.

4.

or

or
5.

6.

or
or
or
or 7.

8.
or

Sentence Analysis:
The door was opened.
EXERCISE
.
1. Convert the following to
with its
i.
iii.
iv.
iii.
ii.
.
2. Convert the following to

i.

ii.
iv.

75
Section 3.7.338
The Noun of Those and , Which Are Similar to
It means that and have the same meaning and effect ( ) as .
e.g.

Zayd is not standing.
No man is more virtuous than you.

Like , sometimes, an extra baa ( ) is added before the
.
e.g.

I am not a reader/I cannot read.
The effect of and will be cancelled if any of the following occurs:
i.
When the
appears before the .
e.g.

ii. The word appears before the
negating the negative meaning of and .
e.g.

And Muhammad is not but a messenger./
iii.
And Muhammad is only a messenger.

[Allah bless him and give him peace]
If the and/or
of is not . ( can appear before a or a )
e.g.
38
The city is not big.
For more details, examples and exercises, please refer to al-Nahw al-Wadih, Thanawiyyah, vol. 1, 95-102.
76
Section 3.7.439
The of That Which Negates an Entire ( Category/Class)
gives its a single fathah and its

a dammah when the and the are .
e.g.

No man is standing.
Table 3.6
Different Forms of the Noun of and Its Iraab
If the of is
1.
Then it will be
Explanation
Example
40
or

There is no servant of
a man in the house.
2.
3.
No one who attempts

to do good is
blameworthy.
There is no man in
the house.
- The has to be
repeated with
another .
Neither is Zayd in the

house nor Amr.
- The effect of
4.
5.
is cancelled.
with a word
between it and
- The has to be
repeated.
- The effect of
is cancelled.
and repeated
with
no
between them
word
39
Neither is there a
man in it nor a
woman.
41
It refers to the case when a word is connected to another word, which completes its meaning, in the same way
that mudaaf and mudaaf ilayhi are connected to one another.
41
There is no power (to do good) and there is no power (to stay away from evil)[except with Allahs help].
40
77
Note: The
of may be omitted when the meaning is understood.
e.g.
i.e.
There is no harm upon you. / No

problem.
EXERCISE
1. Translate, fill in the iraab and point out the rule which applies.
i.
v.
ii.
vi.
iii.

iv.
vii.
viii.
78
Section 3.8
Words Which Are Always Mansoob42

1.
7.
2.
3.
8.
known as

4.
5.
9.
10.
11.
6.
12.
Of these, 8,9,10 and 11 have been discussed before. Here, we will discuss the remaining.
Section 3.8.1
Object
takes place.
Definition: It is that word on which the action of the
e.g.
Khalid drank water.
Sometimes, the verb governing the is dropped as in the following:

a. ( the one being called):43
e.g.
O son of Zayd!
) (

It was originally )( . The verb was dropped.
Note:
The
( vocative particle) substitutes the omitted verb.
Some of the vocative particles are as follows:

and
These are used when the is near.
and
These are used when the is far.

This is used for both (near and far).
42
There are exceptions to the rule. Mustathnaa, for example, is not always mansoob. It is still mentioned under
this category because most of the time, it is mansoob.
43
For more details, examples and exercises, please refer to al-Nahw al-Wadih, Ibtidaiyyah, vol. 3, 120-124.
79
Table 3.7
Rules Governing the Iraab of the
Then it will
be
If the is
Example

44
2.
3.

( masculine) or ( feminine) has to be

added between the
and .

O man! O woman!
1.
(Unspecified nakirah)
4.
(Specified nakirah)
5.
(Singular marifah)
6.
O son of Zayd!

O reader of a book!

! O man! Take my hand. (call
of a blind man to any person

for assisstance)
O man!
O Zayd!
( abbreviation) is allowed in munaadaa.
e.g.
or
can become

can become

Note: The last letter can be given a dammah or it can retain its original harakah.
b.
: This is said to ones guest for welcoming him/her.
Its original is

, which means You have come to your own people

and have trampled comfortable ground. In other words, you are welcome. Here
two verbs,
and
have been dropped.
c. Sometimes, when warning someone, the verb governing the is dropped due to
context. Examples include the following:
is used instead of to give the same meaning, which is

has been dropped.
Beware of the road! Here, the verb
to give the same meaning, which

is used instead of

is Save yourself from the lion.
44

This is another term for
As mentioned earlier, it is similar to mudaaf in meaning.
80
Section 3.8.245
Definition: It is the masdar of the verb that governs it and is used for the following:
( emphasis)
e.g.

I beat him severely.

( description of type) e.g.
I sat like a Qari would
( number of times)
I hit him twice.
sit.
e.g.
Note: Sometimes, the verb governing is dropped because of context. For example,
. Originally, it was
, which means You came a good coming.
Here, the verb

, and , which is the , have been dropped because of context.
of the , which is , remains.
Only the

Section 3.8.346
/
Definition: It is that noun, which explains the reason for the action taking place. Generally, it
is a masdar.
e.g.

I beat/hit him to teach (him) manners.
Section 3.8.447
Definition: It is that noun, which appears after such a , which has the meaning of ( with).
This is known as .
e.g.
45
Zayd came with the book.

I came with Zayd.
For more details, examples, and exercises, please refer to al-Nahw al-Wadih, Ibtidaiyyah, vol. 2, 156-160. For
additional types of
, with accompanying examples
and exercises, please refer to al-Nahw al-Wadih,
Thanawiyyah, vol. 1, 127-130.

46
47
81
Section 3.8.5
/
Definition: It is that noun, which denotes the time ) ( or place ) ( in which an action
took place.
e.g.

I travelled for a month.

Both types of , namely, and are of two types:
( limited, restricted)
and ( unlimited, unrestricted).

Types of

( limited, restricted): for example,

day
e.g.

night
e.g.

month
e.g.

year
e.g.

i.
ii.
I fasted for one day.

I worked for one night.
I fasted for a month.
I travelled for a year.
( unlimited, unrestricted): for example,

long period of time
e.g.

I fasted for a long time.

some time (could be short or long period of time)

e.g.

Nuh (peace be upon him) called his people for some time.

Types of

( limited, restricted):
e.g.

e.g.

i.
ii.
( unlimited, unrestricted):
behind
e.g.

in front of
e.g.
I prayed in the mosque.

I sat in the house.
I sat behind him.

I stood in front of him.
Note: In the case of )

( , the preposition is mentioned in words; while in the
case of ( ) , it is assumed to exist () .
82
The above-mentioned five mafools have been combined in one verse, which is as
follows:
I praised Haamid a lot, with Hameed,

out of regard for thanking him, for an extended period of time.
Sentence Analysis:
1.
=
+

=
+

= 2.
=

|
|
) +
(
EXERCISE
in the following sentences. 1. Translate, fill in the iraab and identify the type of
viii.
ix.
x.
xi.
xii.
xiii.
xiv.
83
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
vii.
Section 3.8.648
State / Condition
or the or both at
Definition: It is a noun, which describes the condition of either the

the time the action contained in the verb takes place.
e.g.
Zayd came while mounted/riding.
I came to Zayd while he was sleeping.

I spoke to Zayd while both of us were sitting.
Notes:
1. The condition itself is known as
, whereas the one whose condition is being

described is known as
.
2. The
, which is generally in the form of two fathahs.
gets a

3. The
is generally and the is generally .
e.g.

Zayd came riding/while he was mounted.

.
4. If the
is , the is brought before the
e.g.
.

5. The
can be a
e.g.

A man came to me riding/while he was

mounted.
Zayd ate sitting.
in .

Here, the
is , which is the hidden
6. The
can be a sentence.
) is added to give the

If the
is a , then a ( with or without a

meaning of condition.
e.g.

Dont come near salah while you are

intoxicated.
If the
is a and the is , has to appear before the
.
e.g.
48
Zayd came while his servant had left.
84
Sentence Analysis:
Zayd came riding/while he was mounted.
2.

I came to Amr while he was asleep.
I met Bakr while he was sitting.
+

( +
) +
3.

Zayd ate while sitting.

( )

|

( ) +

1.
=
=
85
4.

EXERCISE
in the following sentences.
1. Translate, fill in the iraab and point out the
and

vi.
vii.
viii.
ix.
x.
86
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
Section 3.8.749
/
, which removes the ambiguity or vagueness created by the previous
Definition: It is an
noun. This ambiguity may be in distance, weight, measure, number, etc.

e.g.

I saw eleven stars.

Here, the word ( ) clarifies what (
) refers to.
Sentence Analysis:
Notes:
The ambiguous noun is called and the noun which clarifies it is called or
The is mansoob and gets two fathahs.
Sometimes, the is not mentioned in words but is understood from the

meaning of the sentence )
( .
e.g.
The boy is good in terms of (his) speech.
If the is a number, the rules with regards to the usage of numerals (on the
next page) must be kept in mind.
EXERCISE
1. Translate, fill in the iraab and point out the and in the following sentences.
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
49

vi.
vii.
viii.
v.
87
Rules for ( Numerals)

Before we proceed, it should be pointed out that
( number) is the
and
( the counted noun) is the .
One and two (1-2)
The will appear first and the will appear second.
The and the must correspond in all aspects.

e.g.
one boy
one girl
,
Note: Normally, for one or two boy, girl, men etc., one would simply say or
etc. However, at times, the number is used for emphasis.

Three Through Ten (3-10)
From three onwards, the will appear first and the second.
The will be
.
The and the must be of opposite gender.

e.g.
three pens
five cars
Note: In choosing the correct gender, the singular form of the will be taken
into account.
e.g.

seven nights and eight days
Here, the singular ( night) of is feminine, and ( day) of is masculine.
For ten, the masculine form is

, and the feminine form is .
Eleven and Twelve (11-12)
From eleven onwards till 99, the will be

.
The and the must have the same gender.
eleven stars

twelve girls
From 1119, the of / will get a fathah when used with a masculine and a
e.g.
sukoon when used with a feminine.50

50
For feminine, the form
is also used. See W. Wright, Arabic Grammar, (Mineola, NY: Dover
Publications, 2005), Part 1, 256. Also see Sharh ibn Aqil, vol. 4, 71.
88
Thirteen Through Nineteen (13-19)
The will be
.
The gender of the first part of the should be opposite of the gender of the .
fourteen men
nineteen girls
The ten ( masc.)/( fem.) will agree with the in terms of gender.
e.g.
Twenty Till Ninety (21, 31, 41,,91)
The will be
.
The gender of
to ( 21,31,41,91) will remain the same, irrespective of
whether the is masculine or feminine.
e.g.
twenty men
thirty girls
Twenty-one and Twenty-two (21-22)
The will be
.
The first part of the and the must have the same gender.
e.g.
twenty-one men
twenty-one girls
The same will apply to 31-32, 41-4291-92.
Twenty-three Through Twenty-nine (23-29)
The will be
.
The gender of the first part of the should be opposite of the gender of the .
e.g.
twenty-four men
twenty-six girls
The same will apply to 33-39, 43-4993-99.

The tens will remain the same, irrespective of whether the is masculine or
feminine.
89
Hundred (100)
.
The will be

will remain the same, irrespective of whether the is masculine or feminine.

e.g.

hundred men

hundred girls
For 200, will be used. ( in

)
e.g.

two hundred girls

two hundred girls
Since is feminine, the number before will be masculine.
e.g.

four hundred men

four hundred women
If there are units and tens with the 100s as well, their respective gender rules will.
e.g.
hundred and ten books

hundred and forty-five note-books
Thousand (1,000)
.
The will be


e.g.

thousand men

thousand girls

Since is masculine, the number before will be feminine.

e.g.

four thousand men

four thousand women

.
Note: The plural for is
Million (1,000,000)
.
The will be


e.g.

million men

million girls
Since is masculine, the number before will be feminine.
e.g.

four million men

four million women

Note: The plural for is
.
90
EXERCISES
1. Write the following in Arabic.
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
2 schools
12 women
17 doors
21 cars
150 houses
444 miles
vii.
viii.
ix.
x.
xi.
xii.
11 books
14 chairs
26 boys
111 elephants
195 keys
3,333 roses
2. Translate the following sentences and fill in the iraab.

i.

vi.
vii.
viii.
v.
ii.
iii.
iv.
91
Section 3.8.851

means to exclude.

is that noun, which has been excluded and appears after the
.
is that noun from which the has been excluded. It appears before

are as follows:

e.g.


+
+
=
Related Terminology
refers to the case when the

was included in the before the .
e.g.
(Zayd was one of the people before the exclusion.)
refers to the case when the

was not included in the before the
e.g.
The angels prostrated except Iblees.
The people came except the donkey.
(Iblees was never one of the angels.)
(Donkey was never included among the people.)
refers to that sentence in which the

is not mentioned.
e.g.
No one came except Zayd.
refers to that sentence in which the is mentioned.

e.g.

51
92
/ ( positive statement) refers to that sentence, which does not have a ,

or .
e.g.

/ ( negative sentence) refers to that sentence, which does have a ,
or .
e.g.

The people did not come except Zayd.
The iraab of the various types of
are as given below:
Table 3.8
1.

2.
3.
4.
Sentence Type
Example
The angels prostrated

except Iblees.
The people came to me
except zayd.

or
same as

No one came to me
except Zayd.
according to the
governing
( as if
does not exist)
No one came except

Zayd.
I did not see anyone

except Zayd.
I did not pass by

anyone except Zayd.
5.

All types
The people came

except Zayd.
93
Table 3.8 Continued
6.
Sentence Type
All types

or
( as a

/

/

/

/
preposition)
7.
All types
Example
The people came except

Zayd.
The people came except

Zayd.
Note: The iraab of the word is the same as that of
. Thus, the simple way to
determine the iraab of is to replace with . Now, whatever iraab
was supposed
to get, should be given to .
For example, we have two sentences, 1)

and 2) .
To determine the iraab of , follow the following two steps for each of these
sentences.
a. Replace with and see what the iraab of the
would be.
1)
2)

The first sentence is
, so the will be mansoob. The second sentence
is
and , so the is according to the aamil. Thus, it will be
marfoo.
b. The iraab of the

( with )will be given to .
1)
2)

EXERCISES
1. Translate, fill in the iraab and explain the iraab of the mustathnaa.

ii.
iii.
iv.
i.
v.
vi.
vii.
viii.
94
Section 3.952
Words Which Are Always Majroor

There are two types of words that are always majroor. These are as follows:
1. Noun preceded by a
.

e.g.
in the book
e.g.
book of Zayd
2.

52
95
Section 3.10

Definition: A is that noun, which follows the noun before it in terms of iraab (and some
other things which vary from to ). The preceding noun is called the .
which governs the also governs the .

The

There are five :
1) /

4)
/

2)
/
3)

5)

Section 3.10.153
Adjective54
1)
/
is of two types:
2)
1.
: It is that word, which describes the actual .
As mentioned in section 1.4.3, the follows the , which is the in this
case, in the following:
a. Iraab
c. Being marifah or nakirah
b. Gender
d. Being singular, dual or plural
.
The can be a complete sentence, in which case the must be
The , which is a sentence must have a

which refers to the .
e.g.
A boy who was riding the bicycle came to me.

+ )(
+

53
54

+ +
is another name for ; and is another name for

.
96
Note:
If a is followed by a sentence, it will be a

or .
Example 1
Example 2

The boy is riding the bicycle.

Here, ( ) is , and (

)is the .

The boy came to me while riding the bicycle.

Here, ( ) is
, and (

)is the .
Sentence Analysis

1.

A learned man came.

) (+
=

2.

) (
A man whose father is learned, came.
)= (
)

(
) (
=
) (
2.
: It is that word, which does not describe the , but describes that which is
connected to the .
e.g.
A boy whose father is learned, came to me.

is describing , which is connected to the )( . In
Here,

other words, it is describing the indirectly.
Notes:
1. In
, the and must correspond in only two aspects:
a. Iraab
b. Being marifah or nakirah
97
2.
The will always be singular, irrespective of whether the is singular, dual

or plural.

e.g.

These are two pictures whose frames are beautiful.

3.
The will correspond in gender to the word after it.
e.g.
The lady, whose son is intelligent, came.
Sentence Analysis:

1.

A woman whose son is learned, came.
|
)

(

+
=
) (
=
) (
is the of . Because of , it is marfoo and .

Note: In this example,

However, it follows , or more precisely , in being masculine.55
EXERCISE
and the in the following
sentences.
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
55
v.
vi.
vii.
viii.
There seems to be a contradiction between the sentence analysis and the note given above for
All
the books of Nahw that we referred to, including Ilm al-Nahw, al-Nahw al-Wadih, and Sharh ibn Aqil, agree
is the . Yet, in Ilm al-Nahw, the author, Mawlana Charthawali, after
explaining the rules for

, has given this example of sentence analysis, in which he makes the
of . This suggests that there can be two ways of looking at this.
that in this example, only
98
2. Analyze the following sentences and and point out the difference between them.
i.
ii.
iii.
99
Section 3.10.256
/ Emphasis
Definition: It is that , which gives emphasis to the in the matter related to it or
emphasizes the inclusion of all members of the in the matter related to it.

(The second Zayd emphasized Zayds coming.)

( emphasized that all came, no one remained.)
The is called and the is called .
e.g.
There are two types of : and
1.
Verbal Emphasis: The emphasis is attained by repeating the , which may
, or sentence.
be , ,
e.g.
Zayd definitely came.

The absent one definitely became present.
I will definitely not break the pledge.
You open the window.
You are, indeed, the censured one.
2.
Emphasis Through Meaning: The emphasis is attained with any of the
following words:
Below, we discuss each of these.

a.
( himself, herself, itself)
These are used for singular, dual and plural.

.
They have to be
to a
Their
must agree with the in terms of gender and singularity (or
( should agree with the in terms of
duality/plurality), while the form )
(
singularity (or duality/plurality). The exception is that the plural form )
of and is used in place of the dual form.
e.g.
56

/
/

/

Zayd himself stood.

The two Zayds themselves stood.
The (many) Zayds themselves stood.
For more details, examples and exercises, please refer to al-Nahw al-Wadih, Ibtidaiyyah, vol. 3, 143-152
100
/

b.
The two female teachers themselves came.

The (many) female teachers themselves
came.
( both)
These are used for dual only.

is masculine and is feminine.
.
It must be
to a dual
e.g.
c.
The female teacher herself came.
Both of the men stood up.

Both of the female teachers stood up.
(all)

They are used for singular and plural.

should be towards a , which must correspond to the
and

is used with its form ) ( changing to correspond to the .
e.g.
I read the whole book.

All the men came.

All the men came.

All the people came.

and
Note: ,
can only be used for emphasis in those things, which have
parts or can be divided. Thus,
( I treated all of Zayd
hospitably) would be incorrect.
d.
These are used for greater emphasis.

They appear after
. They are not used without
nor can they appear
before
.
e.g.

/ /

/ /
101
All of the people came.

All of the women stood up.
Sentence Analysis
All the people came.
)

(
|
+ 2
=
EXERCISE
1. Translate, fill in the iraab and analyze the following sentences.
vi.
vii.
viii.
ix.
x.
102
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
Section 3.10.357
Substitute
Definition: A is that , which is actually intended in the sentence and not its . The
merely serves as an introduction to the .
The is called ( substitute) and the is called or ( the

substituted).
e.g.
Zayd, your brother, came.

)

(

=
There are four types of :
1)
|
+
2)

3)

Zayd, your brother, came.

4)
1. ( also called
) : It is that , which refers to the exact same thing as
the .
e.g.
) : It is that , which refers to a part of the .

2. ( also called
The must have a

, which refers to the .
e.g.
I hit Zayds head.

3.
: It is that , which is related to the , but is not part of it.
The must have a

, which refers to the .
e.g.
Zayds shirt was stolen.
: It is that , which is mentioned after an error, as a correction.

4.
e.g.

I bought a horse; no, a donkey.

57
103
EXERCISE
vi.
vii.
viii.
ix.
x.
104
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
Section 3.10.4
/ Conjunction
Definition: It is that , which appears after a
. The
appears between the
and the . The meaning of the applicable to the is also applicable to the .
The is called and the is called .
e.g.
Zayd and Amr came.
+
+
=
:
The various
are as follows:
Their details are as follows:
( and): This is without regard to sequence.

e.g.
Zayd and Bakr came.
Here, sequence is not considered.
( then, thus):
It shows sequence with slight delay.

e.g.

Zayd came. Then, Bakr (came).
It can also show cause )

(.
e.g.
He sends down water from the sky. Therefore, the earth becomes
green.
( then): It shows sequence with delay.

e.g.
Zayd came. Then, (after some time) Bakr (came).
( upto, till, even): It shows the end point () .
e.g.
I read the Quran until the end.

The pilgrims came, even those on foot.

105
( eitheror):
e.g.
( or):
e.g.
The fruit is either sweet or bitter.
We stayed for a day or a part of a day.
( or): It is generally used with an interrogative )( .

e.g.

Is Zayd with you or Bakr?
( not): This negates from the that which has been established for the .
e.g.

Zayd came to me and not Bakr.

( but, instead, rather): It is used for
i.e. to give up one notion for another.
If it appears after a positive sentence ( ) or a command () , it negates the
ruling for that which is before it, and affirms it for that which is after it.
e.g.
Zayd came to me. Rather, Bakr (came).

If it appears after a ( ) or a () , it confirms this ruling (of negation) for the one
before it, and affirms its opposite (i.e. opposite of negation) for the one after it.
e.g.
I did not read the whole book; rather, [I read]

some of it.
( but, however): It is generally used with a and serves the purpose of i.e. to
rectify.
e.g.
Zayd did not come to me but Bakr came.
Notes:
, then its
has to be mentioned after it.
1. If the is a

e.g.
Zayd and I hit.
, another word appears before the , then the

2. However, if after the

need not be brought.

Zayd and I hit, today.

Neither us nor our forefathers associated partners.
3. If the is a
, then the should also be preceded
preceded by a
by the same
.

e.g.

I passed by you and Zayd.

e.g.
106
EXERCISE
1. Fill in a suitable
, translate, fill in the iraab and analyze the following sentences.
_____
_____
_____
_____
_______
_____
iv.
v.
vi.
107
i.
ii.
iii.
Section 3.10.5
. , which clarifies or specifies its Definition: It is that
Often, it is a more famous name of two names.

Example:

Abu Hafs Umar stood up.
)

(
|
+
Abu Amr Zayd came.
|
+
Example:
)

(
EXERCISE

ii.
108
i.
CHAPTER 4
Governing Words
is a word that governs/causes iraab changes in another word.

Definition: An

: 1) 2)
: It is that , which is not in word form i.e. it is abstract.

1.
.
i.
ii.

: It means that being free of a gives a .
e.g.

Zayd is standing.
Here, is the , which is because of . is the
and it is also
because of .
In the case of
or
gives
, being free of a
a .

e.g.

Zayd is working.
Here
or
.

is because it is free of any
: It is that , which is in word form.

2.
.
There are three types of
i.
ii.
iii.
109
Section 4.1
Governing Particles
A. Particles, Which Govern Nouns
1.
refer to section 1.7

2.

refer to section 1.8
3.

refer to section 3.7.3
5.
4.
6.
7.

B. Particles, Which Govern
1.
2.
110
Section 4.1.158
Particles That Give Nasb

These appear before

and cause the following changes at the end:
They give the last letter a fathah if it is not a of or .
If the last letter is a of or , it is dropped. The exception is the of the
two .
Table 4.1
Meaning
Example

will not, never

so that

then, in that

that, to
case
I want to enter Paradise.

The disbeliever will never enter Paradise.
I came so I could rest.
In that case, you will be successful in your
work. [This is said in response to the one
who may have said:
( I will work
hard).]
Notes:
1. Sometimes , together with its , gives the meaning of a masdar. In this case, is called

.
e.g.
i.e.
Your fasting is better for you.
59
2. is hidden after the following six
a
.
and gives the last letter of
a.
After :
e.g.
)
(
I travelled until I entered the city.
58
59
111
b.
After
or : i.e. that , which appears after .
e.g.
)(
Allah was not going to punish them.

c.
After , which has the meaning of ( until) or ( but that/unless).

e.g.
()
)(
I will not leave you until you give me my right.
The sinner will be punished unless he provides an excuse.

d.

After
: i.e., that which turns away from the word after it the effect,
had on the word before it (before the ).
which the
e.g.
)
(
Do not command the truth while you lie.
(Here, the turned away/stopped the effect of from

.)
This is also known as or

.

The sentence must start with a or .
e.
After : i.e., that which has the meaning of ( it is also called ) .

e.g.
)
(
I came so I could rest.

f.
After /

: i.e., that , which comes in the
six.
1.
e.g.
2.
e.g.
3.
e.g.
to any of the following
)
(
Visit me so that I treat you hospitably.
Do not cross the limit regarding it, lest My wrath descends

upon you.

4.
e.g.
You do not visit us, otherwise we would have treated you

hospitably.
Where is your house, so I can visit you.
112
5.
e.g.
6.

e.g.
I wish I had wealth, so I would have spent it.
Why dont you visit us so that you receive good!
3. has to be written after a if the is joined to a .

e.g.
)(
So that he does not know.
4. which appears after a verb with the root letters is not a

. Therefore, it

does not give

a fathah. Such an is known as i.e., that
.
which was
e.g.
e.g.
I knew that he will stand up.

He knew that some of you will be sick.
EXERCISE
and its effect in the following

sentences.
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
vii.
viii.
113
Section 4.1.260
Particles That Give Jazm

These appear before

and cause the following changes at the end:
They give the last letter a sukoon if it is not a of or .
If the last letter is a of or , it will be dropped. The exception is the
of the two .
Table 4.2
Meaning
Example
if
did not
do not
not yet
should, shall, let
If you sit, I will sit.

He did not hit me.
The boy went but has not returned yet.
He should sit.
Do not sit.
Notes:
1. appears before two verbal sentences. The first one is called
(condition) and the
second
(answer/result).
2. If appears before , it should be translated negatively.
e.g.
He is not but an honorable angel.
Note: This negation could also be expressed as He is only an honorable angel.

3. can also be used to give the meaning of . For this, or is added after the

which was given by .
e.g.
He has not gone yet.
4.
should be brought before the of a when the is one of the following:

a.
60
e.g.
If you come to me you will be treated hospitably.
For more examples and exercises, please refer to al-Nahw al-Wadih, Ibtidaiyyah, vol. 1, 52-57 & vol. 2, 63-66.
114
b.
e.g.
c.
e.g.
d.
e.g.
If you see Zayd, treat him hospitably.
If Zayd comes to you, do not humiliate him.
If you treat me hospitably, then, may Allah reward you well.
5.
will be translated in the future tense when it is
a. used as a
e.g.

May Allah reward you well.
b. preceded by

e.g.
c. preceded by

e.g.
If you sit, I will sit.
Whoever comes with good, there will be ten

like it for him.
EXERCISE
and its effect on the following

sentences.
i.
iv.
ii.
v.
iii.
vi.
115
Section 4.2
Governing Verbs
Section 4.2.1
Active Verb: It is that verb whose doer is known/mentioned.

, whether transitive or intransitive, governs the following nouns, as and when
applicable:
.
it gives to the
it gives
to the following, as and when applicable:
i. ( can only be governed by a

)
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
vii.
Section 4.2.2
Passive Verb: It is that verb whose doer is not known/mentioned.
( a verb whose
is not named).

is also known as

( originally the ) .
It gives to the

It gives
.
to all the remaining

e.g.

Zayd was beaten severely on Friday, in front of the Judge, in his office/house,
to teach him manners.
Section 4.2.3
Intransitive Verb: It is that verb whose meaning can be understood without a
.
e.g.

Zayd sat.

Section 4.2.4
: These were discussed earlier in section 1.9.
116
Section 4.2.561
Transitive Verb
Definition: It is that verb whose meaning cannot be understood without a .
e.g.
Zayd hit Bakr.
There are four types of

. These are as follows:
1. Those verbs, which require one as is the case with most mutaaddi verbs.
e.g.
2. Those verbs, which can be given two . These include the following:
Any verb, which has the meaning of ( to give).
e.g.
etc.
I gave the beggar a bread.
Some other verbs, which can also have two include the following
e.g.
etc.
Knowledge clothes its possessor with dignity.
3. Those verbs, which must be given two .
These verbs are known as ( verbs which relate to the heart/feelings).
They enter upon a and

unlike the verbs above (number 2).
Table 4.3

Verb
Usage
used for certainty )(

or doubt )
(
used for doubt )(
used for doubt )(

used for doubt )(
61
Example
I was sure Saeed was going.
I was sure Rasheed was knowledgeable.
I was sure Zayd was trustworthy.
I was sure Zayd was present. /
I thought Zayd was present.
I thought Zayd was well-educated.
I thought Khalid was standing.
I thought Bakr was sleeping.
117
Note: Other verbs, which also require two include the following:
to make something something else
to take someone/something as someone/something
e.g.
e.g.
I made the pages a book.
Allah took Ibraheem (peace be upon him) as a

friend.
to make something something else

e.g.
I made the book organized.
4. Those verbs which require three . Each of these has the meaning of informing or
showing. These are as follows:
Table 4.4
Verb
Example
I informed Zayd that Khalid is sleeping.

I informed Zayd that Bakr is well-educated.
The messenger informed me that the chief is
coming.
I informed them that arrogance is hated.
I informed the boys that sport is beneficial.
I informed the travellers that the train is late.
I informed the children that swimming is
beneficial.
EXERCISE
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
118
Section 4.2.662
Definition: These verbs are actually a type of

and they behave the same way. They
also enter upon and

to their . The difference is
, and give to their and
that their
is always .
They are used for the following purposes:

1.
show nearness in the attainment (
) of the .

2.
show desire for attainment of .

3.
show commencement of action.
Table 4.5

preferably without
*
preferably without
/

preferably with
Type
Example
Zayd was about to

go.
Khalid was about
to sit.
Zayd was about to

sit.

preferably with

without

without

without
Hopefully Zayd
will come out.
Zayd began
writing.
Zayd began
reading.
Zayd began eating.
* These verbs are used only in past tense.
The
can be used as normal verbs too.
e.g.
62
Zayd took his clothes.
119
Hopefully Zayd will come out.
( )
+
Sentence Analysis:
EXERCISE
i.
iv.
ii.
v.
iii.
vi.
120
Section 4.2.763
Verbs of Praise and Blame

Verbs of praise:
Verbs of blame:
e.g.
e.g.
e.g.
e.g.
What a wonderful man Zayd is!

What an evil man Zayd is!
What an evil man Zayd is!
is called or

That which appears after the
.
of must be one of the following:

The
i.
prefixed with .
e.g.
ii.
iii.
iv.
In
,
to a noun prefixed with .

e.g.

What a wonderful learned man Zayd is!

a hidden
followed by a
( being ) .
e.g.

]
[ ( )
The word .
e.g.

How evil is what they used to do!

is the .
.
( ) is its
is the
.
Notes:
1. These verbs are used in the past tense in their singular form (masculine or feminine).
2. At times the
is dropped.
e.g.
63
i.e.
What a wonderful slave Ayyub is!
121
Sentence Analysis:
EXERCISE
i.
ii.
iii.
122
Section 4.2.864
Verbs of Wonder
For three-letter verbs )

( , there are two wazns for expressing wonder or amazement.
1. : has the meaning of
.
e.g.

How wonderful Zayd is!

+ )(
+
) (
2. : )
( has the meaning of past tense and the is extra )( .
e.g.

)
How wonderful Zayd is!
To express wonder for other than three-letter verbs )

( , a word such as /
etc. should be placed before the of the desired verb. The

or

/

will be , thus
.

e.g.

How very respectful people are towards the learned!

EXERCISE
i.
ii.
iii.
64
123
Section 4.3
Governing Nouns

Amongst these,
were discussed in section 2.4.4. Here, we will discuss the rest.
Section 4.3.165
Conditional Nouns
They govern two

giving both a .
They appear before two sentences. The first is called

(condition) and the second
( result).
Table 4.6
Noun
1.
2.
3.
4.
Meaning
who,
whoever
what,
whatever
however
much
when
5.
when
6.
where
7.
where
8.
where
9.
how,
manner
any of
the above
10.
Usage
any of the
above
Example
Whoever treats me hospitably, I
will treat him hospitably.
Whatever you eat, I will eat.
Whatever you spend in the way
of good, will benefit you.
Whenever you go, I will go.
Whenever you travel, I will
travel.
Wherever you go, I will go.
Wherever you stay, I will stay.
Wherever you travel, I will
travel.
Whichever way you sit, I will sit.
Whichever place you go, I will
go.
Notes:
1. and have the same function as

except
i.e. giving jazm to two
that they are particles )
( and not nouns. Collectively they (nouns and particles)
are all called

.
65
124
if
e.g.
if
e.g.
If you go, I will go.

If you do evil, you will be regretful.
2. There are other

. Some of
that are , i.e. they do not give to

these are discussed in Section 4.4, # 13 (
) . Amongst the ,

which do not give , two are discussed below:
( whenever, every time)

This is a , and enters upon . It also conveys the meaning of
i.
emphasis and repetition.

e.g.
ii.
Whenever I fell sick, I went to the

doctor.
( when)
This is also a , and is used to give the meaning of

. It also entails
the meaning of condition (
) .

e.g.
When you meet him, greet him.
3. When the following nouns are used for ( interrogative), they appear before one
sentence.
e.g.
EXERCISE
1. Complete the following sentences with a suitable
.
i.
_______
v.
_______
ii.
_______
vi.
_______
iii.
_______
vii.
_______
iv.
_______
viii.
_______
125
Section 4.3.266
Active Participle
Definition: It is a noun which indicates the one doing or undertaking an action described by
the root letters. This is irrespective of its position in a sentence.
. For other than verbs, it
It is created from verbs on the pattern of
is created on the pattern of its

into a meem with a
by changing the

dammah, and giving a kasrah to the letter before the last.
Effect:
It has the same effect as that of its active verb ( ) i.e. if its verb is , it gives
;and if it is , it gives to the
and to the .
to the
acts only in either of the following two situations:

1. When it is prefixed with .

e.g.
I am grateful for your favor.

2. When it indicates present or future tense and is preceded by or
or
or . For example,

Zayds father is beating/will beat Bakr.
e.g.
Is Zayd beating Bakr?/Will Zayd beat

Bakr?
e.g.
Zayd is not standing/will not stand.
a.
e.g.
b.

e.g.
c.
d.
I passed by a man whose father is

beating/will beat Bakr.
Sentence Analysis:
)

(
66
This section and the following sub-section are based on the discussion in al-Nahw al-Wadih. See al-Nahw alWadih, Thanawiyyah, vol. 2, 71-76.
126
Section 4.3.2.1
Definition: It is that noun, which conveys extremity/intensity in meaning.
is turned into the seeghahs of when exaggeration in meaning is intended.

Some of the wazns of are as follows:
Table 4.7
Wazns
Arabic
Examples
Meaning
most learned
great distinguisher
someone who laughs a lot
very patient
careful maintainer/sustainer
very eloquent
someone who helps frequently
does the
of with the same conditions.
e.g.

The one who is very grateful to the one who does good (to him), pleases me.
Indeed, the coward is very scared of meeting the enemy.

Notes:
1. The round at the end of some wazns is for and not for gender.
e.g.
well-learned
2. The wazn is also used to denote a profession.

e.g.
cook
carpenter
blacksmith
barber
127
EXERCISES
in the
1. Translate, fill in the iraab and point out the effect and tense of the
following sentences.

v.
vi.
vii.
viii.
128
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
Section 4.3.367
Passive Participle
Definition: It is that noun which indicates the one upon whom an action described by the
root letters is done. This is irrespective of its position in a sentence.
It is created from verbs on the pattern of . For other than , it is
created on the pattern of its

into a meem with a
by changing the

dammah, and giving a fathah to the letter before the last.
Effect:
.
It has the same effect as that of its passive verb
, i.e. it gives to the
also apply here.

The rules mentioned above regarding the
Examples:
i. prefixed with
alif-laam
e.g.
ii.
e.g.
iii.

e.g.
Zayds son is being beaten/will be

beaten.
I passed by a man whose son is being
beaten/will be beaten.
iv.
e.g.
Is Zayd being beaten?/Will Zayd be

beaten?
v.
e.g.
Zayd is not being beaten/will not be

beaten.
The one named Hisham is my

brother.
EXERCISE
1. Translate, fill in the iraab and point out the effect and tense of the in the
following sentences.
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
67
This section is based on the discussion in al-Nahw al-Wadih. See al-Nahw al-Wadih, Thanawiyyah, vol 2, 7782.
129
Section 4.3.468
That Adjective Which Is Similar to

( three-letter
Definition: It is that noun, which is created from the
of a
intransitive verb) to indicate permanent existence of the meaning in the doer.
a .
Like its , it generally gives the
e.g.
His face is beautiful.
It conveys permanency of meaning in the object it relates to e.g.

( beautiful) is a
permanent quality, as compared to , which indicates a temporary meaning
e.g.
is a temporary quality, which exists only at the time of the action.
( three-letter intransitive verb) and

All such nouns, which are derived from a
but are not on the wazn of
, are .
give the meaning of

Some of the common wazns of

( based on usage) are given below
Table 4.8

Wazns
68
Examples
Meaning
happy
Arabic
beautiful
noble/honorable
coward
brave
Colors and bodily defects appear on the following wazns:
(masculine)
(feminine)
e.g.
e.g.
red
mute
red
mute
For more details, examples, and exercises, please refer to al-Nahw al-Wadih, Thanawiyyah, vol. 2, 83-91.
130

The
( is brought on the wazn of its ) of non-three letter verbs
on the condition that permanency of meaning is intended.

straight
e.g.
EXERCISE
in the following passage.
1. Translate, fill in the iraab, and identify all the

.
and 2. Translate, fill in the iraab and identify the seeghahs of
.
:
.

.
131
Section 4.3.569
Comparative and Superlative Noun

Definition: It is that noun, which indicates that a quality described by the root letters is found
to a greater extent in one person/thing when compared to another.
e.g.

Khalid is older/bigger than Amr.
It can also refer to the highest degree (superlative) of the quality described by the root letters.
e.g.
Allah is the greatest.
Note: This is the case when it is used without , i.e. without comparison.
Table 4.9

Singular
Dual
Plural
Masculine
Example
Feminine
Example
Meaning
Bigger/older
Bigger/older
Bigger/older
Bigger/older
Usage:
is used in three ways.

will always be a singular masculine )( .

1. With : the

e.g.

Zayd is more knowledgeable than Bakr.
Aishah is older than Zaynab.

must correspond with the word before it in gender and number.

2. With : the
e.g.
The two more knowledgeable Zayds are absent.

The older Aishah is present.
3. With
: the may be or it may correspond with the word before it.
e.g.
The Zayds are the most knowledgeable of people.
The two Zayds are the most knowledgeable of people.

69
132
Aishah is the oldest of people.

Notes:
of words, which indicate color, physical defects and of verbs is

1.
made by placing the words

, , etc. before the
of that word. The
will be
the , and therefore, will be
e.g.
He is redder than Zayd.

He is lamer than Zayd.
He is more hard-working than Zayd.
2. The words
and are also used for .
e.g.
The oppressor is the worst of people.
gives to its hidden .

3.

e.g.

Zayd is more virtuous than Bakr.

The dameer in
is its .
EXERCISE
in the following sentences.
1. Translate, fill in the iraab and explain the usage of
i.
v.
ii.
vi.
iii.
vii.
iv.
viii.
133
Section 4.3.670
Infinitive/Verbal Noun
Definition: It is that noun which refers to the action indicated by the corresponding verb
without any reference to time. It is the root of all derived words (
) .
and to the
Effect: It has the same effect as that of its verb i.e. it gives to the

.
e.g.
Today, I saw Zayds beating of Bakr.
Usage:
Masdar is generally used in one of the following two ways:
as a
to its .
e.g.
i.e.
as a
to its .
e.g.
i.e.
)
(

I disliked Zayds beating
)
(

I disliked Zayds beating
of Bakr.
of Bakr.
EXERCISE
1. Fill in the iraab and explain the usage of the masdar in the following sentences.
i.
ii.
70
iii.
iv.
134
Section 4.3.771
In the case of
( is hidden
, it is assumed that one of the following prepositions )
between the
and
.
when the
is a part/type ) (of the
.
e.g.
i.e.
i.e.
when the
is a .
e.g.
silver ring
night prayer
when it is neither of the above two.

e.g.
i.e.
Zayds son
Section 4.3.8
Definition: It is that noun, which gives the noun ) ( after it a nasb.
A noun will be considered as when it has one of the following:

a.
tanween.

e.g.

)

(
There is not even a palms measure of clouds in the sky.
b.
hidden tanween.
e.g.
There are eleven men with me.

c.
of a dual noun.
e.g.

I have two qafeezes72 of wheat.
d.
(

was originally
)
(
)
( .
which resembles the of a sound masculine plural )
e.g.

)
(
I have twenty dirhams.
The in the above examples cannot be

while having a tanween or having a noon
of dual/plural, thus the noun after it gets a

because of it being .
71
72
A qafeez is a classical Islamic measure of volume. According to the Hanafis, it is equal to 40.344 litres.
135
73
Section 4.3.9
Definition: It is that noun, which indicates an unspecified quantity.
It is clarified by the noun following it.

These are and .
: can be used in two ways: as an interrogative ) ( or as an informative exclamation

( .
)
1. ( how many)
It gives the noun ) ( after it a

.
The is singular.

How many books do you have?
At times, the preposition appears before the .
e.g.

How many books do you have?
e.g.
2. ( so many)
It gives the noun ) ( after it a

) .
(because of it being a
The may be singular or plural.
e.g.
e.g
So much of wealth you have spent!

So much of wealths you have spent!
At times the preposition appears before the .

e.g.
There are so many angels in the skies/heavens!
( so much, such and such)

It gives the noun ) ( after it a nasb.
The is singular.
e.g.

I have this much dirhams.
EXERCISE
1. What is the difference between the following sentences.
i.
ii.
73
136
Section 4.4
Non-Governing Particles
1. Particles of Notification:
These are used to draw the attention of the listener. These are as follows:
e.g.
meaning
Lo! / Behold! / Take heed!
Behold! Indeed, Allahs help is near.

Behold! Zayd is sleeping.
Lo! I am present.
This

. However, in
Note: The actual
is only , while is the
common usage the whole is referred to as

without differentiating.
2. Particles of Affirmation:74
These are used for affirmation of a statement made earlier. These are as follows:
( yes)
It is used to confirm a statement, be it positive or negative. For example,
If someone says
( Did Zayd come?), the reply will be ( yes)
meaning
(Zayd came.).
If someone says
( Has Zayd not come?), the reply will be
(yes) meaning
( Zayd did not come.).
( yes, why not)
It is used to convert a negative statement into a positive one.

e.g.
If someone says ( Did Zayd not stand up?), the reply will be
(yes, why not) meaning
( Zayd has stood up.).
( yes)
It is the same as . However it is used with an oath )

(after a question.
e.g.
74
If someone says
( Did Zayd stand up?), the reply will be
(yes, by Allah!) meaning
( Zayd stood up.).
137
// ( yes)
These have the same meaning as .

e.g.
If someone says
( Did Zayd come?), the reply will be or or

( yes) meaning ( Zayd came.).
Note: is very rarely used for this purpose.
3. Particles of Clarification:
These are used to clarify a word in a sentence. These are as follows:

(that is)
e.g.
And ask the town, that is, the people of the

town.
And We called him, that is, O Ibraheem!
4. : These are used to give a masdari meaning. These are as follows:
and come before a .

comes before a .
)(
e.g.
Until when the earth became straitened for them despite its vastness.
(
)
()
Your truthfulness pleases me.

(News of) Zayds sleeping reached me.
are governing particles.

Note: and
5. Particles of Exhortation:
These are used to encourage someone to do something when they appear before
.
e.g.

Do you not pray salah?
These particles are also used to create regret and sorrow in the listener when they
appear before . Therefore, they are also called
.
e.g.
e.g.

...
Have you not prayed Asr salah?
When you heard it, why did you not say
138
6. Particle of Anticipation:75
This is . An example of its usage for is as follows.
Probably, the absent person will return today.
Besides , can also be used for one or more of the following. These are all more
common than its usage for .
: In this case, it gives the meaning of near past. This usage is specific to
.
e.g.

Zayd has arrived (recently).
: In this case, it gives

the meaning of seldomness. This usage is specific
to
.
e.g.
Indeed, sometimes, a generous person is miserly.
: In this case, it gives or

the meaning of certainty.
e.g.

Certainly, Zayd came.
Certainly, Allah knows.

can also be used simultaneously for more than one of the above-mentioned
purposes. An example of being simultaneously used for , , and
, is as
follows:
Indeed, salah has been established.

Note:
can also be used for .
7. Particles of Interrogation:76
These are and .
e.g.
75
76
Is Zayd standing?
Did Zayd stand up?
This is based on Mujam al-Qawaid al-Arabiyyah. See Mujam al-Qawaid al-Arabiyyah, 338-339.
For more examples, and exercises, please refer to al-Nahw al-Wadih, Ibtidaiyyah, vol. 3, 168-171.
139
8. Particle of Rebuke:
This is , which means Never!
It can be used to rebuke or reprimand.
e.g.

said in response to someone who says
( Hit Zayd.).

It can also be used to convey the meaning of certainty.
e.g.

Indeed, soon you will know.

Note: This is according to one translation. According to another, it is in the

meaning of never.
9. : It is used for one or more of the following:
It is that tanween, which shows a noun to be .

e.g.
: It is that tanween, which shows a noun to be .

e.g.

: It is that tanween, which subsitutes a

.
e.g.
i.e.
the day when such and such happens
10. : It is used for emphasis in

, and . It is of two forms: and .
Both have the same meaning.
) (

) (

Indeed, he should hit.
You must help.
11. : It can be used for the following:
: It appears before the , and is used for emphasis.

e.g.
Indeed, you are more feared

: It comes in the answer to and .
e.g.
If Allah did not repel some people by means of others, the earth would
be corrupted.
By Allah! I will fast tommorrow.
This is extra, and can be used for emphasis.

e.g.
Indeed, they eat food.

140
12. Extra Particles: These are not translated. However, they add beauty and
. These are:
emphasis to the meaning. They may also stop the effect ( ) of an
(
are governing particles )
Usage:
: It appears after .
e.g.
: It appears after .
e.g.

When the bearer of good news came.
: It appears after the following:

e.g.

e.g.
e.g.
When you are afflicted, be patient.
When you travel, I will travel.

Whoever comes to you, treat him
hospitably.
Here, blocked the of .
e.g.
e.g.
e.g.
Whichever way you turn, there is the
Then, should some guidance come to
So, it is through mercy from Allah that
face of Allah.
you from Me.
you are gentle to them.
Here, did not block the of

.

e.g.
e.g.
e.g.
e.g.
e.g.
I swear by this city.

Indeed, they eat food.
Is there a creator besides Allah?
There is nothing like Him.
Zayd is not a liar.
141
13. Conditional Particles That Do Not Give Jazm:77
( however, as for, as far asis concerned)
It is used to explain/clarify something, which was mentioned briefly.

should be used before its answer )( .
e.g.
So, some of them will be wretched and (some) blessed. As for the
wretched, they will be in the Fire.
( if)
It is used to negate the second sentence )

( on account of the first sentence
)
( not being fulfilled.
e.g.
If there had been gods besides Allah in them (the heavens and the
earth), they would have been corrupted.
(There will not be corruption because there is not more than one god.)
Note: If a is added to i.e. ,
it will give the meaning of even if/even
though and will be known as
.
e.g.
Celebrate walimah even if it be with one

(slaughtered) goat.
and ( if such and such had not been so, )

and , they are also used to demonstrate
Apart from being used for
that the second sentence )
( cannot be attained because of the presence of
the condition of the first sentence )
(.
e.g.

Had it not been for Zayd, Bakr would have

perished.
( when)
This is a in the meaning of

. It enters upon .
e.g.
77
When I greeted him, he returned my

greeting.
142
14. )(: It is that ,

which has the meaning of ( as long as).
e.g.
i.e.
I will stand as long as the leader is sitting.
15. : These have been discussed in Section 3.10.4
FINAL EXERCISE
Q:
Go through the whole book and identify the various meaning and uses of the
following:
143
APPENDIX
Studying Classical/Quranic Arabic
There are a number of options available for the student of sacred Islamic knowledge seeking to
learn classical Arabic on his/her path to learning the deen. The following is a set of suggested
curricula for studying Arabic language, based upon the South Asian (Indo-Paki) scholarly
tradition. It is by no means the only option. To begin with, Urdu texts have been omitted.
Moreover, those following other scholarly traditions (Arab, Turkish, South East Asian) may
have a somewhat different set of books, although they will also find some overlap here.
The books whose names are only mentioned in English are English texts, while those
whose Arabic names are also given are Arabic texts. The texts increase in difficulty and
advancement downward.
General Arabic Language
Level
Beginner to
Intermediate
Texts
Durus al-Lughah al-Arabiyyah vols. 1-3
(
)
OR
Al-Arabiyyah Bayna Yadayk vols. 1-3
(

)
Arabic Tutor
vols. 1-2
Ten Lessons
Nahw
Level
Texts
Tasheel al-Nahw
)
Sharh Miat Amil (
Beginner to
Intermediate
OR
Awamil al-Nahw (
)
Hidayat al-Nahw (
)
OR
Al-Ajurrumiyyah (
)with commentary
al-Tuhfah al-Saniyyah (
)
Al-Kafiyah ()
Sharh ibn Aqil (

) OR
Advanced

Sharh Jami (
) OR
Sharh Qatr al-Nada wa Ball al-Sada (

)
OR

)
Sharh Shudhur al-Dhahab (
145

The texts al-Nahw al-Wadih li al-Madaris al-Ibtidaiyyah vols. 1-3 (

and al-Nahw al-Wadih li al-Madaris al-Thanawiyyah vols. 1-3 (
)

)
belong to the intermediate to advanced level. The six volumes in general, and the three alIbtidaiyyah volumes in particular, can be used in place of, or in conjunction with Tasheel alNahw. The six could also be used in conjunction with Hidayat al-Nahw. Almost always, one
of these texts has something that the other does not.
Sarf
Level
Beginner
Texts
Fundamentals of Classical Arabic vol. 1
From the Treasures of Arabic Morphology
Ilm al-Seeghah ( ) OR
Intermediate

Shadha al-Arf fi Fann al-Sarf (
)
Arabic Reading/Literature
Level
Beginner
Texts
Al-Qiraah al-Rashidah vol. 1

(
)
Al-Qiraah al-Rashidah vol. 2

(
)
Intermediate
Intermediate
to Advanced

Qasas al-Nabiyyin vol. 3 (
)

)
Mukhtarat min Adab al-Arab vol. 1
(
)
Mukhtarat min Adab al-Arab vol. 2
(
)
Arabic Rhetoric (Balaghah)

Level
Beginner

)

)
Nafhat al-Arab
)
(

Advanced

)
Al-Maqamat al-Haririyyah
(

)
Texts
Durus al-Balaghah (
)
Al-Balaghah al-Wadihah (
)
Talkhees al-Miftah (

)
OR
its commentary Mukhtasar al-Maani (

)

146
Suggested Curriculum
Below, we have provided a suggested curriculum based upon some of the texts given above
that could be followed as part of an overall traditional Arabic & Islamic Studies curriculum.
This curriculum is based on a two-semester academic year.
Year Sem
1
1
2
Texts
Ten Lessons
Tasheel al-Nahw
(using Al-Nahw alWadih Ibtidaiyyah
& Thanawiyyah for
reference/examples)
Tasheel al-Nahw
(continued, if not
completed) followed
by selected readings
& exercises from alNahw al-Wadih
Ibtidaiyyah &
Thanawiyyah
Awaamil
al-Nahw
Hidayat
OR
al-Nahw
Sharh
Miat
Aamil
1
3
Sharh ibn Aqil

vol. 1
Fundamentals vol. 1
Treasures of
Arabic
Morphology
Treasures of
Arabic
Morphology
(continued)
Ilm alSeeghah
Durus alLughah vol.

1
(continued if
not
completed,
followed by
vol. 2)
Durus alLughah vol.

2 (continued
if not
completed,
followed by
vol. 3)
Durus al-Lughah vol. 1
Arabic
Tutor
vol. 1
Qasas alNabiyyin
vols. 1 &
2
Arabic
Tutor
vol. 1
(continued
if not
completed,
followed by
vol. 2)
Qasas alNabiyyin
vols. 3 &
4
Nafhat alArab
Qasas alNabiyyin
vol. 5
Durus al-Balaghah
Durus al-Balaghah (continued, if
not completed) followed by
selected readings from Talkhees alMiftah OR its commentary
Mukhtasar al-Maani
147
Mukhtarat vol. 1
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Aamir Bashir (ed.). (2012). Ten Lessons of Arabic. Buffalo: Dr al-Sadah Publications.
Abd al-Ghaniyy al-Daqr. (1986). Mujam al-Qawaid al-Arabiyyah fi al-Nahw wa al-Tasreef
[Handbook of Arabic Grammar Rules]. Damascus: Dar al-Qalam.
Abd al-Majid Nadvi. (n.d.). Vol. 1, Muallim al-Insha [Composition Tutor]. Karachi:
Majlis Nashriat-e-Islam.
Abd al-Rahman al-Fawzan, Mukhtar Husayn & Muhammad Abd al-Khaliq. (2007). AlArabiyyah bayna Yadayk [Arabic Before You] (Vols. 1-3). Riyadh: Al-Arabiyyah li alJamee.
Abd al-Sattar Khan. (2007). Arabic Tutor (Vols. 1-2) (Ebrahim Muhammad, Trans.).
Camperdown, South Africa: Madrasah Inamiyyah.
Abdullah ibn Aqil. (1980). Sharh ibn Aqil ala Alfiyyat ibn Malik [Ibn Aqils Commentary
on The One-thousand Verse Poem of Ibn Malik] (Vols. 1-4). Cairo: Dar al-Turath.
Abul Hasan Ali al-Nadwi. (n.d.). Al-Qiraah al-Rashidah [The Rightly Guided Reading]
(Vols. 1-2). Karachi: Majlis Nashriat-e-Islam.
Abul Hasan Ali al-Nadwi. (n.d.). Mukhtarat min Adab al-Arab [Selections from the
Literature of the Arabs] (Vols. 1-2). Karachi: Majlis Nashriat-e-Islam.
Abul Hasan Ali al-Nadwi. (n.d.). Qasas al-Nabiyyin [Stories of the Prophets] (Vols. 1-5).
Karachi: Majlis Nashriat-e-Islam.
Ali al-Jaarim & Mustafa Ameen. (n.d.). Al-Balaghah al-Wadihah [Clear Rhetoric]. Cairo:
Dar al-Maarif.
Ali al-Jaarim & Mustafa Ameen. (n.d.). Al-Nahw al-Wadih li al-Madaris al-Ibtidaiyyah
[Clear Grammar for Elementary Schools], (Vols. 1-3). Cairo: Dar al-Maarif.
Ali al-Jaarim & Mustafa Ameen. (n.d.). Al-Nahw al-Wadih li al-Madaris al-Thanawiyyah
[Clear Grammar for Secondary Schools], (Vols. 1-3). Cairo: Dar al-Maarif.
Al-Andalusi, ibn Hayyan. (2008). Hidayat al-Nahw [Guide to Grammar]. Karachi:
Maktabat al-Bushra.
Al-Ansari, Abdullah ibn Hisham. (1994). Sharh Qatr al-Nada wa Ball al-Sada [Commentary
on The Drops of Dew and the Moisture of Thirst], with notes by Muhammad Muhy alDin Abd al-Hamid. Beirut: al-Maktabah al-Asariyyah.
Al-Ansari, Abdullah ibn Hisham. (1990). Sharh Shudhur al-Dhahab [Commentary on The
Scattered Particles of Gold]. Beirut: Maktabat Lubnan.
Al-Hamlawi, Ahmad ibn Muhammad. (2005). Muhammad ibn Abd al-Muti (ed.). Shadha
al-Arf fi Fann al-Sarf [Strong Fragrance Regarding the Science of Morphology].
Riyadh: Dar al-Kayan.
149
Al-Hariri, Muhammad al-Qasim ibn Ali. (n.d.). Al-Maqamat al-Haririyyah [The Assemblies
of al-Hariri]. Lahore: Maktabah Rahmaniyyah.
Al-Jurjani, Abd al-Qahir. (n.d.). Sharh Miat Amil [Commentary of Hundred Governing
Words]. Karachi: Qadimi Kutubkhana.
Al-Qazwini, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Rahman. (2010). Talkhees al-Miftah [Summary of The
Key]. Karachi: Maktabat al-Bushra.
Al-Taftazani, Masood ibn Umar. (2111). Mukhtasar al-Maani [Summary of Rhetoric].
Karachi: Maktabat al-Bushra.
Charthawali, Mawlana Mushtaq Ahmad. (n.d.). Ilm al-Nahw [Science of Grammar].
Karachi: Altaf & Sons.
Charthawali, Mawlana Mushtaq Ahmad. (2010). Awamil al-Nahw [Governing Words of
Grammar]. Karachi: Maktabat al-Bushra.
Dockrat, Mawlana Hasan. (2003). Tawdeeh al-Nahw: A Simplified Arabic Grammar.
Azaadville, South Africa: Madrasah Arabiah Islamia.
Ebrahim Muhammad. (2006). From the Treasures of Arabic Morphology. Camperdown,
South Africa: Madrasah Inamiyyah.
Husain Abdul Sattar. (2002). Vol. 1, Fundamentals of Classical Arabic. Chicago: Faqir
Publications.
Ibn al-Hajib. (2008). Al-Kafiyah [The Sufficient]. Karachi: Maktabat al-Bushra.
Jami, Abd al-Rahman. (2011). Sharh al-Mulla al-Jami ala al-Kafiyah [The Commentary of
Mulla Jami on The Sufficient]. Karachi: Maktabat al-Bushra.
Lane, E. W. (1968). Book I, Parts 4-6, An Arabic-English Lexicon. Beirut: Librairie du Liban.
Muhammad Diyab, Sultan Muhammad, et. al. (2009). Durus al-Balaghah [Lessons of
Rhetoric]. Karachi: Maktabat al-Bushra.
Muhammad Inayat Ahmad. (n.d.). Ilm al-Seeghah [Science of Forms]. (Wali Khan alMuzaffar, Trans.). Karachi: al-Maktabah al-Faruqiyyah.
Muhammad Izaz Ali. (2111). Nafhat al-Arab [Fragrance of the Arabs]. Karachi: Maktabat
al-Bushra.
Muhammad Muhy al-Din Abd al-Hamid. (1989). Al-Tuhfah al-Saniyyah bi Sharh
Muqaddamat al-Ajurrumiyyah [The Sublime Gift of Commentary on the Ajurrumi
Prolegomena]. Cairo: Maktabat al-Sunnah
V. Abd al-Rahim. (2009). Durus al-Lughah al-Arabiyyah [Lessons of Arabic Language], (Vols.
1-3). Chennai: Islamic Foundation.
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TASHEEL AL-NAHW

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Copyright Dr al-Sadah Publications 2011

1.2 The Word

Sentences and Phrases

1.5.1 General Notes

Declinable and Indeclinable Words

2.2 Indeclinable Word

Those Nouns Which Have the Meaning of Verbs

3.3 Definite and Common Nouns

Singular, Dual and Plural

The Noun of Those and , Which Are

The of That Which Negates an Entire

) (Numerals Rules for

Particles Which Govern Nouns

Particles Which Govern

That Adjective Which is Similar to

Nouns in the Meaning of

and Its Iraab Different Forms of the Noun of

Rules Governing the Iraab of

Verbs Requiring Three

Equivalent English Term /

Short vowels, i.e., dammah , fathah , kasrah

Long vowels i.e., -

These are the variations at the end of the word, which

two fathahs (), two dammahs ( ) , two kasrahs ( )

A letter with sukoon

A letter with tashdeed

Subject i.e. the doer

Description of the meaning

Object i.e. the person or thing upon whom or which

Equivalent English Term /

It is that word, which is in the state of , which is

It is that word, which is in the state of

It is that word, which is in the state of

Description of the meaning

Definite noun. It is generally indicated by an . For

Common noun. It is generally indicated by a tanween.

to avoid making mistakes in this. For example, , ,

There are three types of :

The first two bullets combine to form the classical definition of

. See, for example, Abdullah ibn Aqil,

Note: A can never have a ( tanween) or an .

1. State with reason whether the following words are or

Wadih, Ibtidaiyyah, vol. 1, 16.

as given in al-Nahw al-Wadih. See al-Nahw al-

word derived from it.

Sentences and Phrases

Often, it is just called .

The second part of the sentence can be a noun or a verb.

The is generally and the

The house is clean.

Note: A sentence may have more than one

The man is tall and strong.

i.e. it is a verb whose meaning can be

Note: If the verb is

Allah created the sky.

Translate, fill in the iraab, and analyze the following sentences.

2. What is the difference between (v) and (vi) above?

so that I may give you a

The seller says

. However, Islamic law recognizes them

Did Zayd hit?

1. State what type of