I'rab of Surah Abasa Ayah 32: word by word Arabic grammar
Surah Abasa (عبس) · Meccan · Ayah 32
مَّتَٰعًۭا لَّكُمْ وَلِأَنْعَٰمِكُمْ Transliterationmatā'an lakum wa-li-an'āmikum
MeaningAs provision for you and for your livestock.
This verse states the purpose of the preceding bounties: "provision for you and your livestock." Matā'an is an absolute/cognate accusative tied to an implied verb ("We provided you enjoyment"), and the two prepositional phrases lakum and li-an'āmikum attach to it, specifying the beneficiaries.
Word by word i'rab
verbal noun object (maf'ul mutlaq for an omitted verb)
Matā'an is accusative as the object of an implied verb meaning "We gave you enjoyment," summing up the purpose of all the listed crops.
accusativeprepositional phrase (jarr wa majrur)
The preposition lām with the attached pronoun kum forms a phrase attached to matā'an, identifying you (people) as beneficiaries.
genitiveconjunction + prepositional phrase (jarr wa majrur)
Joined by wāw, the lām governs an'āmikum in the genitive, adding your grazing livestock as further beneficiaries of the provision.
genitiveDetailed i'rab
Verse 32 closes the list of provisions with a statement of purpose. مَّتَٰعًا is an accusative verbal-noun object (maf'ul muṭlaq) of an omitted verb understood as matta'akum ("He let you enjoy"), so the sense is "as a means of enjoyment for you." Attached to matā'an is the prepositional phrase لَّكُمْ (lām of benefit plus the pronoun kum, genitive). The conjunction wāw then joins وَلِأَنْعَٰمِكُمْ, where the same benefactive lām governs an'āmikum in the genitive, with the second-person plural pronoun in possession. The phrasing balances human and animal recipients, and grammatically both prepositional phrases hang on the single accusative matā'an, making the verse a tidy purpose-clause for the whole preceding agricultural catalogue.
Frequently asked
What kind of accusative is مَّتَٰعًا?
It is treated as a verbal-noun (maf'ul mutlaq) governed by an omitted verb such as matta'akum, "He gave you to enjoy," expressing the purpose of the bounties.
Why is أَنْعَٰم in the genitive case?
It is governed by the preposition lām ("for"), so it takes the genitive, with the pronoun -kum attached as a possessive ("your livestock").