I'rab of Surah Abasa Ayah 6: word by word Arabic grammar
Surah Abasa (عبس) · Meccan · Ayah 6
فَأَنتَ لَهُۥ تَصَدَّىٰ TransliterationFa-anta lahu tasaddaa
MeaningThen you attend to him,
This is the answer to amma from verse 5. The fa links the response, fronted pronoun anta is the subject, lahu ("to him") is a prepositional phrase attached to the verb, and tasadda ("you attend to") forms the predicate. Fronting lahu stresses devoting attention to that person.
Word by word i'rab
linking fa plus subject pronoun (mubtada')
The fa links the answer of amma; anta is a detached pronoun in the nominative position serving as the subject.
nominativeprepositional phrase attached to the verb
The preposition li with the pronoun hu, meaning "to him," grammatically attached to the verb tasadda; its fronting gives emphasis.
genitivepresent-tense verb as predicate
A present-tense verb whose ending rests on an estimated vowel over its weak letter; with its hidden subject it forms the predicate of anta.
indeclinableDetailed i'rab
The fa at the start is the linking fa that supplies the answer to amma in verse 5. Anta ("you") is a detached pronoun in the nominative position functioning as the subject (mubtada'). The phrase lahu is a preposition li joined to the pronoun hu ("to him"); it is grammatically attached to the following verb tasadda, and its placement before the verb gives rhetorical emphasis to the act of turning toward that person. Tasadda ("you attend to / devote yourself") is a present-tense verb; because its root ends in a weak letter, its case-ending is an estimated vowel rather than an audible one, and it carries a hidden subject "you." The verb together with its subject forms the predicate of anta, completing the conditional answer: as for the one who thinks himself self-sufficient, to him you give your attention. The fronting underscores the misplaced priority being gently corrected.
Frequently asked
Why does lahu come before its verb?
The prepositional phrase lahu is attached to the verb tasadda but is placed before it for emphasis, stressing that attention is being directed specifically to that person.
How does this verse complete verse 5?
It supplies the answer to amma through the linking fa. The pronoun anta is the subject and the verb-clause tasadda is its predicate, completing the sentence begun with "as for whoever."