I'rab of Surah Abasa Ayah 7: word by word Arabic grammar
Surah Abasa (عبس) · Meccan · Ayah 7
وَمَا عَلَيْكَ أَلَّا يَزَّكَّىٰ Transliterationwa-mā ʿalayka allā yazzakkā
MeaningAnd not upon you is it that he does not purify himself.
This verse softens the rebuke: it is not the Prophet's burden if the self-sufficient man refuses to be purified. Grammatically, it opens with a circumstantial waw and a negating maa, followed by a fronted predicate (alayka) and a delayed nominal subject formed from the masdar of allaa yazzakkaa.
Word by word i'rab
circumstantial waw (waw al-haal)
This waw introduces a circumstantial clause describing the situation under which the self-sufficient man is being dealt with in the preceding verses.
indeclinableparticle of negation (naafiyah)
This maa negates the nominal sentence that follows, denying any obligation upon the addressee.
indeclinablefronted predicate (khabar muqaddam)
The prepositional phrase 'alaa + the pronoun ka is attached to an implied predicate placed before the subject.
genitiveinfinitival particle with negation (an + laa)
This is the subjunctive an of the masdar fused with the negative laa, producing an interpreted verbal noun.
indeclinableverb yielding the delayed subject (mubtada' mu'akhkhar)
The interpreted masdar 'his not purifying himself' stands as the delayed subject of the nominal sentence in the nominative position.
nominativeDetailed i'rab
The verse begins with a circumstantial waw (waw al-haal) introducing a clause that describes the state in which the self-sufficient man is being dealt with. The particle maa here is purely negating (naafiyah), denying responsibility rather than asking a question. The structure is a nominal sentence with inversion: the prepositional phrase 'alayka serves as a fronted predicate (khabar muqaddam) attached to an omitted being-verb. The delayed subject is an interpreted verbal noun: allaa is the subjunctive an combined with the negative laa, and the following verb yazzakkaa is rendered into a masdar meaning 'his failing to purify himself.' This interpreted masdar occupies the nominative place of the delayed subject (mubtada' mu'akhkhar). The whole says: such a person's refusal to be purified is no burden laid upon you.
Frequently asked
Is maa here a question word or a negation?
Here maa is a negating particle (naafiyah); it denies any obligation upon the addressee rather than asking a question.
What is the grammatical subject of this sentence?
The subject is the interpreted verbal noun formed from allaa yazzakkaa, standing in the nominative as the delayed subject, while 'alayka is the fronted predicate.
What kind of waw opens this verse?
It is a circumstantial waw (waw al-haal), introducing a clause that describes the state in which the heedless man is being addressed.