I'rab of Surah Al-Fatihah Ayah 7: word by word Arabic grammar
Surah Al-Fatiha (الفاتحة) · Meccan · Ayah 7
صِرَٰطَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ ٱلْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا ٱلضَّآلِّينَ Transliterationṣirāṭa lladhīna anʿamta ʿalayhim ghayri l-maghḍūbi ʿalayhim wa-lā ḍ-ḍāllīn
MeaningThe path of those whom You have blessed, not of those who earned anger, nor of those who went astray.
This verse opens with صِرَاطَ, an accusative substitution (badal) for the previous verse's "the path," so it carries the accusative even though no case ending shows on the final word here. The relative pronoun الَّذِينَ is its possessive complement, introducing the relative clause أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ. غَيْرِ is then a genitive substitute, with المَغْضُوبِ and الضَّالِّينَ following in the genitive.
Word by word i'rab
appositive substitution (badal)
It stands in for "the straight path" mentioned in the previous verse and so takes the same accusative case, marked by the fatha.
accusativepossessive complement (mudaf ilayh)
A relative pronoun fixed in form on the fatha, holding the place of a genitive noun as the second term of the construct with صِرَاطَ.
genitivepast-tense verb of the relative clause
A past-tense verb built on a silent ending (sukun) because it is joined to the subject pronoun.
indeclinablesubject (fa'il)
The attached pronoun -ta is the doer of the verb, occupying a nominative position.
nominativepreposition (harf jarr)
A preposition that puts the following pronoun into the genitive.
indeclinableobject of the preposition
The attached pronoun -him is in the genitive after عَلَى, and the whole phrase relates back to the verb أَنْعَمْتَ.
genitiveplurality marker
The final -m is a particle marking the masculine plural of the pronoun.
indeclinableappositive substitution (badal)
It substitutes for the relative pronoun الَّذِينَ and therefore follows it in the genitive case.
genitivethe noun followed in case
Reference point indicating that غَيْرِ takes the genitive in agreement with the preceding relative pronoun.
genitivepossessive complement (mudaf ilayh)
It is the second term of a construct with غَيْرِ and is therefore genitive.
genitivedeputy subject (na'ib fa'il)
Like the earlier عَلَيْهِم, this prepositional phrase stands in for the agent of the passive participle المَغْضُوبِ, holding a nominative position.
nominativecoordinating conjunction
The wa- links what follows to what precedes.
indeclinablenegation particle (extra, for emphasis)
A redundant لَا that adds force to the negation already implied by غَيْر.
indeclinablecoordinated noun (ma'tuf)
Coordinated onto غَيْرِ and thus genitive, marked by the ya because it is a sound masculine plural.
genitiveDetailed i'rab
The verse begins with صِرَاطَ, which functions as a substitution (badal) for "the straight path" named in verse six; it inherits that word's accusative case, shown by the fatha. The relative pronoun الَّذِينَ serves as the genitive complement of the construct, fixed in form but occupying a genitive slot. Within the relative clause, أَنْعَمْتَ is a past-tense verb built on a silent ending because it carries the attached subject pronoun -ta, which is nominative. The prepositional phrase عَلَيْهِم attaches to that verb. Next, غَيْرِ substitutes for the relative pronoun and so appears in the genitive, with المَغْضُوبِ as its genitive complement and عَلَيْهِم acting as the deputy subject of that passive participle. Finally, the conjunction wa- and the emphatic redundant لَا introduce الضَّالِّينَ, coordinated onto غَيْرِ in the genitive, marked by the ya as a sound masculine plural.
Frequently asked
Why is صِرَاطَ accusative when nothing precedes it in this verse to govern it?
Because it is a badal (appositive substitution) for الصِّرَاطَ المُسْتَقِيمَ in the previous verse. A badal copies the case of the word it replaces, and since that word was the accusative object of اهدِنَا, صِرَاطَ here is also accusative, marked by the fatha.
What case is غَيْرِ in, and why?
It is genitive. غَيْرِ is a substitution for the relative pronoun الَّذِينَ, which itself stood in a genitive position as the complement of the construct with صِرَاطَ. Because a badal agrees in case with what it replaces, غَيْرِ takes the genitive.
What is the function of لَا before الضَّالِّينَ?
It is a redundant (za'ida) particle added to reinforce the negation. The sense of negation is already present in غَيْر, so لَا does not change the grammar; it simply emphasizes that the speaker is not on the path of those who went astray. الضَّالِّينَ stays genitive as a coordinated noun onto غَيْرِ.