I'rab of Surah Al-Infitar Ayah 10: word by word Arabic grammar
Surah Al-Infitar (الانفطار) · Meccan · Ayah 10
وَإِنَّ عَلَيْكُمْ لَحَٰفِظِينَ TransliterationWa-inna ʿalaykum la-ḥāfiẓīn(a)
MeaningAnd indeed, over you are guardians.
"And indeed, over you are guardians." The particle إِنَّ emphasizes the statement, عَلَيْكُمْ is a fronted prepositional phrase functioning as the predicate, the لَ is an emphatic lam, and حَافِظِينَ is the noun of إِنَّ in the accusative, naming the recording angels who watch over people.
Word by word i'rab
conjunction + emphatic particle
The waw connects this sentence to the previous, and inna is an emphatic particle that puts its noun in the accusative and its predicate in the nominative.
indeclinablefronted predicate of inna
The preposition ala with the attached pronoun kum forms a phrase that serves as the fronted predicate of inna, "over you."
indeclinableemphatic lam + noun of inna
The introductory lam adds emphasis, and hafizin is the noun of inna in the accusative (sound masculine plural ending in -in), meaning "guardians."
accusativeDetailed i'rab
The verse is joined to what precedes by the conjunction وَ. إِنَّ is a particle of emphasis and one of its sisters; it puts its noun in the accusative and its predicate in the nominative. The prepositional phrase عَلَيْكُمْ, made of the preposition عَلَى and the attached pronoun كُمْ, serves as the fronted predicate of إِنَّ in meaning ("over you there are…"). The لَ prefixed to حَافِظِينَ is the emphatic, displaced lam (al-muzahlaqa), reinforcing the assertion. حَافِظِينَ is the delayed noun of إِنَّ, in the accusative case shown by the يـن ending of the sound masculine plural, denoting the watchful guardian angels.
Frequently asked
Why is حَافِظِينَ in the accusative case?
It is the noun of إِنَّ, and إِنَّ places its noun in the accusative; the plural marker here is the يـن ending.
What is the role of the لَ before حَافِظِينَ?
It is the emphatic, displaced lam (lam al-muzahlaqa), added for emphasis after إِنَّ.
Where is the predicate of إِنَّ in this sentence?
The predicate is the fronted prepositional phrase عَلَيْكُمْ, which comes before the noun for emphasis and focus.