I'rab of Surah Al-Infitar Ayah 18: word by word Arabic grammar
Surah Al-Infitar (الانفطار) · Meccan · Ayah 18
ثُمَّ مَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا يَوْمُ ٱلدِّينِ TransliterationThumma ma adraka ma yawmu ad-din
MeaningThen again, what can make you realize what the Day of Judgment is?
A repetition of the previous question with thumma ("then, again") for added emphasis. Ma is an interrogative subject, the verb "made you know" with its pronoun is the predicate, and an inner question with ma as subject and "the Day of Judgment" as predicate fills the verb's object, heightening the awe of that Day.
Word by word i'rab
connective particle (harf 'atf)
A connective particle meaning "then/again," linking this verse to the previous one for emphatic repetition.
indeclinableinterrogative noun as subject (mubtada')
An interrogative noun standing as the subject, with the following verbal clause as its predicate.
nominativepast verb with object pronoun forming the predicate
A past-tense verb ("made you know") with the attached object pronoun ka; the clause is the predicate of the interrogative ma.
indeclinableinterrogative noun as subject of the inner question
A second interrogative noun functioning as subject (mubtada') of the embedded question.
nominativepredicate (khabar) of the inner question
Nominative as the predicate of the second ma, heading the construct yawm ad-din.
nominativesecond term of genitive construct (mudaf ilayh)
Governed in the genitive as the possessed element of the construct "the Day of Judgment."
genitiveDetailed i'rab
This verse repeats the previous one, introduced by thumma, a connective particle ("then, again") that links the two and signals emphatic reiteration. The first ma is an interrogative noun in the nominative as subject (mubtada'), and the verbal clause adraka ("made you know"), a past-tense verb with the attached object pronoun ka, is its predicate. The verb then takes an embedded question as its object: the second ma is an interrogative noun as subject (mubtada'), and yawm is its predicate (khabar) in the nominative, heading the construct yawm ad-din, with ad-din in the genitive as the second term. The repetition with thumma intensifies the rhetorical magnification of the Day of Judgment, underscoring that its gravity surpasses human grasp.
Frequently asked
What is the role of thumma here?
It is a connective particle meaning "then/again" that repeats and emphasizes the question of the previous verse for greater effect.
Why is the question repeated in verses 17 and 18?
The repetition, grammatically marked by thumma, magnifies the awe and seriousness of the Day of Judgment beyond ordinary understanding.