I'rab of Surah Al-Inshiqaq Ayah 21: word by word Arabic grammar
Surah Al-Inshiqaq (الانشقاق) · Meccan · Ayah 21
وَإِذَا قُرِئَ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْقُرْءَانُ لَا يَسْجُدُونَ ۩ TransliterationWa-idha quri'a 'alayhimu l-qur'anu la yasjudun
MeaningAnd when the Qur'an is recited to them, they do not prostrate.
A continuation of the rebuke: when the Qur'an is recited to them they do not prostrate. A time-clause introduced by 'idha' sets the scene with a passive verb, and the main answer is the negated present-tense verb describing their refusal to bow down.
Word by word i'rab
connective particle
The waw joins this verse to the preceding rebuke.
indeclinableadverb of time (conditional)
It introduces a time-clause whose answer is the later verb 'they do not prostrate'.
indeclinablepassive past verb
A passive verb built on fat-h; its doer is unnamed and 'the Qur'an' serves as its deputy subject.
indeclinableprepositional phrase (related to the verb)
This phrase attaches to the passive verb 'is recited', meaning 'recited upon them'.
genitivedeputy subject (na'ib al-fa'il)
It is nominative as the substitute agent of the passive verb 'is recited'.
nominativenegative particle
It negates the following verb, like the negation in the previous verse.
indeclinableimperfect verb (answer of the time-clause)
Marfu' by the retained nun; it is the response to 'when', stating they do not prostrate.
nominativeDetailed i'rab
The opening وَ connects the verse to the rebuke before it. إِذَا is an adverb of time carrying conditional sense, and its content clause is the passive verb قُرِئَ, which is built on fat-h. The agent is unnamed; instead ٱلْقُرْءَانُ stands as the deputy subject (na'ib al-fa'il) in the nominative. The phrase عَلَيْهِمُ links to the passive verb, giving 'recited upon them'. The answer (jawab) to إِذَا is the clause لَا يَسْجُدُونَ: لَا negates, and يَسْجُدُونَ is marfu' with the retained nun of the sound masculine plural. The whole means that even at the moment when revelation is recited to them, they refuse to fall in prostration, which is why this is a place of recommended prostration in recitation.
Frequently asked
Why is ٱلْقُرْءَانُ in the nominative even though the verb is passive?
Because the verb قُرِئَ is passive and has no named doer; the Qur'an takes the role of deputy subject (na'ib al-fa'il), which is nominative.
What is the answer to إِذَا in this verse?
The clause لَا يَسْجُدُونَ ('they do not prostrate') is the answer to the time-adverb إِذَا.