I'rab of Surah Al-Inshiqaq Ayah 23: word by word Arabic grammar
Surah Al-Inshiqaq (الانشقاق) · Meccan · Ayah 23
وَٱللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يُوعُونَ TransliterationWa-llahu a'lamu bima yu'un
MeaningAnd Allah knows best what they keep within.
Allah knows best what they keep within themselves. A nominal sentence whose subject is the divine name, with 'a'lam' as a comparative-form predicate, followed by a prepositional phrase containing a relative clause that names the hidden contents Allah is fully aware of.
Word by word i'rab
connective particle
The waw connects this statement to the preceding verse, or may begin a circumstantial clause.
indeclinablesubject (mubtada')
The divine name is nominative as the subject of this nominal sentence.
nominativepredicate (khabar)
A comparative-pattern noun ('most knowing') in the nominative as the predicate of the subject.
nominativeprepositional phrase with relative noun
The bi-preposition governs the relative noun 'ma', and the phrase relates to 'a'lam' in the sense of 'fully aware of'.
genitiveverb of the relative clause (silah)
Marfu' by the retained nun; with 'ma' it forms what they store or conceal within.
nominativeDetailed i'rab
The opening وَ is connective, joining this to the previous verse, and could also be read as introducing a circumstantial sense. ٱللَّهُ is the mubtada' (subject) in the nominative, and أَعْلَمُ is its khabar (predicate), a noun on the comparative/superlative pattern meaning 'most knowing'. The prepositional phrase بِمَا relates to أَعْلَمُ, here carrying the sense of 'fully aware of'; the بِ governs the relative noun مَا, which is genitive. The verb يُوعُونَ is marfu' by the retained nun of the sound plural and forms the connector clause (silah) of مَا, with no independent place in i'rab. The implied meaning of مَا يُوعُونَ is 'that which they store up / conceal in their breasts', so the verse affirms Allah's complete knowledge of their hidden denial.
Frequently asked
What kind of word is أَعْلَمُ grammatically?
It is a noun on the comparative/superlative pattern meaning 'most knowing', serving here as the predicate (khabar) of the divine name.
What does بِمَا يُوعُونَ refer to?
It refers to what the disbelievers store up or conceal within themselves, with مَا as a relative noun completed by the verb يُوعُونَ.