I'rab of Surah Al-Kafirun Ayah 1: word by word Arabic grammar
Surah Al-Kafirun (الكافرون) · Meccan · Ayah 1
قُلْ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْكَٰفِرُونَ TransliterationQul yā ayyuhā al-kāfirūn
MeaningSay: O you disbelievers.
This ayah is an imperative sentence: the verb "qul" (say) commands the addressee, with its subject an implied "you." What follows is the quoted speech: a vocative call introduced by the particle "ya." The vocative noun "ayyuha" is built on damma in an accusative position, and "al-kafirun" follows it as an explanatory appositive in nominative form.
Word by word i'rab
imperative verb (fi'l amr)
A command verb built on a silent ending (sukun), whose subject is a hidden pronoun meaning "you" (singular masculine).
indeclinablevocative particle (harf nida')
A particle of calling that introduces the one being addressed and has no grammatical case of its own.
indeclinablevocative noun (munada)
The called noun, a definite-by-intent term built on damma but occupying an accusative slot, with "ha" attached for emphasis.
accusative (in position)appositive / explanatory substitute (badal / 'atf bayan)
It clarifies who is meant by "ayyuha" and takes the nominative ending (waw) to follow it in its outward form.
nominativeDetailed i'rab
The ayah opens with "qul," an imperative verb built on a silent ending, directed at the Prophet; its subject is a concealed pronoun understood as "you." Everything after it forms the quoted statement that the verb introduces. That statement is a direct address: the particle "ya" signals a call and carries no case. The noun "ayyuha" is the one being summoned (munada); because it is a generic noun intended for a specific group, it is built on damma yet stands in an accusative position, and the suffixed "ha" reinforces the appeal. Finally, "al-kafirun" names the intended audience and functions as an appositive or explanatory clarifier of "ayyuha," carrying the nominative marker (waw of the sound masculine plural) to agree with the outward form of the word it explains.
Frequently asked
Why is "al-kafirun" in the nominative when the vocative is usually accusative?
The actual called noun is "ayyuha," which holds the accusative slot. "Al-kafirun" is not the called noun itself but an appositive that explains it; in this construction the explanatory noun after "ayyuha" follows the outward nominative form of "ayy," so it takes the nominative waw.
What is the subject of the verb "qul"?
There is no visible subject. The doer is a hidden (implied) pronoun understood as "you," addressed to a single male listener: the standard pattern for a masculine singular imperative.
What grammatical role does the rest of the verse play after "qul"?
Everything from "ya ayyuha al-kafirun" onward is the content of the command: the speech that is to be said. Functionally it stands as the object of "qul," since an imperative of saying introduces the words to be uttered.