I'rab of Surah Al-Kawthar Ayah 2: word by word Arabic grammar
Surah Al-Kawthar (الكوثر) · Meccan · Ayah 2
فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَٱنْحَرْ Transliterationfa-ṣalli li-rabbika wa-nḥar
MeaningSo pray to your Lord and sacrifice.
This verse is built on two parallel commands. The connector fa- ("so") links it to the previous ayah, then comes the imperative verb salli ("pray"), whose object of devotion is marked by the prepositional phrase li-rabbika ("for your Lord"). The conjunction wa- joins a second imperative, inhar ("and sacrifice"), sharing the same hidden "you" subject.
Word by word i'rab
connective particle (harf 'atf / al-fa' al-fasihah)
This prefixed particle 'fa-' links the command to the previous verse, carrying the sense of a result or consequence ('so, therefore').
indeclinableimperative verb (fi'l amr)
An imperative verb built on the deletion of its weak final letter, with an obligatorily hidden subject pronoun meaning 'you' (the Prophet).
indeclinableprepositional phrase (jarr wa-majrur) attached to the verb
The preposition 'li-' ('for/to') governs 'rabb' in the genitive, and the phrase connects to the verb salli to show for whom the prayer is performed.
genitivepossessive pronoun (mudaf ilayh)
The attached pronoun 'ka' ('your') is in the genitive position as the second term of the construct with rabb.
genitiveconjunction (harf 'atf)
The conjunction 'wa-' ('and') joins the following imperative to the verb salli.
indeclinableimperative verb (fi'l amr), conjoined
A sound imperative verb built on a quiescent ending, with an obligatorily hidden 'you' subject, coordinated with salli.
indeclinableDetailed i'rab
The verse opens with the particle fa-, a connector that ties the command to the gift announced in ayah 1, giving the sense "so/therefore." It is followed by salli, an imperative verb; because its root ends in a weak letter, its command form is built on dropping that letter, and its subject is a concealed pronoun "you," addressing the Prophet. The phrase li-rabbika consists of the preposition li- ("for"), the noun rabb in the genitive, and the attached pronoun ka ("your") functioning as the possessor; this whole prepositional phrase attaches to salli, clarifying for whom one prays. The conjunction wa- then links a second command, inhar ("and sacrifice"), a sound imperative built on a quiescent ending whose subject is likewise a hidden "you." The two imperatives stand in parallel, sharing one addressee.
Frequently asked
Why does the verb صَلِّ end the way it does instead of with a normal sukun?
Its root letter at the end is a weak (vowel-like) letter. For such verbs the imperative is formed by deleting that weak final letter, so صَلِّ ends in a kasrah-marked stem rather than a plain quiescent consonant, unlike the sound imperative ٱنْحَرْ.
What does the prefixed فَ at the start of the verse do grammatically?
It is a connective particle, not part of the verb. It links this command to the previous verse and conveys a sense of consequence ('so/therefore'): because of the abundance God has given, one is told to pray and sacrifice.
Where is the subject of 'pray' and 'sacrifice'?
Both imperatives have no visible subject. Arabic imperatives carry an obligatorily hidden pronoun meaning 'you' (anta), here directed at the Prophet, so no separate word for the doer appears.