I'rab of Surah An-Naba Ayah 10: word by word Arabic grammar
Surah An-Naba (النبأ) · Meccan · Ayah 10
وَجَعَلْنَا ٱلَّيْلَ لِبَاسًۭا TransliterationWa ja'alnal-layla libasa
MeaningAnd We made the night a covering,
This verse declares that night was made a covering. Joined by the conjunction waw to the surrounding favors, the verb "We made" again takes two objects: "the night" as the first object and "a covering" as the second, picturing night as something that wraps around and conceals like a garment.
Word by word i'rab
conjunction (harf 'atf)
The connecting waw joins this verse onto the preceding statements of creation.
indeclinableverb with attached subject pronoun
A past-tense verb of making whose attached "na" is the subject (We); it governs two objects.
indeclinablefirst object (maf'ul bihi awwal)
"The night" is the accusative first object, the thing that was made into something.
accusativesecond object (maf'ul bihi thani)
It is the accusative second object, stating that night was made a covering or garment that conceals.
accusativeDetailed i'rab
The verse opens with the conjunction waw, continuing the catalogue of divine signs. The verb "We made" (ja'alna) is past tense with the attached pronoun "na" as subject (We), and in the sense of "to render" it is doubly transitive. The first object is "the night" (al-layl), in the accusative as the thing acted upon. The second object is "a covering" (libasan), also accusative, telling us what the night was made into. The imagery is that night functions like a garment, enveloping and concealing people so they may rest. Both accusative objects together complete the doubly-transitive verb, paralleling the structure of the surrounding verses about sleep and day.
Frequently asked
Why are both "the night" and "a covering" in the accusative?
They are the two objects of the doubly-transitive verb "We made." The first object (the night) is the thing acted upon, and the second object (a covering) states what it becomes; both objects of such verbs take the accusative case.
What does calling night a "covering" suggest grammatically and in meaning?
Grammatically "covering" is the second object describing what night was made into. In meaning it likens night to a garment that wraps over people, concealing and sheltering them, which is why the metaphor is expressed through this object construction.