I'rab of Surah An-Naba Ayah 11: word by word Arabic grammar
Surah An-Naba (النبأ) · Meccan · Ayah 11
وَجَعَلْنَا ٱلنَّهَارَ مَعَاشًۭا TransliterationWa ja'alnan-nahara ma'asha
MeaningAnd We made the day for livelihood,
This verse states that day was made a time for livelihood. Connected by the conjunction waw to the preceding favors, the verb "We made" once more takes two objects: "the day" as the first object and "a means of livelihood" as the second, presenting daytime as the period appointed for seeking sustenance.
Word by word i'rab
conjunction (harf 'atf)
The connecting waw joins this verse onto the previous acts 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 day" 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 day was made a time of livelihood and earning.
accusativeDetailed i'rab
The verse begins with the conjunction waw, continuing the sequence of God's favors. The verb "We made" (ja'alna) is past tense with the attached "na" as subject (We), and in the sense of "to render" it is doubly transitive. The first object is "the day" (al-nahar), accusative as the thing acted upon. The second object is "a means of livelihood" (ma'ashan), also accusative, stating what the day was made to serve as: a time for seeking sustenance and earning a living. The verbal noun ma'ash denotes the period or means of living. Both accusative objects complete the doubly-transitive verb, balancing the previous verse where night was made a covering for rest.
Frequently asked
What does "ma'ashan" mean grammatically and how is it used here?
It is a verbal noun meaning a time or means of living. Grammatically it is the accusative second object of "We made," telling us the day was appointed as a period for earning and seeking provision.
How does this verse parallel the one before it?
Both use the same doubly-transitive verb "We made" with two accusative objects. The previous verse made the night a covering for rest, and this verse makes the day a time for livelihood, contrasting rest by night with work by day.