I'rab of Surah An-Naba Ayah 18: word by word Arabic grammar
Surah An-Naba (النبأ) · Meccan · Ayah 18
يَوْمَ يُنفَخُ فِى ٱلصُّورِ فَتَأْتُونَ أَفْوَاجًۭا TransliterationYawma yunfakhu fī ṣ-ṣūri fa-ta'tūna afwājā
MeaningThe Day the Trumpet is blown, and you come forth in crowds,
This verse specifies the appointed time: the Day the Trumpet is blown, and people come forth in throngs. 'The Day' is an adverbial substitute for the earlier 'appointed time.' The passive verb 'is blown' has 'in the Trumpet' as its grammatical subject-substitute, and 'in throngs' is a circumstantial accusative describing how people come.
Word by word i'rab
adverb of time / substitute (badal)
An accusative adverb of time that stands as a substitute (badal) for 'an appointed time' in the previous verse; it is in construct with the following verbal clause.
accusativepassive present verb
A passive present-tense verb meaning 'is blown'; its subject is named the agent's substitute (nā'ib al-fā'il).
indeclinablepreposition
A preposition meaning 'in/into,' governing the following noun in the genitive.
indeclinablesubject-substitute via preposition (nā'ib al-fā'il)
Genitive after 'fī'; the prepositional phrase stands in for the agent of the passive verb 'is blown.'
genitiveconjunction + present verb with subject
The fā connects in sequence, and 'ta'tūna' is a present verb meaning 'you come,' with the attached wāw as its plural subject.
indeclinablecircumstantial accusative (ḥāl)
An accusative ḥāl describing the state of the subject of 'ta'tūna,' meaning they come 'in throngs/groups.'
accusativeDetailed i'rab
The verse opens with yawma ('the Day'), an accusative adverb of time functioning as a substitute (badal) for mīqātan in the previous verse, and it governs the following sentence as its construct. The passive present verb yunfakhu ('is blown') follows; since it is passive, it has no named agent, and the prepositional phrase fī ṣ-ṣūri ('into the Trumpet') stands in the place of the agent (nā'ib al-fā'il), with al-ṣūr genitive after fī. Then the fā of sequence introduces ta'tūna ('you come forth'), a present verb whose subject is the attached plural wāw. The final word afwājan ('in throngs') is a circumstantial accusative (ḥāl) describing the manner in which the subject comes, namely group after group. The verse pictures the resurrection on the Day the Trumpet sounds.
Frequently asked
Why is يَوْمَ in the accusative and what is it linked to?
It is an accusative adverb of time serving as a badal (substitute) for مِيقَٰتًا ('appointed time') in the previous verse, identifying exactly which day is meant.
How does a passive verb like يُنفَخُ have a subject?
Passive verbs have no stated doer, so a substitute (nā'ib al-fā'il) takes the subject's role. Here the prepositional phrase فِى ٱلصُّورِ ('into the Trumpet') fills that role.
What is the grammatical role of أَفْوَاجًا?
It is a ḥāl (circumstantial accusative) describing the state of those addressed in تَأْتُونَ, meaning they will come forth in successive crowds or groups.