I'rab of Surah An-Naba Ayah 25: word by word Arabic grammar
Surah An-Naba (النبأ) · Meccan · Ayah 25
إِلَّا حَمِيمًۭا وَغَسَّاقًۭا Transliterationillā ḥamīman wa-ghassāqā(n)
MeaningExcept scalding water and a dark, putrid fluid,
This ayah completes the exception begun in the previous verse: the wrongdoers will taste nothing in Hell except boiling water and a putrid, freezing fluid. The particle illa introduces the exception, and hamiman wa-ghassaqan are accusative, with hamiman read as a substitute (badal) for the earlier object "drink" and ghassaqan joined to it.
Word by word i'rab
particle of exception (istithna')
This particle introduces an exception to the preceding negation, restricting the meaning to what comes after it.
indeclinablesubstitute (badal) for the earlier object "drink"
It is a substitute (badal) for the negated accusative object "drink" in the previous verse, so it takes the accusative as the thing exempted from the negation.
accusativeconjoined noun (ma'tuf)
Joined by the connective waw to hamiman, it shares its accusative case and its role within the exception.
accusativeDetailed i'rab
Grammatically this verse hangs on the verb "they taste" from verse 24, which was negated. The particle illa breaks that negation and introduces the only exceptions. Hamiman ("scalding water") is accusative because, on the standard reading, it is a substitute (badal) for the earlier accusative object "drink": it stands in for that object and inherits its accusative case. The connective waw then attaches ghassaqan ("a foul, freezing liquid") to it, so the second noun is conjoined to hamiman and carries the same accusative case and the same syntactic standing. Together the two nouns specify, by exception, the wretched substances the wrongdoers will receive, sharpening the contrast with the comfort denied to them.
Frequently asked
Why are hamiman and ghassaqan in the accusative case?
Hamiman is a substitute (badal) for the earlier accusative object "drink" that was negated, so it takes the accusative; ghassaqan is conjoined to it by the waw and therefore shares the same accusative case.
What is the function of illa here?
Illa is a particle of exception. It cancels part of the preceding negation, marking out the only things the wrongdoers will actually receive.