I'rab of Surah An-Naba Ayah 31: word by word Arabic grammar
Surah An-Naba (النبأ) · Meccan · Ayah 31
إِنَّ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ مَفَازًا TransliterationInna lil-muttaqina mafazan
MeaningIndeed, for the righteous is a place of success.
This ayah opens with the emphatic particle inna, then states that for the God-conscious there is a place of triumph. The phrase lil-muttaqin is a prepositional phrase functioning as the fronted predicate of inna, while mafazan is its delayed noun in the accusative case.
Word by word i'rab
emphatic particle (harf tawkid)
It is a particle of emphasis that places its noun in the accusative and its predicate in the nominative.
indeclinableprepositional phrase as fronted predicate of inna
The preposition li- governs al-muttaqin in the genitive, and the whole phrase serves as the advanced predicate of inna.
genitivedelayed noun of inna (ism inna)
It is the noun of inna placed after its predicate and accordingly carries the accusative ending.
accusativeDetailed i'rab
The verse begins with inna, an emphatic particle that demands a noun in the accusative and a predicate in the nominative. Because the predicate here is a prepositional phrase (lil-muttaqin), it is brought forward, a common pattern when the predicate is a quasi-sentence. The preposition li- attaches to al-muttaqin, which takes the genitive ya' because it is a sound masculine plural. The actual noun of inna, mafazan, is delayed and therefore appears in the accusative with tanwin. Fronting the predicate creates emphasis and a sense of restriction, underscoring that this triumph is specifically reserved for the God-conscious. The sentence as a whole forms a complete nominal statement governed by inna.
Frequently asked
Why is lil-muttaqin placed before mafazan?
When the predicate of inna is a prepositional phrase, it is commonly fronted; this also adds emphasis, stressing that the triumph belongs to the righteous.
What case does mafazan carry and why?
It is accusative because it is the delayed noun of inna, and inna always renders its noun accusative.