I'rab of Surah An-Nas Ayah 5: word by word Arabic grammar
Surah An-Nas (الناس) · Meccan · Ayah 5
ٱلَّذِى يُوَسْوِسُ فِى صُدُورِ ٱلنَّاسِ Transliterationalladhi yuwaswisu fi suduri n-nas
MeaningThe one who whispers into the hearts of people.
This verse is a relative clause modifying al-waswas from the previous ayah. The relative pronoun alladhi sits in the genitive position as an adjective. Its connecting clause is the present-tense verb yuwaswisu with a hidden subject, followed by the prepositional phrase fi suduri, where sudur governs al-nas as a possessive complement.
Word by word i'rab
relative pronoun, adjective (na't) to al-waswas
An indeclinable relative pronoun occupying a genitive slot because it describes al-waswas from the preceding verse.
genitivepresent-tense verb with hidden subject, relative clause (silat al-mawsul)
A nominative imperfect verb whose subject is a concealed pronoun (he), forming the clause that completes the relative pronoun.
nominativepreposition (harf jarr)
A genitive-governing particle attached to the verb yuwaswisu to express where the whispering occurs.
indeclinablenoun governed by the preposition (majrur), first term of an idafa
Pulled into the genitive by fi and serving as the possessed term of a construct chain with al-nas.
genitivegenitive noun (mudaf ilayh)
The possessor completing the construct, in the genitive marked by the kasra.
genitiveDetailed i'rab
The ayah opens with alladhi, an indeclinable relative pronoun that takes a genitive position because it functions as an adjective describing al-waswas (the whisperer) mentioned in the previous verse. The verb yuwaswisu is a present-tense (imperfect) verb in the nominative, since nothing causes it to take the subjunctive or jussive; its subject is a concealed pronoun understood as he. This verb together with what follows forms the relative clause (silat al-mawsul) that completes the meaning of alladhi and has no independent grammatical position. The preposition fi governs the genitive and links to yuwaswisu. Suduri is in the genitive after the preposition and is itself the first term of a possessive construct (idafa), with al-nas as its genitive complement (mudaf ilayh), marked by the kasra.
Frequently asked
Why is alladhi described as genitive when relative pronouns do not change their endings?
Alladhi is indeclinable, so its actual ending never changes. We say it is in the genitive position because it works as an adjective for al-waswas, which is itself genitive; the pronoun therefore occupies a genitive slot in the sentence even though its form stays fixed.
What is the role of the verb yuwaswisu in the sentence?
It is a nominative imperfect verb carrying a hidden subject (he). Along with the words after it, it forms the relative clause that completes the relative pronoun alladhi, and as a connecting clause it holds no separate case position of its own.
How are suduri and al-nas related grammatically?
They form an idafa (possessive construct). Suduri is the possessed term, pulled into the genitive by the preposition fi, while al-nas is the possessor (mudaf ilayh), also genitive and marked by the kasra, giving the sense the hearts of people.