I'rab of Surah An-Nazi'at Ayah 1: word by word Arabic grammar
Surah An-Nazi'at (النازعات) · Meccan · Ayah 1
وَٱلنَّٰزِعَٰتِ غَرْقًۭا TransliterationWan-nazi'ati gharqa(n)
MeaningBy those who pull out forcefully.
This opening verse begins a series of oaths. The particle waw is the waw of oath (waw al-qasam) governing the genitive noun an-nazi'at, an active participle in the genitive after the oath. Gharqan is an absolute object (maf'ul mutlaq) emphasizing the manner of the action, intensifying the imagery of forceful drawing out.
Word by word i'rab
particle of oath (waw al-qasam)
This waw functions as an oath particle that puts the following noun into the genitive case and is linked to an understood verb of swearing.
indeclinableobject of the oath (muqsam bihi)
An active participle (feminine plural) in the genitive because it follows the waw of oath, referring to those who draw out forcefully.
genitiveabsolute object (maf'ul mutlaq)
A verbal noun in the accusative that intensifies the action of pulling out, conveying the sense of doing so vigorously and completely.
accusativeDetailed i'rab
The verse opens an oath sequence characteristic of the early Meccan surahs. The waw here is the waw of oath (waw al-qasam), a particle that has no inflection of its own but causes the noun after it to take the genitive case and connects implicitly to a suppressed swearing verb such as 'I swear.' The noun an-nazi'at is an active participle in the feminine plural form, standing in the genitive as the object sworn by (al-muqsam bihi). The final word gharqan is in the accusative as an absolute object (maf'ul mutlaq); rather than repeating the literal verbal noun, it stands in for it and stresses the intensity and thoroughness of the pulling. Together the structure presents a vivid, emphatic oath whose response (the answer to the oath) comes later in the surah.
Frequently asked
Why is an-nazi'at in the genitive case?
Because it directly follows the waw of oath, which always governs the noun after it in the genitive as the thing sworn by.
What grammatical role does gharqan play?
It is an absolute object (maf'ul mutlaq) in the accusative, reinforcing the verb's meaning and emphasizing how forcefully the action is carried out.