I'rab of Surah An-Nazi'at Ayah 18: word by word Arabic grammar
Surah An-Nazi'at (النازعات) · Meccan · Ayah 18
فَقُلْ هَل لَّكَ إِلَىٰٓ أَن تَزَكَّىٰ TransliterationFa-qul hal laka ila an tazakka
MeaningAnd say: Would you be willing to purify yourself?
Moses is told to invite Pharaoh gently to purify himself. Fa is connective, qul is an imperative, hal is interrogative, laka is a fronted predicate for an omitted subject, and ila an tazakka is a prepositional phrase whose subordinate clause forms a verbal noun linked to that implied subject.
Word by word i'rab
connective particle (harf atf)
This fa links the command 'say' to the preceding imperative 'go.'
indeclinableimperative verb (fi'l amr)
This command 'say' is built on sukun with a hidden subject 'you' addressing Moses.
jussiveinterrogative particle (harf istifham)
This particle introduces the gentle yes/no question and has no inflection.
indeclinablefronted predicate for an omitted subject (khabar muqaddam)
The preposition la with the pronoun ka ('for you') serves as a fronted predicate for an understood subject such as 'a desire' or 'a way.'
genitivepreposition (harf jarr)
This preposition 'toward' governs the following verbal-noun clause in the genitive.
indeclinablesubordinating particle forming a verbal noun (harf masdari wa nasb)
This an turns the following verb into an interpreted verbal noun and puts the verb in the subjunctive.
indeclinablesubjunctive verb after an (the interpreted verbal noun is genitive)
This verb 'you purify yourself' is in the subjunctive after an with an estimated marker, and the resulting verbal noun stands in the genitive after ila, relating to the implied subject.
accusativeDetailed i'rab
The verse joins a second command to the first with the connective fa. Qul ('say') is an imperative built on sukun, addressed to Moses with a hidden subject 'you.' The interrogative hal introduces a soft, inviting question. The phrase laka ('for you') consists of the preposition la and the pronoun ka in the genitive; this prepositional phrase serves as a fronted predicate (khabar muqaddam) for an unstated subject understood as 'a desire' or 'an inclination.' The preposition ila ('toward') governs the clause an tazakka. The particle an is a subordinating device that converts the following verb into an interpreted verbal noun and renders it subjunctive; tazakka ('that you purify yourself') is therefore subjunctive with an estimated marker. The resulting verbal noun stands in the genitive after ila and connects to the implied subject, yielding 'Is there for you an inclination toward purifying yourself?'
Frequently asked
Where is the subject of the sentence hal laka...?
The subject is omitted but understood, such as 'a desire' or 'a way'; the phrase laka acts as its fronted predicate (khabar muqaddam).
What does an do to the verb tazakka?
An is a subordinating particle that puts tazakka in the subjunctive and turns the clause into an interpreted verbal noun, which is then genitive after the preposition ila.