I'rab of Surah An-Nazi'at Ayah 25: word by word Arabic grammar
Surah An-Nazi'at (النازعات) · Meccan · Ayah 25
فَأَخَذَهُ ٱللَّهُ نَكَالَ ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ وَٱلْأُولَىٰٓ TransliterationFa-akhadhahu Allahu nakala al-akhirati wa-al-ula
MeaningSo God seized him with the punishment of the Hereafter and the first life.
This verse states that God seized Pharaoh with the exemplary punishment of the next life and the first. The fa- is connective, akhadha is a past verb, Allah is its subject, and nakala is an absolute object (maf'ul mutlaq) standing in for the verbal noun, governing the following genitive construct al-akhirah wa-al-ula.
Word by word i'rab
connective particle + past verb + object pronoun
The prefixed fa- links this to the preceding narrative, akhadha is a past-tense verb built on fatha, and the attached -hu is its object pronoun referring to Pharaoh.
indeclinablesubject (fa'il)
The divine name is the doer of the verb akhadha and is therefore nominative, marked by the final damma.
nominativeabsolute object (maf'ul mutlaq) standing for the verbal noun
Nakala is accusative as an absolute object substituting for the verbal noun, expressing the manner and severity of the seizing, and it heads the following construct.
accusativesecond term of construct (mudaf ilayh)
Al-akhirah is genitive because it is possessed by nakala, marked by the final kasra.
genitiveconjoined to the genitive (ma'tuf)
The wa- conjoins al-ula to al-akhirah, so it shares its genitive case, its kasra being estimated on the final alif.
genitiveDetailed i'rab
The verse opens with the connective particle fa-, joining the clause to the prior account of Pharaoh's defiance. Akhadha is a past-tense verb fixed on fatha, with the attached pronoun -hu serving as its direct object referring to Pharaoh. The subject is the divine name Allah, nominative with a final damma. The word nakala is the grammatical heart of the verse: it is an absolute object (maf'ul mutlaq) in the accusative, standing in for the verbal noun and intensifying the action of seizing. It governs the genitive noun al-akhirah as the second term of a construct phrase, and al-ula is conjoined to it by wa-, sharing the genitive case with an estimated kasra on its final alif. The phrase thus conveys an exemplary punishment encompassing both the later and earlier reckonings.
Frequently asked
Why is نَكَالَ in the accusative case?
It functions as an absolute object (maf'ul mutlaq) that stands in for the verbal noun, describing the kind of seizing; words in this role take the accusative.
What does the pronoun in فَأَخَذَهُ refer to?
The attached object pronoun -hu refers back to Pharaoh, who was mentioned in the preceding verses as having defied God.