I'rab of Surah An-Nazi'at Ayah 3: word by word Arabic grammar
Surah An-Nazi'at (النازعات) · Meccan · Ayah 3
وَٱلسَّٰبِحَٰتِ سَبْحًۭا TransliterationWas-sabihati sabha(n)
MeaningAnd by those who glide swiftly.
Another linked oath: the connective waw joins as-sabihat, an active participle in the genitive, to the chain of sworn-by nouns. Sabhan is an absolute object in the accusative, emphasizing the swift, gliding motion conveyed by the participle 'those who swim/glide along.'
Word by word i'rab
connective particle (waw al-'atf)
The waw connects this oath to the preceding ones, continuing the genitive governance over the noun that follows.
indeclinableobject of the oath (ma'tuf)
An active participle in the feminine plural, in the genitive by being joined to the earlier sworn-by nouns.
genitiveabsolute object (maf'ul mutlaq)
A verbal noun in the accusative that intensifies the action of gliding or swimming expressed by the participle.
accusativeDetailed i'rab
The verse maintains the parallel oath structure. Its opening waw is a connective particle (waw al-'atf) linking as-sabihat to the previously mentioned objects of the oath, so the noun stays in the genitive through this connection. As-sabihat is an active participle in the feminine plural describing those who glide or swim along swiftly. The final word sabhan appears in the accusative as an absolute object (maf'ul mutlaq), reinforcing and emphasizing the action of the participle and conveying smooth, rapid movement. The repeated pattern, a genitive participle followed by an accusative verbal noun of the same root, gives the passage its driving rhythm and accumulates the force of successive oaths, all leading toward the eventual answer (jawab al-qasam) that the surah delivers in its later verses about the certainty of the Resurrection.
Frequently asked
Why does as-sabihat take the genitive case?
It is connected by the waw of conjunction to the earlier sworn-by nouns, all of which are genitive under the oath construction.
What does the accusative sabhan add to the meaning?
As an absolute object it emphasizes and confirms the verbal idea of the participle, stressing the swiftness of the gliding motion.