I'rab of Surah An-Nazi'at Ayah 33: word by word Arabic grammar
Surah An-Nazi'at (النازعات) · Meccan · Ayah 33
مَتَٰعًۭا لَّكُمْ وَلِأَنْعَٰمِكُمْ TransliterationMata'an lakum wa li-an'amikum
MeaningAs provision for you and your livestock.
As provision for you and your livestock. Mata'an is an accusative verbal noun acting in place of the absolute object of an implied verb meaning 'He provided you.' La-kum is a prepositional phrase attached to mata'an, and li-an'ami-kum is joined to it by the conjunction, sharing its function.
Word by word i'rab
absolute object substitute (na'ib 'an al-masdar)
An accusative verbal noun standing in for the absolute object of an implied verb, conveying 'as an enjoyment/provision.'
accusativeprepositional phrase (jarr wa majrur)
The preposition li ('for') with the pronoun -kum ('you'), attached to mata'an to show the beneficiary.
genitiveconjoined prepositional phrase (ma'tuf)
Joined by the conjunction wa to la-kum and sharing the same function, meaning 'and for your livestock.'
genitiveDetailed i'rab
The word mata'an ('provision, enjoyment') is in the accusative because it functions as a substitute for the absolute object (maf'ul mutlaq) of an omitted verb whose sense is 'He let you enjoy these things as a provision.' It is called na'ib 'an al-masdar because it shares the same root meaning as that implied verb. The prepositional phrase la-kum ('for you') attaches to mata'an and identifies who benefits. The following wa li-an'ami-kum ('and for your livestock') is connected by the conjunction wa to la-kum, so it occupies the same grammatical position and adds a second set of beneficiaries. The verse thus rounds off the list of God's earthly provisions by naming their purpose.
Frequently asked
Why is mata'an in the accusative case?
It serves as the absolute-object substitute of an implied verb meaning 'He provided you,' and such verbal-noun objects take the accusative.
What is li-an'ami-kum connected to?
It is joined by the conjunction wa to la-kum, so both prepositional phrases attach to mata'an and name the beneficiaries.