I'rab of Surah An-Nazi'at Ayah 38: word by word Arabic grammar
Surah An-Nazi'at (النازعات) · Meccan · Ayah 38
وَءَاثَرَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا TransliterationWa-āthara al-ḥayāta al-dunyā
Meaningand preferred the life of this world,
This verse continues the relative clause about the transgressor by adding a second verb joined by the conjunction wa. The verb (āthara) takes a direct object (al-ḥayāt), which carries a following adjective (al-dunyā). Together with verse 37 it describes the person who both transgressed and preferred worldly life, completing the description before the consequence stated in verse 39.
Word by word i'rab
conjunction + past verb
The wa joins this verb to ṭaghā of the previous verse, and āthara is a past-tense verb whose subject is a hidden pronoun referring to the transgressor.
indeclinabledirect object (maf'ul bihi)
The object of the verb āthara, in the accusative as the thing that was preferred.
accusativeadjective (na't)
An adjective qualifying al-ḥayāt; its accusative ending is virtual (estimated) because it ends in a fixed long vowel.
accusativeDetailed i'rab
The connective wa joins this clause to the preceding verb, so āthara is coordinated with ṭaghā; both verbs share a hidden subject pronoun referring to the relative pronoun man. Āthara is a past-tense verb meaning 'he preferred,' and al-ḥayāt is its direct object in the accusative, marking what was chosen. The word al-dunyā follows as an adjective qualifying al-ḥayāt; although its accusative case agrees with the noun it describes, the ending is not pronounced but understood, since words ending in a fixed final alif do not show overt case markers. The whole of verses 37 and 38 thus forms a two-part description of the same person before the verdict in verse 39.
Frequently asked
Why does 'al-dunyā' not show a visible accusative ending?
Nouns and adjectives ending in a fixed long alif cannot bear an audible short-vowel case marker, so the accusative is described as 'estimated' or virtual while still being grammatically present.
How is this verse connected to the one before it?
The opening wa coordinates its verb with the verb of verse 37, so the same hidden subject is described as having both transgressed and preferred worldly life.