I'rab of Surah An-Nazi'at Ayah 42: word by word Arabic grammar
Surah An-Nazi'at (النازعات) · Meccan · Ayah 42
يَسْـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلسَّاعَةِ أَيَّانَ مُرْسَىٰهَا TransliterationYas'alūnaka 'ani al-sā'ati ayyāna mursāhā
MeaningThey ask you about the Hour, when will its arrival be?
This verse reports a question put to the Prophet about the Hour. The verb (yas'alūna) carries an object pronoun (-ka), and a prepositional phrase (about the Hour) attaches to it. The interrogative (ayyāna) functions as an adverb of time serving as a fronted predicate, while (mursāhā) is the delayed subject asking when its arrival will be.
Word by word i'rab
present verb + subject + object pronoun
A present-tense verb whose subject is the attached plural pronoun 'they,' with the attached -ka as its direct object meaning 'you.'
indeclinableprepositional phrase
The preposition 'an with its genitive object al-sā'ah attaches to the verb yas'alūna, specifying the topic of the question.
genitiveinterrogative adverb of time (fronted predicate)
An interrogative noun built on a fixed ending, occupying the position of an adverb of time that serves as the fronted predicate.
indeclinabledelayed subject (mubtada' mu'akhkhar)
The delayed subject in the nominative with a virtual ending, carrying an attached pronoun 'its' and meaning its setting-in-place or arrival.
nominativeDetailed i'rab
Yas'alūna is a present-tense verb whose subject is the attached plural pronoun 'they,' and the attached -ka is its direct object, 'you.' The prepositional phrase 'an al-sā'ah, with the preposition 'an governing al-sā'ah in the genitive, attaches to the verb and names what is being asked about. The remainder forms an embedded interrogative nominal sentence: ayyāna is an interrogative noun with a fixed ending standing in the position of an adverb of time, and it functions as a fronted predicate. Mursāhā is the delayed subject in the nominative, its ending virtual because the word ends in a fixed alif, and it carries the attached pronoun 'its,' meaning the time of the Hour's arrival. The structure thus quotes the very question: when is its appointed coming?
Frequently asked
Why is 'ayyāna' called a fronted predicate?
As an interrogative, ayyāna must come first in its clause; functioning as an adverb of time, it occupies the predicate position before its delayed subject mursāhā, producing the order 'when is its arrival?'
What does the attached pronoun on 'mursāhā' refer to?
The attached pronoun 'hā' ('its') refers back to al-sā'ah, the Hour, so mursāhā means the time when the Hour is set in place or comes to pass.