I'rab of Surah At-Takwir Ayah 12: word by word Arabic grammar
Surah At-Takwir (التكوير) · Meccan · Ayah 12
وَإِذَا ٱلْجَحِيمُ سُعِّرَتْ Transliterationwa-idha l-jahimu su''irat
MeaningAnd when the Blaze is set ablaze,
The last of the cosmic idha-clauses before the answer. The noun al-jahim ("the blazing Fire") is the grammatical subject (deputy-doer) of the passive verb su''irat ("is set ablaze"). The clause is adverbial and, with all its companions, points forward to the main answer in verse 14.
Word by word i'rab
conjunction + adverbial time particle (zarf)
The wa coordinates this final condition with the earlier ones, and idha is a future-time adverb linked to the delayed main answer of the passage.
indeclinablesubject / deputy-doer (na'ib al-fa'il)
A nominative noun ('the blazing Fire') serving as the grammatical subject of the passive verb that follows.
nominativepassive past-tense verb
A built past-tense passive verb meaning 'is kindled/set ablaze,' with al-jahim as its subject and the final ta' marking feminine agreement.
indeclinableDetailed i'rab
This verse closes the cosmic upheaval clauses and immediately precedes the upcoming clause about Paradise and then the answer in verse 14. The wa is a coordinating particle joining this condition to the preceding sequence. Idha is a future-time adverb (zarf li-l-mustaqbal), built and held in the accusative position, attached to the delayed main answer of the whole passage. Al-jahim is a noun in the nominative serving as the deputy-doer (na'ib al-fa'il) of the passive verb that follows; although it names a fire, it is treated as feminine in agreement. The verb su''irat is a past-tense passive ('is kindled / set blazing'), built on its ending, with the doubled middle radical giving an intensive sense and the damma-kasra vowelling marking the passive, while the trailing quiescent ta' shows feminine agreement with al-jahim. The verbal clause has no case position; it fills out the adverbial condition.
Frequently asked
What does the doubled middle letter in سُعِّرَتْ add?
The shadda on the middle radical puts the verb in the intensive (form II) pattern, conveying that the Fire is made to blaze fiercely, beyond a simple 'is lit.'
Why is the verb after ٱلْجَحِيمُ feminine?
Al-jahim is grammatically treated as feminine here, so the passive verb su''irat carries the feminine quiescent ta' to agree with it as its deputy-doer.