I'rab of Surah At-Takwir Ayah 16: word by word Arabic grammar
Surah At-Takwir (التكوير) · Meccan · Ayah 16
ٱلْجَوَارِ ٱلْكُنَّسِ TransliterationAl-jawaril-kunnas
MeaningThose that run their course and hide away.
This verse continues the oath, describing the stars sworn by. Al-jawar is in apposition (badal) to al-khunnas, and al-kunnas is its adjective. Both are genitive, following al-khunnas of the previous verse, picturing the stars as they run their courses and then disappear into hiding.
Word by word i'rab
substitution / appositive (badal)
Al-jawar stands in apposition to al-khunnas and is genitive; its case marker is an implied kasra on the dropped final yaa in connected recitation.
genitiveadjective (na't)
Al-kunnas is an adjective qualifying al-jawar and agrees with it in the genitive case, meaning those that retreat into hiding.
genitiveDetailed i'rab
Verse 16 extends the description of the celestial bodies sworn by in verse 15. Al-jawar, "those that run their courses," is a substitution or appositive (badal) for al-khunnas of the previous verse, and so it inherits the genitive case. Its case ending is special: the kasra is estimated on the deleted final yaa, dropped in the connected reading (qira'at al-wasl) for the sake of recitation. Al-kunnas, "those that hide," is an adjective (na't) describing al-jawar and agrees with it in the genitive. The two words together complete the imagery of the stars: they sweep across the sky in their orbits (jawar) and then withdraw and disappear, like animals retreating into their dens (kunnas). Grammatically the pair simply follows and qualifies the noun governed by bi in the oath of the preceding verse, with no independent clausal position.
Frequently asked
Why is al-jawar genitive without a visible kasra?
Al-jawar ends in a yaa that is dropped in connected recitation. The genitive kasra is therefore estimated (muqaddar) on the deleted yaa, so the case is genitive even though the ending is not pronounced.
What is the relationship between al-jawar and al-khunnas?
Al-jawar is a badal, a substitution or appositive, for al-khunnas in the previous verse. It takes the same genitive case and is further described by the adjective al-kunnas.