I'rab of Surah At-Takwir Ayah 17: word by word Arabic grammar
Surah At-Takwir (التكوير) · Meccan · Ayah 17
وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا عَسْعَسَ TransliterationWal-layli idha 'as'asa
MeaningAnd by the night as it departs.
The oath adds the night as a sworn-by item. "And by the night as it departs." Al-layl is joined by wa to al-khunnas and is genitive. Idha is a time adverb stripped of conditional force and attached to uqsimu, while 'as'asa is its verb meaning the night drawing on or away.
Word by word i'rab
connective particle plus noun joined to the oath
The wa joins al-layl to al-khunnas, so al-layl is genitive as a coordinated object of the oath.
genitivetime adverb (zarf) attached to the verb of swearing
Here idha is a mere time adverb stripped of its conditional meaning and linked to uqsimu, marking when the oath points to.
indeclinablepast verb within the adverbial clause
'As'asa is a past-tense verb meaning the night advances or departs; its hidden subject refers to al-layl.
indeclinableDetailed i'rab
Verse 17 continues the oath by adding the night. The wa is a coordinating conjunction, and al-layl is genitive because it is joined (ma'tuf) to al-khunnas, the earlier object of the oath governed by bi. Idha appears here as a pure time adverb (zarf), but stripped of its usual conditional sense; rather than introducing a condition with an answer, it is attached (muta'alliq) directly to the verb uqsimu and simply specifies the time being pointed to. The verb 'as'asa, "as it departs" or "draws on," is a past-tense verb whose concealed pronoun subject refers to al-layl. The clause idha 'as'asa thus modifies the night, fixing the oath on the night in its departing or oncoming state. The whole construction keeps the chain of sworn-by items moving toward the oath's eventual response in verse 19.
Frequently asked
Is idha here a conditional particle?
Not in the usual sense. In this verse idha is treated as a plain time adverb stripped of conditional force. Instead of requiring an answer clause, it is attached to the verb uqsimu and marks the time the oath refers to.
Why is al-layl genitive?
Al-layl is coordinated by wa to al-khunnas, the object of the oath in verse 15. Coordinated nouns share the case of what they are joined to, so al-layl is genitive.