I'rab of Surah At-Takwir Ayah 21: word by word Arabic grammar
Surah At-Takwir (التكوير) · Meccan · Ayah 21
مُّطَاعٍۢ ثَمَّ أَمِينٍۢ TransliterationMuta'in thamma amin
MeaningObeyed there, and trustworthy.
The description of the noble messenger continues. Muta' is a genitive adjective qualifying rasul, the indeclinable adverb thamma fixed on fatha occupies an accusative place linked to muta', and amin is another genitive adjective of rasul. All attributes keep the genitive to agree with their qualified noun.
Word by word i'rab
adjective (na't) of rasul
Muta' ('obeyed') is a further adjective of rasul and stays genitive to agree with it.
genitiveadverb of place (zarf makan)
Thamma is an indeclinable adverb built on the fatha, occupying an accusative position and linked to muta'.
accusative (in place; indeclinable on fatha)adjective (na't) of rasul
Amin ('trustworthy') is another genitive attribute of rasul, agreeing with it in case.
genitiveDetailed i'rab
This verse adds two more adjectives describing the noble messenger of the earlier verse. Muta', meaning 'obeyed', is an attribute of rasul and therefore keeps the genitive to agree with its qualified noun. Thamma is an adverb of place, 'there', that is indeclinable and fixed on the fatha; grammatically it holds an accusative position and is connected to muta', indicating where the obedience is rendered. Amin, 'trustworthy', is yet another adjective of rasul, again genitive in agreement. Together with the previous verse these adjectives build a cumulative portrait of the messenger who conveys the revelation, with every descriptive word matching the genitive of rasul.
Frequently asked
Why is thamma not inflected like other nouns?
Thamma is an indeclinable adverb of place built on the fatha; it cannot show ordinary case endings, but it occupies an accusative grammatical position.
Why do muta' and amin stay genitive?
Both are adjectives qualifying the noun rasul from verse 19, and an adjective agrees with its noun in case, here the genitive.
What does the adverb thamma link to?
It links to the adjective muta', specifying the place where the messenger is obeyed.