I'rab of Surah At-Takwir Ayah 25: word by word Arabic grammar
Surah At-Takwir (التكوير) · Meccan · Ayah 25
وَمَا هُوَ بِقَوْلِ شَيْطَٰنٍۢ رَّجِيمٍۢ TransliterationWa mā huwa bi-qawli shayṭānin rajīm
MeaningAnd it is not the word of an accursed devil.
This verse continues defending the Qur'an's source: it is not the speech of an accursed devil. The structure parallels verse 22, using the negating particle 'ma' working like 'laysa', with 'huwa' as its subject and the genitive phrase 'bi-qawli' carrying its predicate. The pronoun 'huwa' refers back to the Qur'an itself.
Word by word i'rab
conjunction + negating particle (ma working like laysa)
The waw joins this clause to the previous denial, and 'ma' negates while functioning grammatically like the defective verb 'laysa'.
indeclinablesubject (ism ma / noun of ma)
The detached pronoun 'huwa' is the subject of 'ma' and refers back to the Qur'an.
nominativepredicate of ma (carried by the extra 'bi')
The redundant preposition 'bi' makes 'qawl' genitive in form while it stands as the predicate of 'ma' in meaning.
genitivepossessive complement (mudaf ilayh)
'Shaytan' is in the genitive as the second term of the construct 'qawli shaytanin'.
genitiveadjective (na't)
'Rajim' (accursed) describes 'shaytan' and follows it in the genitive case.
genitiveDetailed i'rab
Verse 25 mirrors the grammatical shape of verse 22 ('And your companion is not mad'). The opening 'wa' is a connective joining this negation to the preceding ones. 'Ma' here is the Hijazi 'ma' that operates like 'laysa', taking a subject in the nominative and a predicate. Its subject is the pronoun 'huwa', understood as referring to the Qur'an. The predicate is the prepositional phrase 'bi-qawli shaytanin', where the 'bi' is an extra (zaa'idah) preposition added for emphasis; it pulls 'qawl' into the genitive form, yet semantically 'qawl' remains the predicate of 'ma'. 'Shaytanin' is the genitive second part of the construct, and 'rajim' is its adjective, also genitive in agreement.
Frequently asked
Why is 'qawl' in the genitive if it is the predicate?
The 'bi' attached to it is a redundant preposition that adds rhetorical force. It forces the genitive ending on the word's form, but the word still functions as the predicate of 'ma' in the sentence's meaning.
What does the pronoun 'huwa' refer to?
It points back to the Qur'an, which is the subject under discussion in this passage: the verse affirms that the revelation is not a devil's utterance.