Arabic Grammar/Eloquence Gem #4: EXCLUSIVITY

Exclusivity (taQdeem):

When Someone/thing is placed before a Description (adjective)  - it is not normal [it is abnormal] sentence structure. Which implies that this person/thing Exclusively has that description.


For example: People may say;

hamdun La-Ka - Praise is For You. [normal sentence structure]

But; La-Ka al-Hamd = Praise is EXCLUSIVELY For You. [abnormal structure because 'For You' (La-Ka) is mentioned earlier in the sentence.)

This is why, when you say;

Iyyaa-Ka [You] - Na'budu [We worship]. - the 'You' (iyyaa-ka) is mentioned earlier in the sentence structure. Which implies that we worship 'You' [Allah] Exclusively/alone.

This is called TaQdeem (placing Earlier) and Ta'kheer (placing at the End) in Arabic eloquence.

and is used many times in the Qur'an.

Arabic Grammar/Eloquence Gem #3: Female Plural used for non-Female descriptions.

Gem #3: Female Plural used for non-Female objects = 'Handful' (less than 10)


If Female characters are not being discussed - but Feminine plural is still being used to describe them, it implies:

Jam'u qillah/small plural = less than 10 objects. ('a handful of objects')

Allah says about those who believe and ('amiluw al-saalihAAT [ عَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ ]) do A Few good actions, for them is Jannah (Paradise.) [see Quran 5:9]

This shows the extreme Mercy of Allah. He doesn't expect too much from His slaves. He just wants us to be grateful to Him. He wants us to - atleast the minimum - complete the 5 pillars of Islam and to stay away from the haraam (forbidden things.) And then He will reward His believing slaves with Jannah (beautiful Gardens in Paradise.)

Arabic Grammar/Eloquence Gem #2: Noun (constant) vs Verb (temporary)

Noun (constant) vs Verb (temporary):

Someone/thing can be described in verb (doing) or noun (object) form in the Arabic language.


Noun [ism faa'il] form signifies that the doer always/Continuously does that action (i.e. 'FightER')

Verb form signifies that the doer [faa'il] sometimes does that action (i.e 'he was Fighting').


A FightER is someone who always fights, whereas someone 'who is Fighting' might be fighting only once in his life.


This is why; Mu'minoon = Believers are described as Nouns [ism faa'il] = Continuously always Believing (through times of ease and hardship.)

'al-ladheena Aamanoo' - those who believe' [verb/temporary form] are not as strong in their Beliefs and their Emaan/belief is not as constant as the Mu'minoon.

Mu'minoon = strong/continuous Believer.
'al-ladheena aamanoo' = those who believe strongly sometimes, but sometimes not.


So next time, whenever you see something as a Noun (usually with a 'Mu' prefix attached at the beginning. Or any form of human personification of a doing word), then this is a Constant Attribute of that character.

Whereas when someone/thing is being described in Verb form, i.e. the pattern of Faa'il [doer], then you know that this Characteristic is only a temporary attribute.

"And she certainly determined [to seduce] him." [Yusuf 12:23]

Asalaamu alaykum waRahmatullah waBarakaatuh.

I'll tel you one Gem which amazed me at the depth of the Quranic Arabic;


In surah Yusuf, ayah [12:]23, Allah tells us [in translation of the meaning in english]:

وَرَاوَدَتْهُ الَّتِي هُوَ فِي بَيْتِهَا

"And she certainly determined [to seduce] him." [Yusuf 12:23]

That's a common English translation, it seems boring and simple. But now I'll tell you the word in arabic and its deep meaning;

The word Allah used for 'attempted seduce' [on the pattern of muFaa'alah = 'attempted'] is: رَاوَدَ

The Root letters of this word are; رودَ

1st meaning: ( رود) Ra-Waw-Dal = to seek, ask a thing gently, search (for food), go to and fro in a pasture, go round about.

2nd meaning: rawada - to long after, desire, seduce, entice, seduce against the will

3rd meaning: The word iradah is used for power and capacity with reference to subjugation as well as to option and choice. i.e. ruwaidan = to leave someone for a little while, go gently with them (even though you have authority to punish them.) [i.e. see surah Tariq 86:17])


4th meaning: راود from Lisan Al 'arab that the prophet PBUH “ rawada “ his uncle Aba Talib , meaning he kept talking to him [to convince him] about Islam , so did Moses with his people.

قال الليث: وتقول راوَدَ فلان جاريته عن نفسها وراوَدَتْه هي عن نفسه إذا حاول كل واحد من صاحبه الوطء والجماع؛ ومنه قوله تعالى: تراود فتاها عن نفسه؛ فجعل الفعل لها. وراوَدْتُه على كذا مُراوَدَةً ورِواداً أَي أَردتُه. وفي حديث أَبي هريرة: حيث يُراوِدُ عمَّه أَبا طالب على الإِسلام أَي يُراجعه ويُرادُّه؛ ومنه حديث الإسراء: قال له موسى، صلى الله عليهما وسلم: قد والله راودْتُ بني إِسرائيل على أَدنى من ذلك فتركوه

So we're not trying to do a Tafseer of the ayah, but just for personal reflection, we see the depth of the ayah so the wife of al Azeez could probably fit all those descriptions when trying to seduce Yusuf:


She would show him hints that; she likes him, she would go around him and give him attention, she would entice him, she would go around him 'to and fro' (like a person who in hunger searches for food), she would try to subjugate him while giving him abit of choice so that he might start getting attracted to her. She would even talk to him to convince him to like her.
Subhaan Allah, the depth of Allah's speech! This is all explained - just through one word Root; Raawada - رود / رَاوَدَ



[I got the definitions from Lane's Lexicon [PRL Online], which is an Arabic-English Lexicon with definitions from Classical Arabic dictionaries.]

So when Our command came.. [Hud 11:82-83]

Watch: 4mins onwards. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCysR2YyxIs

فَلَمَّا جَاءَ أَمْرُنَا جَعَلْنَا عَالِيَهَا سَافِلَهَا وَأَمْطَرْنَا عَلَيْهَا حِجَارَةً مِّن سِجِّيلٍ مَّنضُودٍ

مُّسَوَّمَةً عِندَ رَبِّكَ ۖ وَمَا هِيَ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ بِبَعِيدٍ

[Surah Hud 11: 82-83]

Allah decided to destroy the nation of Lut [Lot] because of their evil, and opposition against His Messenger.

When Our decision came, We made the highest part (of their tall buildings) the lowest part. [Hud 11:82]

So at the time Allah prepared to destroy them - they now had nowhere to hide.

In an Earthquake, you find somewhere to hide, but they never had any place to hide. You're also supposed to lie down on the floor;

Then We started raining upon them stones from the sky, manDuwd (a full bucketful excessively thrown time after time, repeatedly).


Ayah 11:83:

Musawwamatun - Marked; specifically, intensively, repeatedly - (with every person who is being targeted's name marked upon it.

Like a sniper fire, targeting the individual people who have nowhere to hide.

What a horrible destruction! What a horrible ending.. a disastrous punishment to end this life for each individual enemy specifically, and a humiliating arrival to their next life. This is what Allah did with them evildoers.

وَمَا هِيَ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ بِبَعِيدٍ
'and they are not far from those who do wrong'

Allah is warning all of us listeners, especially those who first heard it (the Quraysh polytheists) that Allah's snipers are not far away from the wrongdoers...

 

 

Eid Present: Arabic-English Dictionary Of Qur’anic Usage

In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

The Qur’an is the living source of all Islamic teaching, and is of singular importance to those interested in Islam and the study of religions. Despite this, there exists a long-felt lack of research tools for English first-language speakers who wish to access the Qur’an in the original Arabic. The Dictionary of Qur’anic Usage is the first comprehensive, fully-researched and contextualised Arabic-English dictionary of Qur’anic usage, compiled in accordance with modern lexicographical methods by scholars who have a lifelong immersion in Qur’anic Studies. Based on Classical Arabic dictionaries and Qur’an commentaries, this work also emphasises the role of context in determining the meaning-scatter of each vocabulary item. Illustrative examples from Qur’anic verses are provided in support of the definitions given for each context in which a particular word occurs, with cross-references to other usages. Frequently occurring grammatical particles are likewise thoroughly explained, insofar as they are used in conveying various nuances of meaning in the text.

• Download [9MB]
• Read Online [Scribd]  

3 Official Bayyinah E-Books you'll Love to Download! (Near Synonyms, small Dictionary, Literary Characteristics)

3 Official Bayyinah E-Books you'll Love to Download!

These Books are awesome and will allow you to appreciate the depth of the Arabic language. They have been compiled by Ustadh  Nouman Ali Khan himself.

To Download: Right Click and Save Link/Target As.

Near Synonyms [PDF] (MM) - Nouman Ali Khan

Mini Bayyinah Dictionary [unit2i [PDF] - Bayyinah Institute]

Literary Gems [PDF] - Nouman Ali Khan

Bayyinah E-Book Gems Collection [2.5Mb] [ZIP]