Both These Lights — Study Session 4
Overview
The main topics covered in this session are:
- Grammar: ضَمِير الشَّأن — the pronoun that refers to what follows it
- Grammar: دَخَلَ — when the preposition فِي is dropped and when it is retained
- Grammar: لَام الأمر and its sukūn
- Grammar: إِذَن — the particle of response and its three conditions for making the muḍāriʿ manṣūb
- Reading: the Muslims' gathering before presenting to Najāshī; Najāshī's refusal to hand over the refugees
- Vocabulary: سَفِهَ نَفسَهُ (the construction with the internal object for emphasis)
1. ضَمِير الشَّأن — The Pronoun of the Matter
ضَمِير الشَّأن (pronoun of the matter/affair) is a pronoun that does not refer back to something already mentioned but rather forward to something coming after it. It points to what follows as the thing being discussed.
English equivalent: the dummy "it" in "It is a joy to hear him speak" — the "it" anticipates the content.
| Arabic | Analysis |
|---|---|
| إِنَّهُ دَاجَرَ فِي بِلَادِكَ غِلمَانٌ | The هُ is ضَمِير الشَّأن, referring to the whole following clause |
The feminine equivalent is ضَمِير الشَّأن المُؤَنَّث (فَضَمِيرُ القِصَّة). Both are pronouns that "point forward."
Real-world example
قُرِّرَ أَنَّهُ فِي يَوم الأَربِعَاء... — It was decided that on Wednesday... — the هُ refers to the whole clause about the council's decision, not to any previously mentioned noun.
2. دَخَلَ — When to Drop فِي
دَخَلَ (to enter) can take a direct object (drop فِي) or use فِي + the noun, depending on the nature of the place:
| Condition | Usage | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Physical place fit for entry | Drop فِي (direct object) | دَخَلتُ البَيتَ — I entered the house |
| Non-physical / abstract | Keep فِي | دَخَلَ فِي الإِسلَام — he entered Islam |
| Physical but not normally "entered" | Keep فِي | أَدخِل يَدَكَ فِي جَيبِكَ — insert your hand in your pocket |
From Sūrat al-Naml (27:12)
أَدخِل يَدَكَ فِي جَيبِكَ — the pocket/bosom of a shirt is a physical space but is not normally entered, so فِي is retained.
Common simplification
Many textbooks say "physical place = drop فِي." This is an oversimplification. The true rule is: fit for entry (مَكَان صَالِح لِلدُّخُول). This is why فِي جَيبِكَ is correct even though a pocket is physical.
3. لَام الأمر — The Jussive Lām
لَام الأمر (the lām of command) is used to give commands to the third person — someone not present. It makes the muḍāriʿ مَجزُوم:
| Address | How to command |
|---|---|
| Second person (you) | Direct amr form: اكتُب |
| First person (let us) | لَام الأمر: لِنَستَرِح — let us rest |
| Third person (he/she/they) | لَام الأمر: لِيَكتُب — let him write |
لَام الأمر takes سُكُون when preceded by فَ, وَ, or ثُمَّ:
فَلتَستَرِح (the lām has sukūn because of the preceding fāʾ)
Quranic example
وَلتَنظُر نَفسٌ مَا قَدَّمَت لِغَدٍ — And let every soul consider what it has sent forth for tomorrow — the lām has sukūn because of the preceding وَ.
4. إِذَن — The Particle of Response
إِذَن (in that case / then) is a particle that gives نَصب to the following muḍāriʿ under three conditions:
| Condition | Explanation |
|---|---|
| 1. Must be at the start of the sentence | If anything precedes إِذَن, it loses its nāṣib function |
| 2. Nothing separates إِذَن from the verb | except لَا النافية or an oath particle |
| 3. The verb meaning is future | If the meaning is present tense (حَال), إِذَن does not make it manṣūb |
إِذَن always comes as a response (jawāb) to something said before — it cannot begin a fresh conversation. In English: "in that case."
Application
- إِذَن أُكرِمَكَ — In that case I will honour you (all three conditions met → manṣūb, the alif shows it)
- سَأَزُورُكَ / إِذَن أُكرِمُكَ — if preceding statement separates it, or meaning is present: murfu
Basra vs. Kufa school
The Basrans say إِذَن makes the muḍāriʿ manṣūb directly. The Kūfans say there is always a hidden أَن after it. Modern textbooks often follow the simplified Kūfan explanation. Classical works maintain the Basran position: إِذَن is itself a nāṣib ḥarf.
5. سَفِهَ نَفسَهُ — The Internal Object for Emphasis
The verb سَفِهَ means "to be foolish/stupid" — it is intransitive. However, the text uses سَفِهَ نَفسَهُ (he made himself stupid), with the word نَفس in the accusative.
This is a classical construction: when an intransitive verb adds نَفس + pronoun as its object, the meaning becomes reflexive and intensified. It conveys that the person actively made themselves what they already were — more emphatic than simply being foolish.
Similar constructions from the text: - أَفسَدَ عَيشَهُ — he ruined his life (lit. he ruined his living — the same emphatic structure) - وَجِعَ بَطنُهُ — his stomach was paining (with بَطن rather than just the pronoun)
6. Reading: Before Najāshī's Court
The Muslims gathered to decide what to say when called by Najāshī. Their resolve:
نَقُولُ وَاللهِ مَا عَلِمنَا وَمَا أُمِرنَا بِهِ كَائِنًا مَا كَانَ
"We will say, by Allah, what we know and what we have been commanded with, come what may."
The phrase كَائِنًا مَا كَانَ is a ḥāl — whatever condition it becomes — expressing that their stance will not change regardless of consequences. The word كَائِن is on the pattern of فَاعِل (active participle of كَانَ), and the whole phrase is an idiomatic expression meaning "come what may."
Najāshī's response when the envoys pressed him to hand over the Muslims without a hearing:
لَا وَاللهِ لَا أَرُدُّهُمَا إِلَيهِمَا حَتَّى أَدعُوَهُم وَأَسمَعَ مَا يَقُولُونَ
"No, by Allah, I will not hand them over to these two until I have called them and heard what they say."
The use of لَام الأمر in لِيَرُدُّوهُم (indirect command) and Najāshī's oath with the jawāb al-qasam beginning with negation (so no emphasis particle needed) demonstrate principles covered in the grammar sections.
7. Key Lessons from This Session
Summary of Lessons
- ضَمِير الشَّأن points forward — it is not a regular back-referencing pronoun but anticipates the following clause as the subject matter.
- دَخَلَ drops فِي only for places fit for entry — not merely physical. A pocket or the heart are physical but not typically "entered," so فِي is retained.
- لَام الأمر takes sukūn after وَ, فَ, and ثُمَّ — this is a phonological rule, not grammatical.
- إِذَن has three strict conditions; violating any one means the verb is murfūʿ, not manṣūb.
- The Muslims' resolve — come what may — is grammatically a ḥāl of absolute condition, showing total commitment regardless of outcome.
Next session: The three conditions for إِذَن in more detail with examples of violations; لَام الأمر examples from Quran; the Muslims enter Najāshī's court.