Selected Ayaat of Surah al-Israa — Study Session 4
Overview
The main topics covered in this session are:
- More patterns of الصِّفَة المُشَبَّهَة — patterns 3 through 13 (from Form I verbs)
- الصِّفَة المُشَبَّهَة from derived verb forms (Forms II–X)
- الصِّفَة المُشَبَّهَة used with the meaning of اسم المفعول (passive)
- Conjugation of نَاقِص (weak-lām) verbs — behaviour of yāʾ/wāw across dual, feminine, and derived forms
- The five forms that يَاء المُتَكَلِّم (possessive yāʾ) can take when used in نِدَاء (calling)
- كَمَا = كَـ (like) + مَا (maṣdariyyah particle)
- Ayah 25 grammar: أَعلَم as اسم التَّفضِيل (comparative/superlative), أَوَّاب as صِيغَة المُبَالَغَة
- آبَ vs. تَابَ — two roots for returning/repenting
1. More Patterns of الصِّفَة المُشَبَّهَة (From Form I)
The session continued surveying patterns. These are all ṣifat mushabbaha, not ismu al-fāʿil, despite sometimes resembling active participle forms:
| Pattern | Examples | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| فَعِيل | كَرِيم، جَمِيل، قَبِيح | Most common; covers beauty/ugliness, nobility, qualities |
| فَعَل | حَسَن، بَطَل | Shorter; covers goodness, heroism |
| أَفعَل | أَحمَر، أَعوَر، أَعرَج | Colors, physical defects/traits |
| فَعلَان | شَبعَان، جَوعَان، غَضبَان | Intense temporary states |
| فَعِل | حَذِر، شَرِس | Concerned/cautious; ferocious/abrupt |
| فُعَل | (less common) | — |
| فَعَال | جَبَان (coward?) | — |
| فُعُل | جُنُب | State of major ritual impurity |
| فَعُول | (check examples) | — |
| فَيعَل | (check examples) | — |
| فَعِل / فُعَال | صَعب (difficult), سَهل (easy) | Note: antonyms often share the same pattern |
Antonyms on the Same Pattern
A remarkable feature of Arabic: opposite-meaning words very often share the same morphological pattern. Example: صَعب (difficult) and سَهل (easy) are both on فَعل pattern.
Key examples discussed:
| Arabic | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| جَمِيل | beautiful | Quality — not an action |
| قَبِيح | repulsive, ugly | Opposite of جَمِيل — same فَعِيل pattern |
| بَطَل | hero, champion | On فَعَل pattern |
| حَسَن | good, beautiful | On فَعَل pattern; from حَسُنَ |
| شَرِس | ferocious | On فَعِل pattern |
| حَذِر | cautious, concerned | On فَعِل pattern |
| فَصَّال / فَصِيل | very decisive | فَصَّال: hyperbolic; from فَصَلَ (to distinguish) |
| فَصل (فُصول) | class period / season | Related: classes are called فُصُول because each is a distinct period |
| طَهُور | very pure | Pattern فَعُول |
| وَقُور | dignified, stately | Pattern فَعُول |
2. الصِّفَة المُشَبَّهَة from Derived Verb Forms (II–X)
For derived verb forms (mazīd — Form II through Form X), the ṣifat mushabbaha uses the same pattern as the active participle (ismu al-fāʿil). Context distinguishes whether it is expressing thubūt (permanent quality) or ḥudūth (action at a moment).
| Verb (Form) | Ismu al-Fāʿil / Ṣifat Mushabbaha Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Form IV (أَفعَلَ) | مُفعِل | مُعتَدِل (moderate, balanced in build) |
| Form VIII (اِفتَعَلَ) | مُفتَعِل | مُقتَدِر (one with great power/ability) |
| Form X (اِستَفعَلَ) | مُستَفعِل | مُستَقِيم (straight, upright) |
Example: مُستَقِيم — from استَقَامَ (Form X: to be straight/upright): - As ismu al-fāʿil: he is currently standing straight (action at a moment) - As ṣifat mushabbaha: he is upright in character (permanent quality)
اهدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُستَقِيم — "Guide us to the straight path." Here مُستَقِيم is ṣifat mushabbaha (a permanent quality of the path).
مُعتَدِل الْقَامَةِ — moderate of stature (built: neither too tall nor too short) — mufʿūl becomes muḍāf ilayh, as per Difference 5.
3. الصِّفَة المُشَبَّهَة Used in a Passive Sense
A ṣifat mushabbaha on the فَعِيل pattern can sometimes carry the meaning of اسم المفعول (passive participle) when it signifies a continuous state of "being acted upon."
| Expression | Literal meaning | Passive meaning |
|---|---|---|
| مَحمُودُ الخُلُقِ | praised of character | whose character is (continuously) praised |
| مَرضِيُّ الأَخلَاقِ | agreed-of-manners | whose manners (continuously) please others |
| مُؤَدَّبُ الطَّبع | (Form II passive) whose nature has been refined | person of refined/cultured character |
مَرضِيّ
مَرضِيّ is the passive participle of رَضِيَ (to be pleased). But in expressions like مَرضِيُّ الأَخلَاقِ, it is used in a ṣifat mushabbaha-like sense — describing a permanent characteristic: one whose manners continuously earn approval.
4. Conjugation of نَاقِص Verbs — The Yāʾ/Wāw Rules
4.1 In Form I Māḍī (Past Tense)
For nakis verbs where the third radical is wāw (و) or yāʾ (ي):
| Person | Form | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Huwa (هو) — 3rd masc. sing. | بَكَى / جَرَى / نَجَا | Third radical (wāw or yāʾ) becomes alif |
| Humā (هما) — 3rd masc. dual | بَكَيَا / نَجَوَا | Third radical returns to its original yāʾ or wāw |
| Hiya (هي) — 3rd fem. sing. | بَكَت / نَجَت | Alif drops due to التقاء الساكنين (two sākins meeting); tāʾ marbuṭa attached |
| Humā fem. (هُمَا) dual fem. | بَكَتَا | Alif stays dropped; alif of dual attached |
| Plural | بَكَوا / نَجَوا | Third radical returns as wāw |
Example: رَكَضَت ابنَتِي وَبِنتَاكِ مَعَهَا — "My daughter ran and your two daughters [ran] with her."
4.2 In Derived Forms (Form II–X): Wāw Permanently Becomes Yāʾ
Critical rule: In derived (mazīd) forms, even if the original third radical was wāw, it permanently becomes yāʾ in the māḍī and muḍāriʿ — it does NOT return to wāw, even in the dual form.
| Form I (original radical wāw) | Dual (wāw returns) |
|---|---|
| نَجَا (nāja — Form I) | نَجَوَا (wāw returns in dual) |
| Form II (same root) | Dual (wāw does NOT return) |
|---|---|
| أَنجَى (anjā — Form IV: to save) | أَنجَيَا (yāʾ, NOT anjawā) |
Example: مَن أَنجَاكَ مِن ذَلِكَ الظَّالِم؟ أَنجَيَانِي — "Who saved you from that oppressor? Both of them saved me." Note: يَا not وَا.
This is because in derived forms, the original root letter loses its identity and the standard nakis pattern dominates.
5. Five Forms of يَاء المُتَكَلِّم in النِّدَاء
When رَبِّي (my Lord) is used as a form of calling (نِدَاء), the possessive yāʾ can take five valid forms:
| Form | Arabic | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | رَبِّ | Yāʾ dropped; only kasra remains (most frequent in the Quran) |
| 2 | رَبِّي | Regular form with yāʾ retained |
| 3 | رَبِّ (with fatḥa replacing kasra) | Yāʾ dropped; kasra changed to fatḥa |
| 4 | رَبَّا | Fatḥa elongated with alif |
| 5 | رَبِّيَ | Regular form with fatḥa on yāʾ |
The most common Quranic form is Form 1 — yāʾ dropped, only kasra left. This is why رَبِّ appears so frequently in Quranic duʿāʾ.
6. كَمَا — the Likeness Particle
كَمَا رَبَّيَانِي صَغِيرًا — "just as they raised me when I was young"
كَمَا = كَـ (like/as) + مَا (maṣdariyyah — makes the following clause into a maṣdar)
This construction appears in a well-known ḥadīth:
صَلُّوا كَمَا رَأَيتُمُونِي أُصَلِّي — "Pray as (in the manner that) you have seen me praying." (Bukhari)
Here كَمَا gives the meaning of in the way that / just as.
7. Ayah 25 — Grammar and Themes
رَبُّكُم أَعلَمُ بِمَا فِي نُفُوسِكُم ۚ إِن تَكُونُوا صَالِحِينَ فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ لِلْأَوَّابِينَ غَفُورًا "Your Lord knows best what is in your hearts. If you are righteous, then He is forgiving to those who repeatedly turn to Him in repentance."
7.1 أَعلَمُ — اسم التَّفضِيل (Comparative / Superlative)
اسم التَّفضِيل is one of the four derivable attributes. It expresses: - Comparative when followed by مِن — more X than - Superlative when used without مِن — the most X
Here أَعلَمُ has no مِن → superlative: the Best Knower.
| Form | Meaning |
|---|---|
| أَعلَمُ مِن غَيرِه | more knowledgeable than others (comparative) |
| أَعلَمُ (alone) | the Best Knower (superlative) |
7.2 Why Ayah 25 Follows the Commands About Parents
Allah immediately follows the commands about parent-care with the reminder "Your Lord knows what is in your hearts." This is deeply significant:
- He knows your intention — whether your care is genuine or mixed with ulterior motives.
- He knows your struggle — the hidden frustration and exhaustion you feel but suppress.
- He offers forgiveness — if you are generally on the right path and then slip in a moment of weakness, He forgives the repentant (الأَوَّابِين).
This is one of many places in the Quran where a command is immediately followed by comfort — Allah acknowledges the difficulty of the command and offers hope.
7.3 أَوَّاب — صِيغَة المُبَالَغَة from آبَ
أَوَّاب is the intensified form (صِيغَة المُبَالَغَة) of آبَ — one who repeatedly and persistently returns and turns to Allah.
| Verb | Base Form | Sighat Mubālaghah | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| آبَ يَؤُوبُ | آئِب (one who returns) | أَوَّاب | one who repeatedly returns/repents |
| تَابَ يَتُوبُ | تَائِب | تَوَّاب | one who continuously repents |
صَلَاة الأَوَّابِين — the recommended prayer performed between Maghrib and ʿIshāʾ — is the prayer of those who repeatedly turn to Allah.
8. آبَ vs. تَابَ — Two Roots for "Returning"
| Verb | Meaning | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| آبَ يَؤُوبُ | to return (physical or spiritual) | Broader; often physical return |
| تَابَ يَتُوبُ | to return (specifically in repentance) | Specifically spiritual returning to Allah; also used for Allah's turning toward His servant in forgiveness |
مَآب (maʾāb) = اسم المكان from آبَ = place of return → Jahannam is described as بِئسَ المَآب (evil is the place of return — for the taghīn).
From a ḥadīth of returning from travel, the Prophet ﷺ would say:
آيِبُونَ، تَائِبُونَ، عَابِدُونَ، سَاجِدُونَ، لِرَبِّنَا حَامِدُونَ "We are returning, repenting, worshipping, prostrating — to our Lord giving praise."
Both آيِبُون (physical returning) and تَائِبُون (spiritual returning/repentance) appear together, showing their distinct yet complementary meanings.
9. Vocabulary Summary
| Arabic | Root | Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| جَمِيل | ج-م-ل | فَعِيل ṣifat mushabbaha | beautiful |
| قَبِيح | ق-ب-ح | فَعِيل ṣifat mushabbaha | repulsive, ugly |
| بَطَل | ب-ط-ل | فَعَل ṣifat mushabbaha | hero, champion |
| حَسَن | ح-س-ن | فَعَل ṣifat mushabbaha | good, beautiful |
| فَصِيل / فَصَّال | ف-ص-ل | فَعِيل / فَعَّال | decisive (ṣifat mushabbaha / mubālaghah) |
| مُستَقِيم | ق-و-م | Form X participle / ṣifat mushabbaha | straight, upright |
| مُعتَدِل | ع-د-ل | Form VIII participle / ṣifat mushabbaha | moderate, balanced |
| أَوَّاب | أ-و-ب | صِيغَة المُبَالَغَة | one who persistently returns to Allah |
| آبَ | أ-و-ب | Form I | to return (physically or spiritually) |
| مَآب | أ-و-ب | اسم المكان | place of return |
| تَابَ | ت-و-ب | Form I | to return (in repentance) |
| تَوَّاب | ت-و-ب | صِيغَة المُبَالَغَة | one who repeatedly repents; also an attribute of Allah (oft-accepting of repentance) |
10. Key Lessons from This Session
Summary of Lessons
- الصِّفَة المُشَبَّهَة comes in many patterns; the most important is فَعِيل. Antonyms often share the same pattern (صَعب / سَهل).
- For derived verb forms (II–X), ṣifat mushabbaha follows the same pattern as ismu al-fāʿil — context determines which it is.
- In nakis verb conjugation: the yāʾ/wāw returns to its original in Form I dual (humā), but in Forms II–X, even if originally wāw, it permanently stays as yāʾ.
- يَاء المتكلم takes five valid forms in نداء; the Quranic norm drops the yāʾ and retains only the kasra (رَبِّ).
- أَعلَم without مِن = superlative (Best Knower); with مِن = comparative (more knowing than X).
- آبَ (physical and spiritual return) and تَابَ (spiritual repentance) are different roots with overlapping yet distinct meanings.
- Allah places forgiveness (Ayah 25) immediately after the hard command of caring for parents — acknowledging the difficulty and offering hope to those who struggle and repent.
Next session: continued grammar analysis of the ayaat. The topic of ṣifat mushabbaha is now largely complete.