فَاء السَّبَبِيَّة — The Causal Fāʾ
فَاء السَّبَبِيَّة (the causal/consequential fāʾ) makes the muḍāriʿ verb after it manṣūb via a hidden and always-omitted أَن. It appears after two contexts: negation and طَلَب (request/expectation).
The Hidden أَن
After فَاء السَّبَبِيَّة, the أَن is always omitted — it is compulsorily hidden (مَحذُوف وُجُوبًا). Writing it explicitly is incorrect.
Context 1 — After Negation
مَا أَسَأتُ إِلَيهِ فَأَعتَذِرَ مِنهُ — I have not wronged him so that I should apologise.
The negation of the first action is the reason (sabab) that would logically produce the second. The فَ signals: the first thing is the cause of what follows.
Context 2 — After طَلَب (Five Types)
The five types of طَلَب that qualify:
| # | Type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | أَمر (command) | اِجتَهِد فَتَنجَحَ — Work hard so you may succeed |
| 2 | نَهي (prohibition) | لَا تَطغَ فَيَحِلَّ عَلَيكَ غَضَبِي — Don't transgress lest My wrath descend |
| 3 | اِستِفهَام (question) | هَل تُرِيدُ أَن تُعَلِّمَ فَأَجِدَ لَكَ مَكَانًا — Do you wish to teach so I may find you a post? |
| 4 | تَمَنٍّ (impossible wish — لَيتَ) | لَيتَنِي كُنتُ شَابًّا فَأُجَاهِدَ — I wish I were young so I could strive |
| 5 | عَرض (invitation — أَلَا) | أَلَا تَزُورُنَا فَنُكرِمَكَ — Won't you visit us so we may honour you? |
Quranic Examples
After negation — Sūrat Fāṭir (35:36)
لَا يُقضَى عَلَيهِم فَيَمُوتُوا — Nor will they be sentenced to death so that they could die — يَمُوتُوا is manṣūb (no nūn dropped).
After amar — Sūrat al-Baqara (2:186)
فَليَستَجِيبُوا لِي وَليُؤمِنُوا بِي — command, followed by result.
Session References
- Both These Lights Session 12: Full treatment — two contexts, five types of طَلَب, Quranic examples; the rule that أَن is always hidden after فَاء السَّبَبِيَّة.