إِذَن — The Particle of Response
إِذَن is a حَرف جَوَاب (response particle) meaning "in that case / then." It makes the following muḍāriʿ verb manṣūb under three strict conditions.
Three Conditions for Naṣb
| Condition | Violation means muḍāriʿ is murfūʿ |
|---|---|
| 1. إِذَن must be at the head of the sentence | Anything preceding it → murfūʿ |
| 2. Nothing separates إِذَن from the verb | Any word other than لَا or an oath → murfūʿ |
| 3. The verb meaning is future | Present-tense meaning → murfūʿ |
إِذَن always comes as a jawāb (response) to something previously said — it cannot begin a fresh conversation. In English: "in that case."
Examples of Each Condition Failing
| Violation | Example | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Cond. 1 | أَنَا إِذَن أُكرِمُكَ | أَنَا precedes it |
| Cond. 2 | إِذَن لَعَمرِي لَا أَقصِدُكَ | oath particle intervenes (not الاّ or لَا النافية) |
| Cond. 3 | إِذَن تَعرِفُهُ | meaning is present tense (you know him right now) |
Basra vs. Kufa
- Basran view: إِذَن is itself a حَرف نَاصِب — it directly gives naṣb to the muḍāriʿ
- Kūfan view: there is always a hidden أَن after إِذَن which is the real nāṣib
Modern textbooks often list إِذَن among the nawāṣib (Kūfan simplification). Classical grammar texts follow the Basran position.
Session References
- Both These Lights Session 4: Introduction to إِذَن and its three conditions.
- Both These Lights Sessions 5–6: Worked examples of each condition failing; Basra/Kufa debate.