الخَبَر المُقَدَّم — Fronted Predicate (Khabar Mukadam)

In a nominal sentence (جُملَة اسمِيَّة), the normal order is mubtada' then khabar (subject then predicate). The khabar is called مُقَدَّم (fronted) when it precedes the mubtada'.

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When is Fronting Obligatory?

The khabar must come first when the mubtada' is indefinite:

فِي الدَّارِ رَجُلٌ — In the house is a man.

Here فِي الدَّارِ (khabar) precedes رَجُلٌ (indefinite mubtada'). Reversing the order would be incorrect.

When is Fronting Used for Emphasis?

Even with a definite mubtada', the khabar can be placed first to stress exclusivity or ownership:

Word Order	Meaning
مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ لِلَّهِ	The kingdom of the heavens belongs to Allah
لِلَّهِ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ	To Allah alone belongs the kingdom of the heavens

The second form places لِلَّهِ at the front for rhetorical force, implying no one else has any share.

Examples from the Quran

Surah An-Noor — Ayah 40

ظُلُمَاتٌ بَعْضُهَا فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ — Darknesses, one above another.
The khabar ظُلُمَاتٌ precedes the indefinite mubtada' as per the standard rule.

Surah An-Noor — Ayah 42

وَلِلَّهِ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ — To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth.
Khabar لِلَّهِ fronted before definite مُلْكُ for emphasis on exclusivity.

Session References

• Surah An-Noor Session 1: khabar mukadam for indefinite mubtada' (Ayah 40) and for emphasis with definite mubtada' (Ayah 42)