لَام التَّقوِيَة — The Lam of Strengthening
Lām al-Taqwiyah (لَام التَّقوِيَة) — also called لَام الزَّائِدة (extra lam) in some grammar books — is a lam that strengthens the "verbal force" of a derivative word when it needs to take a mafʿūl bih.
The Problem It Solves
A verb naturally has strong force to take a mafʿūl bih directly. But derivative nouns (ism fāʿil, maṣdar, mubālaghah, ism tafḍīl, etc.) have weaker "verbal force." When such a word needs to take a mafʿūl bih, the lam of taqwiyah is used to strengthen the connection.
When Is It Used?
Scenario 1: Derivative word (not a verb) taking a mafʿūl bih
إنَّهُ لِقَولُ رَسُولٍ كَرِيم — "Indeed it is the speech of a noble messenger" (Al-Ḥāqqah 69:40) قَول (maṣdar) + لِـ (lam taqwiyah) strengthens the connection
زِيَارَتِي لَكَ غَداً — "My visit to you [will be] tomorrow" — maṣdar زِيَارَة strengthened by lam before the mafʿūl
Scenario 2: Mafʿūl bih brought before a verb/derivative
When the mafʿūl is fronted (for emphasis), certain verbs and derivatives need the lam to maintain the bond with their mafʿūl.
When Is It Optional vs Required?
| Context | Rule |
|---|---|
| Maṣdar with its mafʿūl (mafʿūl in normal position) | Usually optional (both forms valid) |
| Ism fāʿil or mubālaghah with mafʿūl | Often required or strongly preferred |
| Mafʿūl fronted before a verb | May be required for weaker verbs |
Grammatical Note
The lam in this function: - Does NOT add meaning of "for/to" (not the lam of purpose or reason) - Is purely structural — strengthening a grammatical relationship - The word after it remains majrūr (grammatically — but it is the logical mafʿūl bih)
Related Lams
| Lam | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
| لَام التَّقوِيَة | Strengthens a derivative's connection to its mafʿūl | قَول رَسُولٍ → لِقَولِ رَسُولٍ |
| لَام الاِبتِدَاء | Emphasis at the start of a predicate | إِنِّي لَأُحِبُّ الخَيرَ |
| لَام المُزَعلَقَة | Emphasis (skidding lam after إنَّ) | إِنِّي لَمَرِيضٌ |
| لَام التَّعلِيل | Purpose: "in order to" | لِيَعبُدُوا اللهَ |
Session References
- Selections from the Glorious Quran Session 15: Full introduction with examples from Sūrat Āl ʿImrān vocabulary; comparison with lam muzālaqa; the two scenarios (derivative word taking mafʿūl; fronted mafʿūl bih).