نِعمَ و بِئسَ — Verbs of Praise and Blame
نِعمَ (niʿma = "how excellent!") and بِئسَ (biʾsa = "how evil!") are أَفعَال المَدح والذَّم (verbs of praise and censure). Both are أَفعَال جَامِدَة (frozen verbs) — they have no muḍāriʿ and no amr.
Structure
نِعمَ / بِئسَ + [فَاعِل] + [مَخصُوص]
| Element | Arabic | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | نِعمَ / بِئسَ | Frozen; always māḍī form |
| Fāʿil | الفَاعِل | Must be definite with أَل, OR muḍāf of something with أَل |
| Praised/blamed person | المَخصُوص بِالمَدح/الذَّم | The specific individual being praised or condemned |
Examples
نِعمَ الرَّجُلُ زَيدٌ — "What an excellent man Zayd is!" - نِعمَ = verb of praise - الرَّجُلُ = fāʿil (has أَل) - زَيدٌ = المَخصُوص بِالمَدح (Zayd is the specific one being praised)
بِئسَ الرَّجُلُ زَيدٌ — "What an evil man Zayd is!" - Same structure, verb of blame
Two Analyses of المَخصُوص
Scholars disagree on the grammatical analysis of زَيدٌ (the مَخصُوص):
| Analysis | Structure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| زَيدٌ as بَدَل (classical view) | زَيدٌ substitutes for الرَّجُل (badal kullun min kullin) | Traditional classical analysis |
| نِعمَ الرَّجُلُ as khabar (preferred by Dr. Abdul Raheem) | زَيدٌ = mubtadaʾ; the whole sentence نِعمَ الرَّجُلُ = khabar | More logically coherent for the meaning |
Both are encountered in grammar books. The second analysis (mubtadaʾ + khabar sentence) is increasingly preferred in modern education.
Quranic Examples
بِئسَ الاِسمُ الفُسُوقُ بَعدَ الإِيمَانِ (Al-Ḥujurāt 49:11) "How evil is the label 'sinful transgressor' after [attaining] faith." - بِئسَ = verb of blame - الاِسمُ = fāʿil (has أَل) - الفُسُوقُ = المَخصُوص بِالذَّم
نِعمَ الأَجرُ وَحَسُنَت مُرتَفَقًا (Al-Kahf 18:31) "What an excellent reward, and how fine a resting place."
From Session 14 — Quranic Usage and Omission of مَخصُوص
In Quranic usage, the مَخصُوص is almost always omitted because it is clear from context:
نِعمَ أَجرُ العَامِلِين — fāʿil is muḍāf; مَخصُوص (الجَنَّة) is omitted نِعمَ العَبدُ (about Ayyūb AS) — no explicit مَخصُوص stated بِئسَ مَثوَى الظَّالِمِين — fāʿil is muḍāf; مَخصُوص (النَّار) is omitted
The textbook example نِعمَ الرَّجُلُ زَيدٌ (with explicit مَخصُوص) is a teaching tool. In actual Quranic usage, the مَخصُوص is nearly always implied by context.
سَاء — Third Verb of Blame
سَاءَ follows the same rules as بِئسَ. It is also a جامد verb used for blame.
وَسَاءَ سَبِيلًا — Surah al-Isrāʾ 32 — "What an evil path!" - سَاءَ = verb of blame - Fāʿil = hidden ضمير (referring to الزِّنَا — cannot be stated directly since it has no أَل) - سَبِيلًا = تمييز specifying in what way zinā is evil (its path/means) - Makhṣūṣ = الزِّنَا (omitted — clear from context)
Session References
- Surah Al-Hujuraat Session 13: نِعمَ and بِئسَ introduced; structure; fāʿil condition (must have أَل or be muḍāf); two analyses of مَخصُوص (badal vs mubtadaʾ); application in Āyah 11.
- Surah Al-Hujuraat Session 14: More Quranic examples; pattern of omitting مَخصُوص in the Quran.
- Selected Ayaat of Surah al-Israa Session 7: Introduction of سَاء as third verb of blame; سَاءَ سَبِيلًا analysis; fāʿil can be hidden ضمير + تمييز.
- Selected Ayaat of Surah al-Israa Session 8: Full rules for فاعل (3 types) and مخصوص (3 conditions for definiteness; omission); نِعمَ الجَوَاب نَحنُ; بِئسَ الْمِهَاد; نِعمَ الْمَولَى وَنِعمَ النَّصِير.