In Arabic, each word can be broken down into what root it comes from. What does this mean? It means, say your name is Sajid (ساجد)or Sajida(ساجدة). Just as the same root of a tree can lead to different branches, the same root word in Arabic gives different meanings based on structure of word.

Here’s step by step instructions to determine the meaning:
1. Identify the root letters.
2. Find the meaning of the root word.
3. Identify the structure of the word your analysing.
4. Find the meaning of the structure word is on.
5. Determine the meaning of the root word with respect to its structure.

Lets go ahead and do them for the word ساجد Sajid.
1. Root letters: seen jeem dal س ج د
2. The meaning of root word, from sajada سَجَدَ. Can you guess what it is? What do we do in our salah? Sajada! You got it! Prostration.
3. Word structure for ساجد: so, س ج د will be replaced by ف ع ل. Our word becomes from سَاجِد to فَاعِل.
4. Meaning of the word structure: فَاعِل means the one that does the action.
5. So from the root word meaning of prostration and our word structure meaning the one that does an action. Sajid translates to the one that prostrates.
Bonus: try figuring out meanings of Sujud, Masjid, Masajid, Sajadah, Usjud from same root word.

If the name ends with a ta marbuta (ة), which sounds like a “ah”, then most of the time, it’s a feminine name that’s qiyasi. Sajidah ساجدة is the feminine name derived from the same root and meaning as Sajid. Similar, other names: Abidah and Abid; Muminah and Muslim; Raheemah and Raheem, etc. More on this later inshallah

For now, enjoy discovering what your name means, and what your family and friends are being called for their whole lives!

Getting back to the jumla fi’liyah. This is the usual format it will appear in.
1. It begins with a verb (fi’l).
2. the doer (faail) usually comes after fi’l in the sentence. [its state is marfoo]
3. Lastly the object(mafool bihi) that it was done comes last. [its state is mansoob]

Lets look at this example.
Daraba Zaydun Qittan
[fi'l] [ faail] [ mafool bihi]
Zaid hit a cat

Which translates to:

Daraba: {he hit} : Ma’rifa This is the fi’l. Its state is raf‘ .

- By default we assume all such words to be in raf’ state, if no other influencing factors are visible. Therefore, this too is marfo)
-“he” refers to doer, in this case, Zayd. Since it follows after this fi’l and is in marfo’ state.
-“he” is the hidden/attached pronoun.
-In arabic, a pronoun in this form is known as dameer muttasil marfo.

Zaydun : {Zayd}

- note its in raf state indicated by the dumma at the end.
(so Zayd is doing the action of hitting)

Qittan: {a cat}

- Note its in the nasb state (so a cat is the object being hit.)

So it properly would translate to:

Zayd hit a cat.

How would this compare to saying:

A cat is hit.

This can be done to emphasis on the more important fact, i.e. the cat is being hit/hurt. So that the attention is naturally on help the cat, rather then get angry at Zayd

In Arabic, this is why such sentences make sense. Eg: Water is running out. Especially in the Quran. When Allah wants to emphasize on whats happening, rather than who is doing. We see in the Quran:

خَلَقَ اللَّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ

and

 وَخُلِقَ الْإِنْسَانُ ضَعِيفًا

So here is how you convert a regular sentence into such a sentence:

1. You leave out the doer (i.e. faail, is not mentioned in the sentence. For the above intention of emphasis on whats happening to the object)

2. We still start the verbal sentence with a verb (fi’l). however, its no longer in the structure of fa’ala rather it is fu’ila. And in this form its called “majhool”

3. Then we still need to mention the object (maf’ool bihi) that is undergoing the action. So how to do that? Well the Arabs did so by converting the object into the ’substitute’ of the faail. So how does it work? Basically the object is no longer called maf’ool bihi, it becomes “nawaibul faail” which means a substitute of faail. And instead of being mansoob, it ‘acts’ like the faail by taking the form of Faail, marfo.

So in summary, the object will be:

1. the marfoo state.
2. Instead of being mafool bihi, its now called nawaibul faail.

Getting back to the jumla fi’liyah in this type its in the following format:

1. It begins with a verb (fi’l) called majhool, in the form of “fu’ila”
2. the doer is NO longer mentioned. Instead the object substitutes in its place (naaibul faail) and takes the form of marfoo

Lets look at this example.

Duriba Qittun
[majhool] [Naaibul Fail]

Which translates to:

Duriba : {its hit}

it refers to object being hit

Qittun: {a cat}

Note its in the marfo state (so a cat is the object being hit. But is taking form of faail. And is naaibul faail instead of mafool bihi.)

So it properly would translate to:

a cat is hit.

Lets take an example from the quran, see if you can fill in the blanks! Answers are at the end of the article.

Ayah (29:44:1)
خَلَقَ اللَّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ

Sentence type:_____________________________________________________
Fi’l (verb) form and meaning: ________________ i’rab: ____________________
Faail (doer): ______________________________ i’rab:____________________
Object term in arabic, and meaning_______________________ i’rab:_________

Verbal sentence missing Faail. (4:28:6 )

 وَخُلِقَ الْإِنْسَانُ ضَعِيفًا

Sentence type:_____________________________________________________
Fi’l (verb) form and meaning: ________________ i’rab: ____________________
Faail (doer): ______________________________ i’rab:____________________
Object term in arabic, and meaning_______________________ i’rab:_________

Answers:

Ayah (29:44:1): خَلَقَ اللَّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ

Sentence type: Normal Verbal Sentence

Fi’l (verb): Khalaqa

term ma’rifa,
form madi – fa’ala (past tense)
meaning “He created”
i’rab: raf’ (by default)

Faail (doer): Allah.

i’rab:raf’, Marfo by default (indicated by dumma)

Objects : samawati and al-ardha

term in arabic mafool bihi
i’rab: mansoob (indicated by ta and fatha)

(4:28:6 ) :  وَخُلِقَ الْإِنْسَانُ ضَعِيفًا

Sentence type:Verbal sentence missing Faail.

Fi’l(verb): Khuliqa

term Majhool
form: fu’ila
means “it is created”
i’rab is raf’ by default

Faail (doer): No Faail mentioned.

Object: Al-Insanu

term in arabic Naaibul Faail
i’rab: marfoo (indicated by dumma at end).
Note: It takes the form of Faail by being marfo.

Incidentally, Mudaari’ verbs can be marfoo (the default), mansoob (with particles like lan), and majzoom (with particles like lam). Lam (not laam, but lam: لم) is one particle that makes mudaari’ verbs majzoom!

The best and most well-known example of this is in Surah Al-Ikhlaas. Allah says:

[Surah Ikhlaas, verses 3-4]

You’ll notice in these two verses:

• Yalid is majzoom, because of lam!
• Yuwlad is majzoom, because of lam!
• Yakun is majzoom, because of lam!

And what does Lam mean? Allahu ‘alim what exactly it means; it’s some sort of particle of negation.

You can also see this in Surah Al-Kahf. Allah says:

Here, again, you see lam; and yaj’al is made majzoom because of lam!

That’s it! Easy, right? Alhamdulillah, the Qur’an is easy to comprehend.

For example, if you said:

It means “I don’t drink alcohol.” If you used lan instead, like so:

It means “I will never drink alcohol!” So much stronger than the original!

And notice that lan makes the mudaari’ verb mansoob–one of a few things that do so (like laam-ut-ta’leel).

Or, if you wanted to say “I will never shave my beard,” you can say:

“Lan ahlaqa lihyatiy,” I will never shave my beard.

Incidentally, if you wanted to add even more emphasis, you can add abadan to the end, like so:

You can translate “abadan” as “ever” or “forever”–so this sentence would be “I will never shave my beard, ever!” Wow! What power!

And that’s lan in a nutshell. Very strong, very useful; used in the Qur’an a fair bit (like abadan).

May Allah, Al-Aleem, increase us in our knowledge of this great language. Ameen!

Bismillah walhamdulillah, was Salaatu was Salaamu ‘alaa Rasoolillaah.

“On the Day of Judgment, the Qur’an and its people who used to act by it in the world shall be brought, being lead by Surat ul-Baqarah and Al-e-Imraan, which shall be arguing on behalf of their companions.” (Reported by Muslim)

We all strive to become a companion of the Qur’an, but who are its true companions? The companions of the Qur’an are those who studied it, memorized it, implemented it and lived by it. It is not possible, in the least bit, for one to become a companion of the Qur’an and not know Arabic. Learning the language is the starting point of a life long journey with the Qur’an. Allah ta’ala chose this blessed language, as He states 11 times throughout the Qur’an: “A Book, whereof the verses are explained in detail as an Arabic Qur’an, for people who know.” (41:3), “An Arabic Qur’an, without any crookedness, so that they may have Taqwa.” (39:28), “We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’an, in order that you may gain understanding.” (12:2).

For those who do not know the language of the Qur’an, they will be deprived of its true sweetness, of its blessings and most importantly, understanding the words of Allah ta’ala. It is a cause of much grief and sadness to know that the majority of our ummah has lost the connection with the Book of Allah because the language has been lost, as the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said: “Allah raises up peoples by this Book, and puts down by it others.” (Saheeh Muslim) We have abandoned this book, and the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam will testify to Allah ta’ala on the day of judgment: “And the Messenger will say, O my Rabb, indeed my people deserted this Qur’an!” (25:30)

The righteous companions and scholars of the past have testified to the importance of learning this language and they themselves, who were native Arab speakers, were concerned with studying this language. Umar radi Allahu anhu said, “Learn Arabic for it is a part of your deen.” (Iqtidaa’ al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem, 2/207) It is also reported that Ubay ibn Ka’b radi Allahu anhu said, “Learn Arabic just as you learn to memorize the Qur’an.” (Ibn Abî Shaybah, Al-Musannaf Vol.7 p150)

Many of us want to take the proper steps to learn Arabic, but do not know where to start. What is the solution? Where do we begin? The best option is to study overseas, however many of us do not have that option to learn Arabic, so inshaAllah we’ll cover in this article some easy steps one can take to begin the process of learning Qur’anic Arabic if they cannot travel to do so.

Before these steps are mentioned, a few points need to be raised:

1. First and foremost, we have to purify our intentions for the sake of Allah ta’ala. We learned from Imam Suhaib in Sacred Scrolls that ibn Qayyim rahimahullah said the scholars and righteous of the past would always ask themselves two questions before doing a deed, one of them was “li ma?”, “for what/why?”. So ask yourself: why do you want to learn Arabic? Is it to be known by the people, to be called a student of knowledge, to speak Arabic in the masjid lobby, or is it for the sake of Allah, to understand His words and implement them? Remember that the first person thrown in hell-fire will be the scholar.
2. Seek help from Allah ta’ala Alone. Not even the greatest Arabic book or teacher can help you if Allah ta’ala does not will it for you. The believers have been given the most powerful weapon of duaa, so use it and ask Allah for assistance. “When you ask, then ask Allah, and when you seek help, then seek help in Allah.” (Tirmidhi)
3. You must remove from your mind the notion that learning Arabic is difficult…because guess what, if you think it’s difficult then it will be! Allah ta’ala states FOUR times in surah Qamar that He has made this Qur’an easy. Learning this language is indeed something great and tedious, and will need a lot of time and effort put into it, but do not set yourself up with having negative thoughts. Whenever we intend to do an action for the sake of Allah azza wa jal, we are immediately tested. Why? Because it is a purification process; fitnah literally means the act of purifying gold with fire. So these tests purify the fools gold from the real stuff. Do not get discouraged if you face difficulties, but rather remind yourself of how the gold will look after it is put through the burning flames: pure, clean and shining. Remind yourself of how sweet it will be to finally understand everything that is being recited in prayer, instead of counting how many patterns are on the masjid carpet.
4. Understand your goal, and have a clear vision. Why do you want to learn Arabic? If your goal is just to learn Arabic to speak in a modern dialect, then the Qur’an will not assist you. But if your goal is to understand the Qur’an and increase in your attachment, then learning Arabic will greatly assist you inshaAllah. We have to realize that different intentions require different approaches. Our goal for this article is to focus on Qur’anic Arabic only. The best recommendation any teacher can give you is to limit yourself to the Qur’an first. By focusing on the Qur’an, you will be able to reinforce what you have learned during salah, memorization, reviewing and reading.
5. Constantly make tawbah and refrain from sins. In the famous poem of Imam Shafi’i rahimahullah, we learn that knowledge is a light and Allah does not give this light to sinners. The Qur’an is a pure book and can only be carried in a pure container, so always purify yourself and refrain from sins so that you can retain this knowledge and increase in it.

Where do I start?

Everyone has different opinions on where to begin the journey of learning the language, so I will only mention what has helped myself and others I know and inshaAllah the discussion can continue in the comments. Learning Arabic has two main steps. Firstly, learning grammar and secondly, learning vocabulary. A student can either begin with grammar first, and then move on to vocabulary or study both at the same time.

Grammar in any language is a huge subject, and in Arabic, grammar is definitely the foundation, so it is best to study grammar with a teacher. Once a student receives a good hold of grammar, they can continue studying by themselves. If there is absolutely no way they can study with a teacher, inshaAllah I will be listing some books and resources that can be used instead. Many books that teach grammar use some hard core terminology that most of us have never even heard of, like transitive, superlative, or imperative, which can be hard for some beginner students to follow. On the bright side, once you have grammar down, everything else is easier. By learning grammar, one will be able to break down a sentence before understand what is being said…just by looking at it! This may seem odd for us English speakers, because we don’t have this in our language. Grammar, with dedication and effort, can take as little as a few months to really grasp.

Vocabulary on the other hand is long term and takes memorization, reading and researching. Realize this fact: no matter how much we study, we can never learn all the words of the Arabic language. It is next to impossible. Gaining vocabulary can be done in several ways, but the most helpful way is to read and study the Qur’an itself, and use some supplementary resources to guide you.

So now we know where to start: grammar and vocabulary.

How?

Grammar

If one is able to take local classes for grammar, then this would be the best. If not, alhamdulillah we have many resources that one can use for self-study. There is no excuse nowadays to NOT learn the Qur’an or Arabic. Even if you’re in Antarctica, if you have an internet connection, you can learn. So here are some online institutes that are available to students:

Foundation for Knolwedge and Development – Institute based in New York

Institute of the Language of the Qur’an – Institute based in Toronto (these videos are based on the first two books of the Madinah Arabic series, see next section)

Shaykh Jamaal Zarabozo’s Classes – based in California

Bayyinah Institute – Classes taught by Brother Nouman Ali Khan. MashaAllah Bayyinah is an awesome institute because brother Nouman will come to your community for 10 days and teach a crash course in 40 hours worth of basic grammar. Although he doesn’t offer beginner classes online, I strongly recommend bidding for him to come to your community if he hasn’t already inshaAllah.

Grammar Books and Resources

Books that are easy to follow that one can use for self study include (but are not limited too):

Qur’anic Language made Easy - Iffath Hasan.This book is amazingly easy to follow. It is the perfect book for everyone, especially someone who may not have a strong command in English, or for younger students. This book can definitely be used by someone who is engaging in self-study. I really love the exercises she uses because it teaches students how to use the Qur’an as their ultimate textbook. It is a great beginner book for someone who has no knowledge whatsoever of Arabic.

Access to Qur’anic Arabic – AbdulWahid Hamid. These books are used for the sister’s classes at my masjid and they are great for students of all ages. The best part is that it comes complete with audio tapes/CDs as well as workbooks.

Madinah Arabic Books – Dr. V Abdur Rahman. Personally, I have not studied from these books but I know many people who have and mashaAllah they’re very good. The only point about these books is that these books were not designed for self-study but to be taught with a teacher, so alhamdulillah the videos above are a great help to follow along with these books. There are many places where these books can be bought as well as downloaded.

Modern Standard Arabic – Peter Abboud. This is the book that is used throughout universities in America, and this is the book that Shaykh Jamaal Zarabozo uses as well. It comes in two volumes, and takes students through the ins and outs of grammar and has many exercises. However, this book has some seriously hard core vocabulary that can be difficult to follow, so a dictionary will come in handy if one decides to use these books.

A very nice website that breaks grammar down in simple terms is Arabic Tree, mashaAllah it’s awesome and is based on classes by a graduate of Madinah university.

Many students like to begin their Arabic studies with the classic texts of Arabic such as Ajarumiyyah, although they are great, they are too heavy for the modern beginner student who doesn’t have any knowledge of Arabic. InshaAllah when a student becomes more advanced in their studies, they can uses these classical texts to gain more understanding.

I would encourage students to check out these books listed above, and pick ONE that they would like to use and go through it thoroughly, instead of buying all of them and not being able to really focus. Each author/teacher has their own style of teaching, so find the style that caters to you the best and use it as your main source.

Vocabulary

Arabic vocabulary is very overwhelming, and it is important for us as students to change our mindset: instead of thinking ‘I’m going to master the whole language’, a better approach would be to have tunnel vision when it comes to vocab. Limit the amount of vocabulary you study and set realistic goals.

Remember: the Qur’an is our number one textbook, and the best one at that. Although we know there are about 2000 words in the Qur’an, the vocabulary of the Qur’an cannot be simplified –these words contain wisdom and gems that we can never enumerate or fully grasp. One of my teachers said that if someone said they completely understood the Qur’an, then they don’t know what they’re talking about. There is always something to learn from the Qur’an. This is a book full of Hikmah (wisdom), Allah says it is Al-Hakeem. Our goal is to become better students of the Qur’an, because we will never be able to derive total wisdom from it, only a few specs or drops. As br Nouman Khan mentioned: quality, when it comes to the Qur’anic vocabulary far outweighs quantity.

The best surah to gain understanding of vocabulary is Suratul Baqarah. You would think it would be logical to start with the shorter surahs of Juz ‘Amma, but actually, Juz ‘Amma is one of the hardest sections of the Qur’an, if not the hardest, when it comes to vocabulary and literary style. The first four ajzaa (plural of juz) in the Qur’an will be very helpful in gaining vocabulary.

So what are the resources needed for vocabulary?

Firstly: a good translation is needed. The best one out there is Saheeh International. You can purchase it here and read it online here. This translation is very accurate, it flows very nicely and is easy to follow and is recommended by most shuyookh and students of knowledge.

Also, I would highly recommend purchasing a word for word translation of the Qur’an. Alhamdulillah we have many variations of these translations available. The best two word for word resources would be Mohar Ali, a three set publication which can be purchased here, and even better are some free online pdfs available for download here which are also very nice, a translation of the work by Shaykh AbdulKarim Pareck. (There are even some duaas with word for word translations in this book here.)

Secondly: some good dictionaries. Alhamdulillah, there are many awesome sources available to us.

• Al-Mawrid – by Roohi al-Ba’albaki. This dictionary is great for students who are used to the English way of using a dictionary.
• The Hans Wehr Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic – This is said to be the best Arabic-English dictionary out there. The only “issue” is that the words are categorized by root words, which may be hard for a beginner to use. A student will have come a long way once a student grasps the root word system.
• Vocabulary of the Holy Qur’an – Dr. Abdullah Abbas Nadawi, this book contains the words of the Qur’an in order of roots but is easy to follow and gives basic definitions. It is a very nice resource to have alongside reading the Qur’an.
• Easy Dictionary of the Qur’an – This is a translation of the work by renowned Urdu speaking shaykh Abdul Karim Pareck. This book can also be purchased for about $10 or less, only $8 here.
• Lane’s Lexicon – Awesome, probably the best lexicon in English. It was written by a non Muslim Arabic scholar back in the 1900s and it’s more than a dictionary because he discusses roots in detail and cites examples for each connotation. Some roots go on for pages. It is available online here, and can be purchased (it’s about 8 volumes). The language is quite ancient, which can be distracting at first, but you get used to it.
• 80% of the words in the Qur’an – self-explanatory Student should memorize these word slowly, or at least use it to follow along while reading the Qur’an. It is a miracle of the Qur’an that the words repeat again and again, yet we do not tire or reading them or get bored.

I would recommend that students purchase hard copy of books versus solely relying on online books (unless you print them), because for one, it’s too much strain on the eyes to always learn from the computer and also with a hard copy, you can take your notes directly on the page as well as take it with you if you happen to travel. Not to mention you won’t be distracted by emails or IMs. Of course this is only my personal opinion, and you should do whatever suits you best inshaAllah.

The last point that needs to be mentioned is how to learn Arabic. This involves two steps:

• Analyze. Analyzing means go over the texts thoroughly, use dictionaries to gain deeper meanings of words (literary research) and making sure you have the proper understanding (tafseer) according to the scholars of Islam and not your own interpretation, and also studying a science of Arabic known as sarf (the science of morphology). A note about tafseer: studying tafseer is a lost science just as the Arabic language, because tafseer is an integral part of studying the Qur’an and is the crux of all the sciences of the Qur’an. Iyaas ibn Mu’awiyyah rahimahullah gave a beautiful parable, “The example of a people who recite the Qur’an and do not know its explanation is like a group of people who have a written message from their king that comes to them during the night, and they do not have a lamp. Therefore, they do not know what is in the message. The example of one who knows tafseer is like a person who comes to them with a lamp and reads to them what is in the message.”
  
• Memorize. Simple! It is important for students to continue with memorizing the Qur’an during their studies if they haven’t already as it gives instant review of what they learned when they recite it. Furthermore, memorizing includes memorizing basic vocabulary words, grammar terms and rules.

MashaAllah, so there you have it, an easy guide to beginning the journey of learning Qur’anic Arabic inshaAllah! Just in case you’re lost or confused, here is a short summary:

1. Work on getting a basic foundation of grammar, either through courses in your neighborhood or online classes or self-study.
2. Begin building your vocabulary. Limit yourself to the Qur’an and focus on the first four juz of the Qur’an as a starting point.
3. Analyze and memorize. Use dictionaries, works of tafseer, and other literally tools to analyze, and memorize words and terms you have learned.

Finally, here are two tips for every student of Arabic, at any level:

1- Motivation. If you lose your motivation to learn this language, then you will get nowhere. Period. It is very easy to become de-motivated when learning, so what’s the remedy? Turn to the Qur’an as your source of motivation.

2- Tunnel Vision. Arabic is a massive language which can be overwhelming and there is always something to learn. So as a student of this language, do NOT look at what you still need to learn, but focus on your lesson at the moment. Br Nouman gave the example of a student memorizing the Qur’an: if he is only on page 5 of Suratul Baqarah, and then he starts flipping through the other 600 and some pages left in the mushaf…how will he feel? Motivation wil disappear, and he thinks he can’t do it. So steer clear of these thoughts, don’t worry about what you don’t know, worry about what you do know. Everything else will come in due time inshaAllahu ta’ala.

InshaAllah with the help of Allah, by taking these steps, you can begin understanding the words of your Rabb and you’ll never want to go back! If you follow these steps NOW, inshaAllah by next Ramadaan you will be tasting the sweetness of the Qur’an and will be crying with the imaam, instead of wondering what he’s crying about.

As a last and final reminder for myself and you, I would like to mention the ayah that is repeated four times in surah Qamar–FOUR times:

وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا الْقُرْآنَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِنْ مُدَّكِرٍ

We have indeed made this Qur’an an easy remembrance, so there is any to remember? (54:17) Think about it. Seriously.

Please forgive me for anything wrong I have said, and all good is from Allah and for Him is all thanks and praise.

Please feel free, if you found this beneficial, to share it with anyone inshaAllah and post it anywhere. All I ask is that you include the above ‘disclaimer’ as an important note. Jazakum Allahu khayran.

I ask Allah ta’ala to make us companions of the Qur’an, and to return us to learning its language, and not make us among those who abandon it. Ameen.

1. Ismul Istifhaam: Also known as “the maa of asking.” This is the easiest, and probably the first thing to learn–as in:
   ما هاذا؟

   Which means “what is this?” (The maa is the part that makes it a question.)

2. Maa-u-Nahiy: Also known as “the maa of negating.” This is what you use to negate maadi verbs; for example, if you wanted to say “I didn’t go to the masjid,” you would say:
   ما ذَهَبتُ ألى المَسجِدِ

   Which means “I didn’t go to the masjid.” The maa here is a negation; without it, the sentence means “I went to the masjid.”

3. The Maa of Alladhiy: This maa has virtually the same meaning as “alladhiy,” which means “that” or “which” or “the one that/which.” For example, the sentence:
   رَأيتُ ما فَعَلتَ

   Means “I saw what you did.” Notice here the maa means “what” or “the thing that.” And also notice, you could’ve replaced it with alladhiy, and it would still carry the exact same meaning.

And those are the three maas! In fact, Arabic has over 15 different meanings of “maa”–so don’t think you know it all! But of course, a gradual process of learning the meanings one by one will eventually lead to you knowing them all, what they mean, where and how to use them, and how to decipher which maa you’re looking at when you’re reading.

May Allah increase us in knowledge of this great language and help us use it for His sake, ameen yaa Rabbi!

Enter Mamnoo’ Min As-Sarf (مَمنُوعٌ مِن السَرفِ). Literally, it means something like “not on the pattern.” It refers to a certain class of nouns that deviate from this norm–they show majruwr case with fatha instead of kasra.

Let’s look at an example. If you wanted to say “I got this from Muhammad,” you’d say: أخَدتُ هاذا مِن مُحَمَّدٍ

But, if you wanted to say “I got this from ‘Uthmaan,” you’d say: أخَدتُ هاذا مِن عُثمانَ!

Min is harf-ul-jarr; ‘Uthmaan is majruwr; but since it’s mamnoo’ min as-sarf, it shows it with fatha instead of kasra!

Similarly, if you wanted to say “this is Zaynab’s book,” you would say: هاذا كِتابُ زَينَبَ (notice it’s Zaynaba, not Zaynabi). Again, Zaynab is a word that’s mamnoo min as-sarf.

Some common words and names you might know that are mamnoo’ min as-sarf include:

• Colours: such as abyadu, ahmeru, azraqu, etc. and also the feminine forms: baydaa’u, hamraa’u, zarqaa’u, etc.
• Makkah (مَكَّة)
• Common Names: such as ‘Uthmaan, Ahmed, Ishaaq, Ya’qoob, etc. (including the names of many prophets of Islam (عليهُم السَلام)
• Some countries: Pakistan (بَكِستان), and others.

This post is just an introduction to this topic. Insha’Allah in the near future, we’ll discuss why these particular words, and not others, are mamnoo’ min as-sarf–and what classes or categories of words are mamnoo’ min as-sarf.

Wallahu ta’ala ‘alim.

But can a verb take more than one maf’ool?

The answer is yes. Although it’s rare in Arabic, there are some verbs that take more than one maf’ool (recipient of the verb). An example of this is the verb ‘allama (عَلَّمَ). ‘Allama, which means “to teach,” takes two maf’ool bihi–a who and a what.

Allah (SWT) says in Surah Baqarah, verse 31:

Translation: And He (Allah) taught Adam the names of all things … [Surah Baqarah, verse 31]

Here, we see this verb in action. Who is the faa’il? It’s a dameer mustateer, a hidden huwa. What are the two maf’ool bihi? One is Adam (which is mansoob), and one is asmaa’a (which is also mansoob). Kullahaa is just a description of asmaa’a.

Notice, there’s nothing unusual here. The faa’il is a regular faa’il; the maf’ools here are normal, albeit there are two of them. Both are mansoob, both show it with fatha, as you would expect.

What are some other verbs that take two (or more!) maf’ools? Share them insha’Allah in the comments!

In any case, one easy way to learn is to listen to this nasheed. Just listen to it a few times (maybe 20+) until you memorize it. The rest is easy Alhamdulillah, the pronounciation is clear, and perfect (no accented mistakes).

The alphabet order is: Alif, baa, taa, thaa, jeem, 7aa, khaa; daal, dhal raa, zaa, seen, sheen, saad; daad, taw, thaw, ‘ayn, ghayn, faa; qaaf, kaaf, laam, meem, noon, ha, waw, yaa.

The good thing about the nasheed is the way it breaks it up, it makes it easier to memorize. Also, note the following general rules:

1. If there are two letters that are the same, except one has a dot, and one doesn’t, the non-dotted version is first.
2. Dots below the letter come before dots in the middle, which come before dots on top
3. Less dots come before more dots

And don’t be confused by haa, noon, kaaf, faa, and meem–these come late in the Arabic alphabet, but early in the English one.

Wallahu ‘alim.

How can these verbs change their case? Enter laam-ut-ta’leel, the Laam of Explaining. When you apply laam-ut-ta’leel, it changes the verb to mansoob.

For example, if you’re asked the question:

Say you went to get a drink of water. How do you express this? You can reply with:

You replied with: I went to drink water. That laam that’s applied to the verb ashrabu is laam-ut-ta’leel–it changes the verb from ashrabu to ashraba.

And this is not the same as the harf-ul-jarr “li”–not at all. That’s a harf (particle) that causes a NOUN to become MAJROOR; laam-ut-ta’leel causes a VERB to become MANSOOB. Big difference. Don’t get confused!

Or say you went to recite some Qur’an. You can say:

Which you can translate as “I went to recite Qur’an.”

Some of you might notice the translation is a bit imprecise; in fact, it’s almost like saying (for the first example):

Which is the masdar–”I went for the drinking of water.” Well, you can actually say that. Why? The grammarians say that laam-ut-ta’leel actually has a hidden particle “an” (أن), and THIS is what’s causing the verb to be mansoob–the same particle that’s used with raada/yureedu (and other verbs)!

What’s more, they say it’s wajib to keep this particle hidden (grammatically speaking)! Subhanallah!

And that is laam-ut-ta’leel–the laam of explaining. It makes mudaari’ verbs mansoob (because of the hidden particle “in”), and can be replaced with the masdar.

Wallahu ‘alim.