التصديق

Question of ‘yes’ or ‘no’

أم does not occur with التصديق , but if it does, it means بل - “Rather/instead”

Did you really miss class yesterday أم you were sleeping ?

sentence after أم is the answer to the question.

Usually , we have words as choice A or B, But when we have sentence choices - sentence A or B, then the أم no longer means “or” raher it means “instead” & the second one is being affirmed.

هل

هل is not used for التصور , therfore it never has معادل , so saying هل سعدٌ أم سعيدٌ is wrong

But if you do see أم with هل , then the there would be sentence after أم not a word and that sentence will be the right answer. so even when أم comes with هل it is not a التصور question, and it is not even a question, because the asker is telling you the answer.

example : هل جاءَ صَدِيْقُكَ أم عدوُّك

Speacial Note

  • هل can push the meaning into the future. ( أ gives meaning of “right now” - present )

    هل تَصْدُقُ - “Will you tell the truth later ?”

    أتَصْدُقُ - “Are you saying for real right now?”

  • Effect of moving اسم forward :

    هل يَجِيءُ عَلِيٌّ - Here focus is on Fi’l , “Is Ali coming?”

    هل عَلِيٌّ يَجِيءُ - Here focus is Ism - “Is Ali really comming ?”

    Quran[21:80] -

    Here focus is on أنتم

Conditions when هل is not used , instead الهمزة is used

1. Negation

هل لَيْسَ مُسْلِمًا is wrong sentence correct : ألَيْسَ مُسْلِمًا

2. In sentences like - تحتَقِرُ عليًا وهو شُجاع meaning “you belittled Ali while he is brave?”

so هل تحتَقِرُ عليًا وهو شُجاع is wrong and أتحتَقِرُ عليًا وهو شُجاع is correct

3. إنّ الأمِيْرَ مُسافِرٌ (with إنّ)

أإنّ الأمِيْرَ مُسافِرٌ is correct (is the prince really travelling ?)

4. In conditional statement you don’t put هل question but use أ for questioning

أإذا زُرْتُك تُكْرِمْني - When I visit you,will you honour me ?

5. with Harf Ataf - حرف العطف

وهو مُسْلِمٌ أوهو مُسْلِمٌ - And is he a muslim ? - (you dont’t put و in the beginning)

6. When Fi’l is Muakkhar in Jumla Fi’liyyah then dont use هل

أبَشَرًا مِنا واحدًا نتبعه

ما and مَن

مَن - who

ما - “what” ,used for غير عاقل ( Non Human ) or for صفة

So, What are you ? “I am a teacher”

أيّان and متى

متى : used for past and future “when”

أيّان : used for future only and adds a sense of التهويل ( to score ) and التفخيم ( to make big deal ), adding exclamation and emphasis

  1. كيف - “How in the world ?”

  2. من أين - “Where from?”

  3. متى - “when?” - visit me whenever you want

Secondary meanings behind questions

1. الأَمَرْ - command

“Are you going to stop?” -> “Stop!”

Far more intense than just “stop!”

2. النَّهي - Formidding / Prohibition

Don’t fear. لاتَخْشَوْهُم

3. التسوية

Whether you did this or not …

4. النفي - Negation

5. الإنكار - Refutation

“Do you dare to call other than Allah ?”

6. التَشْوِيق

To make someone interested, to draw someone in

7. الإستِءْناس

  • Motivational Speech
  • A question that expresses love behind it. Laazim ul Faaida (When you ask somebody something that you already know)

8. التَّقْرير

  • To affirm / reinforce
  • A question used to make a firm statement equivalent to إنّ or لقد
  • Demands an answer

9. التَّهْوِيل

To terrify / intimidate

10. الْاِسْتِبْعاد

To talk about something that’s ulikely/impossible

11. التَعْظِيْم

  • To make something a big deal

More Resources :

By Bayyinah Dream Students

Notes