Pronouns, Fragments - Basic Nahw Part 3

Pronouns are special types of اسم that do not display their 4 properties in a standard way.

There are 2 Types of Pronouns in arabic :

• الضَمِاءِر المُنْفَصِلَة - Independent Pronouns

• الضَمِاءِر المُتَّصِلَة - Attached Pronouns

Independent Pronouns الضَمِاءِر المُنْفَصِلَة :

Independent pronouns are pronouns that stand alone as their own word and do not attach to another word. Independent pronouns are always in the Raf’a status. As for type, pronouns are always proper. The number and gender of each pronoun is based on its meaning

Memorize this chart with their meaning :

Attached Pronouns الضَمِاءِر المُتَّصِلَة

Every independent pronoun has an attached counterpart. Attached pronouns attach either to a حرف or a فعل or another اسم. Attached pronouns are always either in the نصب or جر status. All attached pronouns look the same in the نصب and جر status except for the أنا version. The way to tell what is نصب and what is جر is to look at what the pronoun is attached to.

Memorize this chart with meaning :

Example :

بِهِ : means “with him” or “with it” since there no pronoun word for “it” in arabic “He” is the default

رَبُّكَ : Your Master ( This is is Mudhaf - Mudhaf Ilay Fragment scroll down to see it Inshallah )

Fragments - مُرَّكَّبَة ناقِصَة

Before Moving on to other 3 propeties of Ism - Let’s first look at fragments

A fragment is less than a sentence but more than a word. A fragment is formed when two or more words come together but do not form a complete thought. The words in a fragment have a relationship with each other. Sometimes this relationship is between a حرف and an اسم and sometimes it is between an اسم and another اسم. There are five basic fragments in the Arabic language

We will discuss 3 Fragments :

1. Jarr - Majroor
2. Harf nasb and its Ism
3. Idhafa

( Other 2 are Mowsoof-sifa and ismul isharah-musharun ilay - Pointing Fragment )

1. Jarr - Majroor جار والمجرور

This fragment is made up of two parts. The first is what is called harf jarr or a جارّ Jaar. This is a harf that puts the Ism that comes after it in the jarr status

Nothing can come between a جارّ jaar and Majroor, Harf Jarr can only affect an Ism. It is never followed by a Fi’l or an harf

example :

فِى بُرُوجٍۢ

مِنْ عِندِ

لِلنَّاسِ

بِٱللَّهِ

2. Harf Nasab and it’s Ism - حرف النصب واسمها

First part is Harf that makes the next part that is Ism next to it in jarr status - Majroor

Example :

إِنَّهُ

If a Harf ends with ن and it is followed by an attached pronoun that begins with a ن ( نا/ ني ), the 2 ن can merge or remain separate . example : إنَّ + ني can become إنَّنِي

Quran Ayah :

20:12

إِنِّي أَنَا رَبُّكَ فَاخْلَعْ نَعْلَيْكَ إِنَّكَ بِالْوَادِ الْمُقَدَّسِ طُوًى

3. Idhafa الإضافة

An idhafa is a construction that indicates possesion or belonging. In English we use “of” for this, like “the book of Allah”

The word before “of” is called Mudhaf مُضاف The word before “of” is that which is possessed

The second part is the word after “of”, it is called Mudhaf-Ilay مُضَاف إليْهِ The word after “of” is the owner or the one who possess

Grammar of Mudhaf Ilay :

There are three grammatical conditions that an Idhafa must meet.

1. The Mudhaf must be light

2. The Mudhaf cannot have an ال

3. The Mudhaf Ilay must be in the Jarr status

Also know that nothing can come between a Mudhaf and Mudhaf Ilay

Remember, there are times when a partly-flexible word can be made fully-flexible by showing a كسرة in the جر form. A partly-flexible word can be made fully-flexible in two ways:

1. by adding an ال
2. by making it a مضاف

رَبُّكَ , here ربُّ is light with no ال so it can be Mudhaf & ك is in jarr status , so it is Mudhaf Ilay

نُورُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ

نُورُ - is light no ال

السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ - Both of these words are in jarr status

So it is Idhafa Fragment.

And Mudhaf Becomes proper if Mudhaf Ilay is proper, so since here in above example Mudhaf Ilay has ال so Mudhaf also becomes proper

There could be also chain of Idhafa fragment - More than one “of” :