Servant Of The Light.

Detailed explanation of Al-Falaq.

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Written by Dr Badar Kanwar

The issue on hand is the analysis of Arabic Syntax. That is to say the task of translating an Arabic sentence and its order into English. In Arabic there are only two types of sentences. 1. Nominal sentence or in Arabic جمله اسميه 2. Verbal sentence or جمله فعليه Now just like in English there two major part of a sentence in Arabic as well; “A Subject” or مُبْتَدَا and “The Predicate” or خبر. Now both Subject and predicate could be either one word or combination of two words; resulting in four different possible combination order of sentences. 1. Where both Subject and predicate are single word each. 2. Either Subject is a compound of two or. 3. Predicate is a compound of two. 4. Both are compound of two words. The compounds of two words could be two types. In an incomplete sentence, full meaning is not conveyed just by meanings of constituent words and is dependent on something to complete the meanings. In Arabic called مركب ناقص ; And a complete sentence conveying full meanings, called جمله. Now lets us apply this little knowledge to above verse. أَعُوذُ , has two words أَ a personal pronoun, meaning “I”, followed by a noun عُوذُ . As a result this sentence would be classified as Nominal sentence. This noun means “seeking protection”. It is a verbal noun. Means indicates happening of a work without indications of time/tense. Now next question would be protection from what? This should be explained in the Predicate of the sentence. This is followed by a predicate which is a compound predicate without conveying full meanings by itself in Arabic a مركب ناقص . This is بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ. The first part of this compound is a combination of a preposition and a noun بِرَبِّ could be separated into بِ could have several meanings depending upon context. Next in order is root رب ب meaning “sustainer, maintainer, foster and accomplisher” Finally النَّاسِ a noun derived from root ن و س in Lane meaning “commotion (meaning mental confusion in modern English), going to and fro”. It is made from a common noun نكره to a proper noun by addition of a definite article “Al” making it معرفه. http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume8/00000120.pdf Now let us just literally translate this compound Predicate or خبر of subject مُبْتَدَا ّ بِرَبِّ =With, sustainer, maintainer, foster and accomplisher, and النَّاسِ = The, commotion or mental confusion. Now we can clearly see that this word compound by itself does not convey the complete meaning as “With the sustainer, maintainer, foster and accomplisher, the mental confusion”. However, if we add the meanings of subject, it starts making more sense. “I take protection, (from what) the mental confusion, with sustainer, maintainer, foster and accomplisher”. However, since both words in the predicate are in “Possessive case” حالتِ جر. Hence, meaning should change further as follows. “Make it know, I take protection from mental confusion with my sustainer, maintainer, foster and accomplisher”. Why did I do it little different last time? Just because, I am trying to follow word order for beginners, like myself. Finally for this “Rabbinnaasi is a possessive phrase and you have totally ignored that fact.” Brother you are just stuck with Tajwaeed. It is a rule based on Idgham of Tajwaeed. I am very sure you know it well, hence no need explaining. This does not affect meanings at all. The word قُلْ . This word is a verbal noun, imperative, singular 2 muscular from root فَالَ. This verbal root is what Arab grammarians call as verbs of heart or أفْعَالُ آلْقُلُوب i.e., which signify an act that takes place in the mind. Commonly it is thought to just mean as “to say”. However, realistically it is as a verb of mind should mean “think and then say”. This is the real complete meaning of this verbal root. Now let us apply the above knowledge of the grammatical form to this meaning. It will mean “you better think and then say”. This whole phrase is now the Subject or مُبْتَدَ of the above verse or sentence, which we decided already as noun sentence. However, we are changing the subject of the sentence. This would also change the Predicate of above sentence. Now the whole أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ becomes the “Predicate or خبر of the Subject. This kind of predicate IS called “annexed compound or in Arabic مركبِ اضافى Now since we have introduced another term مركبِ اضافى. Let us briefly explain what it means? It is compound of word know in English as sentence. The first noun is called “the annexed” in Arabic اَلْمُضَافُ and the determining noun, إلَيْهِ اَلْمُضَافُ that to which annexation is made. This type of compound could have two or more nouns. If there are only two noun, first is اَلْمُضَافُ and is identified as in “nominative” or رفْع. Identified by mark of dumma. Where as ,إلَيْهِ اَلْمُضَافُ is always in possessive or genitive case or حالتِ جر. My purpose is not to make it too complicated for novice. Hence, with out going into further detail. Let us with explanation given for the first word; translate this verse. “You better think and then say; with my Rabb (meaning sustainer, maintainer, foster and accomplisher), I seek preservation and protection from all the mental confusion”.

 

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