Arabic Grammar/Eloquence Gem #3: Female Plural used for non-Female descriptions.

Gem #3: Female Plural used for non-Female objects = ‘Handful’ (less than 10)

If Female characters are not being discussed – but Feminine plural is still being used to describe them, it implies:

Jam’u qillah/small plural = less than 10 objects. (‘a handful of objects’)

Allah says about those who believe and (‘amiluw al-saalihAAT [ عَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ ]) do A Few good actions, for them is Jannah (Paradise.) [see Quran 5:9]

This shows the extreme Mercy of Allah. He doesn’t expect too much from His slaves. He just wants us to be grateful to Him. He wants us to – atleast the minimum – complete the 5 pillars of Islam and to stay away from the haraam (forbidden things.) And then He will reward His believing slaves with Jannah (beautiful Gardens in Paradise.)

Arabic Grammar/Eloquence Gem #2: Noun (constant) vs Verb (temporary)

Noun (constant) vs Verb (temporary):

Someone/thing can be described in verb (doing) or noun (object) form in the Arabic language.

Noun [ism faa’il] form signifies that the doer always/Continuously does that action (i.e. ‘FightER‘)

Verb form signifies that the doer [faa’il] sometimes does that action (i.e ‘he was Fighting‘).

A FightER is someone who always fights, whereas someone ‘who is Fighting’ might be fighting only once in his life.

This is why; Mu’minoon = Believers are described as Nouns [ism faa’il] = Continuously always Believing (through times of ease and hardship.)

‘al-ladheena Aamanoo’ – those who believe’ [verb/temporary form] are not as strong in their Beliefs and their Emaan/belief is not as constant as the Mu’minoon.

Mu’minoon = strong/continuous Believer.
‘al-ladheena aamanoo’ = those who believe strongly sometimes, but sometimes not.

So next time, whenever you see something as a Noun (usually with a ‘Mu‘ prefix attached at the beginning. Or any form of human personification of a doing word), then this is a Constant Attribute of that character.

Whereas when someone/thing is being described in Verb form, i.e. the pattern of Faa’il [doer], then you know that this Characteristic is only a temporary attribute.

Arabic Grammar/Eloquence Gems: Past Tense vs Present-Future Tense

Arabic Grammar & Eloquence (Balaaghah) Gems:

Alot of times people learn grammar in Arabic without knowing why it’s so important. But inshaa’ Allah after reading some of its Gems, you’ll appreciate why you learnt it.

These Gems will be useful for both a beginner of Arabic, and also intermediates.

Past tense (maaDiy) vs Present-Future tense (muDaari’):



Past tense words can be used to describe;

1 – Past tense – describing an event which happened in the past.

2 – what will NO DOUBT happen in the future, you are so certain that it will happen, that you use a past tense word to argue that it will NO DOUBT happen. (‘as true as the past itself’ – it is as real as the past was real. (i.e. Judgment Day is sometimes described in the past tense in the Quran to emphasise Certainty of that Day).

Note: a Future tense word will be used with this Past tense word to show that it will occur in the future.

Example:

إِذَا الشَّمْسُ كُوِّرَتْ

Idhaa al-shamsu kuwwirat.
When (future tense) the sun was Wrapped around (on Judgment Day). [Surah Takweer 81:1]

Present-Future tense (muDaari’) describes:

1 – Present-[near]Future – something which is happening now. (I.e. I am eating now, and in the present[near]-future I will still be eating this food).

2 – Present-[long-term]Future – something which is happening now AND will continue in the Long term future.

(I.e. Some sentences are said in this muDaari’ [present-future tense] form to show that people are doing an action now, and there will be others doing the same action in the long term future 
too.)


يُجَاهِدُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ

yuJaahidoona fee sabeel–illah – 
they are (and will [in the future]) struggle in the path of Allah. [Maa’idah 5: 54] =

= there are people today who struggle/fight in the path of Allah now, and there will continue to be people who struggle in the path of Allah – as long as this Qur’anic ayah/verse remains being recited on Earth.

Note: Click these links to see the Difference between Past, & Present & ‘Future’ tense (also see the Sarf table.)