Understanding the Use of هَٰذَا (hādhā : this) and ذَٰلِكَ (dhālika : that) in the Qurʾān

Key Points

• 1The demonstrative pronoun هَٰذَا (hādhā : this) is used for nearby or psychologically proximate objects, مُذَكَّر (mudhakkar : masculine) singular nouns, and for items with or without intellect when indicating immediacy.
• 2In contrast, ذَٰلِكَ (dhālika : that) refers to distant or conceptually remote objects, also مُذَكَّر (mudhakkar : masculine) singular. It appears in contexts where emphasis on remoteness is needed, even metaphorically.
• 3Qurʾānic examples such as Sūrah Yāsīn 36:48 and Sūrah al-Kāfirūn illustrate how these terms maintain grammatical agreement (مُذَكَّر — mudhakkar : masculine / مُؤَنَّث — muʾannath : feminine; near/far) while serving stylistic purposes like rhyme and balance.
• 4الْبَلَاغَة (al-balāghah : Arabic rhetoric) concepts like الْمُشَاكَلَة (al-mushākalah : lexical parallelism) explain the Qurʾān's use of repetition and symmetry, guiding students to deeper analysis beyond basic grammar.

Quiz

Discussion Questions

• [00:02:00] Q: Why does Sūrah al-Kāfirūn use مَا (mā : what)? — A: Allāh ﷻ uses مَا (mā : what) for non-intellectual idols, maintaining lexical symmetry despite its usual restriction.
• [00:04:00] Q: Can ʿĪsā عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام be in Hell as some claimed from the verse? — A: مَا (mā : what) refers to non-intellectual objects; since ʿĪsā has intellect, the claim is a misinterpretation refuted by Imām al-Qurṭubī.

Quranic Examples