Understanding مُضَاف (muḍāf : possessed noun) and مُضَافٌ إِلَيْهِ (muḍāf ilayhi : possessor) in Arabic Grammar

Arabic grammarMudaafPossessive structuresQuranic examplesNahw

This session focuses on the مُضَاف (muḍāf : possessed noun) and مُضَافٌ إِلَيْهِ (muḍāf ilayhi : possessor) possessive construction with Qurʾānic examples such as نَصْرُ اللَّهِ (naṣru llāhi : the help of Allah) and جَنَّاتُ عَدْنٍ (jannātu ʿadnin : gardens of Eden). Rules discussed include the مُضَاف losing its تَنْوِين (tanwīn) and اَلْ, and the مُضَافٌ إِلَيْهِ taking كَسْرَة (kasrah).

Original Recording

Original class recording

Key Points

  • 1The مُضَاف (muḍāf : possessed noun) loses its تَنْوِين (tanwīn) and اَلْ (al-) when it precedes the مُضَافٌ إِلَيْهِ (muḍāf ilayhi : possessor).
  • 2Qurʾānic example: نَصْرُ اللَّهِ (naṣru llāhi : the help of Allah) — نَصْر (naṣr) is مُضَاف (muḍāf) and اللَّه is مُضَافٌ إِلَيْهِ (muḍāf ilayhi).
  • 3Qurʾānic example: جَنَّاتُ عَدْنٍ (jannātu ʿadnin : gardens of Eden) — جَنَّاتُ is مُضَاف (muḍāf) and عَدْن is مُضَافٌ إِلَيْهِ (muḍāf ilayhi) taking كَسْرَة (kasrah).
  • 4The five rules of مُضَاف (muḍāf)–مُضَافٌ إِلَيْهِ (muḍāf ilayhi): (1) مُضَاف comes first, (2) مُضَاف loses اَلْ, (3) مُضَاف loses تَنْوِين, (4) مُضَافٌ إِلَيْهِ is generally مَجْرُور (majrūr : genitive) with كَسْرَة, (5) nothing may come between them.

Quiz

Question 1 of 100/10 answered

What is Rule 5 introduced in this lesson about the مُضَاف (muḍāf)?

Discussion Questions

  • [00:10:00] Q: What is the difference between مُضَاف (muḍāf : possessed noun) and مُضَافٌ إِلَيْهِ (muḍāf ilayhi : possessor)? — A: مُضَاف is the possessed noun that comes first and loses اَلْ and تَنْوِين; مُضَافٌ إِلَيْهِ is the possessor that follows with كَسْرَة (kasrah).
  • [00:25:00] Q: Why does the مُضَافٌ إِلَيْهِ (muḍāf ilayhi : possessor) sometimes not take كَسْرَة (kasrah)? — A: Exceptions include words like مُوسَى (Mūsā) which are غَيْرُ الْمُنْصَرِف (ghayr al-munṣarif : diptote) and take فَتْحَة (fatḥah) instead.

Quranic Examples

إِذَا جَاءَ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ وَالْفَتْحُ

idhā jāʾa naṣru llāhi wa-l-fatḥu

When the help of Allāh and the conquest comes

Surah al-Naṣr 110:1 ↗ — نَصْرُ اللَّهِ is the primary Qur'ānic iḍāfa example drilled in class. نَصْرُ is the muḍāf (no أَل, no tanwīn); اللَّهِ is the muḍāf إِلَيْهِ with kasra — satisfying all five rules.

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