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Arabic pronouns and the Quran: Difference between revisions
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This article lists the pronouns of the Arabic language and discusses their usage in the Qur'an. | This article lists the pronouns of the Arabic language and discusses their usage in the Qur'an. While other dialects of Arabic with slight differences in pronouns exist, discussion in this article is limited to the dialect that appears in the Qur'an. | ||
==Arabic pronouns== | ==Arabic pronouns== | ||
===Subject pronouns=== | ===Subject pronouns=== | ||
There are 12 different subject pronouns in Arabic: | There are 12 different subject pronouns in Arabic: | ||
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* | *Pronouns are more complicated in Arabic than in English, because they differentiate between dual and plural forms and also sometimes differentiate between gender. | ||
* | *Arabic has different verb forms for different pronouns. Thus, pronouns themselves are often not written, since the subject of a verb can be inferred without the pronoun. | ||
===Object & posessive pronouns=== | ===Object & posessive pronouns=== | ||
Object pronouns, like "me" or "us" are expressed as a suffix added to the verb. For example, | Object pronouns, like "me" or "us," are expressed as a suffix added to the verb. For example, verse 2:191, ''"Waqtuloo'''hum''' haythu thaqiftumoo'''hum'''"'' (واقتلو'''هم''' حيث ثقفتمو'''هم'''), means "and-kill-'''them''' wherever you-find-'''them'''." Arabic uses only three words for the sentence, because the conjunction "and" (و, ''wa'') is prefixed and the object pronouns "them" (هم, ''hum'') are suffixed. | ||
The verb is represented by "-" in the table: | The verb position is represented by "-" in the following table: | ||
{| class="wikitable" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" | {| class="wikitable" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" | ||
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*(*) Posessive pronouns like "his" or "our" are expressed almost identically, with the exception of "my" | *(*) Posessive pronouns like "his" or "our" are expressed almost identically, with the exception of "my," <span style="font-size:150%;">ـي-</span> (-i). | ||
==Allah refers to himself in the plural== | ==Allah refers to himself in the plural== | ||
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Surely We (نَحْنُ, ''nahnu'') have revealed the Reminder and We will most surely be its guardian. }} | Surely We (نَحْنُ, ''nahnu'') have revealed the Reminder and We will most surely be its guardian. }} | ||
It is worth noting that Muhammad preached his message to polytheists in Mecca. He once preached polytheism in the | It is worth noting that Muhammad preached his message to polytheists in Mecca. He once preached polytheism in the [[Satanic Verses]] incident, and polytheists understood the message of Islam to be "all gods grouped into one": | ||
{{Quote|{{Quran|38|5}}|What! makes he the gods a single Allah? A strange thing is this, to be sure!}} | {{Quote|{{Quran|38|5}}|What! makes he the gods a single Allah? A strange thing is this, to be sure!}} | ||
Thus, polytheists might have understood verses like "we created the heavens" as multiple gods creating the heavens. | |||
Islamic scholars argue that, despite the importance of ''tawheed'', Allah referring to himself in the plural form is simply stylistic<ref>http://www.islam101.com/tauheed/AllahWE.htm</ref>, similar to the "royal we" historically used by monarchs. | |||
==Allah talks about himself in the 3rd person== | ==Allah talks about himself in the 3rd person== | ||
Certain passages in the Qur'an are written as though Muhammad is talking about God, rather than God talking about himself: | |||
{{Quote|{{Quran|64|13}}| | {{Quote|{{Quran|64|13}}| | ||
ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ وَعَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُو | ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ وَعَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُو | ||
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=="Iltifaat" - bad usage of pronouns in the Qur'an== | =="Iltifaat" - bad usage of pronouns in the Qur'an== | ||
Some parts of the Qur'an contain unusual changes in pronouns. | |||
{{Quote|{{Quran|10|22}}| | {{Quote|{{Quran|10|22}}| | ||
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He it is Who makes '''you''' (يُسَيِّرُكُمْ, ''yusayyiru'''kum''''') travel by land and sea; until when you are in the ships, and '''they sail (وَجَرَيْنَ) on with them''' in a pleasant breeze, and they rejoice, a violent wind overtakes them and the billows surge in on them from all sides, and they become certain that they are encompassed about, they pray to Allah, being sincere to Him in obedience: If Thou dost deliver us from this, '''we will''' most certainly be (لَنَكُونَنَّ) of the grateful ones.}} | He it is Who makes '''you''' (يُسَيِّرُكُمْ, ''yusayyiru'''kum''''') travel by land and sea; until when you are in the ships, and '''they sail (وَجَرَيْنَ) on with them''' in a pleasant breeze, and they rejoice, a violent wind overtakes them and the billows surge in on them from all sides, and they become certain that they are encompassed about, they pray to Allah, being sincere to Him in obedience: If Thou dost deliver us from this, '''we will''' most certainly be (لَنَكُونَنَّ) of the grateful ones.}} | ||
Pronouns in the above passage, besides ''yusayyiru'''kum''','' are omitted and only signaled by the verb conjugation. | |||
==See Also== | ==See Also== | ||