Iltifat: Difference between revisions

Jump to navigation Jump to search

Iltifat (view source)

Revision as of 00:57, 4 December 2025

15,681 bytes added ,  Yesterday at 00:57
Scores updated as article had a recent rewrite
[checked revision][checked revision]
(Undo revision 121517 by Prekladator (talk))
Tag: Undo
(Scores updated as article had a recent rewrite)
 
(14 intermediate revisions by 5 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
Iltifat (التفات, ''iltifaat''), also known as grammatical shift or grammatical errors, refers to cases where the Quranic text doesn't follow the rules of grammar or makes some strange grammatical change for no apparent reason.
{{QualityScore|Lead=4|Structure=4|Content=4|Language=4|References=4}}
Iltifāt (التفات, iltifaat), also known as grammatical shift, refers to places where the Quranic text makes an unexpected switch of grammatical person (1st, 2nd, 3rd person) in pronouns referring to the same person or thing. Switches in pronoun number (singular, dual, plural) were also termed iltifāt or said to be related to iltifāt. Also considered by some scholars as iltifāt are unexpected changes of addressee, change of verb tense, change of grammatical case, and using a noun in place of a pronoun.<ref name="Haleem">M. A. S. Abdel Haleem (1992) [https://soas-repository.worktribe.com/output/411099 Grammatical Shift for rhetorical purposes: Iltifāt and related features in the Qurʾān] Qur'ān. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 55(3), 407-432. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0041977X00003621</ref>


The apologetic interpretation is that the so called "iltifat" is intentional and that it makes the Quran better. And the critical interpretation is that the author of the Quran made mistakes or that the Quran was poorly preserved (or both).
Iltifāt is employed to a much greater extent and variety in the Quran than in pre Islamic or early Arab poetry and is an important technique in creating its distinctive style. In general, in the Quran these features seem to be intentional in order to achieve some rhetorical effect or for the sake of variety in pronouns. Some examples such as 19:63-64 and 10:22 discussed below have attracted criticism, however. There are also examples which some Muslim scholars have excused as iltifat but which, according to academic scholars, just seem to be unintended grammatical errors. This could indicate problems with the composition or preservation of the Quran. Some of these, as well as other grammatical errors, were even reportedly explained by Aisha and other companions as errors made by the first scribes to write down the Quran.
==Examples==
 
* This is not a complete list of examples. Every category has only one example
==Academic views==
* Some examples are debatable, but the purpose is to show all kinds of iltifat that were suggested
An academic article by M. Abdel Haleem is commonly cited when defending the value of iltifat in the Quran. Haleem sets out the history and scope of the concept as considered by various early Muslim scholars, counts and lists the instances of each type of iltifat, and makes a case for their rhetorical effect using examples. He also attempts to defend the Quran against academic claims that it has some actual grammatical errors, some of which were apparently noted by companions, by explaining them as just another type of iltifat.<ref name="Haleem" />
 
A more recent (open access) academic article by Linguist and leading expert in the Quranic reading traditions, Marijn van Putten, describes some of these grammatical problems and the unsatisfactory classical attempts to explain them, as well as others which were not covered by Haleem's article. His focus is on the canonical reciters of the Quran who sometimes departed from strict adherance to the Uthmanic text of the Quran in their readings in order to correct the errors and for other reasons.<ref name="van Putten">Marijn van Putten (2022) [https://brill.com/view/journals/dsd/29/3/article-p438_9.xml When the readers break the rules: disagreement with the consonantal text in the canonical Quranic reading traditions] Dead Sea Discoveries: A Journal of Current Research on the Scrolls and Related Literature, 29(3), pp. 483-462, doi:10.1163/15685179-02903008</ref>
 
Professor Suleiman Mourad has commented on other (mostly non-iltifat) grammatical problems in the Quran: "There are a few grammatical mistakes in the Qur'an - sometimes a sentence starts in the singular and ends in the plural (e.g., 9:49-50), or two particles are connected when they should not be (e.g., 3:178), or some vowels go wrong in the declensions (e.g., 22:78). This from the viewpoint of a strict linguist. From the traditional vantage point, since the Qur'an is miraculous, these are not errors."<ref>Mourad, Suleiman (2016) ''The Mosaic of Islam: A Conversation with Perry Anderson'', London: Verso, p.7</ref>
 
==Grammatical errors sometimes excused as iltifat==
===A'isha's remarks on grammatical errors by the scribes===
Aisha explained to her nephew 'Urwa b. Zubayr that three Quranic verses which contain ungrammatical case markers  were errors by the scribes (accusative case when it should be nominative case or vice versa). This tradition was known to the prominent 2nd century grammarian al Farra, passed to him by Abu Mu'awiyah from ʿUrwa's son Hisham.
 
{{Quote|Tradition attributed to Aisha (translated by van Putten (2022), "When the readers break the rules", p. 442<ref name="van Putten" />|Muḥammad told me that al-Farrāʾ told him that ʾAbū Muʿāwiyah told him on the authority of Hišām b. ʿUrwah on the authority of his father (ʿUrwah b. Zubayr) on the authority of ʿĀʾišah who was asked about His speech ʾinna hāḏāni la-sāḥirāni “these two are sorcerers” (Q20:63) and ʾinna llaḏīna ʾāmanū wa-llaḏīna hādū wa-ṣ-ṣābiʾūna “those who believed and those who judaized and the Sabians and Christians” (Q5:69; cf. the (near) doublets Q22:17, Q2:62) and about His speech lākin-i r-rāsiḫūna fī ʿilmi minhum wa-l-muʾminūna yuʾminūna bimā ʾunzila ʾilayka wa-mā ʾunzila min qablika wa-l-muqīmīna ṣ-ṣalāta “But those firm in knowledge and among them and the believers believe in what has been revealed to you and what was revealed before you and the establishers of prayers […]” (Q4:162) and she said: “O my nephew (i.e. ʿUrwah), This is an error of the scribes.”}}
 
Haleem rejects the narration, which al-Suyuti insisted had a sahih chain of transmission, because some scholars (though not Bukhari nor Muslim) weakened Abu Mu'awiyah in Hadith.<ref>Haleem, p. 424</ref> Van Putten notes that Haleem's position raises more questions than answers and points out that it is nevertheless an early tradition, known to al Farra. Moreover, some early Quranic reciters clearly regarded 20:63 as an error as they attempted to correct for it.<ref>van Putten, pp. 442-44</ref>
 
Haleem attempts instead to explain 5:69 and 4:162 (and a similar issue in 2:177) as examples of iltifat, as did a few classical Islamic scholars. 20:63 is not addressed by Haleem, but this too will briefly be discussed below as it is the most famous grammatical error in the Quran.
 
Historian Sean Anthony has remarked that the Aisha tradition is also narrated from Hisham without Abu Mu'awiyah, and that there is "a lot of special pleading on Haleem's part" in his attempts to explain these errors as iltifat.<ref>[https://x.com/shahanSean/status/961132289928376320 Part of a Twitter thread by Professor Sean Anthony on grammatical errors in the Quran] 7 February 2018</ref>
 
====4:162 and 2:177====
{{Quote|{{Quran|4|162}}|But those firm in knowledge among them and the believers believe in what has been revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what was revealed before you. '''And the establishers of prayer''' [especially] and the givers of zakah and the believers in Allah and the Last Day - those We will give a great reward}}
 
The problem is that wa-l-muqīmīna (and the establishers in prayer) is in the accusative case rather than the expected nominative case (muqīmūna).
 
Van Putten concisely explains the issue: ''"Q4:162 wa-l-muqīmīna ‘and the establishers’ is unexpected, because it has the case inflection that we would have expected if the verse had started with lākinna ‘but’, which governs the accusative, rather than the semantically more-or-less identical but morphosyntactically distinct lākin ‘but’, which governs the nominative. But lākin could not be read as lākinna because in that case ar-rāsiḫūna ‘the ones who are firm’ should have been in the accusative case as well."''<ref>van Putten, "When the readers break the rules, p. 433</ref>
 
The same kind of problem occurs in another verse, where wal-ṣābirīna (and [those who] are patient) is in the accusative case when the nominative (ṣābirūna) is expected.
{{Quote|{{Quran|2|177}}|Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah, [...] [and who] establishes prayer and gives zakah; [those who] fulfill their promise when they promise; '''and [those who] are patient''' in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous.}}
 
Haleem, like the classical scholars Zarkashi and Zamakshari, regards both verses as examples of iltifat. In both cases he favours the view that the ungrammatical accusative case is intended to single out / draw attention to the word in order to indicate praise.
 
Haleem argues that highlighting the words by means of these grammatical errors would be understandable as ṣābirīn (patience) is mentioned four times in surah 2, and prayer occurs nine times in surah 4.<ref>Haleem, p. 423 and p. 425</ref>
 
Critics see these as contrived explanations, not least as both are very long surahs in which many words occur multiple times. To illustrate their point, they note that ṣābirīn and derivatives from the same root appear many times also in surah 3, but without any such "deliberate" grammatical error. And the word for establishing prayer in 4:162 occurs nine times in surah 2 without errors.
 
====5:69====
 
{{Quote|{{Quran|5|69}}|Indeed, those who have believed [in Prophet Muhammad] and those [before Him] who were Jews or '''Sabeans''' or Christians - those [among them] who believed in Allah and the Last Day and did righteousness - no fear will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve.}}
 
Van Putten concisely explains the issue: ''"Wa-ṣ-ṣābiʾūna ‘and the Sabians’ is unexpected for the same reason hāḏāni ‘these two’'' [in 20:63] ''is unexpected, the topicalizer ʾinna precedes, but fails to trigger the expected accusative in this word. This is especially striking because the same word occurs in virtually identical verses Q22:17 and Q2:62 in the expected accusative form wa-ṣ-ṣābiʾīna."''
 
Haleem regards this as another example of iltifat in grammatical case marker. In this instance he suggests the intention is to highlight that even the Sabians who meet the conditions will have no fear on the last day.<ref>Haleem, pp. 425-7</ref>
 
Critics point out that surah 5 is far more concerned with Christians than Sabians (who are mentioned only in that verse of the surah, 5:69 itself).
 
Moreover, as mentioned by van Putten in the above quote, {{Quran|2|62}} and {{Quran|22|17}} each with same opening phrase have no grammatical error. Haleem claims this is due to the context of Surah 5, which has a few verses emphasising the opportunity for people of the book to be forgiven, and that the Sabians are intentionally highlighted by means of the grammatical error because they are even further astray.
 
====20:63====
While not classed as iltifat nor discussed by Haleem, the remaining example in the A'isha narration is worth a few remarks. Van Putten describes 20:63 as the most famous grammatically problematic verse in the Quran. It has two canonical readings, both of which are grammatically awkward: ''ʾinna hāḏāni la-sāḥirāni “These two are sorcerers!” or ʾin hāḏāni la-sāḥirāni “these two are nought but sorcerers.” The first of these readings is grammatically awkward because in strict Classical Arabic grammar ʾinna ‘verily, indeed’ should be followed by a noun in the accusative, and that is how it is treated with almost complete consistency throughout the Quran, e.g., Q37:133 wa-ʾinna lūṭan la-min-al-mursalīna “And indeed Lot was among the messengers.”''
 
Van Putten then goes on to describe the unsatisfying attempts to explain this and the even more awkward alternative reading.<ref>van Putten, When the readers break the rules, p. 442</ref>
 
Several non-canonical readers simply choose to correct the verse.<ref>Ibid. p. 443 footnote 11</ref> Even Abu 'Amr, one of the seven main canonical readers of the Quran, took the liberty to correct the grammar here by changing hāḏāni to hāḏayni (thereby ignoring the standard Uthmanic text).<ref>Van Putten, p. 444</ref>
 
Sean Anthony has confirmed that early Quranic manuscripts contain the grammatically erroneous text and do not accommodate Abu 'Amr's oral recitation correction to it.<ref>[https://x.com/shahanSean/status/960926361039917057 X.com thread by Professor Sean Anthony] 6 February 2018<BR/>
In the same thread he also discusses Q 5:69.</ref>
 
==Examples commonly considered to be iltifat==
 
*This is not a complete list of examples. Every category has only one example
*Some examples are debatable, but the purpose is to show all kinds of iltifat that were suggested


===In pronouns===
===In pronouns===
The Quran in some verses switches [[Arabic pronouns and the Quran| pronouns]] in a strange way. The most remarkable are switches between the 1st and the 3rd person.
The Quran in some verses switches [[Arabic pronouns and the Quran|pronouns]] in unexpected ways. The most common are switches between the 1st and the 3rd person (over 140 instances 3rd to 1st person, and over 100 instances 1st to 3rd person).


====Change from 1st to 2nd person====
====Change from 1st to 2nd person====
This example is debatable. In the verse 36:22 a man asks his people:
This example is considered very debatable as it is the only example of its type in the Quran and the two pronouns probably don't have the same referent. In verse 36:22 a man asks his people:
{{Quote|{{Quran|36|22}}|
{{Quote|{{Quran|36|22}}|
And why should I not worship He who '''created me and to whom you''' will be returned?
And why should I not worship He who '''created me and to whom you''' will be returned?
}}
}}
It would make more sense in the context to say "who created me and to whom I will be returned".
The more expected pronouns might be "who created me and to whom I will be returned". But the iltifat in this case allows it to be interpreted as "why should I not worship He who created me" being the reason for the belief and "and to whom you will be returned" as a warning to the people.
 
But it was also interpreted as "why should I not worship He who created me" being the reason for the belief and "and to whom you will be returned" as a warning to the people. Although from the verse it doesn't sound like warning, it looks more like "you will be returned" is connected to the "why should I not worship".


====Change from 1st to 3rd person====
====Change from 1st to 3rd person====
In this verse it cannot be clearly seen in the translation (Sahih International):
In this verse it cannot be clearly seen in the translation (Sahih International):
{{Quote|{{Quran|7|158}}|
{{Quote|{{Quran|7|158}}|
Say, [O Muhammad], "O mankind, indeed '''I am the Messenger of Allah''' to you all, [from Him] to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. There is no deity except Him; '''He gives life and causes death." So believe in Allah and His Messenger''' , the unlettered prophet, who believes in Allah and His words, and follow him that you may be guided.}}
Say, [O Muhammad], "O mankind, indeed '''I am the Messenger of Allah''' to you all, [from Him] to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. There is no deity except Him; He gives life and causes death." '''So believe in Allah and His Messenger''' , the unlettered prophet, who believes in Allah and His words, and follow him that you may be guided.}}
Arabic doesn't have capital letters and the Arabic Quran doesn't have punctuation. So the "raw" text would be:
 
{{Quote|{{Quran|7|158}}|
It begins with an instruction to say "I am the messenger" (1st person) but ends up referring to him in the 3rd person ("his messenger, the unlettered prophet who believes in allah..").
say o mankind indeed '''I am the messenger of allah''' to you all to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth there is no deity except him '''he gives life and causes death so believe in allah and his messenger''' the unlettered prophet who believes in allah and his words and follow him that you may be guided}}
 
So it begins by "I am the messenger" (1st person) but ends up referring to himself in the 3rd person ("his messenger the unlettered prophet who believes in allah..").
As can be seen, translators added quotation marks (not a feature of the original text) so that the first part of the verse is the speech of Muhammad (which Allah commands him to say). Then, "So believe in Allah and His Messenger" is interpreted as the speech of Allah rather than Muhammad himself speaking with iltifat.


As we've seen, translators "solved" (interpreted) it by adding quotation marks. "He gives life and causes death" is the speech of Muhammad (which god commanded him to say) and "So believe in Allah and His Messenger" is the speech of.. Allah?? They're both mentioned in the 3rd person, so who's speaking here? Also there's no reason to break the two parts, it would make sense to say it together: "He gives life and causes death, so believe in Allah and His messenger".
====Change from 3rd person to 1st person====
====Change from 3rd person to 1st person====
This example is clear. "We" refers to Allah in 1st person, although Allah was in 3rd person in the beginning:
This example is clear. In the first verse "We" refers to Allah in 3rd person, then Allah is referred to in the 1st person:
{{Quote|{{Quran|35|9}}|
{{Quote|{{Quran-range|19|63|64}}|
And '''it is Allah''' who sends the winds, and they stir the clouds, '''and We drive them''' to a dead land and give life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness. Thus is the resurrection.
That is Paradise, which '''We give''' as inheritance to those of Our servants who were fearing of '''Allah'''.<BR />
}}
[Gabriel said], "'''And we''' [angels] descend not except by the order of your Lord. To Him belongs that before us and that behind us and what is in between. And never is your Lord forgetful -}}
 
Notice also a famous awkwardness in the 2nd verse. Suddenly, "we" now refers to angels. Translators always add clarifications in brackets to smooth over the abrupt change in narrator (neither Gabriel nor angels are mentioned in the original text). One possibility is that this was the result of an editing oversight when the Quran was compiled.
 
====Change from 3rd person to 2nd person====
====Change from 3rd person to 2nd person====
Again it's not easy to see it in the translation, but the people are referred to as "they", but then then next verse says to them "you". The "[And it will be said]" and quotation marks were added by translators:
Again it is somewhat disguised in the translation, but the people are referred to as "they", then the next verse addresses them as "you". The "[And it will be said]" and quotation marks were added by translators:
{{Quote|{{Quran|76|21-22}}|
{{Quote|{{Quran-range|76|21|22}}|
76:21 Upon the inhabitants will be green garments of fine silk and brocade. And '''they''' will be adorned with bracelets of silver, and their Lord will give them a purifying drink.
76:21 Upon the inhabitants will be green garments of fine silk and brocade. And '''they''' will be adorned with bracelets of silver, and their Lord will give them a purifying drink.


76:22 [And it will be said], "Indeed, this is for '''you''' a reward, and your effort has been appreciated."
76:22 [And it will be said], "Indeed, this is for '''you''' a reward, and your effort has been appreciated."
}}
}}
Without the translation patch it would be just "and they will be adorned.. indeed this is for you a reward".
Without the interpolation in brackets introduced in some translations, it reads "and they will be adorned.. indeed this is for you a reward".
 
====Change from 2nd person to 3rd person====
This example is frequently cited by critics as a grammatical error in which it is hard to discern any rhetorical benefit or intentional iltifat. The switch of pronoun occurs within a single clause of the sentence:
{{Quote|{{Quran|10|22}}|
It is He who enables you to travel on land and sea until, when '''you''' are in ships and '''they''' sail with them by a good wind and they rejoice therein, there comes a storm wind and the waves come upon them from everywhere and they assume that they are surrounded, supplicating Allah, sincere to Him in religion, "If You should save us from this, we will surely be among the thankful."}}
 
====Change from 2nd person to 1st person====
====Change from 2nd person to 1st person====
This example is debatable. "The Lord" is in the 3rd person the whole time. The difference is only in the possessive pronouns:
This example is debatable. "The Lord" is in the 3rd person the whole time. The difference is only in the possessive pronouns:
Line 46: Line 112:
And ask forgiveness of '''your''' Lord and then repent to Him. Indeed, '''my''' Lord is Merciful and Affectionate."
And ask forgiveness of '''your''' Lord and then repent to Him. Indeed, '''my''' Lord is Merciful and Affectionate."
}}
}}
It would make more sense to say "Indeed, ''your'' Lord is Merciful and Affectionate".
The expected reading without iltifat would have been "Indeed, ''your'' Lord is Merciful and Affectionate".
 
====Change from 2nd person to 3rd person====
Again, translators added quotation marks to resolve it:
{{Quote|{{Quran|43|70-71}}|
43:70 Enter Paradise, '''you''' and your kinds, delighted."
 
43:71 Circulated among '''them''' will be plates and vessels of gold. And therein is whatever the souls desire and [what] delights the eyes, and '''you''' will abide therein eternally.
}}


===In verbs===
===In verbs===
Line 62: Line 120:
Say, [O Muhammad], "My Lord '''has ordered justice and that you maintain''' (أمر ربي بالقسط وأقيموا وجوهكم) yourselves [in worship of Him] at every place [or time] of prostration, and invoke Him, sincere to Him in religion." Just as He originated you, you will return [to life] -
Say, [O Muhammad], "My Lord '''has ordered justice and that you maintain''' (أمر ربي بالقسط وأقيموا وجوهكم) yourselves [in worship of Him] at every place [or time] of prostration, and invoke Him, sincere to Him in religion." Just as He originated you, you will return [to life] -
}}
}}
It doesn't say in present tense "you maintain", but it's imperative "maintain!" (أقيموا) <ref>http://corpus.quran.com/wordmorphology.jsp?location=(7:29:5)</ref>. ٍSo it's "My lord ordered justice and maintain yourselves", which is strange.
It doesn't say in present tense "and that you maintain", but rather the imperative "maintain!" (أقيموا) <ref>http://corpus.quran.com/wordmorphology.jsp?location=(7:29:5)</ref>. ٍSo it's "My lord ordered justice and maintain yourselves", which is ungrammatical and awkward to most ears. Some translations solve the problem by interpreting "My Lord has ordered justice" as a very short sentence, then "and maintain" as the start of a new sentence.
====Change from present tense to command====
====Change from present tense to command====
"I call Allah to witness" is followed by a command "witness!" (the "[yourselves]" was added by translators):
"I call Allah to witness" is followed by a command "witness!" (the "[yourselves]" was added by translators):
{{Quote|{{Quran|11|54}}|
{{Quote|{{Quran|11|54}}|
..He said, "Indeed, '''I call Allah to witness, and witness [yourselves]''' (أشهد الله واشهدوا) that I am free from whatever you associate with Allah
...He said, "Indeed, '''I call Allah to witness, and witness [yourselves]''' (أشهد الله واشهدوا) that I am free from whatever you associate with Allah
}}
}}
It would be more natural to say "I call Allah to witness and I call you to witness" (أشهد الله واشهدكم).
It would be more natural to say "I call Allah to witness and I call you to witness" (أشهد الله واشهدكم).
Line 82: Line 140:
}}
}}


The Sahih International translation "a party [of messengers] you denied and another party you killed" (with both verbs in the past) would make more sense, but it's not in the Quran.
The Sahih International translation "a party [of messengers] you denied and another party you killed" (with both verbs in the past) would be the expected reading here.


====Change from present tense to past====
====Change from present tense to past====
Line 90: Line 148:
}}
}}
It seems that the verbs are both in future tense, however, the first one is in the present <ref>present - imperfect http://corpus.quran.com/wordmorphology.jsp?location=(27:87:2)</ref> and the second in the past <ref>past - perfect http://corpus.quran.com/wordmorphology.jsp?location=(27:87:5)</ref>. So "the day the horn is blown, they were terrified".
It seems that the verbs are both in future tense, however, the first one is in the present <ref>present - imperfect http://corpus.quran.com/wordmorphology.jsp?location=(27:87:2)</ref> and the second in the past <ref>past - perfect http://corpus.quran.com/wordmorphology.jsp?location=(27:87:5)</ref>. So "the day the horn is blown, they were terrified".
===In number===
Arabic words have singular, dual and plural forms.
====Change from singular to dual====
{{Quote|{{Quran|10|78}}|
They said, "Have you come to us (أجئتنا) to turn us away from that upon which we found our fathers and so that you two may have (لكما) grandeur in the land? And we are not believers in you."
}}
"You come to us" is singular <ref>http://corpus.quran.com/wordmorphology.jsp?location=(10:78:2)</ref>, but "you two may have" is dual <ref>http://corpus.quran.com/wordmorphology.jsp?location=(10:78:9).</ref>
This example is classified as change of addressee by Haleem.
====Change from singular to plural====
When the light of the fire lighted around ''him'', Allah took ''their'' light:
{{Quote|{{Quran|2|17}}|
Their likeness is as the likeness of '''one who kindled a fire; then, when it lighted all around him, Allah took away their light''' and left them in darkness. (So) they could not see.
}}
====Change from dual to singular====
{{Quote|{{Quran|20|117}}|
So We said, "O Adam, indeed this is an enemy to you and to your wife. Then let him not '''remove you''' (يخرجنكما) from Paradise so '''you would suffer''' (فتشقى).
}}
"remove you" was dual <ref>http://corpus.quran.com/wordmorphology.jsp?location=(20:117:9)</ref>, but "you would suffer" was singular <ref>http://corpus.quran.com/wordmorphology.jsp?location=(20:117:12)</ref>.
This also seems to suggest, strangely, that if Adam and Eve were removed from paradise, then only Adam would suffer.
====Change from dual to plural====
{{Quote|{{Quran|10|87}}|
And We inspired to Moses and his brother, "Settle (تبوءا) your people in Egypt in houses and make (واجعلوا) your houses [facing the] qiblah and establish (أقيموا) prayer and give good tidings (وبشر) to the believers."
}}
It starts with "settle" as dual (Moses and his brother), then "make your houses" is plural. And "give good tidings" is singular (perhaps addressing Moses).
====Change from plural to singular====
Both "we" and "me" refers to god:
{{Quote|{{Quran|2|38}}|
'''We said''', "Go down from it, all of you. And when guidance comes to you '''from Me''', whoever follows My guidance - there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.
}}
====Change from plural to dual====
55:33 is in the plural, 55:34 in the dual:
{{Quote|{{Quran-range|55|33|4}}|
55:33 O company of jinn and mankind, if you are able (استطعتم) to pass beyond the regions of the heavens and the earth, then pass. You will not pass except by authority [from Allah ].
55:34 So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny (تكذبان)?
}}
===In verb tense/mood===
"you assumed" is imperfect tense, whereas the other verbs are in the perfect (past) tense.
{{Quote|{{Quran-range|30|10|11}}|[Remember] when they came at you from above you and from below you, and when eyes shifted [in fear], and hearts reached the throats and you assumed about Allah [various] assumptions. There the believers were tested and shaken with a severe shaking.}}
Haleem proposes that the imperfect tense verb here is intended to give a feeling that it is happening in the present.<ref>Haleem, p. 421</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
* [[Spelling Inconsistencies in the Quran]]
 
*[[Spelling Inconsistencies in the Quran]]
*[[Tadmeen]]


==References==
==References==
<references />
[[Category:Qur'an]]
[[Category:Arabic]]
Lightyears
Editors, em-bypass-2, Reviewers, rollback, Administrators
3,454

edits

Retrieved from "http://wikiislamica.net/wiki/Special:MobileDiff/121520...140367"

Navigation menu