INTRODUCTION
Glorified be the Lord Who has given us language so that we can communicate and
understand each other. Hallowed be His name Who taught by the pen, taught mankind
what he knew not. And may a thousand and one salutations be showered on our liege-
lord Muhammad, who is the most articulate in speech and most eloquent in expression.
May his holy shrine be showered with the grace of Allah who was given the capacity to
speak libraries in just a few sentences. May His blessings and salutations also be
showered on his pure and blessed family, the purest of Arabs and the epitome of
eloquence, and with them may He encompass us all also in His grace. Ameen.
Arabic belongs to a group of languages known as the Semitic languages. Other languages
belonging to this group are: Hebrew; Ugaratic; Ethopic; Akkadian and Aramaic. It is
considered as the most widespread of the Semitic languages and is spoken by over three
hundred million people in the Middle East and North Africa. The earliest written
inscriptions of Arabic were found on a tombstone named Raqush in Madain Saleh and
dates back to circa. 267 CE.1
The pristine desert of Arabia was such that the Arabs were not in need of any grammar.
Arabic language ran in their veins and the slightest mistake immediately pricked their
ears. However, this was not always the case. After the expansion of the Islamic empire
from the straits of Gibraltar to the Bay of Bengal, non-Arabic languages and customs
were affecting the pristine Arabic of the desert. Neologisms were being interjected in to
the Arabic language to the extent that it became hard to distinguish between Arabic and
foreign cultures. To minimise any further damages to Arabic, hard mathematics like rules
needed to be put down which can then be applied scientifically to the Arabic language.
This concern gave birth to Arabic grammar in mid 600 CE. Sayyiduna Ali (ra)
commissioned his student Abu al-Aswad al-Duwali to look through the Qur’an and pre-
Islamic poetry in order to extract rules of grammar from them. He guided him on the first
rudimentary points of grammar by pointing out that Arabic language has three basic
components: ﺣﺮﻑ، ﻓﻌﻞ، ﺇﺳﻢand then advised him to carry on in this manner
1
The Raqush tombstone was deciphered by professor John Healey of University of Manchester and reads
as:
. ﺳﻨﺔ ﻣﺌﺔ ﺳﺘﲔ، ﻫﻠﻜﺖ ﰲ ﺍﳊﺠﺮﻭ، ﻋﺒﺪ ﻣﻨﺘﻮ ﺍﻣﻪ ﻫﻲ، ﺣﺮﺛﺖ ﻟﺮ ﻗﻮﺵ ﺑﺮﺕ، ﺫ ﻗﱪﻭ ﺻﻨﻌﻪ ﻛﻌﺒﻮ ﺑﺮ
(ﻫﺬﺍ ﺍﻟﻨﺤﻮ )ﻓﺎﻧﺘﺤﻮﺍthus from there we get the word ﳓﻮ, the name given to Arabic syntax.
There are many aspects to Arabic grammar: ﺻﺮﻑ (morphology), ﳓﻮ (syntax), ﻟﻐﺔ
(lexicography), ﺑﻼﻏﺔ (rhetoric) ﺃﺩﺏ (literature) and ﺇﺷﺘﻘﺎﻕ (etymology and philology).
This book will only deal with the subject of morphology sometimes wrongly translated in
English as etymology.
This short treatise has been written for the Alim class students of Compass Learning
Centre. The reason behind writing this treatise is that the myriad of books found in
English on Arabic grammar use metalanguage which in itself is very confusing added
with the further complexity of the Arabic language. We find that this to a certain extent
inhibits and diverts the students’ attention from Arabic to deciphering the English
metalanguage thus proving to be counterproductive. Therefore rather than writing ‘the
active perfect verb’ we used the original Arabic ﻣﻌﺮﻭﻑ ﻓﻌﻞ ﻣﺎﺿﻲ, rather than writing ‘the
passive imperfect verb’ we used the Arabic ﻓﻌﻞ ﻣﻀﺎﺭﻉ ﳎﻬﻮﻝ. It will be left at the
discretion of the teacher to explain the Arabic terms to the students in simple English
terms. We believe that this is more effective and will produce better results.
We hope that this book will benefit the students in the best possible way.
ﻋﻠﻢ ﺍﻟﺼﺮﻑ
The Science of Morphology
Definition ﺗﻌﺮﻳﻒ
ﺻﺮﻑ is the science through which it is possible to recognise the Arabic ﺻﻴﻐﺔ
(conjugations) of words and how to change one word to another. It also teaches how to
pronounce Arabic words properly.
Terminologies
Terminologies ﺇﺻﻄﻼﺣﺎﺕ
Vowels
1. ﺿﻤﺔis another name for pesh and is indicated by the sign ـُـit makes an ‘u’ sound.
2. ﻓﺘﺤﺔis another name for zabar and is indicated by the sign ـَـ it makes an ‘a’
sound.
3. ﻛﺴﺮﺓis another name for zer and is indicated by the sign ــ
ِ it makes an ‘i’ sound.
4. ﺳﻜﻮﻥis to show that a letter is vowel less and is indicated by the sign ـْـit does
not have a sound of its own.
5. ﺪﺓ ﺷ /ﺗﺸﺪﻳﺪ is to show that a letter is doubled, the first one having a ﺳﻜﻮﻥand the
second on a ﺣﺮﻛﺔit is indicated by this sign ـّـ
Words ﻛﻠﻤﺔ
There are three types of words in Arabic: 1. ( ﻓﻌﻞverb); 2. ( ﺇﺳﻢnoun) and 3. ﺣﺮﻑ
(prepositions).
1. ﻓﻌﻞ is a doing word and denotes an action that has happened either in the past
2. ﺇﺳﻢis a noun and denotes a name of a thing or place, it has no tense such as ﻲ ﺳ ﺮ ﹸﻛ
chair and ﻮ
ﺳ ﹸﻜ ﻮ ﻣ Moscow.
There are few types of ﺇﺳﻢthat are particularly important to ﺻﺮﻑit is helpful if you
know them.
a. ﻓﺎﻋﻞis the doer of an action such as ﻢ ﻨﻐ ﻲ ﺍﹾﻟ ﻋ ﺍﻰ ﺍﻟﺮﺭﻋ the shepherd looked after
the goats. In this sentence the ﺭﺍﻋﻲis the ﻓﺎﻋﻞbecause he is doing the action.
b. ﻣﻔﻌﻮﻝis the object of an action such as ﻴ ﹶﺬﻤ ﺘ ﹾﻠﻢ ﺍﻟ ﻌﱢﻠ ﻤ ﺮ ﺍﹾﻟ ﺒﺘﺧ ﺍ the teacher examined
the student. In this sentence the ﺗﻠﻤﻴﺬis the ﻣﻔﻌﻮﻝas he is the object of the
teacher’s examination. You will learn more about the ﻓﺎﻋﻞand ﻣﻔﻌﻮﻝin ﳓﻮ.
c. ( ﺍﻹﺳﻢ ﺍﳌﺼﺪﺭverbal noun) is that ﺇﺳﻢwhich is the name of a ﻓﻌﻞand should not
be confused with a ﻓﻌﻞsuch as ﺮ ﺼ
ﻨ ﺍﻟwhich means to help. It is the name given to
that ﺇﺳﻢwhich denotes helping. ﺐ
ﺘ ﺍﹾﻟ ﹶﻜmeans to write. It is the name given to that
ﺇﺳﻢwhich denotes writing. The ﻣﺼﺪﺭis not derived from anything although
many words are derived from it. Its similarity is to SayyidunÁ Àdam (as) who was
not born from any parents although many children were born from him.
derived from any other ﺇﺳﻢnor is any ﺇﺳﻢderived from it such as ﺭﺟﻞman; ﴰﺲ
sun. The simile of this ﺇﺳﻢis to AllÁh who is neither born from anyone nor is
anyone born from him.
3. ﺣﺮﻑare connectors that join words and sentences together. They function like the
nuts and bolts in a machine such as ‘is’; ‘in’; ‘on’ and ‘from’. Some famous Arabic
ﺣﺮﻭﻑare: ( ﻣﻦfrom); ( ﺇﱃto); ( ﻋﻠﻰon); ( ﻋﻦtowards); ( ﺏwith) and ( ﻭand).
ﺍﻟﻔﻌﻞ
Tense
As far as tenses ( )ﺯﻣﺎﻧﺔare concerned there are four types of ﻓﻌﻞin Arabic:
(1) ( ; ﻓﻌﻞ ﻣﺎﺿﻲ2) ( ;ﻓﻌﻞ ﻣﻀﺎﺭﻉ3) ﻓﻌﻞ ﺃﻣﺮand (4) ﻲ ﻓﻌﻞ.
1. ﻓﻌﻞ ﻣﺎﺿﻲis that ﻓﻌﻞwhich denotes that an action has been carried out in the past;
such as ﺖ
ﺟ ﺮ ﺧ she went out; ﻨﺎ ﹸﻗ ﹾﻠwe said; ﻮﺍ ﺤ
ﺘ ﹶﻓall of them opened and ﺖ
ﻌ ﹾﻠ ﹶﻓyou (f)
did.
2. ﻓﻌﻞ ﻣﻀﺎﺭﻉis that ﻓﻌﻞwhich denotes that an action is being done or will be done;
such as ﺪ
ﹶﺃ ﹺﺟI find; ﺧ ﹸﺬ ﻧ ﹾﺄ we take; ﻦ ﻳﺼﹺﺒ ﹺﺮ
ﺗ you are patient; ﻦ ﺴ ﹺﺮ ﹾﻗ
ﻳ they (f/p) steal.
3. ﻓﻌﻞ ﺃﻣﺮis that ﻓﻌﻞwhich denotes an order (which is carried out in the future) such as
ﹸﻛ ﹾﻞeat; ﺐ
ﻫ ﹺﺇ ﹾﺫgo; ﻲ ﻌ ﺭ ﹺﺟ ﹺﺇreturn (f); ﺍﺮﻭ ﺼ
ﻧ ﹸﺃall of you help (m).
4. ﻲ ﻓﻌﻞis that ﻓﻌﻞwhich denotes a prohibition such as ﺝ
ﺮ ﺨ
ﺗ ﻻdon’t go out; ﻲ ﻠﺧ ﺪ ﺗﻻ
don’t enter (f); ﺎﻮﻣ
ﺼ
ﺗ ﻻboth of you don’t fast.
Number
As far as numbers are concerned there are three types of verbs in Arabic: (1) ( ;ﻭﺍﺣﺪ2)
ﺗﺜﻨﻴﺔand (3) ﲨﻊ.
Gender
As far as gender is concerned all Arabic verbs fall under two genders: (1) ﺮ ﻣ ﹶﺬ ﱠﻛ and (2)
ﺚ
ﻧ ﹾﺆ ﻣ . There is no neuter gender in Arabic unlike some other languages such as German
2. ﻧﻔﻲ is that ﻓﻌﻞwhich denotes not carrying out an action; it is represented by adding a
ﺎ ﻣin front of a ﻓﻌﻞ ﻣﺎﺿﻲand a ﻻin front of a ﻓﻌﻞ ﻣﻀﺎﺭﻉsuch as ﺖ
ﺧ ﺮ ﺻ
ﺎ ﻣshe did
not scream; ﻥ
ﻮ ﹶ ﺗ ﹺﺮﹸﺛ ﹶﻻall of you will not inherit; ﺖ
ﻌ ﺘـ ﹶﻔﻧـ ﻣﺎﺍyou did not benefit.
As far as the ﻓﺎﻋﻞof a ﻓﻌﻞis being known is concerned there are two types of ﻓﻌﻞ: (1)
( ﻣﻌﺮﻭﻑactive) and (2) ( ﳎﻬﻮﻝpassive).
1. ﻓﻌﻞ ﻣﻌﺮﻭﻑ is that ﻓﻌﻞwhose ﻓﺎﻋﻞis known such as ﺪ ﺍﷲ ﺒﻌ ﻧ we worship Allah;
ﺖ
ﺸ
ﻋ ﹶﻄ I was thirsty; ﺪ ﻮﹶﻟ ﺖ ﺍﹾﻟ
ﻨﺖ ﺍﹾﻟﹺﺒ
ﻤ ﹶﻟ ﹶﻄthe girl slapped the boy.
2. ﻓﻌﻞ ﳎﻬﻮﻝis that ﻓﻌﻞwhose ﻓﺎﻋﻞis not known such as ﺏ
ﻮ ﻊ ﺍﹾﻟﹶﺜ ﻄ ﹸﻗthe clothes was
cut; ﻚ
ﻤ ﺴ
ﺍﻟ ﺆ ﹶﻛ ﹸﻞ ﻳ the fish is eaten; ﻡ ﺎﺦ ﺍﻟ ﱠﻄﻌ ﹸﻃﹺﺒthe food was cooked.
All Arabic ﺃﻓﻌﺎﻝare root based. The root letters are base letters from which many words
can be derived such as the following range of words are derived from the root letters
ﻢﻠﻴﻌ ﺗ to teach; ﻢ ﻌﱡﻠ ﺗ to learn; ﻌﻼﹶﻡ ﺘﺳ ﺍ to seek information; ﻡﻌﹸﻠﻮ ﻣ known; ﻌﻠﱢﻢ ﻣ teacher;
Most ﻓﻌﻞhave three root letters (ﺢ ﺘ ﹶﻓhe opened), some have four (ﻊ ﺮﹶﻗ ﹶﻓhe cracked his
fingers) and very rarely some have five. The root letters are known as ﺣﺮﻑ ﺃﺻﻠﻲand
are represented by ﻓـ ـﻌـ ـﻞ. Thus, the letter ﻛﺎﻑin ﻛـ ـﺘـ ـﺐis known as
the ﻛﻠﻤﺔ ﻓﺎﺀthe letter ﺗﺎﺀis known as the ﻋﲔ ﻛﻠﻤﺔand the letter ﺑﺎﺀis known as the ﻻﻡ
ﻛﻠﻤﺔ. Any other letters other than the ﺣﺮﻑ ﺃﺻﻠﻲare known as ﺣﺮﻑ ﺯﺍﺋﺪsuch as in the
word ﺐ
ﻨﺘﺟ ( ﹺﺇhe refrained), the letter ﺃﻟﻒis ﺣﺮﻑ ﺯﺍﺋﺪthe letter ﺟﻴﻢis the ﻓﺎﺀ ﻛﻠﻤﺔ, the
letter ﺗﺎﺀis ﺣﺮﻑ ﺯﺍﺋﺪ, the letter ﻧﻮﻥis the ﻋﲔ ﻛﻠﻤﺔand the letter ﺑﺎﺀis the ﻻﻡ ﻛﻠﻤﺔ.
Below are some examples to show how all the above fit in:
1. ﺍﺤ ﹸﻜﻮ
ﺿ
they laughed. This word is
ﲨﻊ ﻣﺬﻛﺮ ﻏﺎﺋﺐ ﺇﺛﺒﺎﺕ ﻓﻌﻞ ﻣﺎﺿﻲ ﻣﻌﺮﻭﻑ
2. ﻥ ﺪﺍ ﻌ ﺗﺮ ﺗ both of you men/women are shaking. This word is
ﺗﺜﻨﻴﺔ ﻣﺬﻛﺮ ﻭﻣﺆﻧﺚ ﺣﺎﺿﺮ ﺇﺛﺒﺎﺕ ﻓﻌﻞ ﻣﻀﺎﺭﻉ ﻣﻌﺮﻭﻑ
3. ﺖ
ﻴﺘـ ﹺﻬـﺷـ ﻣﺎﺍit was not liked. This word is
ﻭﺍﺣﺪ ﻣﺆﻧﺚ ﻏﺎﺋﺐ ﻧﻔﻲ ﻓﻌﻞ ﻣﺎﺿﻲ ﳎﻬﻮﻝ
4. ﺏ
ﺮ ﻟﹶﺄ ﹾﻗ I should have got closer. This word is
ﻭﺍﺣﺪ ﻣﺘﻜﻠﻢ ﺇﺛﺒﺎﺕ ﻓﻌﻞ ﺃﻣﺮ ﻣﻌﺮﻭﻑ
Rule 1: ﳎﻬﻮﻝis made by giving a ﺿﻤﺔto the ﻓﺎﺀ ﻛﻠﻤﺔ, a ﻛﺴﺮﺓto the ﻋﲔ ﻛﻠﻤﺔand
leaving the ﻻﻡ ﻛﻠﻤﺔas it is such as from ﺏ
ﺮ ـ ﺿـ
to ﺏ
ﺿـ ـ ﹺﺮ
.
Rule 2: ﻧﻔﻲin ﻓﻌﻞ ﻣﺎﺿﻲis made by adding a ﻣﺎbefore the ﻓﻌﻞsuch as from ﻞ
ﻌ ﹶ ﹶﻓto ﺎﻣ
ﻌ ﹶﻞ ﹶﻓ.
3. Please translate the following into Arabic the ﻓﻌﻞis given to make it easier:
Note: ﻓﻌﻞ ﻣﻀﺎﺭﻉdenotes both the present and present continuous hence; it can also be
translated as ‘he does’ ‘I do’ etc.
Rule 3: ﻣﻀﺎﺭﻉ ﻓﻌﻞis made by adding the letters ﺃﻟﻒ, ﺗﺎﺀ, ﻳﺎﺀand ﻧﻮﻥin the beginning of
ﻓﻌﻞ ﻣﺎﺿﻲ.
Rule 4: The ending of the ﻓﻌﻞ ﻣﻀﺎﺭﻉ represents the number of people involved
therefore:
1. If there isn’t anything at the end (ﺷﻴﺊ )ﺍﻟﻔﻌﻞ ﺍﳌﻀﺎﺭﻉ ﺍﻟﺬﻱ ﱂ ﻳﺘﺼﻞ ﺑﺂﺧﺮﻩ it
represents: ﻭﺍﺣﺪ ﻣﺘﻜﻠﻢ، ﻭﺍﺣﺪ ﻣﺬﻛﺮ ﺣﺎﺿﺮ، ﻭﺍﺣﺪ ﻣﺆﻧﺚ ﻏﺎﺋﺐ،ﻭﺍﺣﺪ ﻣﺬﻛﺮ ﻏﺎﺋﺐ
ﲨﻊ ﻣﺘﻜﻠﻢ،
Such as: ﻌﻞﹸ ﻧ ﹾﻔ ، ﻌ ﹸﻞ ﹶﺃ ﹾﻓ، ﻌ ﹸﻞ ﺗ ﹾﻔ ، ﻌ ﹸﻞ ﺗ ﹾﻔ ، ﻌ ﹸﻞ ﻳ ﹾﻔ
2. ﺃﻟﻒ ﻧﻮﻥat the end represents the ﺗﺜﻨﻴﺔsuch as ﻥ ﻼ
ﻌ ﹶ ﺗ ﹾﻔ ، ﻥ ﻼ
ﻌ ﹶ ﻳ ﹾﻔ.
3. ﻭﺍﻭ ﻧﻮﻥat the end represents ﲨﻊ ﻣﺬﻛﺮsuch as ﻮ ﹶﻥ ﻌﹸﻠ ﺗ ﹾﻔ ، ﻮ ﹶﻥ ﻌﹸﻠ ﻳ ﹾﻔ.
4. ﻳﺎﺀ ﻧﻮﻥat the end represents ﻭﺍﺣﺪ ﻣﺆﻧﺚ ﺣﺎﺿﺮsuch as ﻦ ﻴﻠﻌ ﺗ ﹾﻔ.
Note: The ﻧﻮﻥin the above three points is known as ﻲ ﺍﹺﺑﻋﺮ ﻥ ﹺﺇﻧﻮ and gets
omitted in some cases as you shall learn later.
5. ﻧﻮﻥ ﻣﻔﺘﻮﺡat the end represents ﲨﻊ ﻣﺆﻧﺚ ﻏﺎﺋﺐ and ﺣﺎﺿﺮ ﲨﻊ ﻣﺆﻧﺚsuch
as ﻦ
ﻌ ﹾﻠ ﻳ ﹾﻔ and ﻦ ﻌ ﹾﻠ ﺗ ﹾﻔ.
This ﻧﻮﻥis known as ﻮ ﹾﺓ ﺴ
ﻥ ﹺﻧﻧﻮ and does not change whatever the case is.
Rule 5: ﳎﻬﻮﻝ ﻓﻌﻞ ﻣﻀﺎﺭﻉis made from ﻓﻌﻞ ﻣﻀﺎﺭﻉ ﻣﻌﺮﻭﻑ. The process of making it is
to give a ﺿﻤﺔon the ﻣﻀﺎﺭﻉ ﺣﺮﻑ, leave the ﻓﺎﺀ ﻛﻠﻤﺔas it is, make the ﻋﲔ ﻛﻠﻤﺔ ﻣﻔﺘﻮﺡ
and leave the ﻛﻠﻤﺔ ﻻﻡas it is such as from
ﻌـ ـ ﹸﻞ ﻳـ ـ ﹾﻔـ ـ to ﻌـ ـ ﹸﻞ ﻳـ ـ ﹾﻔـ ـ
Exercise ﺍﻟﺘﻤﺮﻳﻦ
a. ﺡ
ﺪ ﻤ ﻳ b. ﻢ ﻌ ﹸﻈ ﻳ c. ﺐ
ﺴ
ِ ﺘﻳ ﹾﻜ
(he praises) (he becomes great) (he earns)
d. ﺮ ﺼ
ﻨــﺘﻳﺴ e. ﺮ ﻄ ﻨ ﹶﻔﻳ f. ﻉ
ﺭ ﺰ ﻳ
(he seeks help) (he bursts) (He cultivates)
5. Please translate the following into Arabic the ﻓﻌﻞis given to make it easier:
a. Both of you men are going out
ﺝ
ﺮ ﺨ ﻳ ﺝ ﺮ ﺧ
b. Both of them (f) are being opened
ﺢ ﺘﻳ ﹾﻔ ﺢ ﺘﹶﻓ
c. You are not helping
ﺮ ﺼ ﻨﻳ ﺮ ﺼ ﻧ
d. All of them (f) are patient
ﺮ ﺼﹺﺒ
ﻳ ﺮ ﺒﺻ
e. All of you women are not being
robbed
ﻕ
ﺴ ﹺﺮ ﻳ ﻕ ﺮ ﺳ
f. We are going
ﺐ
ﻫ ﻳ ﹾﺬ ﺐ ﻫ ﹶﺫ
g. I am not returning
ﻊ ﺮ ﹺﺟ ﻳ ﻊ ﺟ ﺭ