Or [it is] like a rainstorm from the sky within which is darkness, thunder and lightning. They put their fingers in their ears against the thunderclaps in dread of death. But Allāh is encompassing of the disbelievers.
Sahih International
Grammar, phrase by phrase
أَوْ
(Or)
أَوْword 1
Particle · حرفA particle is a small helper word with no meaning standing alone; it takes no ending and does not name or act. أَوْ is such a helper word here. L1 · R8
Conjunction · حرف عطفA conjunction is a small joining word like 'or' that ties one part of speech to another. أَوْ means 'or', setting this second likeness beside the first. L4 · R4
This is another parable Allah gives about the hypocrites who sometimes know the truth and doubt it at other times; scholars note the 'or' here allows either likeness to fit them, both describing them well.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:19
كَصَيِّبٍۢ
(…[it is] like a rainstorm)
Root صوب — to strike, befall, afflict; calamity, disaster · 77 times in the Quran
كَصَيِّبٍۢword 2
Preposition · حرف جرA preposition is a little word that relates one thing to another and pulls the noun right after it into the genitive — the ending for a noun after a preposition, usually shown by a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. The prefix كَ 'like/as' does that here: 'like a rainstorm'. L4 · R1
Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word for a thing. صَيِّبٍ names a thing — a rainstorm — from the root صوب, that which pours down and befalls. L1 · R6
Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every naming word as grammatically 'he' or 'she'. This word carries no feminine marker such as a ة at its end, so it falls to the default and is treated as 'he': a masculine noun. L2 · R3
Indefinite Noun · نكرةAn indefinite noun means 'a' or 'any' something — no particular one — and shows this with the doubled end-vowel tanwīn. صَيِّبٍ carries the tanwīn ـٍ (a doubled kasrah), marking it as 'a rainstorm', not a known one. L2 · R8
Genitive · مجرورThe genitive is the ending a naming word takes after a preposition, usually shown by a kasrah ـِ — or here the doubled tanwīn kasrah ـٍ, a small stroke below the last letter. صَيِّبٍ carries that ـٍ because the preposition كَ 'like' stands before it: 'like a rainstorm'. L2 · R12
The rainstorm here is the rain that comes down during darkness — standing for the doubts, disbelief, and hypocrisy in their hearts.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:19
مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ
(…from the sky)
Root سمو — to be high, elevated; name; sky, heaven · 381 times in the Quran
مِّنَword 3
Particle · حرفA particle is a small helper word with no meaning standing alone; it takes no ending and does not name or act. مِّنَ is such a helper word here. L1 · R8
Preposition · حرف جرA preposition is a little word that relates one thing to another and pulls the noun right after it into the genitive — the ending for a noun after a preposition, usually shown by a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. مِّنَ 'from' does that here: 'from the sky'. L4 · R1
ٱلسَّمَآءِword 4
Definite Article · أل التعريفThe definite article is the prefix ٱل ('the') fixed to the front of a noun to mark a specific, known thing. Here it marks سَّمَآءِ as 'the sky'. L2 · R9
Noun · اسمA word that accepts the prefix ٱل ('the') is a noun — a naming word. This word carries that prefix and names a thing, 'the sky', from the root سمو, that which is high. L1 · R1
Feminine Noun · اسم مؤنثA feminine noun is a naming word Arabic treats as 'she'. سَّمَآءِ 'sky' is treated as feminine, ending in the alif + hamzah (اء) that often marks the feminine. L2 · R1
Genitive · مجرورThe genitive is the ending a naming word takes after a preposition, usually shown by a kasrah ـِ — a small stroke below the last letter. ٱلسَّمَآءِ ends in that kasrah ـِ because the preposition مِّنَ 'from' stands before it: 'from the sky'. L2 · R12
فِيهِ ظُلُمَـٰتٌۭ
(…within which is darkness,)
Root ظلم — to do wrong or evil, to wrong, to treat unjustly, ill-treat, oppress, harm, suppress, tyrannise · 315 times in the Quran
فِيهِword 5
Particle · حرفA particle is a small helper word with no meaning standing alone; it takes no ending and does not name or act. فِي is such a helper word here. L1 · R8
Preposition · حرف جرA preposition is a little word that relates one thing to another and pulls the noun right after it into the genitive — the ending for a noun after a preposition, usually shown by a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. فِي 'in/within' does that here, and the 'it' attached to it sits in that genitive role: 'within it'. L4 · R1
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of another word. The ending هِ on فِيهِ stands for 'it', pointing back to the rainstorm: 'within it'. L3 · R6
ظُلُمَـٰتٌۭword 6
Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word for a thing. ظُلُمَٰتٌ names a thing — darknesses — from the root ظلم, whose meaning is built on the idea of darkness and wrongdoing. L1 · R6
Feminine Noun · اسم مؤنثA feminine noun is a naming word Arabic treats as 'she'. Its sound feminine plural ending ـَاتٌ marks this word as feminine: darknesses. L2 · R6
Plural Noun · جمعA plural noun refers to three or more. The sound feminine plural adds the ending ـَاتٌ. ظُلُمَٰتٌ ends in ـَاتٌ, so it names many layers of darkness. L2 · R6
Indefinite Noun · نكرةAn indefinite noun means 'a' or 'any' something — no particular one — and shows this with the doubled end-vowel tanwīn. ظُلُمَٰتٌ carries the tanwīn ـٌ (a doubled ḍammah), marking it as unspecified darkness. L2 · R8
Nominative · مرفوعThe nominative is the ending a naming word takes when it is the topic within a statement, usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ — or here the doubled tanwīn ḍammah ـٌ, a small curl above the last letter. ظُلُمَٰتٌ carries that ـٌ, standing as what 'within it' points to: within it is darkness. L2 · R10
Subject (Mubtada') · مبتدأThe subject is the naming word a statement talks about — its topic — standing in the nominative, shown by the doubled tanwīn ḍammah ـٌ here. ظُلُمَٰتٌ carries that ـٌ; the phrase before it, 'within it', tells where this darkness is. L6 · R2
Adjective · صفةAn adjective is a describing word that follows its noun. Here ظُلُمَٰتٌ, along with the phrase 'within it', describes the rainstorm just named — a storm within which there is darkness. L7 · R1
The darkness stands for the doubts, disbelief, and hypocrisy that fill their hearts.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:19
وَرَعْدٌۭ
(…thunder)
Root رعد — thunder · 2 times in the Quran
وَرَعْدٌۭword 7
Conjunction · حرف عطفA conjunction is a small joining word like 'and' that ties one item to another, and the joined item copies the case of the one before it. The prefix وَ joins 'thunder' to the darkness before it, so it too takes the nominative — the ḍammah ـُ form. L4 · R4
Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word for a thing. رَعْدٌ names a thing — thunder — from the root رعد, thunder. L1 · R6
Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every naming word as grammatically 'he' or 'she'. This word carries no feminine marker such as a ة at its end, so it falls to the default and is treated as 'he': a masculine noun. L2 · R3
Indefinite Noun · نكرةAn indefinite noun means 'a' or 'any' something — no particular one — and shows this with the doubled end-vowel tanwīn. رَعْدٌ carries the tanwīn ـٌ (a doubled ḍammah), marking it as unspecified thunder. L2 · R8
Nominative · مرفوعThe nominative is the ending usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ — or here the doubled tanwīn ḍammah ـٌ, a small curl above the last letter. رَعْدٌ carries that ـٌ, matching the case of the darkness it is joined to: within it is darkness and thunder. L2 · R10
The thunder shocks the hearts with fear; the hypocrites are usually full of fear and anxiety, thinking every cry is against them.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:19
وَبَرْقٌۭ
(…and lightning.)
Root برق — to flash, lighten; lightning, dazzling brightness · 6 times in the Quran
وَبَرْقٌۭword 8
Conjunction · حرف عطفA conjunction is a small joining word like 'and' that ties one item to another, and the joined item copies the case of the one before it. The prefix وَ joins 'lightning' to what came before, so it too takes the nominative — the ḍammah ـُ form. L4 · R4
Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word for a thing. بَرْقٌ names a thing — lightning — from the root برق, to flash. L1 · R6
Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every naming word as grammatically 'he' or 'she'. This word carries no feminine marker such as a ة at its end, so it falls to the default and is treated as 'he': a masculine noun. L2 · R3
Indefinite Noun · نكرةAn indefinite noun means 'a' or 'any' something — no particular one — and shows this with the doubled end-vowel tanwīn. بَرْقٌ carries the tanwīn ـٌ (a doubled ḍammah), marking it as unspecified lightning. L2 · R8
Nominative · مرفوعThe nominative is the ending usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ — or here the doubled tanwīn ḍammah ـٌ, a small curl above the last letter. بَرْقٌ carries that ـٌ, matching the case of the items it is joined to: darkness, thunder, and lightning. L2 · R10
The lightning stands for the light of faith that is sometimes felt in the hearts of the hypocrites.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:19
So far: “Or [it is] like a rainstorm from the sky within which is darkness, thunder and lightning.”
يَجْعَلُونَ أَصَـٰبِعَهُمْ
(…They put their fingers)
Root جعل — to put, place, make, effect, prepare, produce, appoint, fix, begin · 346 times in the Quran
Root صبع — finger · 2 times in the Quran
يَجْعَلُونَword 9
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. يَجْعَلُونَ names an action — putting, placing — from the root جعل, to put or place. L1 · R7
Present Tense Verb · فعل مضارعA present tense verb describes ongoing action and opens with one of the four prefixes أ ن ي ت. يَجْعَلُونَ opens with يَ, marking a 'they' doer: 'they put'. L8 · R3
The Five Verbs · الأفعال الخمسةThe Five Verbs are the five present shapes ending in نَ, one being يَفْعَلُونَ 'they do'. يَجْعَلُونَ has that ونَ ending marking 'they', and its kept نَ shows it stands in its plain mood. L10 · R10
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of a verb. The ونَ ending on يَجْعَلُونَ is such a suffix, standing for 'they' — the ones putting their fingers in their ears. L3 · R6
Doer (Fa'il) · فاعلThe doer is the one performing the action, so it stands in the nominative — the doer's form, usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ, a small curl above the last letter. The ونَ ending on يَجْعَلُونَ is that doer, 'they'; on this attached pronoun the shape is fixed, so no ḍammah appears, but the role it fills is the nominative one. L9 · R4
أَصَـٰبِعَهُمْword 10
Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word for a thing. أَصَٰبِعَ names things — fingers — from the root صبع, finger. L1 · R6
Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every naming word as grammatically 'he' or 'she'. This word carries no feminine marker such as a ة at its end, so it falls to the default and is treated as 'he': a masculine noun. L2 · R3
Plural Noun · جمعA plural noun refers to three or more. أَصَٰبِعَ is a 'broken' plural — its inner shape reshaped from the singular — naming the fingers, many together. L2 · R6
Accusative · منصوبThe accusative is the ending a naming word takes when the action lands on it, usually shown by a fathah ـَ — a small slanted stroke above the last letter. أَصَٰبِعَ ends in that fathah ـَ, marking the fingers as what they put. L2 · R11
Direct Object · مفعول بهThe direct object is the thing the action lands on, and it takes the accusative — the ending shown by a fathah ـَ, a small stroke above the last letter. أَصَٰبِعَ carries that fathah ـَ and is what they put in their ears — their fingers. L9 · R3
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word for 'their' glued onto the end of a noun. The ending هُمْ on أَصَـٰبِعَهُمْ stands for 'their', naming whose fingers they are. L3 · R6
Possessive (Idafa) · مضاف إليهA possessive (iḍāfah) chains an owner onto the thing owned, and the owner carries the genitive — the owner's ending, usually shown by a kasrah ـِ, a small slanted stroke below the last letter. The ending هُمْ 'their' is that owner glued onto أَصَٰبِعَ; a pronoun like هُمْ keeps its fixed written shape, so no kasrah appears on it — the genitive is the role its owner slot carries: 'their fingers'. L5 · R5
فِىٓ ءَاذَانِهِم
(…in their ears)
Root اذن — to permit, permission; ears · 102 times in the Quran
فِىٓword 11
Particle · حرفA particle is a small helper word with no meaning standing alone; it takes no ending and does not name or act. فِىٓ is such a helper word here. L1 · R8
Preposition · حرف جرA preposition is a little word that relates one thing to another and pulls the noun right after it into the genitive — the ending for a noun after a preposition, usually shown by a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. فِىٓ 'in' does that here: 'in their ears'. L4 · R1
ءَاذَانِهِمword 12
Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word for a thing. ءَاذَانِ names things — ears — from the root اذن, ears and permission. L1 · R6
Feminine Noun · اسم مؤنثA feminine noun is a naming word Arabic treats as 'she'. The paired body part 'ear' is one of the words counted feminine without a visible marker, so ءَاذَانِ is treated as feminine. L2 · R2
Plural Noun · جمعA plural noun refers to three or more. ءَاذَانِ is a 'broken' plural — its inner shape reshaped from the singular — naming the ears, many together. L2 · R6
Genitive · مجرورThe genitive is the ending a naming word takes after a preposition, usually shown by a kasrah ـِ — a small stroke below the last letter. ءَاذَانِ ends in that kasrah ـِ because the preposition فِىٓ 'in' stands before it: 'in their ears'. L2 · R12
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word for 'their' glued onto the end of a noun. The ending هِم on ءَاذَانِهِم stands for 'their', naming whose ears they are. L3 · R6
Possessive (Idafa) · مضاف إليهA possessive (iḍāfah) chains an owner onto the thing owned, and the owner carries the genitive — the owner's ending, usually shown by a kasrah ـِ, a small slanted stroke below the last letter. The ending هِم 'their' is that owner glued onto ءَاذَانِ; a pronoun like هِم keeps its fixed written shape, so no kasrah appears on it — the genitive is the role its owner slot carries: 'their ears'. L5 · R5
مِّنَ ٱلصَّوَٰعِقِ
(…against the thunderclaps)
Root صعق — to faint, fall unconscious; thunderbolt · 11 times in the Quran
مِّنَword 13
Particle · حرفA particle is a small helper word with no meaning standing alone; it takes no ending and does not name or act. مِّنَ is such a helper word here. L1 · R8
Preposition · حرف جرA preposition is a little word that relates one thing to another and pulls the noun right after it into the genitive — the ending for a noun after a preposition, usually shown by a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. مِّنَ 'from/against' does that here: 'against the thunderclaps'. L4 · R1
ٱلصَّوَٰعِقِword 14
Definite Article · أل التعريفThe definite article is the prefix ٱل ('the') fixed to the front of a noun to mark a specific, known thing. Here it marks صَّوَٰعِقِ as 'the thunderclaps'. L2 · R9
Noun · اسمA word that accepts the prefix ٱل ('the') is a noun — a naming word. This word carries that prefix and names things, 'the thunderclaps', from the root صعق, thunderbolt. L1 · R1
Feminine Noun · اسم مؤنثA feminine noun is a naming word Arabic treats as 'she', most often marked by a ة at its end. This word's singular, صَاعِقَة 'thunderclap', carries that ة, and its plural ٱلصَّوَٰعِقِ keeps that 'she' treatment: the thunderclaps. L2 · R1
Plural Noun · جمعA plural noun refers to three or more. ٱلصَّوَٰعِقِ is a 'broken' plural — its inner shape reshaped from the singular — naming many thunderclaps. L2 · R6
Genitive · مجرورThe genitive is the ending a naming word takes after a preposition, usually shown by a kasrah ـِ — a small stroke below the last letter. ٱلصَّوَٰعِقِ ends in that kasrah ـِ because the preposition مِّنَ 'against' stands before it: 'against the thunderclaps'. L2 · R12
حَذَرَ ٱلْمَوْتِ ۚ
(…in dread of death.)
Root حذر — to be cautious, beware and take precautions against danger · 21 times in the Quran
Root موت — to die, expire · 165 times in the Quran
حَذَرَword 15
Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word for a thing or a state of mind. حَذَرَ names such a thing — dread, wariness — from the root حذر, to beware and guard against danger. L1 · R6
Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every naming word as grammatically 'he' or 'she'. This word carries no feminine marker such as a ة at its end, so it falls to the default and is treated as 'he': a masculine noun. L2 · R3
Accusative · منصوبThe accusative is the ending usually shown by a fathah ـَ — a small slanted stroke above the last letter. حَذَرَ ends in that fathah ـَ, marking it in the accusative role that names the motive: they stop their ears out of dread. L2 · R11
Reason Object (Maf'ūl lahu) · المفعول لهThe reason object is an accusative noun — carrying the fathah ـَ, a stroke above the last letter — that answers 'why?', naming the motive of an action. حَذَرَ carries that fathah ـَ and tells why they block their ears: in dread of death. L21 · R14
Verbal Noun (Masdar) · المصدرA verbal noun names the action itself as a thing — from 'he dreaded' comes 'dread'. حَذَرَ, from the root حذر, names the act of dreading as a thing: dread of death. L22 · R2
ٱلْمَوْتِ ۚword 16
Definite Article · أل التعريفThe definite article is the prefix ٱلْ ('the') fixed to the front of a noun to mark a specific, known thing. Here it marks مَوْتِ as 'the death'. L2 · R9
Noun · اسمA word that accepts the prefix ٱلْ ('the') is a noun — a naming word. This word carries that prefix and names a thing, 'death', from the root موت, to die. L1 · R1
Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every naming word as grammatically 'he' or 'she'. This word carries no feminine marker such as a ة at its end, so it falls to the default and is treated as 'he': a masculine noun. L2 · R3
Genitive · مجرورThe genitive is the ending a naming word takes as the owner in an 'of' phrase, usually shown by a kasrah ـِ — a small stroke below the last letter. مَوْتِ ends in that kasrah ـِ, chained to حَذَرَ: 'dread of death'. L2 · R12
Possessive (Idafa) · مضاف إليهA possessive (iḍāfah) chains two nouns into an 'of' phrase, and the second — the owner — takes the genitive ending, a kasrah ـِ. مَوْتِ carries that kasrah ـِ, chained after حَذَرَ 'dread': 'dread of death'. L5 · R5
They thrust their fingers in their ears against the thunderclaps for fear of death; yet their caution does not benefit them, for they are bound by Allah's all-encompassing will and decision.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:19
So far: “Or [it is] like a rainstorm from the sky within which is darkness, thunder and lightning. They put their fingers in their ears against the thunderclaps in dread of death.”
وَٱللَّهُ
(…But Allah)
Root اله — god · 2,851 times in the Quran
وَٱللَّهُword 17
Resumptive Particle · حرف استئنافA resumptive particle is a وَ or فَ that begins a fresh statement after a pause or shift, closer to opening a new sentence than a plain 'and'. The prefix وَ here starts the new point about Allah: 'But Allah is encompassing…'. L14 · R1
Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word for a person, place, or being. ٱللَّهُ is the proper name of God, from the root اله, god. L1 · R6
Nominative · مرفوعThe nominative is the ending a naming word takes when it is the topic the sentence talks about, usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ — a small curl above the last letter. ٱللَّهُ ends in that ḍammah ـُ, marking it as the topic: 'Allah…'. L2 · R10
Subject (Mubtada') · مبتدأThe subject is the naming word a sentence opens by talking about — its topic — standing in the nominative, shown by a ḍammah ـُ above the last letter. ٱللَّهُ carries that ḍammah ـُ and is the topic; what follows, 'encompassing of the disbelievers', is said about Him. L6 · R2
مُحِيطٌۢ بِٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ
(…is encompassing of the disbelievers.)
Root حوط — to surround, to encompass, to guard · 28 times in the Quran
Root كفر — to disbelieve, reject faith; disbelief, ingratitude · 525 times in the Quran
مُحِيطٌۢword 18
Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word for one who holds a quality. مُحِيطٌ names 'one who encompasses', from the root حوط, to surround or encompass. L1 · R6
Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every naming word as grammatically 'he' or 'she'. This word carries no feminine marker such as a ة at its end, so it falls to the default and is treated as 'he': a masculine noun. L2 · R3
Indefinite Noun · نكرةAn indefinite noun shows itself with the doubled end-vowel tanwīn. مُحِيطٌ carries the tanwīn ـٌ (a doubled ḍammah), which here also marks it as the single-word comment about Allah. L2 · R8
Nominative · مرفوعThe nominative is the ending a naming word takes when it completes what is said about the topic, usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ — or here the doubled tanwīn ḍammah ـٌ, a small curl above the last letter. مُحِيطٌ carries that ـٌ, as the comment about 'Allah': He is encompassing. L2 · R10
Predicate (Khabar) · خبرThe predicate is the part that tells you something about the topic, standing in the nominative, here the doubled tanwīn ḍammah ـٌ. The topic was ٱللَّهُ; مُحِيطٌ, carrying that ـٌ, is what is said about Him — encompassing. L6 · R3
Active Participle · اسم فاعلAn active participle is a naming word built from a verb's root to name the one who does the action, and for the derived patterns it opens with مُـ with a kasrah ـِ — an 'i' sound — before the last root letter. Built from the root حوط (to surround), مُحِيطٌ opens with that مُـ, the long 'ī' before its final ط carrying that kasrah sound: the One who encompasses. L11 · R3
بِٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَword 19
Preposition · حرف جرA preposition is a little word that relates one thing to another and pulls the noun right after it into the genitive — the ending for a noun after a preposition, usually shown by a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. The prefix بِ here joins to 'encompassing' to mean 'encompassing of the disbelievers'. L4 · R1
Definite Article · أل التعريفThe definite article is the prefix ٱلْ ('the') fixed to the front of a noun to mark a specific, known group. Here it marks كَٰفِرِينَ as 'the disbelievers'. L2 · R9
Noun · اسمA word that accepts the prefix ٱلْ ('the') is a noun — a naming word. This word carries that prefix and names a group, 'the disbelievers', from the root كفر, to reject faith. L1 · R1
Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every naming word as grammatically 'he' or 'she'. This word carries no feminine marker such as a ة at its end, so it falls to the default and is treated as 'he': a masculine noun. L2 · R3
Plural Noun · جمعA plural noun refers to three or more. The masculine sound plural in the genitive adds the ending ـِينَ. كَٰفِرِينَ ends in ـِينَ, so it names the many disbelievers. L2 · R6
Genitive · مجرورThe genitive is the ending a naming word takes after a preposition; for this kind of plural that ending is ـِينَ, carrying the kasrah sound. كَٰفِرِينَ ends in ـِينَ because the preposition بِ stands before it: 'of the disbelievers'. L2 · R12
Active Participle · اسم فاعلAn active participle is a naming word built from a verb's root to name the doer of the action. Built from the root كفر (to reject faith), كَٰفِرِينَ names the doers — those who disbelieve. L11 · R1
Their cautiousness does not benefit them, because they are bound by Allah's all-encompassing will and decision; He encompasses the disbelievers from behind.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:19
So far: “Or [it is] like a rainstorm from the sky within which is darkness, thunder and lightning. They put their fingers in their ears against the thunderclaps in dread of death. But Allāh is encompassing of the disbelievers.”