The lightning almost snatches away their sight. Every time it lights [the way] for them, they walk therein; but when darkness comes over them, they stand [still]. And if Allāh had willed, He could have taken away their hearing and their sight. Indeed, Allāh is over all things competent.
Sahih International
Grammar, phrase by phrase
يَكَادُ ٱلْبَرْقُ
(The lightning almost)
Root كود — was about to do, was on the point of · 24 times in the Quran
Root برق — to flash, lighten; lightning, dazzling brightness · 6 times in the Quran
يَكَادُword 1
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action or a nearness tied to a time. يَكَادُ names such a state — almost doing — from the root كود, to be about to do. 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. يَكَادُ opens with يَ, marking a 'he/it' doer: 'it almost…'. L8 · R3
Weak Verb · فعل معتلA weak verb has a و or ي among its root letters, which love to turn into a long 'ā'. From the root كود, the weak و has become the long 'ā' of يَكَادُ, hiding that root letter. L24 · R1
Verbs of Proximity (Kāda) · كاد وأخواتهاA verb of proximity like كَادَ 'almost did' says the action was close at hand, and it sits in front of a present-tense verb. يَكَادُ is that verb, leaning on 'snatches away' after it: 'almost snatches away'. L18 · R10
ٱلْبَرْقُword 2
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 بَرْقُ as 'the lightning'. 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, 'lightning', from the root برق, to flash. 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
Nominative · مرفوعThe nominative is the ending a naming word takes when it is the topic كَادَ speaks about, usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ — a small curl above the last letter. ٱلْبَرْقُ ends in that ḍammah ـُ, marking the lightning as the one that almost snatches. L2 · R10
The lightning almost snatches away their sight because the lightning is itself strong, while their comprehension is weak and does not allow them to embrace the faith.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:20
يَخْطَفُ أَبْصَـٰرَهُمْ ۖ
(…snatches away their sight.)
Root خطف — to snatch away, seize suddenly · 7 times in the Quran
Root بصر — to see, sight, vision, insight · 148 times in the Quran
يَخْطَفُword 3
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. يَخْطَفُ names an action — snatching away — from the root خطف, to seize suddenly. 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. يَخْطَفُ opens with يَ, marking a 'he/it' doer — the lightning: 'it snatches away'. L8 · R3
أَبْصَـٰرَهُمْ ۖword 4
Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word for a thing. أَبْصَٰرَ names things — sights, eyes — from the root بصر, to see. 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. أَبْصَٰرَ is a 'broken' plural — its inner shape reshaped from the singular — naming their many sights. 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. أَبْصَٰرَ ends in that fathah ـَ, marking their sight as what the lightning snatches. 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. أَبْصَٰرَ carries that fathah ـَ and is what is snatched — their sight. 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 أَبْصَـٰرَهُمْ stands for 'their', naming whose sight it is. 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 أَبْصَٰرَ; 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 sight'. L5 · R5
So far: “The lightning almost snatches away their sight.”
كُلَّمَآ
(Every time)
Root كلل — entirely, totally, all, everyone, each one, whole · 377 times in the Quran
كُلَّمَآword 5
Time Adverb · ظرف زمانA time adverb is a naming word that pins a sentence to the moment its action happens. كُلَّمَآ means 'every time', fixing what follows to each occasion it occurs: 'every time it lights the way for them'. L16 · R10
أَضَآءَ لَهُم
(…it lights [the way] for them,)
Root ضوا — light, to shine, radiance · 6 times in the Quran
أَضَآءَword 6
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. أَضَآءَ names an action — flashing, lighting up — from the root ضوا, to shine or give light. L1 · R7
Past Tense Verb · فعل ماضٍA past tense verb describes a completed action, its base form (a single 'he/it' doer) carrying no ending glued to its tail. أَضَآءَ is that bare base, naming such an act by a single 'it': 'it flashed'. The أَ at its front is not a present-tense marker letter; it belongs to the verb's Form IV pattern. L8 · R1
Weak Verb · فعل معتلA weak verb has a و or ي among its root letters, which love to turn into a long 'ā'. From the root ضوا, the weak و has become the long 'ā' inside أَضَآءَ, hiding that root letter. L24 · R1
Hamzated Verb · فعل مهموزA hamzated verb has a hamza (ء) among its root letters. Built from the root ضوا, أَضَآءَ carries that hamza written as ء at its end, keeping it among the hamzated kind. L24 · R11
Form IV Verb · أَفْعَلَA Form IV verb adds a hamza to the front of the root, often making the action reach outward. أَضَآءَ, from the root ضوا, carries that added hamza at its front: 'it cast light'. L12 · R5
لَهُمword 7
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 لَ 'for' does that here, and the 'them' after it sits in that genitive role: 'for them'. L4 · R1
Detached Pronoun · ضمير منفصلA pronoun is a mini-word standing in for a name, here هُم 'them'. Glued after the preposition لَ, it names those the light shines for: 'for them'. L3 · R7
مَّشَوْا۟ فِيهِ
(…they walk therein;)
Root مشي — they walk · 23 times in the Quran
مَّشَوْا۟word 8
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. مَّشَوْا۟ names an action — walking — from the root مشي, to walk. L1 · R7
Past Tense Verb · فعل ماضٍA past tense verb describes a completed action, marking who did it by an ending on the base. The ending وْا۟ on مَّشَوْا۟ marks 'they' — those who walked. L8 · R2
Weak Verb · فعل معتلA weak verb has a و or ي among its root letters, which love to soften or vanish. From the root مشي, the weak ي has melted away before the ending of مَّشَوْا۟, hiding that root letter. L24 · R1
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of a verb. The ending وْا۟ on مَّشَوْا۟ is such a suffix, standing for 'they' — the ones who walked. 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 ending وْا۟ on مَّشَوْا۟ 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
فِيهِword 9
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/therein' does that here, and the 'it' attached to it sits in that genitive role. 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 lit path: 'therein'. L3 · R6
Whenever the hypocrites gain a share in the victories of Islam they are content with it and walk on; and whenever it suffers a calamity, they are ready to revert to disbelief.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:20
وَإِذَآ
(…but when)
وَإِذَآword 10
Resumptive Particle · حرف استئنافA resumptive particle is a وَ or فَ that begins a fresh statement after a pause or shift. The prefix وَ here opens the turn: 'but when darkness comes over them'. L14 · R1
Time Adverb · ظرف زمانA time adverb is a naming word that pins a sentence to the moment its action happens. إِذَآ means 'when', fixing what follows to that moment: 'when darkness comes over them'. L16 · R7
أَظْلَمَ عَلَيْهِمْ
(…darkness comes over them,)
Root ظلم — to do wrong or evil, to wrong, to treat unjustly, ill-treat, oppress, harm, suppress, tyrannise · 315 times in the Quran
أَظْلَمَword 11
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. أَظْلَمَ names an action — growing dark — from the root ظلم, whose meaning is built on the idea of darkness. L1 · R7
Past Tense Verb · فعل ماضٍA past tense verb describes a completed action, its base form (a single 'it' doer) carrying no ending glued to its tail. أَظْلَمَ is that bare base: 'it darkened'. The أَ at its front is not a present-tense marker letter; it belongs to the verb's Form IV pattern. L8 · R1
Form IV Verb · أَفْعَلَA Form IV verb adds a hamza to the front of the three root letters. أَظْلَمَ, from the root ظلم, carries that added hamza at its front, marking it as Form IV: 'it grew dark'. L12 · R5
عَلَيْهِمْword 12
Particle · حرفA particle is a small helper word with no meaning standing alone; it takes no ending and does not name or act. عَلَيْ 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. عَلَيْ 'over/upon' does that here, and the 'them' after it sits in that genitive role: 'over them'. L4 · R1
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of another word. The ending هِمْ on عَلَيْهِمْ stands for 'them', naming those the darkness covers: 'over them'. L3 · R6
قَامُوا۟ ۚ
(…they stand [still].)
Root قوم — to stand, establish; people, nation; straightness, uprightness · 660 times in the Quran
قَامُوا۟ ۚword 13
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. قَامُوا۟ names an action — standing — from the root قوم, to stand or stay. L1 · R7
Past Tense Verb · فعل ماضٍA past tense verb describes a completed action, marking who did it by an ending on the base. The ending وا۟ on قَامُوا۟ marks 'they' — those who stood still. L8 · R2
Weak Verb · فعل معتلA weak verb has a و or ي among its root letters, which love to turn into a long 'ā'. From the root قوم, the middle و has become the long 'ā' of قَامُوا۟, hiding that root letter. L24 · R1
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of a verb. The ending وا۟ on قَامُوا۟ is such a suffix, standing for 'they' — the ones who stood still. 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 ending وا۟ on قَامُوا۟ 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
When they recognize the truth their speech is upright and they walk on; but when they revert to disbelief they again fall into confusion and stand still.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:20
So far: “The lightning almost snatches away their sight. Every time it lights [the way] for them, they walk therein; but when darkness comes over them, they stand [still].”
وَلَوْ
(And if)
وَلَوْword 14
Resumptive Particle · حرف استئنافA resumptive particle is a وَ or فَ that begins a fresh statement after a pause or shift. The prefix وَ here opens the new statement: 'And if Allah had willed…'. L14 · R1
Conditional Particle · أداة شرطA conditional particle sets up a two-part 'if…, then…' sentence. لَوْ means 'if / had', and it marks a case that did not in fact occur: 'had Allah willed' — implying He did not, in this instance. L16 · R5
شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ
(…Allah had willed,)
Root شيا — to will, wish; thing · 519 times in the Quran
Root اله — god · 2,851 times in the Quran
شَآءَword 15
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. شَآءَ names an action — willing — from the root شيا, to will or wish. L1 · R7
Past Tense Verb · فعل ماضٍA past tense verb describes a completed action, its base form (a single 'He' doer) carrying no prefix. شَآءَ names such an act: 'He willed'. L8 · R1
Weak Verb · فعل معتلA weak verb has a و or ي among its root letters, which love to turn into a long 'ā'. From the root شيا, the weak letter has become the long 'ā' of شَآءَ. L24 · R1
Hamzated Verb · فعل مهموزA hamzated verb has a hamza (ء) among its root letters. Built from the root شيا, شَآءَ carries that hamza written as ء at its end, keeping it among the hamzated kind. L24 · R11
ٱللَّهُword 16
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 one doing the action, usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ — a small curl above the last letter. ٱللَّهُ ends in that ḍammah ـُ, marking Him as the One who wills. L2 · R10
Doer (Fa'il) · فاعلThe doer is the one performing the action, and it stands in the nominative — the doer's form, shown by a ḍammah ـُ above the last letter. ٱللَّهُ carries that ḍammah ـُ and is the One who wills. L9 · R2
لَذَهَبَ بِسَمْعِهِمْ وَأَبْصَـٰرِهِمْ ۚ
(…He could have taken away their hearing and their sight.)
Root ذهب — to go, take away, remove; gold · 56 times in the Quran
Root سمع — to hear · 185 times in the Quran
Root بصر — to see, sight, vision, insight · 148 times in the Quran
لَذَهَبَword 17
Emphatic Lām & Nūn · لام التوكيد ونون التوكيدThe emphatic lām is a لَـ set at the front of a word to press down on the statement and say it is really so. The prefix لَ on لَذَهَبَ stresses the result of the 'if': He would surely have taken it away. L20 · R14
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. ذَهَبَ names an action — taking away, removing — from the root ذهب, to go or take away. L1 · R7
Past Tense Verb · فعل ماضٍA past tense verb describes a completed action, its base form (a single 'He' doer) carrying no prefix. ذَهَبَ names such an act: 'He took away'. L8 · R1
بِسَمْعِهِمْword 18
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 'took away' to mean 'took away their hearing'. L4 · R1
Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word for a thing. سَمْعِ names a thing — hearing — from the root سمع, to hear. 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
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. سَمْعِ ends in that kasrah ـِ because the preposition بِ stands before it: 'their hearing'. L2 · R12
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word for 'their' glued onto the end of a noun. The ending هِمْ on بِسَمْعِهِمْ stands for 'their', naming whose hearing it is. 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 هِمْ 'their' is that owner glued onto سَمْعِ; a pronoun like هِمْ keeps its fixed written shape, so no kasrah appears on it — the genitive is the role its owner slot carries: 'their hearing'. L5 · R5
وَأَبْصَـٰرِهِمْ ۚword 19
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 'their sight' to 'their hearing', so it too takes the genitive — the kasrah ـِ form. L4 · R4
Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word for a thing. أَبْصَٰرِ names things — sights — from the root بصر, to see. 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. أَبْصَٰرِ is a 'broken' plural — its inner shape reshaped from the singular — naming their many sights. 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. أَبْصَٰرِ ends in that kasrah ـِ, joined by وَ to 'their hearing' which the preposition بِ already pulled into the genitive: 'their hearing and their sight'. L2 · R12
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word for 'their' glued onto the end of a noun. The ending هِمْ on وَأَبْصَـٰرِهِمْ stands for 'their', naming whose sight it is. 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 هِمْ 'their' is that owner glued onto أَبْصَٰرِ; a pronoun like هِمْ keeps its fixed written shape, so no kasrah appears on it — the genitive is the role its owner slot carries: 'their sight'. L5 · R5
Ibn `Abbas explained: Allah would have taken away their hearing and sight because they abandoned the truth after they had knowledge of it.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:20
So far: “The lightning almost snatches away their sight. Every time it lights [the way] for them, they walk therein; but when darkness comes over them, they stand [still]. And if Allāh had willed, He could have taken away their hearing and their sight.”
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ
(Indeed, Allah)
Root اله — god · 2,851 times in the Quran
إِنَّword 20
Accusative Particle (إنّ) · حرف مشبه بالفعلإِنَّ means 'indeed' and carries the doubling shaddah ـّ — a small w-shaped mark that doubles its ن. It sits at the front of a topic-plus-comment sentence and pushes its own topic into the accusative — the ending usually shown by a fathah ـَ, a small stroke above the last letter — while the comment stays in the nominative, usually a ḍammah ـُ. L15 · R2
ٱللَّهَword 21
Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word for a person, place, or being. ٱللَّهَ is the proper name of God, from the root اله, god. L1 · R6
Accusative · منصوبThe accusative is the ending a naming word takes as the topic of إِنَّ, usually shown by a fathah ـَ — a small slanted stroke above the last letter. ٱللَّهَ ends in that fathah ـَ, pushed there by the إِنَّ before it: 'indeed Allah…'. L2 · R11
عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ
(…is over all things)
Root كلل — entirely, totally, all, everyone, each one, whole · 377 times in the Quran
Root شيا — to will, wish; thing · 519 times in the Quran
عَلَىٰword 22
Particle · حرفA particle is a small helper word with no meaning standing alone; it takes no ending and does not name or act. عَلَىٰ 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. عَلَىٰ 'over' does that here: 'over all things'. L4 · R1
كُلِّword 23
Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word. كُلِّ means 'every' or 'all', from the root كلل, the whole of something. 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
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. كُلِّ ends in that kasrah ـِ because the preposition عَلَىٰ 'over' stands before it: 'over all…'. L2 · R12
شَىْءٍۢword 24
Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word for a thing. شَىْءٍ names a thing — a thing at all — from the root شيا, thing. 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. شَىْءٍ carries the tanwīn ـٍ (a doubled kasrah), marking it as 'any thing'. L2 · R8
Genitive · مجرورThe genitive is the ending a naming word takes as the owner in an 'of' phrase, usually shown by a kasrah ـِ — or here the doubled tanwīn kasrah ـٍ, a small stroke below the last letter. شَىْءٍ carries that ـٍ, chained after كُلِّ: 'all of any thing' — that is, all things. 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. شَىْءٍ carries that kasrah (in its tanwīn ـٍ), chained after كُلِّ 'all': 'all things'. L5 · R5
قَدِيرٌۭ
(…competent.)
Root قدر — to measure, decree, ordain; to have power over · 132 times in the Quran
قَدِيرٌۭword 25
Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word for one who holds a quality. قَدِيرٌ names 'one who is fully able', from the root قدر, to have power over. 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. قَدِيرٌ 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 the comment after إِنَّ takes, usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ — or here the doubled tanwīn ḍammah ـٌ, a small curl above the last letter. قَدِيرٌ carries that ـٌ, staying nominative as the comment about 'Allah': He is competent over all things. L2 · R10
Allah is able to punish or pardon His servants as He wills; He described Himself here with power over everything as a warning to the hypocrites that His ability completely encompasses them.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:20
So far: “The lightning almost snatches away their sight. Every time it lights [the way] for them, they walk therein; but when darkness comes over them, they stand [still]. And if Allāh had willed, He could have taken away their hearing and their sight. Indeed, Allāh is over all things competent.”