Who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them,
Sahih International
Grammar, phrase by phrase
ٱلَّذِينَ
(Who…)
ٱلَّذِينَword 1
Relative Pronoun · اسم موصولA relative pronoun is a word like 'who' or 'which' that hooks a whole describing sentence onto a known noun. ٱلَّذِينَ is the plural masculine form, 'those who', and it opens a description of the God-conscious just named: 'those who believe…'. L5 · R13
Adjective · صفةAn adjective is a describing word that comes after its noun and matches it. ٱلَّذِينَ describes the God-conscious of the previous line — a known, definite plural group — and matches them, so the sentence that follows ('who believe…') tells us who they are. L7 · R1
يُؤْمِنُونَ
(…believe)
Root امن — to believe, faith, security, trust · 879 times in the Quran
يُؤْمِنُونَword 2
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. يُؤْمِنُونَ names an action — believing — from the root امن, faith and trust. L1 · R7
Present Tense Verb · فعل مضارعA present tense verb describes action happening now or ongoing, and it always opens with one of the four prefixes أ ن ي ت. يُؤْمِنُونَ opens with يُ, so it means their believing is ongoing: 'they believe'. L8 · R3
The Five Verbs · الأفعال الخمسةThe Five Verbs are the five present-tense shapes ending in نَ, one of them يَفْعَلُونَ 'they do'. يُؤْمِنُونَ has that ونَ ending, marking a plural 'they', and here the kept نَ shows it stands in its plain, ordinary mood. L10 · R10
Hamzated Verb · فعل مهموزA hamzated verb has a hamza (ء) as one of its root letters, which shifts its written seat (أ/ؤ/ئ) and can disguise the root. From the root امن, the hamza surfaces here as the ؤ in يُؤْمِنُونَ. L24 · R11
Form IV Verb · أَفْعَلَA Form IV verb is built by adding a hamzah to the front of the root, and in the present tense it is marked by a ḍammah ـُ on the opening letter (يُـ). يُؤْمِنُونَ carries that ḍammah ـُ on its يُ, the fingerprint of this form: to have faith. L12 · R7
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto another word. The ونَ ending on يُؤْمِنُونَ is such a suffix, standing for 'they' — the many who do the believing. L3 · R6
Doer (Fa'il) · فاعلThe doer is the one doing the action, so it stands in the nominative — the 'subject form', usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ, a small curl written above the final letter. The ونَ ending on يُؤْمِنُونَ is that doer, 'they' — the ones performing the believing; on this attached pronoun the shape is fixed, so no ḍammah appears, but the role it fills is the nominative one. L9 · R4
To believe (Iman) is to affirm and trust with tongue, deed, and creed — believing in Allah, His Books, and His Messengers, and carrying that affirmation into action; fear of Allah is part of this faith.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:3
بِٱلْغَيْبِ
(…in the unseen,)
Root غيب — the unseen, hidden from perception · 60 times in the Quran
بِٱلْغَيْبِword 3
Preposition · حرف جرA preposition is a little helper word that relates one thing to another and pulls the noun after it into the genitive ending. The prefix بِ means 'in', joining the believing to its object: belief 'in' the unseen. L4 · R1
Definite Article · أل التعريفThe prefix ٱلْ means 'the' — one specific, known thing. Here it marks غَيْب as 'the unseen', the whole realm hidden from sight that is nonetheless known and real. 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, 'the unseen', from the root غيب, what is hidden from perception. L1 · R1
Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every naming word as grammatically 'he' or 'she'. غَيْب 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, shown by a kasrah ـِ — a small slanted stroke below the final letter. Because غَيْب stands right after the preposition بِ 'in', it ends in that kasrah ـِ: بِٱلْغَيْبِ, 'in the unseen'. L2 · R12
Belief in the unseen means believing in Allah, His angels, Books, Messengers, the Last Day, Paradise and the Fire, life after death and the Resurrection — all of it the Ghayb. It was said no faith is greater than believing in the unseen.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:3
So far: “Who believe in the unseen,”
وَيُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ
(…establish prayer,)
Root قوم — to stand, establish; people, nation; straightness, uprightness · 660 times in the Quran
Root صلو — to pray, to bless; prayer, blessing · 99 times in the Quran
وَيُقِيمُونَword 4
Conjunction · حرف عطفA conjunction is a particle like 'and' that joins words or actions together. The prefix وَ here means 'and', linking this action, establishing prayer, to the believing just mentioned. L4 · R4
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. يُقِيمُونَ names an action — establishing, setting up — from the root قوم, standing up and establishing. 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. يُقِيمُونَ opens with يُ, so the establishing is ongoing: 'they establish'. L8 · R3
The Five Verbs · الأفعال الخمسةThe Five Verbs are the five present shapes ending in نَ, one being يَفْعَلُونَ 'they do'. يُقِيمُونَ has that ونَ ending marking 'they', and its kept نَ shows it stands in its plain, ordinary mood. L10 · R10
Weak Verb · فعل معتلA weak verb has a و or ي among its root letters that can turn into a long vowel or vanish. From the root قوم, the middle و here softens into the long ī sound of يُقِيمُونَ, hiding the root letter. L24 · R4
Form IV Verb · أَفْعَلَA Form IV verb adds a hamzah to the front of the root, and in the present tense shows a ḍammah ـُ on the opening letter (يُـ). يُقِيمُونَ carries that ḍammah ـُ on its يُ, the mark of this form: to set up, to establish. L12 · R7
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto another word. The ونَ ending on يُقِيمُونَ is such a suffix, standing for 'they' — the many who do the establishing. L3 · R6
Doer (Fa'il) · فاعلThe doer is the one performing the action, so it stands in the nominative — the 'subject form', usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ, a small curl written above the final letter. The ونَ ending on يُقِيمُونَ is that doer, 'they' — the ones establishing the prayer; on this attached pronoun the shape is fixed, so no ḍammah appears, but the role it fills is the nominative one. L9 · R4
ٱلصَّلَوٰةَword 5
Definite Article · أل التعريفThe prefix ٱل means 'the' — one specific, known thing. Because the next letter ص is one of the fourteen 'solar' letters — letters made in the same part of the mouth as ل itself — the ل of the prefix melts into it and the ص doubles, shown by the shaddah ـّ — a small w-shaped mark above the letter: ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ, aṣ-ṣalāh, 'the prayer'. 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 prayer', from the root صلو, praying and blessing. L1 · R1
Feminine Noun · اسم مؤنثA feminine noun is a naming word Arabic treats as grammatically 'she', most often marked by a ة at the end. صَّلَوٰة carries that round ة ending, so it is feminine: 'the prayer'. L2 · R1
Accusative · منصوبThe accusative is the ending a naming word takes when the action lands on it, marked by a fathah ـَ — a small slanted stroke above the final letter. ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ ends in that fathah ـَ, because the establishing falls upon it: it is what is established. L2 · R11
Direct Object · مفعول بهThe direct object is the person or thing the action lands on, and it takes the accusative ending. ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ is what the establishing acts upon — 'they establish the prayer' — carrying the fathah ـَ of that role. L9 · R3
Establishing the prayer means performing it with all its obligations — completing the bowings, prostrations, recitation, and humbleness, and preserving its proper times and purity.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:3
So far: “Who believe in the unseen, establish prayer,”
وَمِمَّا
(…and out of what)
وَمِمَّاword 6
Resumptive Particle · حرف استئنافA resumptive وَ begins a fresh statement rather than simply adding an item. Here it opens the next thing said about the God-conscious — their spending — starting a new stroke in the description. L14 · R1
Particle · حرفA particle is a small helper word with no meaning standing alone; it takes no ending and does not name or act. The part مِ ('from') here is such a helper word. L1 · R8
Preposition · حرف جرA preposition is a little helper word that relates one thing to another. مِ, shortened from مِنْ 'from', means 'out of' — the spending is drawn 'out of' what they were given. L4 · R2
Relative Pronoun · اسم موصولA relative pronoun hooks a describing sentence onto its meaning. مَّا means 'what' — 'out of what We have provided' — and the sentence after it tells us what that 'what' is. L5 · R13
رَزَقْنَـٰهُمْ
(…We have provided for them,)
Root رزق — to provide, necessaries of life, good, grant, bestow · 123 times in the Quran
رَزَقْنَـٰهُمْword 7
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. رَزَقْ names an action — providing, granting sustenance — from the root رزق, to provide the necessities of life. L1 · R7
Past Tense Verb · فعل ماضٍA past tense verb describes an action already done, and who did it is shown by an ending added to the base. رَزَقْ is that base, and with نَٰ 'we' added it means 'We provided'. L8 · R1
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto another word. The ending نَٰ on this verb stands for 'we', and the ending هُمْ for 'them' — packing 'We … them' onto the single word. L3 · R7
Doer (Fa'il) · فاعلThe doer is the one performing the action, so it stands in the nominative — the 'subject form', usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ, a small curl written above the final letter. The suffix نَٰ 'we' is that doer here — the One providing — 'We have provided'; on this attached pronoun the shape is fixed, so no ḍammah appears, but the role it fills is the nominative one. L9 · R4
Direct Object · مفعول بهThe direct object is the one the action lands on, so it stands in the accusative — the 'landed-on form', usually shown by a fathah ـَ, a small slanted stroke above the final letter. The suffix هُمْ 'them' is that object — the ones provided for — 'We have provided them'; on this attached pronoun the shape is fixed, so no fathah appears, but the role it fills is the accusative one. L9 · R9
Spending 'out of what We have provided' was explained as the Zakah due on wealth, and also as a man's spending on his family; all types of required charity and spending are included.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:3
يُنفِقُونَ
(…they spend,)
Root نفق — to spend, to be hypocritical; tunnel, passage · 111 times in the Quran
يُنفِقُونَword 8
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. يُنفِقُونَ names an action — spending, giving out — from the root نفق, to spend. 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. يُنفِقُونَ opens with يُ, so the spending is ongoing: 'they spend'. L8 · R3
The Five Verbs · الأفعال الخمسةThe Five Verbs are the five present shapes ending in نَ, one being يَفْعَلُونَ 'they do'. يُنفِقُونَ has that ونَ ending marking 'they', and its kept نَ shows it stands in its plain, ordinary mood. L10 · R10
Form IV Verb · أَفْعَلَA Form IV verb adds a hamzah to the front of the root and in the present shows a ḍammah ـُ on the opening letter (يُـ). يُنفِقُونَ carries that ḍammah ـُ on its يُ, the mark of this form: to spend out. L12 · R7
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto another word. The ونَ ending on يُنفِقُونَ is such a suffix, standing for 'they' — the many who do the spending. L3 · R6
Doer (Fa'il) · فاعلThe doer is the one performing the action, so it stands in the nominative — the 'subject form', usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ, a small curl written above the final letter. The ونَ ending on يُنفِقُونَ is that doer, 'they' — the ones who spend; on this attached pronoun the shape is fixed, so no ḍammah appears, but the role it fills is the nominative one. L9 · R4
Allah often mentions prayer and spending together: prayer is the right of Allah and worship of Him, while spending is kindness to His creatures — the two ways of drawing near.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:3
So far: “Who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them,”