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.
Sahih International
Grammar, phrase by phrase
قُلْنَا ٱهْبِطُوا۟ مِنْهَا جَمِيعًۭا ۖ
(We said, "Go down from it, all of you.)
Root قول — to say, speak, tell · 1,722 times in the Quran
Root هبط — to descend, fall, to cause to come down · 8 times in the Quran
Root جمع — to gather, assemble, collect · 129 times in the Quran
قُلْنَاword 1
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. قُلْنَا names an action — saying — from the root قول, to say, speak, tell. L1 · R7
Past Tense Verb · فعل ماضٍA past tense verb carries its person marker as an ending glued to the verb's tail. On قُلْنَا that ending is نَا, the 'We' marker — note the sukūn ـْ, the small circle above the ل, closing the verb before it: 'We said'. L8 · R2
Weak Verb · فعل معتلA weak verb is one whose root contains the weak letter و or ي — letters that love to soften or vanish. The root of قُلْنَا is قول; its weak middle و has dropped away in this shape, leaving the short قُلْ. L24 · R2
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of a verb. The ending نَا on قُلْنَا is such a suffix, standing for 'We'. L3 · R7
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 نَا on قُلْنَا is that doer, 'We'; on this attached pronoun the shape is fixed, so no ḍammah appears, but the role it fills is the nominative one. L9 · R4
ٱهْبِطُوا۟word 2
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. ٱهْبِطُ names an action — going down — from the root هبط, to descend, fall. L1 · R7
Imperative Verb · فعل أمرAn imperative verb is a direct command addressed to 'you', formed from the present-tense verb by removing its prefix and adding a helping ٱ when what remains starts with a vowelless letter. ٱهْبِطُوا۟ shows that helping ٱ, commanding a group: 'go down!' — the ending وا۟ pointing the order at 'you all'. L10 · R1
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of a verb. The ending وا۟ on ٱهْبِطُوا۟ is such a suffix, standing for 'you all' — those commanded to descend. 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 ٱهْبِطُوا۟ is that doer, 'you all'; on this attached pronoun the shape is fixed, so no ḍammah appears, but the role it fills is the nominative one. L9 · R4
مِنْهَاword 3
Particle · حرفA particle is a small helper word with no meaning standing alone; it takes no ending and does not name or act. مِنْ 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 naming word after it into the genitive — the after-preposition ending, usually a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. مِنْ 'from' is one of the common prepositions: 'from it'. L4 · R2
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of another word; glued to a particle, it is governed by that particle. The ending هَا on مِنْهَا stands for 'it' — the place they were told to leave. L3 · R6
جَمِيعًۭا ۖword 4
Noun · اسمA word that accepts tanwīn — the doubled end-vowel marks ـٌ ـً ـٍ — is a noun, a naming word. جَمِيعًا ends in the doubled fathah ـً and names a whole gathered group, from the root جمع, to gather, assemble, collect. L1 · R2
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 is general — no particular one pointed out — and shows this with tanwīn, the doubled end-vowel mark. جَمِيعًا ends in the doubled fathah ـً. L2 · R8
Accusative · منصوبThe accusative is the ending shown by a fathah ـَ — a small slanted stroke above the letter — doubled to tanwīn ـً when the word is indefinite. جَمِيعًا ends in that doubled fathah ـً. L2 · R11
Circumstantial (Hāl) · الحالThe ḥāl describes the state someone is in while the action happens; it takes the accusative — here the doubled fathah ـً above its last letter — and is itself unmarked by ال. جَمِيعًا 'all together' describes the state in which they were to go down: as one whole group. L21 · R5
When Allah sent Adam, Hawwa', and Shaytan to earth from Paradise, He warned them that He would reveal Books and send Prophets and Messengers to them — that is, to their offspring.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:38
So far: “We said, "Go down from it, all of you.”
فَإِمَّا يَأْتِيَنَّكُم مِّنِّى هُدًۭى
(…And when guidance comes to you from Me,)
Root اتي — to come, bring, give · 549 times in the Quran
Root هدي — to guide, show the right path · 316 times in the Quran
فَإِمَّاword 5
Resumptive Particle · حرف استئنافA resumptive particle is a وَ or فَ that begins a fresh statement after a pause or shift. The prefix فَ here opens a new statement after the command to descend: what will happen when guidance comes. L14 · R1
Conditional Particle · أداة شرطA conditional particle sets up a two-part sentence: a condition and its result. إِمَّا 'when/if ever' opens the condition — guidance coming to you — whose result follows later, introduced by فَ. L16 · R1
يَأْتِيَنَّكُمword 6
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. يَأْتِيَ names an action — coming — from the root اتي, to come, bring, give. L1 · R7
Present Tense Verb · فعل مضارعA present tense verb is identified by one of the four prefix letters remembered as أَنَيْتُ. يَأْتِيَنَّكُم opens with the prefix يَ, the 'it/he' letter, always standing before the root letters: the coming is ahead, not past. L8 · R3
Weak Verb · فعل معتلA weak verb is one whose root contains the weak letter و or ي. The root of يَأْتِيَنَّكُم is اتي: its final weak ي shows here as the ي of ـتِيَ. L24 · R2
Hamzated Verb · فعل مهموزA hamzated verb has a hamza (ء) as one of its root letters, and the hamza keeps changing its written seat, which can disguise the root. The root اتي begins with a hamza; in يَأْتِيَنَّكُم it sits on an alif seat carrying a sukūn ـْ — the small circle above the أْ. L24 · R11
Emphatic Lām & Nūn · لام التوكيد ونون التوكيدThe emphatic نَّ — a heavy نّ carrying the doubling shaddah ـّ, a small w-shaped mark — fastened onto the end of a verb presses down on the statement to say it really, surely happens. On يَأْتِيَنَّكُم it stresses the certainty: guidance SURELY comes. L20 · R14
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of a verb; attached to a verb it names the one the action lands on. The ending كُم on يَأْتِيَنَّكُم stands for 'you all' — those the guidance comes to. L3 · R7
Direct Object · مفعول بهThe direct object is the one the action lands on, standing in the accusative — the landed-on form, usually a fathah ـَ, a small slanted stroke above the last letter. The ending كُم 'you all' is that object: the coming reaches you. A pronoun keeps its fixed written shape, so no fathah appears — the accusative is the role it fills. L9 · R5
مِّنِّىword 7
Particle · حرفA particle is a small helper word with no meaning standing alone; it takes no ending and does not name or act. مِّنِّ — the preposition مِنْ written double — is such a helper word. L1 · R8
Preposition · حرف جرA preposition is a little word that relates one thing to another and pulls the naming word after it into the genitive — the after-preposition ending, usually a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. مِنْ 'from' is one of the common prepositions, here fused with 'me': 'from Me'. L4 · R2
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of another word; glued to a particle, it is governed by that particle. The ending ى on مِّنِّى stands for 'Me' — the guidance comes from Allah Himself. L3 · R6
هُدًۭىword 8
Noun · اسمA word that accepts tanwīn — the doubled end-vowel marks — is a noun, a naming word. هُدًى carries the doubled mark ـً written above its د before the final bent ى, and names guidance, from the root هدي, to guide, show the right path. L1 · R2
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' — no particular one — and shows this with tanwīn, the doubled end-vowel mark. هُدًى carries that doubled mark ـً on its د: 'guidance', whichever Allah sends. L2 · R8
Nominative · مرفوعThe nominative is the ending a naming word takes as the subject of its sentence, usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ — a small curl above the last letter. هُدًى ends in the bent alif ى, a letter whose shape never changes, so no ḍammah can appear — the nominative is the role the word fills as the subject of the coming. L2 · R10
Doer (Fa'il) · فاعلThe doer is the one performing the action of a verb, and it takes the nominative — the doer's form, usually a ḍammah ـُ, a small curl above the last letter. هُدًى is the doer of the coming: the guidance itself is what comes to you. Its fixed bent ending ى shows no ḍammah, but the doer's nominative role is the one it fills. L9 · R2
Abu Al-'Aliyah said, "Al-Huda refers to the Prophets, Messengers, the clear signs and plain explanation."
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:38
فَمَن تَبِعَ هُدَاىَ
(…whoever follows My guidance -)
Root تبع — to follow · 172 times in the Quran
Root هدي — to guide, show the right path · 316 times in the Quran
فَمَنword 9
Result Particle · فاء الجوابThe result فَ introduces the 'then' half of an 'if…, then…' pair, marking what follows from the condition. After 'when guidance comes to you from Me', this فَ opens what then holds: 'then whoever follows…'. L14 · R2
Conditional Particle · أداة شرطمَن 'whoever' is a conditional word: it sets up its own two-part pair — the condition, 'follows My guidance', and the result, 'no fear upon them'. Whoever meets the condition receives the promise. L16 · R3
تَبِعَword 10
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. تَبِعَ names an action — following — from the root تبع, to follow. L1 · R7
Past Tense Verb · فعل ماضٍA past tense verb in its base shape is the bare 'he' form with no added person ending. تَبِعَ is that bare form — 'he followed' — used inside the condition for whoever does so. L8 · R1
هُدَاىَword 11
Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word for a person, thing, or idea. هُدَا names guidance, from the root هدي, to guide, show the right path. 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
Nominative · مرفوعThe nominative is the subject's ending, usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ — a small curl above the last letter. هُدَا is marked with that nominative standing here; its ending is the long ا, a letter whose shape never changes, so no ḍammah appears on it — the nominative is the standing the word carries. L2 · R10
Doer (Fa'il) · فاعلThe doer is the one performing the action in a verb-first sentence, and it takes the nominative — usually a ḍammah ـُ, a small curl above the last letter. هُدَاىَ 'My guidance' carries that doer's nominative standing in this clause; its long ا ending never changes shape, so no ḍammah shows on it. L9 · R2
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word for 'my' glued onto the end of another word. The ending ىَ on هُدَاىَ stands for 'My': 'MY guidance'. L3 · R7
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 ىَ 'My' is that owner glued onto هُدَا: 'the guidance of Me'. A pronoun keeps its fixed written shape, so no kasrah appears on it — the genitive is the role its owner slot carries. L5 · R5
'And whoever follows My guidance' means whoever accepts what is contained in My Books and what I send the Messengers with.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:38
فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ
(…there will be no fear concerning them,)
Root خوف — to fear, be afraid · 124 times in the Quran
فَلَاword 12
Result Particle · فاء الجوابThe result فَ introduces the 'then' half of an 'if…, then…' pair. Here it delivers the promise owed to whoever follows the guidance: 'then no fear…'. L14 · R2
Particle · حرفA particle is a small helper word with no meaning standing alone; it takes no ending and does not name or act. لَا is such a helper word here. L1 · R8
Negation Particle · حرف نفيA negation particle is a word meaning 'not' or 'no', which flips a statement to its opposite. لَا here denies the whole statement that follows: 'NO fear will be upon them'. L4 · R5
خَوْفٌword 13
Noun · اسمA word that accepts tanwīn — the doubled end-vowel marks ـٌ ـً ـٍ — is a noun, a naming word. خَوْفٌ ends in the doubled ḍammah ـٌ and names fear, from the root خوف, to fear, be afraid. L1 · R2
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' — no particular one — and shows this with tanwīn, the doubled end-vowel mark. خَوْفٌ ends in the doubled ḍammah ـٌ: no fear of any kind. L2 · R8
Nominative · مرفوعThe nominative is the ending a naming word takes as the subject or topic of its statement, shown by a ḍammah ـُ — a small curl above the last letter — doubled to tanwīn ـٌ when the word is indefinite. خَوْفٌ ends in that doubled ḍammah ـٌ as the topic of 'no fear is upon them'. L2 · R10
عَلَيْهِمْword 14
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 naming word after it into the genitive — the after-preposition ending, usually a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. عَلَى 'on/upon', written عَلَيْ before its ending, is one of the common prepositions: no fear will rest 'upon them'. L4 · R2
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of another word; glued to a particle, it is governed by that particle. The ending هِمْ on عَلَيْهِمْ stands for 'them' — those who follow the guidance. L3 · R6
'There shall be no fear on them' — regarding the Hereafter.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:38
وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
(…nor will they grieve.)
Root حزن — to grieve · 42 times in the Quran
وَلَاword 15
Conjunction · حرف عطفA conjunction is a small joining word like 'and' that ties one statement to another. The prefix وَ joins this second denial to the first: no fear, AND no grief. L4 · R4
Particle · حرفA particle is a small helper word with no meaning standing alone; it takes no ending and does not name or act. لَا is such a helper word here. L1 · R8
Negation Particle · حرف نفيA negation particle is a word meaning 'not' or 'no', which flips a statement to its opposite. لَا here denies the second statement: 'nor will they grieve'. L4 · R5
هُمْword 16
Detached Pronoun · ضمير منفصلA detached pronoun is a standalone word for 'I/you/he/they'. هُمْ is the standalone word for 'they' — one of the twelve detached forms — naming those who follow the guidance. L3 · R2
يَحْزَنُونَword 17
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action or feeling tied to a time. يَحْزَنُ names a feeling — grieving — from the root حزن, to grieve. L1 · R7
Present Tense Verb · فعل مضارعA present tense verb is identified by one of the four prefix letters remembered as أَنَيْتُ. يَحْزَنُونَ opens with the prefix يَ, the 'they' letter, always standing before the root letters: the grieving spoken of is ongoing or ahead — and denied. L8 · R3
The Five Verbs · الأفعال الخمسةThe Five Verbs are the five present tense shapes ending in نَ, where that نَ itself shows the mood: kept in the normal mood, dropped after trimming words. يَحْزَنُونَ is the 'they do' shape with its نَ kept, so this is a plain statement of fact — 'they will not grieve' — not a command. L10 · R10
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of a verb. The ending ونَ on يَحْزَنُونَ is such a suffix, standing for 'they'. L3 · R7
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 و in the ending ونَ of يَحْزَنُونَ 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
'Nor shall they grieve' — regarding the life of this world. Ibn 'Abbas commented on the parallel verse: "He will not be misguided in this life or miserable in the Hereafter."
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:38
So far: “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.”