Hafiz soon
Al-Baqarah · 2:68

They said, "Call upon your Lord to make clear to us what it is." [Moses] said, "[Allāh] says, 'It is a cow which is neither old nor virgin, but median between that,' so do what you are commanded."

Sahih International

Grammar, phrase by phrase

قَالُوا۟ ٱدْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ

(They said, "Call upon your Lord)

Root قولto say, speak, tell · 1,722 times in the Quran

Root دعوto call, invoke, pray to; supplication · 212 times in the Quran

Root رببLord, Sustainer, Nourisher, Regulator, Perfector · 980 times in the Quran

Grammar — lesson evidence

قَالُوا۟word 1

Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. قَالُ names an action — saying — from the root قول, to say, speak, tell. L1 · R7

Past Tense Verb · فعل ماضٍA past tense verb describes an action already completed, and who did it is shown by an ending added to the verb. The ending وا۟ — the 'they' marker — sits on قَالُوا۟: 'they said'. L8 · R2

Weak Verb · فعل معتلA weak verb has و or ي among its root letters, and a middle weak letter hides behind a long alif in the past tense. قَالُوا۟ is the root قول — the long ا in its middle is the weak و in disguise. L24 · R4

Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of a verb. The ending وا۟ on قَالُوا۟ is such a suffix, standing for 'they'. L3 · R6

Doer (Fa'il) · فاعلThe doer is the one performing the action, standing in the nominative — the doer's form, usually a ḍammah ـُ, a small curl above the last letter. The ending وا۟ is that doer, 'they'; a pronoun keeps one fixed shape, so no ḍammah appears — the nominative is the role it fills. L9 · R4

ٱدْعُword 2

Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. ٱدْعُ names an action — calling, praying — from the root دعو: to call, invoke, pray to; supplication. L1 · R7

Imperative Verb · فعل أمرAn imperative verb is a direct command addressed to 'you', formed from the present-tense verb by removing its opening prefix and adding a helping ٱ when what remains starts with a vowelless letter. ٱدْعُ shows that helping ٱ at its front — a command to one man, Musa: call! L10 · R1

Weak Verb · فعل معتلA weak verb has و or ي among its root letters, and when the weak letter ends the root it is dropped in the command shape, the short vowel left behind signalling which letter was deleted. ٱدْعُ is that clipped command of the root دعو: its final و is gone, and the ḍammah ـُ — the small curl above the ع — is the fingerprint of the deleted و. L24 · R7

لَنَاword 3

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. The prefix لَ 'to/for' is one of the common prepositions: pray 'for' us. L4 · R2

Detached Pronoun · ضمير منفصلA pronoun is a mini-word standing in for a name, here نَا 'us'. Though the label reads it as a standalone word, it is written joined after the preposition لَ and works like the glued-on endings for 'our/us', naming those the prayer is for: 'for us'. L3 · R7

رَبَّكَword 4

Noun · اسمA word whose final vowel mark changes with its job in the sentence is a noun, a naming word. رَبَّ names the Lord, from the root ربب — Lord, Sustainer, Nourisher, Regulator, Perfector. L1 · R5

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 a naming word takes when the action lands on it, shown by a fathah ـَ — a small slanted stroke above the letter. رَبَّ ends in that fathah ـَ, sitting atop its doubled ب. L2 · R11

Direct Object · مفعول بهThe direct object is the one the action lands on, standing in the accusative — the landed-on form, here the fathah ـَ above the doubled ب. 'Your Lord' is the One the commanded calling is directed to. L9 · R3

Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of another word. The ending كَ on رَبَّكَ is such a suffix, standing for 'your': YOUR Lord. L3 · R6

Possessive (Idafa) · مضاف إليهA possessive (iḍāfah) chains two naming words into an 'of' phrase, and the owner comes second, taking the genitive — the owner's ending, usually a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. The ending كَ fills that owner slot: 'the Lord OF you'; a pronoun keeps one fixed written shape, so the genitive is the role it fills. L5 · R5

Significance — from the tafsir

Allah mentioned the stubbornness of the Children of Israel and the many unnecessary questions they asked their Messengers; because they were stubborn, Allah made the decisions difficult for them.

Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:68–71

يُبَيِّن لَّنَا مَا هِىَ ۚ

(…to make clear to us what it is.")

Root بينto be between, make clear, evident · 523 times in the Quran

Grammar — lesson evidence

يُبَيِّنword 5

Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. يُبَيِّن names an action — making clear — from the root بين: to be between, make clear, evident. L1 · R7

Present Tense Verb · فعل مضارعA present tense verb is identified by one of the four prefix letters remembered as أَنَيْتُ. يُبَيِّن opens with the letter ي — the 'he' prefix — standing before the root letters: 'that He make clear'. L8 · R3

Jussive Mood · الفعل المجزومThe jussive is one of the three moods of a present tense verb — the cut-down mood, whose usual mark is the sukūn ـْ, the small circle meaning the sound stops on that letter. يُبَيِّن ends with exactly that stopped, vowelless ن — the cut-short shape — standing as what follows on the asked-for prayer: He will make it clear. L10 · R8

Weak Verb · فعل معتلA weak verb has at least one of the weak letters و or ي among its root letters, named by which slot is weak — a weak middle letter makes the hollow type. The root بين carries the weak ي in its middle slot; in this shape it does not vanish but stands doubled in plain view: the يِّ of يُبَيِّن. L24 · R4

Form II Verb · فَعَّلَA Form II verb is identified by a shaddah ـّ — the small w-shaped doubling mark — on the second root letter. يُبَيِّن shows that shaddah on the ي in its middle: the mark of this form, here making something clear to others. L12 · R7

لَّنَاword 6

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. The prefix لَّ 'to/for' is one of the common prepositions: make clear 'to' us. L4 · R2

Detached Pronoun · ضمير منفصلA pronoun is a mini-word standing in for a name, here نَا 'us'. Though the label reads it as a standalone word, it is written joined after the preposition لَّ and works like the glued-on endings for 'our/us', naming those the clarifying is for: 'to us'. L3 · R7

مَاword 7

Predicate (Khabar) · خبرThe predicate is the part that completes the meaning about the topic, and it stands in the nominative — the completing word's own form, usually a ḍammah ـُ, a small curl above the last letter. The asking word مَا 'what?' is that completing part, brought to the front as questions are: 'it [is] WHAT?'; it keeps one fixed written shape, so the nominative is the role it fills. L6 · R3

Interrogative Particle · حرف استفهامAn interrogative word turns a statement into a question, and مَا 'what?' is one of the specific question words. Here it asks for the cow's description: WHAT is it? L17 · R3

هِىَ ۚword 8

Detached Pronoun · ضمير منفصلA detached pronoun is a standalone word for 'I/you/he/she/they'. هِىَ is the 'she' of that set, standing here for 'it' — the cow, spoken of as 'she'. L3 · R2

Subject (Mubtada') · مبتدأThe subject is the naming word a sentence opens by talking about — its topic — and it stands in the nominative, the topic's form, usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ, a small curl above the last letter. In the little question 'what is it?', هِىَ 'it' is that topic; a pronoun keeps one fixed written shape, so the nominative is the role it fills. L6 · R2

Direct Object · مفعول بهThe direct object is what 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 little question 'what it is' is what the making-clear must land on, and هِىَ anchors it; a pronoun keeps one fixed written shape, so the accusative here is the role, not a mark on show. L9 · R3

Significance — from the tafsir

They said, "Call upon your Lord for us that He may make plain to us what it is" — meaning, "What is this cow, and what is its description?"

Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:68–71

So far: They said, "Call upon your Lord to make clear to us what it is."

قَالَ إِنَّهُۥ يَقُولُ

(…[Moses] said, "[Allāh] says,)

Root قولto say, speak, tell · 1,722 times in the Quran

Grammar — lesson evidence

قَالَword 9

Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. قَالَ names an action — saying — from the root قول, to say, speak, tell. L1 · R7

Past Tense Verb · فعل ماضٍA past tense verb describes an action already completed; its base shape is the 'he' form with no ending added. قَالَ is exactly that bare base shape: 'he said' — Musa relaying the answer. L8 · R1

Weak Verb · فعل معتلA weak verb has و or ي among its root letters, and a middle weak letter hides behind a long alif in the past tense. قَالَ 'he said' is really the root قول — the long ا in its middle is the weak و in disguise. L24 · R4

إِنَّهُۥword 10

Accusative Particle (إنّ) · حرف مشبه بالفعلإِنَّ adds emphasis — 'indeed' — and changes the topic it introduces from the nominative to the accusative, the pressed-on form, usually a fathah ـَ, a small slanted stroke above the last letter. إِنَّ carries its doubling shaddah ـّ — the small w-shaped mark — and its topic here is the هُۥ glued to it: 'indeed HE says'. L15 · R2

Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of another word. The ending هُۥ on إِنَّهُۥ stands for 'He' — Allah — the topic إِنَّ presses into the accusative, the pressed-on form, usually a fathah ـَ, a small stroke above the last letter; a pronoun keeps one fixed written shape, so the accusative is the role it fills. L3 · R6

يَقُولُword 11

Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. يَقُولُ names an action — saying — from the root قول: to say, speak, tell. L1 · R7

Present Tense Verb · فعل مضارعA present tense verb is identified by one of the four prefix letters remembered as أَنَيْتُ. يَقُولُ opens with the letter ي — the 'he' prefix — standing before the root letters: 'He says'. L8 · R3

Weak Verb · فعل معتلA weak verb has و or ي among its root letters; a middle weak letter hides behind a long alif in the past tense, and the present tense reveals the true middle letter. يَقُولُ shows exactly that: the root قول with its weak middle و standing in plain view. L24 · R4

إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٌۭ

(…'It is a cow)

Root بقرcow, cattle · 9 times in the Quran

Grammar — lesson evidence

إِنَّهَاword 12

Accusative Particle (إنّ) · حرف مشبه بالفعلإِنَّ adds emphasis — 'indeed' — and changes the topic it introduces from the nominative to the accusative, the pressed-on form, usually a fathah ـَ, a small slanted stroke above the last letter, while the completing part stays in its own form. إِنَّ carries its doubling shaddah ـّ — the small w-shaped mark — and its topic here is the هَا glued to it: 'indeed IT is a cow…'. L15 · R2

Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of another word. The ending هَا on إِنَّهَا stands for 'it' — the cow, spoken of as 'she' — the topic إِنَّ presses into the accusative, usually a fathah ـَ, a small stroke above the last letter; a pronoun keeps one fixed written shape, so the accusative is the role it fills. L3 · R6

بَقَرَةٌۭword 13

Noun · اسمA word that ends with the tā marbūtah ة is a noun, a naming word. بَقَرَةٌ names a cow, from the root بقر — cow, cattle. L1 · R3

Feminine Noun · اسم مؤنثA feminine noun is a naming word Arabic treats as 'she', typically marked by a ة at its end. بَقَرَةٌ ends in exactly that ة. L2 · R1

Indefinite Noun · نكرةAn indefinite noun means 'a' or 'any' — no particular one — and shows this with tanwīn, the doubled end-vowel mark. بَقَرَةٌ ends in the doubled ḍammah ـٌ. L2 · R8

Nominative · مرفوعThe nominative is the ending marked by a ḍammah ـُ — a small curl above the last letter, doubled to tanwīn ـٌ when the word is indefinite — that a naming word takes as the subject or predicate of its sentence. بَقَرَةٌ wears that doubled ḍammah ـٌ: it is the completing part telling what 'it' is, and while إِنَّ presses its topic, this completing part keeps its own nominative form. L2 · R10

لَّا فَارِضٌۭ وَلَا بِكْرٌ

(…which is neither old nor virgin,)

Root فرضto ordain, enact a law, estimate, conceive, to apportion, to impose · 18 times in the Quran

Root بكرearly, first, virgin, morning · 12 times in the Quran

Grammar — lesson evidence

لَّاword 14

Particle · حرفA particle is a small helper word with no meaning standing alone; it takes no ending and does not name or act. لَّا is such a helper word here. L1 · R8

Negation Particle · حرف نفيA negation particle flips a statement to its opposite, and لَا is the one for general statements: 'no / not'. Here it opens the pair 'neither… nor…': NOT old. L4 · R5

فَارِضٌۭword 15

Noun · اسمA word that accepts tanwīn — the doubled end-vowel marks ـٌ ـً ـٍ — is a noun, a naming word. فَارِضٌ carries the doubled ḍammah ـٌ and names an aged one — an old cow. L1 · R2

Indefinite Noun · نكرةAn indefinite noun means 'a' or 'any' — no particular one — and shows this with tanwīn, the doubled end-vowel mark. فَارِضٌ ends in the doubled ḍammah ـٌ, matching the unspecific cow-word it describes. L2 · R8

Nominative · مرفوعThe nominative is an ending marked by a ḍammah ـُ — a small curl above the last letter, doubled to tanwīn ـٌ when the word is indefinite. فَارِضٌ wears that doubled ḍammah ـٌ, the same ending as بَقَرَةٌ, the cow-word it describes. L2 · R10

Adjective · صفةAn adjective is a describing word that comes after its noun and copies its noun's endings. فَارِضٌ 'old' follows بَقَرَةٌ 'a cow' and copies what shows on it: the same doubled ḍammah ـٌ and the same unspecific tanwīn — 'a cow… not an OLD one'. L7 · R1

Active Participle · اسم فاعلAn active participle is a naming word built on the pattern فَاعِل — first root letter, then a long ā, then a kasrah ـِ before the last root letter — naming the one in the action's state. فَارِضٌ carries that shape: the long ا after its ف and the kasrah on its ر — 'one grown old'. L11 · R1

وَلَاword 16

Conjunction · حرف عطفA conjunction is a small joining word like 'and' that connects items. The prefix وَ joins the second denial to the first: neither old AND not young. 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 flips a statement to its opposite, and لَا is the one for general statements: 'no / not'. Here it denies the second extreme: NOR a young one. L4 · R5

بِكْرٌword 17

Noun · اسمA word that accepts tanwīn — the doubled end-vowel marks ـٌ ـً ـٍ — is a noun, a naming word. بِكْرٌ carries the doubled ḍammah ـٌ and names a young one, from the root بكر — early, first, virgin. L1 · R2

Indefinite Noun · نكرةAn indefinite noun means 'a' or 'any' — no particular one — and shows this with tanwīn, the doubled end-vowel mark. بِكْرٌ ends in the doubled ḍammah ـٌ. L2 · R8

Nominative · مرفوعThe nominative is an ending marked by a ḍammah ـُ — a small curl above the last letter, doubled to tanwīn ـٌ when the word is indefinite. بِكْرٌ wears that doubled ḍammah ـٌ, the same ending as فَارِضٌ, the word it is joined to by وَ. L2 · R10

Significance — from the tafsir

"Neither too old nor too young" means that it is neither old nor below the age of breeding — the opinion of Abu Al-'Aliyah, As-Suddi, Mujahid, Ibn 'Abbas and others.

Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:68–71

عَوَانٌۢ بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ ۖ

(…but median between that,')

Root عونto aid, assist, help · 11 times in the Quran

Root بينto be between, make clear, evident · 523 times in the Quran

Grammar — lesson evidence

عَوَانٌۢword 18

Noun · اسمA word that accepts tanwīn — the doubled end-vowel marks ـٌ ـً ـٍ — is a noun, a naming word. عَوَانٌۢ carries the doubled ḍammah ـٌ and names one in the middle years. 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

Singular Noun · مفردA singular noun refers to one entity and shows its case with a single short vowel mark, doubled to tanwīn when the noun is indefinite. عَوَانٌۢ speaks of one — the one middle-aged cow — and wears exactly that doubled mark ـٌ. L2 · R4

Indefinite Noun · نكرةAn indefinite noun means 'a' or 'any' — no particular one — and shows this with tanwīn, the doubled end-vowel mark. عَوَانٌۢ ends in the doubled ḍammah ـٌ. L2 · R8

Nominative · مرفوعThe nominative is an ending marked by a ḍammah ـُ — a small curl above the last letter, doubled to tanwīn ـٌ when the word is indefinite — that a naming word takes as the subject or predicate of its sentence. عَوَانٌۢ wears that doubled ḍammah ـٌ. L2 · R10

Predicate (Khabar) · خبرThe predicate completes the meaning about the topic; it too stands in the nominative, and it is typically an unspecific single word. عَوَانٌۢ fits exactly: one word wearing the doubled ḍammah ـٌ, telling more about the cow — 'middle-aged, between that'. L6 · R3

بَيْنَword 19

Accusative · منصوبThe accusative is an ending shown by a fathah ـَ — a small slanted stroke above the letter. بَيْنَ ends in exactly that fathah ـَ — the fixed ending this where-word always wears. L2 · R11

Place Adverb · ظرف مكانA place adverb is a naming word, fixed in the accusative with its fathah ـَ — a small stroke above the last letter — that tells where something stands. بَيْنَ 'between' is one of the high-frequency ones, chained to the word after it: 'BETWEEN that' — between the two extremes just named. L26 · R2

ذَٰلِكَ ۖword 20

Demonstrative Pronoun · اسم إشارةA demonstrative pronoun is a pointing word that singles out a specific thing, near or far. ذَٰلِكَ points to something far: 'THAT' — the old age and the young age just mentioned. L3 · R8

Possessive (Idafa) · مضاف إليهA possessive (iḍāfah) chains two naming words into an 'of' phrase, and the owner comes second, taking the genitive — the owner's ending, usually a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. ذَٰلِكَ fills that owner slot after the where-word بَيْنَ: 'the between OF that'; a pointing word keeps one fixed written shape, so the genitive is the role it fills. L5 · R5

Significance — from the tafsir

Ibn 'Abbas said "between the two conditions" means: neither old nor young — rather, she was at the age when the cow is strongest and fittest.

Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:68–71

فَٱفْعَلُوا۟ مَا تُؤْمَرُونَ

(…so do what you are commanded.")

Root فعلdoing · 108 times in the Quran

Root امرmatter, affair, command · 248 times in the Quran

Grammar — lesson evidence

فَٱفْعَلُوا۟word 21

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 turns from the description to the charge: so do it. L14 · R1

Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. ٱفْعَلُ names an action — doing — from the root فعل: doing. L1 · R7

Imperative Verb · فعل أمرAn imperative verb is a direct command addressed to 'you', formed from the present-tense verb by removing its opening prefix and adding a helping ٱ when what remains starts with a vowelless letter. ٱفْعَلُوا۟ shows that helping ٱ at its front, commanding a group — the ending وا۟ points the order at 'you all': do! L10 · R1

Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of a verb. The ending وا۟ on فَٱفْعَلُوا۟ is such a suffix, standing for 'you all'. L3 · R6

Doer (Fa'il) · فاعلThe doer is the one performing the action, standing in the nominative — the doer's form, usually a ḍammah ـُ, a small curl above the last letter. The ending وا۟ is that doer, 'you all' — the ones told to obey; a pronoun keeps one fixed shape, so no ḍammah appears — the nominative is the role it fills. L9 · R4

مَاword 22

Relative Pronoun · اسم موصولA relative pronoun hooks a whole describing sentence onto something, and مَا is the neutral form for non-human things: 'that which / what'. مَا carries the describing sentence 'you are commanded': do WHAT you are commanded. L5 · R13

Direct Object · مفعول بهThe direct object is the thing the action lands on, standing in the accusative — the landed-on form, usually a fathah ـَ, a small slanted stroke above the last letter. 'What you are commanded' is what the doing must land on; مَا keeps one fixed written shape, so no fathah appears — the accusative is the role it fills. L9 · R3

تُؤْمَرُونَword 23

Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. تُؤْمَرُ names an action — commanding — from the root امر: matter, affair, command. L1 · R7

Present Tense Verb · فعل مضارعA present tense verb is identified by one of the four prefix letters remembered as أَنَيْتُ. تُؤْمَرُونَ opens with the letter ت — the 'you' prefix — standing before the root letters. 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. تُؤْمَرُونَ is the 'you all' shape with its نَ still in place — the sign of the normal mood. L10 · R10

Hamzated Verb · فعل مهموزA hamzated verb has a hamza (ء) as one of its root letters, and its written seat changes with the surrounding vowels. The root امر carries the hamza as its first letter; in تُؤْمَرُونَ it sits on a wāw seat — the ؤْ — wearing the sukūn ـْ, the small circle meaning no vowel follows. L24 · R11

Passive Voice · المبني للمجهولA passive voice verb hides who did the action by changing its inner vowels: in the present tense the pattern is a ḍammah ـُ — a small curl — on the prefix and a fathah ـَ on the second root vowel. تُؤْمَرُونَ shows exactly that: the ḍammah on its opening تُ and the fathah on the مَ. The commander is left unnamed; you all are the ones the commanding falls upon. L11 · R4

Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of a verb. The ending ونَ on تُؤْمَرُونَ is such a suffix, standing for 'you all'. L3 · R6

Passive Subject · نائب فاعلThe passive subject is the one the action happened to, promoted into the subject spot of a verb whose doer is hidden, and it takes the nominative — the subject's form, usually a ḍammah ـُ, a small curl above the last letter. The ending ونَ is that passive subject, 'you all' — the ones being commanded; a pronoun keeps one fixed shape, so the nominative is the role it fills. L11 · R5

So far: They said, "Call upon your Lord to make clear to us what it is." [Moses] said, "[Allāh] says, 'It is a cow which is neither old nor virgin, but median between that,' so do what you are commanded."