They said, "Call upon your Lord to make clear to us what it is. Indeed, [all] cows look alike to us. And indeed we, if Allāh wills, will be guided."
Sahih International
Grammar, phrase by phrase
قَالُوا۟ ٱدْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ
(They said, "Call upon your Lord)
Root قول — to say, speak, tell · 1,722 times in the Quran
Root دعو — to call, invoke, pray to; supplication · 212 times in the Quran
Root ربب — Lord, Sustainer, Nourisher, Regulator, Perfector · 980 times in the Quran
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', asking a third time. 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
يُبَيِّن لَّنَا مَا هِىَ
(…to make clear to us what it is.)
Root بين — to be between, make clear, evident · 523 times in the Quran
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 yet again about the cow: WHAT is it? L17 · R3
هِىَword 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
So far: “They said, "Call upon your Lord to make clear to us what it is.”
إِنَّ ٱلْبَقَرَ تَشَـٰبَهَ عَلَيْنَا
(…Indeed, [all] cows look alike to us.)
Root بقر — cow, cattle · 9 times in the Quran
Root شبه — to resemble, be similar or alike · 12 times in the Quran
إِنَّword 9
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, 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 ٱلْبَقَرَ wears exactly that fathah: 'indeed THE COWS look alike to us'. L15 · R2
ٱلْبَقَرَword 10
Definite Article · أل التعريفThe definite article is the prefix ال attached to the front of a naming word to mean 'the' — one specific, known kind. ٱلْبَقَرَ wears that prefix — here the ل keeps its own sound, written with the sukūn ـْ, the small circle meaning no vowel follows: al-baqar, 'the cows'. L2 · R9
Noun · اسمA word that accepts ال — the prefix meaning 'the' — is a noun, a naming word. بَقَرَ names cows, from the root بقر — cow, cattle. 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
Accusative · منصوبThe accusative is an ending shown by a fathah ـَ — a small slanted stroke above the letter — the ending a naming word takes after certain particles like إِنَّ. بَقَرَ ends in that fathah ـَ because إِنَّ stands before it as its topic. L2 · R11
تَشَـٰبَهَword 11
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. تَشَٰبَهَ names a state — looking alike — from the root شبه: to resemble, be similar or alike. L1 · R7
Past Tense Verb · فعل ماضٍA past tense verb describes what is already settled; its base shape is the 'he' form with no ending added. تَشَٰبَهَ is that bare base shape — 'it looks alike', spoken as a settled fact; the تَ at its front is not a tense marker but belongs to the verb's form. L8 · R1
Form VI Verb · تَفَاعَلَA Form VI verb is identified by a تَـ prefix combined with an alif after the first root letter, and it expresses mutual action between parties. تَشَٰبَهَ shows both marks — the تَ at its front and the long ā after its ش, written as the small raised stroke ٰ: the cows resemble EACH OTHER, so none stands out. L13 · R2
عَلَيْنَاword 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 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 suffix — is one of the common prepositions: alike 'to us'. 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 نَا on عَلَيْنَا stands for 'us' — the ones who cannot tell the cows apart. L3 · R6
"Verily, to us all cows are alike" means: since cows are plentiful, describe this cow for us further.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:68–71
وَإِنَّآ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَمُهْتَدُونَ
(…And indeed we, if Allāh wills, will be guided.")
Root شيا — to will, wish; thing · 519 times in the Quran
Root اله — god · 2,851 times in the Quran
Root هدي — to guide, show the right path · 316 times in the Quran
وَإِنَّآword 13
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 their closing promise: and indeed we will be guided. L14 · R1
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 is the 'we' fused onto its end: 'indeed WE will be guided'. L15 · R2
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of another word. The long آ closing وَإِنَّآ is the 'we' ending written joined onto إِنَّ — the topic the particle 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
إِنword 14
Conditional Particle · أداة شرطA conditional particle sets up a two-part sentence — a condition and its result. إِنْ is the primary one, expressing a possible but uncertain condition: 'IF Allah wills'. L16 · R2
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, wish. 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. شَآءَ is that bare base shape: 'He willed' — after 'if', the Arabic uses this settled form. 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. شَآءَ is the root شيا — the long آ in its middle is the weak letter in disguise. L24 · R4
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. In شَآءَ the root's hamza sits on the line as ء, right after the long آ. L24 · R11
ٱللَّهُword 16
Noun · اسمA noun names a person, place, thing, or idea — including proper names. ٱللَّهُ is the proper name of Allah. L1 · R6
Nominative · مرفوعThe nominative is the ending a naming word takes as the subject of its sentence, shown by a ḍammah ـُ — a small curl above the last letter. ٱللَّهُ ends in that ḍammah ـُ. L2 · R10
Doer (Fa'il) · فاعلThe doer is the one performing the action in a verb-first sentence, standing in the nominative — shown here by the ḍammah ـُ, the small curl on the last letter of ٱللَّهُ. Allah is the One who wills. L9 · R2
لَمُهْتَدُونَword 17
Emphatic Lām & Nūn · لام التوكيد ونون التوكيدThe emphatic لَـ at the front of a word presses down on the statement to say it is really, surely true, changing no ending. The لَ opening لَمُهْتَدُونَ seals their promise: we will SURELY be guided. L20 · R14
Noun · اسمA noun names a person, place, thing, or quality. مُهْتَدُونَ names ones who reach 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
Plural Noun · جمعA plural noun refers to three or more. The sound masculine plural carries its role in its ending — ـُونَ for the nominative (the 'subject form', with the ḍammah ـُ sound), ـِينَ for the accusative and genitive (the 'object' and 'of' forms); مُهْتَدُونَ ends in that ـُونَ: many guided ones. L2 · R6
Nominative · مرفوعThe nominative is the form a naming word takes as the subject or predicate of its sentence, usually a ḍammah ـُ — a small curl above the last letter. This plural shows it instead by its ending ـُونَ, the subject form carrying the ḍammah ـُ sound: it is the completing part of 'indeed we…', which keeps its own nominative form while إِنَّ presses only its topic. L2 · R6
Active Participle · اسم فاعلAn active participle is a naming word built from a verb's root to name the doer; for the derived verb families it begins with مُـ, with a kasrah ـِ — a small stroke below — before its last root letter. مُهْتَدُونَ shows that مُ at its front; its root هدي ends in a weak letter that slips away before the plural ending, so the tell-tale kasrah is not on show — 'the ones who reach guidance'. L11 · R3
"And surely, if Allah wills" — if you further describe it to us — "we will be guided."
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:68–71
So far: “They said, "Call upon your Lord to make clear to us what it is. Indeed, [all] cows look alike to us. And indeed we, if Allāh wills, will be guided."”