So We said, "Strike him [i.e., the slain man] with part of it." Thus does Allāh bring the dead to life, and He shows you His signs that you might reason.
Sahih International
Grammar, phrase by phrase
فَقُلْنَا ٱضْرِبُوهُ بِبَعْضِهَا ۚ
(So We said, "Strike him with part of it.")
Root قول — to say, speak, tell · 1,722 times in the Quran
Root ضرب — to strike, set forth (examples), travel · 58 times in the Quran
Root بعض — some, part, a portion · 158 times in the Quran
فَقُلْنَاword 1
Conjunction · حرف عطفThe prefix فَ at the front of فَقُلْنَا is a conjunction — a small joining word meaning 'and then' — linking what follows to what came before; the word it joins in must stand in the same grammatical case as its partner before the joint — the same role in the sentence, even when the two words write that case with different endings. L4 · R4
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action or happening that is always tied to a time — past, present/future, or a command. قُلْ speaks of an action already carried out: 'So We said', from the root قول: to say, speak, tell. L1 · R7
Past Tense Verb · فعل ماضٍA past-tense verb describes an action already completed — and it shows who by a small ending fastened to the verb's tail. On فَقُلْنَا that ending is نَا, telling exactly who is meant: 'So We said', from the root قول: to say, speak, tell. L8 · R2
Weak Verb · فعل معتلA weak verb is a verb that carries و or ي — the 'weak' letters, which love to soften into long vowels or vanish — among its root letters. The root of قُلْ is قول: to say, speak, tell — and its middle letter is the weak و, so the weakness sits in the middle of the root. L24 · R4
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word for 'I / you / he' that cannot stand alone — it is glued onto the end of another word, and each form carries within it exactly who is meant. نَا · 'us/our' is fastened to the tail of the verb here — فَقُلْنَا — naming the one who did the action. 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 نَا is that doer, 'We'; a pronoun keeps one fixed shape, so no ḍammah appears — the nominative is the role it fills. L9 · R4
ٱضْرِبُوهُword 2
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action or happening that is always tied to a time — past, present/future, or a command. ٱضْرِبُ is a command: 'Strike him', from the root ضرب: to strike, set forth (examples), travel. 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. ٱضْرِبُوهُ shows that helping ٱ at its front — a command to them all: strike! L10 · R1
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word for 'I / you / he' that cannot stand alone — it is glued onto the end of another word, and each form carries within it exactly who is meant. و · 'you all/your' is fastened to the tail of the verb here — ٱضْرِبُوهُ — naming the one who did the action. 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 و is that doer, 'you all', the ones commanded to strike; a pronoun keeps one fixed shape, so no ḍammah appears — the nominative is the role it fills. L9 · R4
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 final هُ 'him' is that object, glued straight onto the verb; a pronoun keeps one fixed shape, so the accusative is the role it fills. L9 · R5
بِبَعْضِهَا ۚword 3
Preposition · حرف جرThe small prefix بِ at the front of بِبَعْضِهَا is a preposition — a little helper word meaning 'in/with' that relates one thing to another. A preposition 'pulls' the word that follows it into the genitive relationship — the 'of / in / with' role a word plays after such a little helper — though not every word shows that role with the same visible ending. L4 · R1
Noun · اسمA noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, or idea. بَعْضِ names such a thing: 'with a part of it', from the root بعض: some, part, a portion. L1 · R6
Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every noun — every naming word — as grammatically 'he' or 'she'. بِبَعْضِهَا carries no feminine marker — no ة at its end, no final ى, no اء — so it takes the default and is treated as 'he': a masculine noun. L2 · R3
Genitive · مجرورThe genitive is the ending a noun (a naming word) takes after a preposition — a little word like 'in' or 'to' — and it is marked by a kasrah ـِ, a small slanted stroke written below the letter. بَعْضِ stands right after such a little word and carries exactly that kasrah ـِ on its own final letter — tucked inside بِبَعْضِهَا, just before the small piece fastened to the word's end. L2 · R12
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of another word; attached to a naming word, it shows possession. The ending هَا on بِبَعْضِهَا stands for 'it' — the cow, spoken of as 'she': part 'of her'. 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 هَا fills that owner slot: 'part OF her'; a pronoun keeps one fixed written shape, so the genitive is the role it fills. L5 · R5
"Strike him with a piece of it" — any part of the cow would produce the miracle. We were not told which part they used, as this does not benefit us in life or religion; Allah made the matter vague, so we leave it vague.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:72–73
So far: “So We said, "Strike him [i.e., the slain man] with part of it."”
كَذَٰلِكَ يُحْىِ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ
(Thus does Allāh bring the dead to life,)
Root حيي — to live, give life, revive; life, living · 184 times in the Quran
Root اله — god · 2,851 times in the Quran
Root موت — to die, expire · 165 times in the Quran
كَذَٰلِكَword 4
Preposition · حرف جرThe small prefix كَ at the front of كَذَٰلِكَ is a preposition — a little helper word meaning 'like/as' that relates one thing to another. A preposition 'pulls' the word that follows it into the genitive relationship — the 'of / in / with' role a word plays after such a little helper — though not every word shows that role with the same visible ending. L4 · R1
Demonstrative Pronoun · اسم إشارةA demonstrative pronoun is a pointing word that singles out a specific thing, near or far, and ذَٰلِكَ is the far pointing word: 'that'. With the كَ before it the whole means 'like that, thus' — as the dead man was revived, so Allah revives the dead. L3 · R8
يُحْىِword 5
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action or happening that is always tied to a time — past, present/future, or a command. يُحْىِ is an action unfolding now: 'revives', from the root حيي: to live, give life, revive; life, living. L1 · R7
Present Tense Verb · فعل مضارعA present-tense verb describes an action happening now or still to come, and it is recognized by its opening letter — one of the four present-tense prefixes أ ن ي ت. يُحْىِ opens with exactly such a letter: 'revives', from the root حيي: to live, give life, revive; life, living. L8 · R3
Weak Verb · فعل معتلA weak verb is a verb that carries و or ي — the 'weak' letters, which love to soften into long vowels or vanish — among its root letters. The root of يُحْىِ is حيي: to live, give life, revive; life, living — and not one but two of its letters are weak, ي and ي: a doubly-weak root. L24 · R9
Doubled Verb · فعل مضاعفA doubled verb is one whose second and third root letters are the same letter, normally written once with the doubling shaddah ـّ, the small w-shaped mark. The root حيي repeats its ي as both second and third letters, so it belongs to this family — yet no shaddah shows here, because the repeated letter is the weak ي, which slips away rather than doubling. L24 · R10
Form IV Verb · أَفْعَلَA Form IV verb is a verb stamped into the pattern that adds a hamza to the front of its three root letters; in the present tense this form announces itself instead by a ḍammah ـُ — a small curl above the letter — sitting on the verb's opening prefix letter. يُحْىِ carries exactly that ḍammah ـُ on its opening letter: 'revives', from the root حيي: to live, give life, revive; life, living. L12 · R7
ٱللَّهُword 6
Noun · اسمA noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, or idea — and in Arabic this includes proper names. ٱللَّهُ is a proper name: '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 exactly 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 revives the dead. L9 · R2
ٱلْمَوْتَىٰword 7
Definite Article · أل التعريفThe definite article is the prefix ٱلْ at the front of a noun (a naming word); it means 'the' — one specific, known one. The letter after it is a 'moon' letter — a letter not made in the same part of the mouth as ل — so the ل of the prefix keeps its own sound, both written and heard, resting with the sukūn ـْ (a small circle written above the letter): ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ. L2 · R9
Noun · اسمA word that accepts ال — the prefix meaning 'the' — is a noun, a naming word. مَوْتَىٰ names the dead, from the root موت — to die, expire. L1 · R1
Plural Noun · جمعA plural noun refers to three or more, made either by adding an ending or by reshaping the word from the inside — a 'broken' plural. مَوْتَىٰ is such a reshaped plural: no plural ending is added; the word's inner pattern itself carries 'the dead ones'. 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. مَوْتَىٰ ends in the long ىٰ, a shape that cannot carry that changing mark, so the accusative here is the role the word fills, not a mark on show. L2 · R11
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 dead' are what the reviving lands on; the word's fixed long ىٰ ending shows no mark, so the accusative is the role it fills. L9 · R3
"Thus Allah brings the dead to life" — they struck him with it, and he came back to life. This Ayah demonstrates Allah's ability to bring the dead back to life, and Allah made the incident proof against them that the Resurrection shall occur.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:72–73
وَيُرِيكُمْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ
(…and He shows you His signs)
Root راي — to see, behold, perceive · 328 times in the Quran
Root ايي — sign, verse, miracle · 382 times in the Quran
وَيُرِيكُمْword 8
Conjunction · حرف عطفThe prefix وَ at the front of وَيُرِيكُمْ is a conjunction — a small joining word meaning 'and' — linking what follows to what came before; the word it joins in must stand in the same grammatical case as its partner before the joint — the same role in the sentence, even when the two words write that case with different endings. L4 · R4
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action or happening that is always tied to a time — past, present/future, or a command. يُرِي is an action unfolding now: 'and shows you', from the root راي: to see, behold, perceive. L1 · R7
Present Tense Verb · فعل مضارعA present-tense verb describes an action happening now or still to come, and it is recognized by its opening letter — one of the four present-tense prefixes أ ن ي ت. يُرِي opens with exactly such a letter: 'and shows you', from the root راي: to see, behold, perceive. L8 · R3
Weak Verb · فعل معتلA weak verb is a verb that carries و or ي — the 'weak' letters, which love to soften into long vowels or vanish — among its root letters. The root of يُرِي is راي: to see, behold, perceive — and its last letter is the weak ي, so the weakness sits at the very end of the root. L24 · R7
Hamzated Verb · فعل مهموزA hamzated verb has a hamza (ء) among its letters, and the hamza's written seat keeps changing with the surrounding sounds — which can disguise the root. In يُرِي no hamza is visible at all: this short spelling hides it entirely, leaving only two of the root's letters on show. L24 · R11
Form IV Verb · أَفْعَلَA Form IV verb is a verb stamped into the pattern that adds a hamza to the front of its three root letters; in the present tense this form announces itself instead by a ḍammah ـُ — a small curl above the letter — sitting on the verb's opening prefix letter. يُرِي carries exactly that ḍammah ـُ on its opening letter: 'and shows you', from the root راي: to see, behold, perceive. L12 · R7
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word for 'me / us / them' that cannot stand alone — it is glued onto the end of another word, and each form carries within it exactly who is meant. كُمْ · 'you all/your' is fastened to the tail of the verb here — وَيُرِيكُمْ — naming the one the action lands on. L3 · R6
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 كُمْ 'you all' is that object, glued straight onto the verb — the ones shown the signs; a pronoun keeps one fixed shape, so the accusative is the role it fills. L9 · R5
ءَايَـٰتِهِۦword 9
Noun · اسمA word whose final vowel mark changes with its job in the sentence is a noun, a naming word. ءَايَٰتِ names signs, from the root ايي — sign, verse, miracle. L1 · R5
Feminine Noun · اسم مؤنثA feminine noun is a naming word Arabic treats as grammatically 'she'. ءَايَٰتِ closes with the sound feminine plural ending ـَات — the ending Arabic adds to name three or more of something feminine — and that plural ending marks the word as feminine: 'His Signs'. L2 · R6
Plural Noun · جمعA plural noun refers to three or more. The sound feminine plural is made by adding the ending ـَات to a feminine naming word, and ءَايَٰتِ carries exactly that ending: many signs. L2 · R6
Accusative · منصوبThe accusative is the ending a naming word takes when the action lands on it, usually a fathah ـَ — a small slanted stroke above the last letter. But the sound feminine plural uses the kasrah shape ـِ — a small stroke BELOW — for both the accusative and the genitive, so ءَايَٰتِ wears the kasrah ـِ under its ت while filling the accusative role. L2 · R7
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; this plural type shows it instead with the kasrah ـِ, the small stroke below its ت. 'His signs' are what the showing lands on. L9 · R3
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of another word; attached to a naming word, it shows possession. The ending هِۦ on ءَايَٰتِهِۦ stands for 'His': HIS signs. 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 هِۦ fills that owner slot: 'the signs OF Him'; a pronoun keeps one fixed written shape, so the genitive is the role it fills. L5 · R5
لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ
(…that you might reason.)
Root عقل — to bind the feet of a camel with a rope; to understand, comprehend · 49 times in the Quran
لَعَلَّكُمْword 10
Accusative Particle (إنّ) · حرف مشبه بالفعللَعَلَّ is one of the sisters of إِنَّ — the particles carrying a doubling shaddah ـّ, the small w-shaped mark, that push their topic into the accusative, the pressed-on form, usually a fathah ـَ, a small slanted stroke above the last letter. لَعَلَّ expresses hope or purpose — 'perhaps / so that' — here revealing the purpose behind the showing: SO THAT you might reason. L15 · R8
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of another word. The ending كُمْ on لَعَلَّكُمْ stands for 'you all' — the topic لَعَلَّ presses into the accusative, the pressed-on form, usually a fathah ـَ, a small slanted stroke above the last letter; a pronoun keeps one fixed written shape, so the accusative is the role it fills. L3 · R6
تَعْقِلُونَword 11
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action or happening that is always tied to a time — past, present/future, or a command. تَعْقِلُ is an action unfolding now: 'use your intellect', from the root عقل: to bind the feet of a camel with a rope; to understand, comprehend. L1 · R7
Present Tense Verb · فعل مضارعA present-tense verb describes an action happening now or still to come, and it is recognized by its opening letter — one of the four present-tense prefixes أ ن ي ت. تَعْقِلُ opens with exactly such a letter: 'use your intellect', from the root عقل: to bind the feet of a camel with a rope; to understand, comprehend. L8 · R3
The Five Verbs · الأفعال الخمسةThe Five Verbs are the five present-tense shapes whose ending closes with the letter ن — يَفْعَلَانِ, تَفْعَلَانِ, يَفْعَلُونَ, تَفْعَلُونَ, تَفْعَلِينَ. تَعْقِلُونَ is one of them: its ending ونَ keeps that closing ن, and for these five shapes the kept ن is itself the grammar-sign that the verb stands in its plain, ordinary mood. L10 · R10
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word for 'I / you / he' that cannot stand alone — it is glued onto the end of another word, and each form carries within it exactly who is meant. ونَ · 'you all/your' is fastened to the tail of the verb here — تَعْقِلُونَ — naming the one who did the action. 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 ونَ is that doer, 'you all'; a pronoun keeps one fixed shape, so no ḍammah appears — the nominative is the role it fills. L9 · R4
So far: “So We said, "Strike him [i.e., the slain man] with part of it." Thus does Allāh bring the dead to life, and He shows you His signs that you might reason.”