#nahw

How do I know which word goes where?

First, let’s look at an English sentence:

The man hit the dog

In this sentence, there are 3 main articles: a verb (hit), a subject i.e. something carrying out the verb (the man) and an object i.e. something which has the verb being done upon (the dog). The reason we know the man is the subject in this sentence (aside from logic) is because it comes first, before “the dog”. In English, most sentences indicate the subject by putting it first. The word order is SUBJECT --> VERB --> OBJECT. 

In Arabic, the word order is VERB --> SUBJECT --> OBJECT. However, what’s so special about Arabic is that even if you isolate each noun, you can tell it’s position in the sentence by looking at the final letter. First, let’s translate the words:

the man: الرَّجُل

hit: ضَرَبَ

the dog: الكَلْب

Verbs do not change their vowels, because they have to stay fixed to retain their meaning. However, “the man” can be a subject in some sentences and an object in another. How do we know which it is then? It’s almost as if each word holds a signpost saying “hey! I’m the subject” or “hey! I’m the object” where:

Dhammah (rafa3) means “subject”

Fatah (naSab) means “object”

so,  الرَّجُل becomes الرَّجُلُ

and  الكَلْب becomes الكَلْبَ

Now to put them in order:  ضَرَبَ الرَّجُلُ الكَلْبَ

So when a noun ‘announces’ that it is a subject, it changes in a certain way with the most common change generally being the last vowel changing to a dhammah (rafa3) so we say that words that are subjects are in Haalat Marfoo3 i.e. the state of having a rafa3.

Shaykh ibn Uthaymeen rahimahullah said:

The science of nahw (grammar) is a noble science that is a means to two important things:

1) Having an understanding of the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam). Comprehension of these two will give one understanding and knowledge of grammar.

2) Establishing the tongue upon the Arabic language that the words of Allah were revealed in; this is why having an understanding of nahw is a very important matter. Although, nahw in the beginning stages is difficult to comprehend, it becomes easier in the end. The similitude is given: a house of straw, but a door of iron, meaning it is difficult to get inside, but once you are in, everything is easy for you. This is why it is necessary for the people to have a strong desire and motivation during the beginning stages of learning until it becomes easier upon them in the end.

Furthermore, we do not take into consideration the words of the one who says: “grammar is difficult!”, because the student thinks that he will never become firmly established in grammar, and this is not correct. Rather it is upon the student to study and concentrate in the beginning and it will become easy for him in the end.

Some of them (i.e., poets) say: “Nahw is difficult and its staircase is long (meaning - learning it seems never-ending) When the one who does not understand it climbs it, Intending to learn Arabic by it, instead it takes him further away from it”.

This is not correct, and we do not agree with this. Rather we say: inshaAllah - grammar is easy, its staircase is short and its steps are easy to climb, for the one who understands it from the beginning.