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Appendix B — Usage and style

Warning

THIS BOOK IS A WORK IN PROGRESS. IT IS INCOMPLETE AND MAY HAVE TYPOGRAPHICAL AND OTHER ERRORS. IT IS NOT YET READY TO BE STUDIED FROM.

msa today is considerably influenced by poor translations from English into Arabic. This has resulted in a usage and style that is often far removed from sca. This appendix aims to highlight some poor usages and styles that the learner would be advised to guard against. For more detailed works on this topic see the list of works in Section B.10 below.

B.1 Existential sentences

In English the plain existence of an indefinite subject is expressed using the word « there ». For example:

  • « There is a gloom in the house. »
  • « There is a type of jealousy which is liked and [there is] a type of jealousy which is disliked. »
  • « There are reasons. »
  • « There is a god. »
  • « Is there food? »

The word « there » in these examples does not indicate a specific place. Rather it signifies the existence of the subject of the sentence. This use of « there » is called the existential « there ».1

Expressing such sentences in Arabic can sometimes be tricky. There is a modern tendency to use the adverb of place هُنَاكَ and the passive verb يُوجَدُ. So one might find:

  1. هُنَاكَ حَزَنٌ فِي ٱلْبَيتِ. or
    يُوجَدُ حَزَنٌ فِي ٱلْبَيتِ.
    « There is a gloom in the house. »

  2. هناك غيرة يستحب وهناك غيرة يكره. or
    توجد غيرة تستحب وتوجد غيرة تكره.
    « There is a type of jealousy which is liked and there is a type of jealousy which is disliked. »

  3. هُناك أسباب. or
    تُوجَدُ أسباب.
    « There are reasons. »

  4. هناك إله. or
    يوجد إله.
    « There is a god. »

  5. هَل هناك طعام؟ or
    هل يوجد طعام؟
    « Is there food? »

Sometimes in place of هُنَاكَ, its synonyms ثَمَّ or ثَمَّةَ is used.

هُنَاكَ, ثَمَّ/ثَمَّةَ, and يُوجَدُ are not generally (see Section B.1.9 below) used in sca to express the existential. There are various strategies for expressing such sentences:

B.1.1 Using or manufacturing scope

If, for example, there is a jārr wa‑majrūr, or other s͡hibh jumlah then it can readily be used as a info that precedes the subject. For example:

  1. فِي ٱلْبَيتِ حَزَنٌ.
    « In the house is gloom. »

Sometimes, a jārr wa‑majrūr, or other s͡hibh jumlah is not original, but can readily be manufactured. For example, in the sentence, « There are reasons » the reasons must be for something, and that something can be used as a info:

  1. لِلْأَمْرِ أَسْبَابٌ.
    « There are reasons for the situation. »

B.1.2 Using or manufacturing an introductory sentence

Similarly, a introductory sentence or s͡hibh jumlah can be manufactured to pave the way for the main sentence. For example:

  1. مِنَ الْغَيْرَةِ مَا يُحِبُّ اللَّهُ وَمِنْهَا مَا يَكْرَهُ اللَّهُ [سنن ابن ماجه :1996]
    « There is a kind of jealousy what Allāh loves, and a kind that Allāh dislikes. »

  2. الْفَجْرُ فَجْرَانِ فَجْرٌ يَحْرُمُ فِيهِ الطَّعَامُ وَتَحِلُّ فِيهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَفَجْرٌ تَحْرُمُ فِيهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَيَحِلُّ فِيهِ الطَّعَامُ [مستدرك الحاكم :687]
    « There are two dawns: a dawn in which food is forbidden while prayer becomes permissible, and a dawn in which prayer is forbidden while food becomes permissible. »

B.1.3 Using a pointing noun

A pointing noun, like هَذَا, can sometimes be used when English would use « there is » to offer an option. For example:

  1. فقال: ارى أن تنزل القرية، قَالَ: أكرهها، قَالَ: فهذا الهزيم. قَالَ: أكره اسمه، قَالَ: فهذا البخراء، قصر النعمان بْن بشير [تاريخ الطبري 7/244 accessed via خزانة الرصائف لأحمد حسن الغامدي]
    « So he said, “I think that you should stop at a settlement.” He said, “I dislike [doing so].” He said, “Then there is al‑Hazīm.” He said, “I dislike its name.” He said, “Then there is al‑Bak͡hrāʾ, the palace of al‑Nuɛmān ibn Bas͡hīr. »

B.1.4 Using a suitable verbal expression

For example:

  1. وَاخْتُلِفَ فِيمَنْ حَجَّ بِالنَّاسِ فِي هَذِهِ السَّنَةِ [تاريخ الطبري 4/249 accessed via خزانة الرصائف لأحمد حسن الغامدي]
    « There is a disagreement regarding who led the Ḥajj in this year. »

  2. فإن فضلَ فضلٌ نقلته إلى البلد الذي يليه، ممن هو أحوج إليه [تاريخ الطبري 7/269 accessed via خزانة الرصائف لأحمد حسن الغامدي]
    « If there is any surplus, I will transfer it to the country next to it that is in more need of it. »

B.1.5 Using an interjection

Sometimes it hard to come up with any of the above solutions, as in the sentence: « There is a god. » Such sentences, if they are able to be converted to an interjection, may be expressed with the subject itself as a one word sentence2:

  1. إِلَـٰهٌ
    « [There is] a god! »

  2. أَمِيرَانِ هَلَكَ الْقَوْمُ [cited by Brockelmann, Grundriss der vergleichenden Grammatik der semitischen Sprachen 2/6]
    « [There are] two commanders?! The people are destroyed! »

Consider also this example:

  1. سَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم هَلْ رَأَيْتَ رَبَّكَ قَالَ نُورٌ أَنَّى أَرَاهُ [صحيح مسلم :178]

The statement نُورٌ أَنَّى أَرَاهُ has been explained by Ibn Taymiyyah with the following wording3:

كَانَ ثَمَّ نُورٌ ، أَوْ حَالَ دُونَ رُؤْيَتِهِ نُورٌ فَأَنَّىٰ أَرَاهُ.
« There was light, or light came between [my] seeing Him, so how could I see Him? »

This solution should only be considered if the sentence makes sense as an interjection, and can not be used as a blanket solution. For example, the question:

« Is there food? »

can be expressed in Arabic, not as an interjection, but as:

  1. هَلْ مِنْ غَدَاءٍ [صحيح مسلم :2052d]
    « Is there any food? »

Similarly:

  1. هَلْ مِنْ مُسْتَغْفِرٍ هَلْ مِنْ تَائِبٍ هَلْ مِنْ سَائِلٍ هَلْ مِنْ دَاعٍ [صحيح مسلم :758e]
    « Is there one seeking forgiveness? Is there a penitent? Is there an asker? Is there a caller? »

B.1.6 Negative existential sentences

For a negative existential sentence, we can conveniently use لَا, مَا and لَيْسَ. For example:

  1. لَا أَمَلَ
    « There is no hope. »

  2. ما في المحفظة ريال [العرنجية لأحمد الغامدي 171]
    « There are no riyāls in the wallet. »

  3. فلان ما بقلبه رحمة [العرنجية لأحمد الغامدي 171]
    « There is no mercy in so-and-so’s heart. »

  4. يَا أُمَّ سَلَمَةَ إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ آدَمِيٌّ إِلاَّ وَقَلْبُهُ بَيْنَ أُصْبُعَيْنِ مِنْ أَصَابِعِ اللَّهِ فَمَنْ شَاءَ أَقَامَ وَمَنْ شَاءَ أَزَاغَ
    [جامع الترمذي :3522]
    « O Umm Salamah, indeed there is no human except that his heart is between two fingers from the fingers of Allāh. Whomsoever He wills He makes steadfast. And whomsoever he wills, he causes to deviate. »

B.1.7 Using كَانَ to express the existential

As we know, يَكُونُ is not normally used as the equivalent of the English « is ». But كَانَ is used for « was » with no problem. This helps us solve the problem of expressing the existential for the past tense. For example:

  1. كَانَ مَلِكٌ
    « There was a king. »
    This uses the sufficient كَانَ. (See Section 30.14).

كَانَ and يَكُنْ can also be used to express the existential in conditional sentences and similar sentences, where the tense is determined from context. For example:

  1. وإن كَانَ ملك فالملك ملككم [تاريخ الطبري 3/269 accessed via خزانة الرصائف لأحمد حسن الغامدي]
    « And if there is [to be] any sovereignty it shall be yours. »

  2. دَعُوهُ، فَإِنْ يَكُ فِيهِ خَيْرٌ فَسَيُلْحِقُهُ اللَّهُ بِكُمْ [تاريخ الطبري 3/107 accessed via خزانة الرصائف لأحمد حسن الغامدي]
    « Leave him be, for if there is any good in him, then Allāh will join him to you. »

  3. فَوَاللَّهِ لَقَلَّمَا كَانَتِ امْرَأَةٌ قَطُّ وَضِيئَةٌ عِنْدَ رَجُلٍ يُحِبُّهَا وَلَهَا ضَرَائِرُ إِلاَّ كَثَّرْنَ عَلَيْهَا [صحيح مسلم :2770a]
    « Rarely is there a woman at all, fair to a man who loves her, and she has co-wives, except that they say much against her. »

B.1.8 Legitimate use of هُنَاكَ, ثَمَّ and يُوجَدُ

If, of course, a place is intended by « there » then there is no problem using هُنَاكَ or its synonyms. It would appear that they are still locatives, though there may sometimes be a suggestion of the existential. For example:

  1. كُنَّا نَادِينَ بِالصَّبَاحِ وَهُنَاكَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَمْرٍو وَكَانَ هُنَاكَ امْرَأَةٌ مِنْ بَنِي الْمُغِيرَةِ يُقَالُ لَهَا فَاطِمَةُ فَسَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَمْرٍو يَقُولُ «ذَاكَ يَزِيدُ بْنُ مُعَاوِيَةَ» [مستدرك الحاكم :8461]
    « We used to meet socially in the morning and Ɛabd Allāh ibn Ɛamr would be there. And there was a woman there from Banū al‑Mug͡hīrah called Fāṭimah. And she heard Ɛabd Allāh ibn Ɛamr saying, “That is Yazīd ibn Muɛāwiyah.” »

  2. أَثَمَّ لُكَعُ [صحيح البخاري :2122]
    « Is [the] little chap there? »

  3. جَلَبْتُ أَنَا وَمَخْرَمَةُ الْعَبْدِيُّ بَزًّا مِنْ هَجَرَ فَأَتَيْنَا بِهِ مَكَّةَ فَجَاءَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَمْشِي فَسَاوَمَنَا بِسَرَاوِيلَ فَبِعْنَاهُ وَثَمَّ رَجُلٌ يَزِنُ بِالأَجْرِ فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ زِنْ وَأَرْجِحْ [سنن أبي داود :3336]
    « I and Makhrafah al-Abdi imported some garments from Hajar, and brought them to Mecca. The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ came to us walking, and after he had bargained with us for some trousers, we sold them to him. There was a man who was weighing for payment. The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said to him: Weigh out and give overweight. »

  4. كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِذَا سَجَدَ وَثَمَّ بَهْمَةٌ أَرَادَتْ أَنْ تَمُرَّ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ تَجَافَى [مسند أحمد :26809]
    « When the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ used to prostrate, and there was a lamb that wanted to pass infront of him, he would have his arms to the side. »

  5. رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَرْمِي الْجِمَارَ عَلَى نَاقَةٍ صَهْبَاءَ لَيْسَ ثَمَّ ضَرْبٌ وَلَا طَرْدٌ وَلَا إِلَيْكَ إِلَيْكَ [سنن الدارمي :1942]
    « I saw the Prophet ﷺ stone the Pillar, on the Day of Sacrifice, from atop a reddish-brown camel of his; and there wasn’t any beating or driving them off or [telling them to] go away. »

  6. أَنَّ رَكْبًا وَقَفُوا عَلَى عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عَفَّانَ فَمَدَحُوهُ وَأَثْنَوْا عَلَيْهِ وَثَمَّ الْمِقْدَادُ بْنُ الْأَسْوَدِ فَأَخَذَ قَبْضَةً مِنَ الْأَرْضِ فَحَثَاهَا فِي وُجُوهِ الرَّكْبِ [مسند أحمد :23826]
    « … that a group of riders stopped by Ɛut͡hmān ibn Ɛaffān and praised him. And al‑Miqdād ibn al‑ʾAswad was there. So he took a handful [of dirt] from the ground and threw it in the faces of the riders. »

Similarly, يُوجَدُ may be used with no problem if the meaning « is (to be) found » is intended. For example:

  1. مَنْ قَتَلَ مُعَاهَدًا لَمْ يَرَحْ رَائِحَةَ الْجَنَّةِ، وَإِنَّ رِيحَهَا تُوجَدُ مِنْ مَسِيرَةِ أَرْبَعِينَ عَامًا [صحيح البخاري :3166]
    « Whoever killed a person having a treaty with the Muslims, shall not smell the smell of Paradise though its smell is perceived from a distance of forty years. »

B.1.9 Use of existential هُنَاكَ

Some researchers have found هُنَاكَ being used existentially in older works not influenced by European languages. For example:

  1. وَقَالَ الْكُوفِيُّونَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ الرَّأْيِ الْوُضُوءُ وَالْغُسْلُ جَائِزَانِ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ هُنَاكَ نِيَّةٌ
    [الطهور (ت مشهور) لأبي عبيد القاسم بن سلام 200 cited by العرنجية لأحمد الغامدي 170]

  2. وهناك خيانات في صلب الملك، أو في بعض الحرم، فلا يستطيع الملك أن يكشف للعامة موضع العورة في الملك
    [البيان والتبيين للجاحظ 3/246 cited by العرنجية لأحمد الغامدي 170]

B.1.10 Technical and scientific use of يوجَد

Our above directive to avoid the use of يوجد to mean « there is » holds for normal sentences. Sometimes, however, a more technical meaning of « exists » is intended, especially in the language of science. In this case, يوجد and its doee participle موجود may be used when needing to discuss the existence of something in a scientific text. But such usage should be restricted to its domain, and should not, ideally, spill over to normal sentences, where a simple « there is » is intended.

By the way, the disused verb أَيْسَ « to be », (theorized, along with لَا, to be the origin of the verb لَيْسَ4) is also used to express the existence of an object in philosophical works.

B.2 Pronoun of separation after question nouns

In later writing we find the following forms:

  1. مَنْ هِيَ زَيْنَب؟
    « Who is Zaynab? »

  2. مَا هُوَ ٱلْإِسْلَامُ؟
    « What is Islām? »

  3. لِمَاذَا هُوَ حَزِينٌ؟
    « Why is he sad? »

The insertion of the pronoun of separation (هُوَ, هِيَ, etc.) after question nouns is best avoided. So it is better to say:

  1. مَنْ زَيْنَب؟
    « Who is Zaynab? »

  2. مَا ٱلْإِسْلَامُ؟
    « What is Islām? »

As for « why » sentences, Arabic has a native expression using مَا لِ followed by a noun or pronoun in the i-case and then an adjective in the a-case. For example:

  1. مَا لَهُ حَزِينًا؟
    « Why is he sad? »

Another option, that is sometimes possible, is to convert the « why » question into a « what » question, thus:

  1. مَا أَحْزَنَهُ
    « Why is he sad? » (literally: What has made him sad?)

B.3 « What happened to … »

When asking the question, « What happened to a person/thing? » the verbs فَعَلَ and صَنَعَ are used and the person or thing asked about is made the doer. For example:

  1. يَا أَبَا عُمَيْرٍ مَا فَعَلَ النُّغَيْرُ
    [صحيح البخاري :6129]
    « What happened to the sparrow? »

  2. ما فعل أصحابك
    [رياض الصالحين :30]
    « What happened to your companions? »

  3. مَا فَعَلَتِ الرَّيْطَةُ
    [سنن ابن ماجه :3603]
    « What happened to the thin cloak? »

  4. فَيَسْأَلُونَهُ مَاذَا فَعَلَ فُلاَنٌ مَاذَا فَعَلَ فُلاَنٌ
    [سنن النسائي :1833]
    « So they ask him: What happened to so-and-so? What happened to so-and-so? »

B.4 « About »

The word « about » is often indiscriminately translated as عَنْ. عَنْ can be used as such. But more care is required.

عَنْ is normally with the verb سَأَلَ. For example:

  1. سَأَلَهُ عَنْ أَمْرٍ.
    « He asked him about a matter. »

عَنْ can also sometimes be used generically. For example:

  1. مَا هَذَا الَّذِي يَذْكُرُونَ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ
    [سنن أبي داود :4621]
    « What is this that they are mentioning about al‑Ḥasan? »

  2. فأخبره عنهم [تاريخ الطبري accessed via خزانة الرصائف لأحمد حسن الغامدي]
    « So he informed him about them. »

  3. بلغني أشياء عن الحرشي [تاريخ الطبري accessed via خزانة الرصائف لأحمد حسن الغامدي]
    « Certain things have reached me about al‑Ḥaras͡hī. »

Usually, though, the preposition depends on the verb used. For example:

  1. فسأله عن دينه فأخبره به [تاريخ الطبري accessed via خزانة الرصائف لأحمد حسن الغامدي]
    « He asked him about his religion and he told him about it. »

  2. وَكَانَ عالما بأمر طليحة [تاريخ الطبري accessed via خزانة الرصائف لأحمد حسن الغامدي]
    « He was knowledgable about the affairs of Ṭulayḥah. »

  3. فاكتب إلي بالأمر على وجهه لأخبر به أمير المؤمنين [تاريخ الطبري accessed via خزانة الرصائف لأحمد حسن الغامدي]
    « So write to me about the matter properly, so that I may inform the Commander of the Faithful about it. »

  4. قد قيل في ذلك أقوال [تاريخ الطبري accessed via خزانة الرصائف لأحمد حسن الغامدي]
    « [Sundry] statements have been given about that. »

  5. واختلفوا فِي أمره [تاريخ الطبري accessed via خزانة الرصائف لأحمد حسن الغامدي]
    « [Authorities] have differed about his affair. »

B.5 « What about … »

Avoid مَاذَا عَنْ when asking « What about someone/something? »

Instead use مَا بَالُ.

For example:

  1. حَتَّى إِذَا فَرَغَ مَشَيْتُ، فَقُلْتُ مَا بَالُ الْعَظْمِ وَالرَّوْثَةِ
    [صحيح البخاري :3860]

  2. إِذَا تَوَاجَهَ الْمُسْلِمَانِ بِسَيْفَيْهِمَا فَكِلاَهُمَا مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ “. قِيلَ فَهَذَا الْقَاتِلُ، فَمَا بَالُ الْمَقْتُولِ
    [صحيح البخاري :7083]

  3. عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا الشَّىْءُ الَّذِي لاَ يَحِلُّ مَنْعُهُ قَالَ الْمَاءُ وَالْمِلْحُ وَالنَّارُ ” . قَالَتْ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هَذَا الْمَاءُ قَدْ عَرَفْنَاهُ فَمَا بَالُ الْمِلْحِ وَالنَّارِ
    [سنن ابن ماجه :2474]

When the question « What about …? » is asked as a follow-up to a previous statement then the asked about person/thing can be asked by itself in a single word. For example:

  1. عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهُ نَهَى أَنْ يَشْرَبَ الرَّجُلُ قَائِمًا . قَتَادَةُ فَقُلْنَا فَالأَكْلُ فَقَالَ ذَاكَ أَشَرُّ أَوْ أَخْبَثُة [صحيح مسلم :2024b]
    « “What about eating?” »

  2. قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لِلْمُتَلاَعِنَيْنِ حِسَابُكُمَا عَلَى اللَّهِ أَحَدُكُمَا كَاذِبٌ لاَ سَبِيلَ لَكَ عَلَيْهَا قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَالِي
    [سنن أبي داود :2257]
    « “What about my wealth?” »

B.6 To make someone do something

In order to express the meaning: to make someone do something, we have a few options:

  1. To use a causative verb, like form 4, if one is available with this meaning5. For example:

    1. أَدْخَلْتُهُ ٱلدَّارَ [المقتضب للمبرد 2/104]

  2. To use the expression حَمَلَهُ عَلَى أَنْ يَفْعَلَ or حَمَلَهُ عَلَى الفعل. For example

    1. وَقَالُوا شَيَّأْتُهُ ; أَيْ حَمَلْتُهُ عَلَى أَنْ يَشَاءَ [التبيان في إعراب القرآن للعكبري 1/37]

    2. وَأَعْجَلْتُهُ بِالْأَلِفِ حَمَلْتُهُ عَلَى أَنْ يَعْجَلَ [المصباح المنير للفيومي root عجل]

    This expressions is especially common in questions like « What made you …? » For example:

    1. مَا حَمَلَكَ عَلَى مَا صَنَعْتَ [سنن أبي داود :2221]

  3. To use the verb جَعَلَ. This isn’t as preferred as the other options above. For example:

    1. جَعَلْتُهُ يَدْخُلَهَا [المقتضب للمبرد 2/104]

B.7 To leave a place

In English, the verb « to leave » is used to mean « to depart ». In Arabic, the verb تَرَكَ should not be used with this meaning unless the intended meaning is to abandon the place. Nor should the verb غَادَر be used with this meaning, because it means « to leave (s.th.) out ». Instead Arabic has a variety or verbs that can be used, sometimes interchangeably and sometimes depending on the exact meaning required. Some (out of many) of these verbs are:

  • خَرَجَ « to exit »

    1. كَانَ إِذَا خَرَجَ مِنْ بَيْتِهِ قَالَ بِسْمِ اللهِ، التُّكْلاَنُ عَلَى اللهِ، لا حَوْلَ وَلا قُوَّةَ إِلا بِاللَّهِ [الأدب المفرد :1197]
      « When he would leave his house, he would say, “In the name of Allāh. Reliance is on Allāh. There is no power or strength except by Allāh.” »

  • انْصَرَفَ « to turn around »

    1. ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ [صحيح البخاري :1462]
      « Then he left. »

  • بَرِحَ « to depart »

    1. فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَكَيْفَ فِيَّ وَأَنَا أَعْمَى قَالَ فَمَا بَرِحَ حَتَّى نَزَلَتْ غَيْرُ أُولِي الضَّرَرِ [سنن النسائي :3102]
      « He said, “O Messenger of Allāh, how about me whereas I am blind?” And so he did not leave until [the āyah] “other than the disabled” [سورة النساء 4:95] was revealed. »

  • انْحَرَفَ « to turn away »

    1. ثُمَّ انْحَرَفَ فَانْحَرَفْتُ [سنن النسائي :3964]
      « Then he left and I left. »

B.8 To bring something

Arabic has no commonly used verb which is the direct equivalent of « to bring ». Avoid using verbs أَحْضَرَ and جَلَبَ as common equivalents of the simple verb « to bring ». These are legitimate verbs but they have their own specific meanings and are nowhere near as common as أَتَى ب and جَاءَ ب when the simple meaning of « to bring » is intended.

Instead, one may use the verbs أَتَى and جَاءَ « to come » with the preposition بِ. For example:

  1. أُتِيَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِصَبِيٍّ [صحيح البخاري :5468]
    « A baby was brought to the Prophet ﷺ. »

  2. ثُمَّ دَعَا بِمَاءٍ، فَجِئْتُهُ بِمَاءٍ فَتَوَضَّأَ [صحيح البخاري :224]
    « Then he called for water. So I brought him some water and he performed ablution. »

When bringing something in a particular direction, other, more appropriate, verbs may be used similarly. For example:

  1. ثُمَّ مَسَحَ رَأْسَهُ بِيَدَيْهِ، فَأَقْبَلَ بِهِمَا وَأَدْبَرَ، بَدَأَ بِمُقَدَّمِ رَأْسِهِ، حَتَّى ذَهَبَ بِهِمَا إِلَى قَفَاهُ، ثُمَّ رَدَّهُمَا إِلَى الْمَكَانِ الَّذِي بَدَأَ مِنْهُ [صحيح البخاري :185]
    « Then he wiped his head with his hands, so he brought them forwards and backwards. He started with the front part of he head until he took them to the nape of his neck, then he brought them back to the place that he had started from. »

When bringing something out, the verb أَخْرَجَ or خَرَجَ ب are used. For example:

  1. أَتَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأَخْرَجْنَا لَهُ مَاءً فِي تَوْرٍ مِنْ صُفْرٍ فَتَوَضَّأَ [صحيح البخاري :197]
    « Once Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ came to us and we brought out water for him in a brass pot. He performed ablution. »

  2. خَرَجَ إِلَيْنَا أَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ بِنَعْلَيْنِ لَهُمَا قِبَالاَنِ [صحيح البخاري :5858]
    « Anas ibn Mālik brought out for us, two sandals having two straps. »

B.9 To take someone/something somewhere

Arabic has the verb أَخَذَ which means « to take ». But this verb is not typically used when the meaning of « to take someone/something somewhere » is intended. Instead, the verb/preposition combination ذَهَبَ بِ is used. For example:

  1. ذَهَبَتْ بِي خَالَتِي إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم [صحيح البخاري :3541]
    « My aunt took me to Messenger of Allāh ﷺ. »

Other verbs besides ذَهَبَ may similarly be used. For example:

  1. أَخَذَ أَبُو طَلْحَةَ بِيَدِي فَانْطَلَقَ بِي إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم [صحيح البخاري :6911]
    « Abū Ṭalḥah took my hand and took me to the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ. »

The doer need not actually be going anywhere when using this verb. For example:

  1. ثُمَّ مَسَحَ رَأْسَهُ بِيَدَيْهِ، فَأَقْبَلَ بِهِمَا وَأَدْبَرَ، بَدَأَ بِمُقَدَّمِ رَأْسِهِ، حَتَّى ذَهَبَ بِهِمَا إِلَى قَفَاهُ، ثُمَّ رَدَّهُمَا إِلَى الْمَكَانِ الَّذِي بَدَأَ مِنْهُ [صحيح البخاري :185]
    « Then he wiped his head with his hands, so he brought them forwards and backwards. He started with the front part of he head until he took them to the nape of his neck, then he brought them back to the place that he had started from. »

B.10 Further reading

  1. العرنجية لأحمد الغامدي
  2. معجم أخطاء الكتاب لصلاح الدين الزعبلاوي
  3. معجم الأخطاء الشائعة لمحمد العدناني
  4. معجم الأغلاط اللغوية المعاصرة لمحمد العدناني
  5. أخطاء لغوية شائعة لخالد بن هلال بن ناصر العبري

  1. See also Haspelmath, “What do we mean by existential clause?”↩︎

  2. Cantarino, Syntax of modern Arabic prose 1/5 citing Brockelmann, Grundriss der vergleichenden Grammatik der semitischen Sprachen 2/35↩︎

  3. اجتماع الجيوش الإسلامية لابن القيم 21↩︎

  4. Wilmsen,, “Another Croft cycle in Arabic: The laysa negative existential cycle,” 329–331; Wright 1/96C↩︎

  5. العرنجية لأحمد الغامدي 65↩︎