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28 The question nouns مَا, مَنْ, and أَيّ
28.1 Introduction
In chapter (connected nouns) we studied the use of مَا “what”, مَنْ “who”, and أَيّ “which” as the general connected nouns. In this chapter, we will study the use of these same nouns as question nouns.
There are other question nouns besides the ones above, like كَيْفَ “how”, أَيْنَ “where” مَتَىٰ “when”. There are also question words which are particles, not nouns, like أَ and هَلْ. We will study all these elsewhere, if Allāh wishes.
28.2 مَا and مَنْ
28.2.1 Position of question words in the beginning of the sentence
All question words typically occur in the beginning of the question sentence. (Particles like وَ, فَ, etc. are allowed to precede them.) For example,
مَنْ أَنْتَ؟
“Who are you?”
وَمَا تِلْكَ بِيَمِينِكَ؟
“And what is that in your right hand?”
In both the above examples, the question nouns مَا and مَنْ are in the u-state as the topic of their respective question sentences.
When the question is asking about the direct doee of a verb, then too is the question noun placed in the beginning of the sentence. For example,
مَا تَقُولُ؟
“What do you say?”
مَنْ قَتَلْتَ؟
“Whom did you kill?”
مَا فَرَضَ رَبُّكَ عَلَىٰ أُمَّتِكَ؟
“What has your Lord enjoined upon your Ummah?”
In the above three examples, the question nouns مَا and مَنْ are analyzed as the a-state direct doee of the verb following it.
The question nouns are exempted from being placed in the beginning of the question noun when they are in the i-state: either following a preposition, or as the base noun in an annexation. For example,
لِمَنْ هَـٰذَا ٱلْقَصْرُ؟
“Whose is this palace?”
بِنْتُ مَنْ أَنْتِ؟
“Whose daughter are you?”
28.2.2 مَا shortened to مَ in the i-state
When the question noun مَا mā is in the i-state it is typically shortened to مَ ma. Example:
بِمَ يَرْجِعُ؟
“With what does he return?”
This shortened مَ is also usually joined to the preposition before it, even for prepositions constituting more than one letter (which don’t typically join to the word directly following it). So we get:
- بِمَ for بِمَا
- لِمَ for لِمَا
- فِيمَ for فِي مَا
- إِلَامَ for إِلَىٰ مَا
- عَلَامَ for عَلَىٰ مَا
- حَتَّامَ for حَتَّىٰ مَا
- مِمَّ for مِمَّا (مِنْ مَا)
- عَمَّ for عَمَّا (عَنْ مَا)
When pausing on this shortened مَ, a هْ is appended to it to preserve the sound of the a-mark. For example:
لِمَهْ؟
limah?
“For what?”
The shortened مَ is also used when it is the base noun in an annexation. However, in this case it won’t be joined to the previous word. For example:
مِثْلُ مَ أَنْتَ؟
“What are you like?”
28.2.3 مَا and مَنْ referred back to with an i-state pronoun
As an alternative to placing the question noun مَا or مَنْ after the preposition or annex noun, the question noun may be placed in the beginning of the sentence and it is referred back to by a pronoun. For example,
قُلْ مَنْ بِيَدِهِ مَلَكُوتُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ
Say, “In whose hand is the realm of all things”
مَاذَا يَسْتَعْجِلُ مِنْهُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ
“for which [aspect] of it would the criminals be impatient?”
28.2.4 Verb gender when inquiring about the doer of a verb
The question nouns مَا and مَنْ are themselves masculine singular nouns. But they can be used to ask abount nouns of any gender or number. For example,
وَمَا تِلْكَ بِيَمِينِكَ؟
“And what is that in your right hand?”
مَنْ هَـٰؤُلَاءِ ٱلرِّجَالُ؟
“Who are these men?”
When inquiring about the doer of a verb, then the verb is usually construed with a masculine singular doer to match the question noun. For example:
مَنْ جَاءَ؟
“Who has come?”
مَا يُبْكِيكَ؟
“What makes you cry?”
Ocassionally, the feminine verb may be used if asking about a feminine doer. For example:
مَنْ كَانَتْ أُمَّكَ؟ 1
“Who was your mother?”
If the question is regarding a specific number and gender, then we are more likely to insert the corresponding specific connected noun (ٱلَّذِي, etc.) between the question noun مَن and the verb. For example:
مَنِ اللَّتَانِ تَظَاهَرَتَا عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنْ أَزْوَاجِهِ
“Who are the ones2f, from his wives, who aided one another against the Prophet ﷺ?
Note that now the dual feminine doer pronoun ا in تَظَاهَرَتَا is the refer-back pronoun that refers back to the connected noun ٱللَّتَانِ.
28.2.5 An indefinite noun after مَا and مَنْ
The question nouns مَا and مَنْ cannot occur as annex nouns. Nor can either of them be a replacee. So any indefinite noun after them must necessarily be the comment of the question sentence. For example, مَنْ فَارِسٌ؟ can only mean, “Who is a horseman?” not “Who horseman?” or “Which horseman?”
28.2.6 مَاذَا and مَنْ ذَا
To lend more force to the question or to make it more lively, ذَا may be appended to the question nouns مَا and مَنْ. For example,
مَاذَا قَالَ رَبُّكُمْ
“What did your lord say?”
With مَنْ ذَا especially, but also with مَا, the specific connected noun ٱلَّذِي is often appended as well. For example:
مَنْ ذَا الَّذِي قَالَ هَذَا
“Who is the one that said this?”
مَاذَا ٱلَّذِي تَقُولُ؟
“What is it that you say?”
Note that ذَا is also a variant pointing noun meaning “this” or “that”. In which case, it can be the comment of the question sentence by itself. For example:
فَدَقَقْتُ الْبَابَ، فَقَالَ: مَنْ ذَا؟ فَقُلْتُ: أَنَا، قَالَ: أَنَا، أَنَا؟، كَأَنَّهُ كَرِهَهُ.
“So I knocked at the door. He said, ‘Who is that?’ I said, ‘I.’ He said ‘I? I?’ as if he disliked it.”
28.2.7 Why
Arabic has no distinct question word for “why”. Instead, the question noun مَا is used with a preposition, typically لِ to give the meaning “For what?”. For example,
لِمَ فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ
“Why did he do that?”
لِمَاذَا وَلَّيْتَ بَعْدَ مَجِيِّكَ إِلَىٰ هَـٰهُنَا؟
“Why did you turn back after your coming here?”
Sometimes, other prepositions like عَلَىٰ and بِ may be used. But this is dependent on the verb in the sentence. For example,
عَلَامَ يَقْتُلُ أَحَدُكُمْ أَخَاهُ
“Why does one of you kill his brother?”
i.e. “on what [basis]”
بِمَ يَأْخُذ أحدكُم مَال أَخِيه؟
“Why should any of you take his brother’s property?”
i.e. “by what [justification]”
And often times, the meaning “why” is conveyed using مَا when a suitable verb exists. For example:
مَا يُبْكِيكَ؟
“What makes you cry?”
i.e. “Why are you crying?”
28.2.8 Applicability of مَا and مَنْ to intelligent and non-intelligent beings
In (give ref) we discussed how, sometimes, the connected noun مَا may be used for intelligent beings and مَنْ for non-intelligent beings. Those same guidelines apply for مَا and مَنْ when they are question nouns. For example, when inquiring about the nature or qualities of a person مَا may be used. Examples:
فَقُلْتُ لَهُ مَا أَنْتَ قَالَ أَنَا نَبِيٌّ. فَقُلْتُ وَمَا نَبِيٌّ قَالَ أَرْسَلَنِي اللَّهُ
“I said, ‘Who are you?’ He said, ‘I am a prophet.’ So I said, ‘And who is a prophet?’ He said ‘Allāh has sent me.’”
28.3 أَيّ
In section .. we studied أَيّ as a general connected noun. Just like مَا and مَنْ, أَيّ too can be a question noun for “which” questions. Many of the rules that apply the question nouns مَا and مَنْ also apply to أَيّ. For example, the default position of أَيّ is in the beginning of the question sentence.
However, أَيّ is also different from مَا and مَنْ in some respects. For example, consistent with what we learned in its use as a connected noun, the question noun أَيّ is a fully-flexible noun and can be used indiscriminately for both intelligent and non-intelligent beings.
Also, أَيّ is typically the annex noun in an annexation. When أَيّ is a connected noun, then its base noun is usually definite. But when أَيّ is a question noun, then its base noun may be either definite or indefinite.
28.3.1 أَيّ with a definite base noun
When the base noun of أَيّ is a definite noun, the annexation has the meaning “which [one] of”. For example,
فَأَيَّ آيَاتِ ٱللَّهِ تُنكِرُونَ
“So which of the signs of Allāh do you deny?”
أَيُّ الأَعْمَالِ أَفْضَلُ
“Which of the deeds is best?”
فَأَيُّ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ أَحَقُّ بِالْأَمْنِ
“So which of the two parties has more right to security”
مِنْ أَيِّ أَيَّامِ الشَّهْرِ كَانَ يَصُومُ
“From which of the days of the month would he fast?”
As in the examples above, the base noun in such a case is typically a plural or a dual. If the base noun is a definite singular noun, then there is an implied partitive meaning, i.e. “which part of”.2 For example,
فِي أَيِّ طَعَامِهِ يُبَارَكُ لَهُ
“in which (part) of his food is the blessing”
مِنْ أَيِّ الْمَالِ
“From which (category) of wealth?”
However, if the noun is of generic definiteness then the partitive aspect indicates one out of the set that constitutes the generic type. In English the plural is often used to signify the generic type. For example the generic type ٱلْعَمَل “the deed” can be translated in English as “deeds”. So أَيُّ ٱلْعَمَلِ means “which one from the generic type ‘deeds’” or simply “which deed”. Examples:
أَيُّ الْعَمَلِ أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ؟
“Which deed is most beloved to Allāh?”
أَيُّ الدُّعَاءِ أَفْضَلُ
“Which supplication is best?”
أَيُّ الذَّنْبِ أَعْظَمُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ
“Which deed is most enormous in the sight of Allāh?”
28.3.2 أَيّ with a indefinite base noun
When the base noun of أَيّ is a indefinite noun, the annexation has the meaning “which” without “of”. For example,
أَيَّ شَىْءٍ كُنْتَ تَصْنَعُ
“Which thing would you do?”
أَيَّ شَىْءٍ نَشْتَهِي
“What thing shall we desire?”
أَيُّ لَيْلَةٍ لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ
“Which night is the night of Decree”
If the base noun is a dual or plural indefinite then then inquiry is about the complete number, not just one of them. For example:
أَيُّ رِجَالٍ؟
“Which men?”
أَيُّ رَجُلَيْنِ؟
“Which two men?”
28.3.3 Matching the rest of the question sentence with أَيّ
أَيّ itself, like مَا and مَنْ, is singular masculine. For the purpose of matching the rest of the question sentence with أَيّ, either it can match the singular masculine to match with the word أَيّ, or it can match the gender and number of what أَيّ refers to. For example,
أَيُّ أَزْوَاجِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم اسْتَعَاذَتْ مِنْهُ
Which of the wives of the Prophet sought refuge (fwith Allāh) from him?
(اسْتَعَاذَتْ is a feminine verb to match the feminine “wife”.)
فَأَيُّ نِسَاءِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ أَحْظَى عِنْدَهُ مِنِّي
“So which of the women of the Prophet was dearer to him than I?”
(كَانَ is a masculine verb to match masculine أَيّ.)
28.3.4 أَيّ standalone without a base noun
Occasionally, أَيّ is used without a base noun. It is then, technically, indefininte. However, the meaning of an annexation is still implicit. This may be when أَيّ has already been used once with an an annexation, and subsequent uses of أَيّ are restricted to the previously mentioned annexation. For example,
أَيُّ الْعَمَلِ أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ؟ قَالَ الصَّلاَةُ عَلَى وَقْتِهَا، قُلْتُ ثُمَّ أَيٌّ؟
“‘Which deed is most beloved to Allāh?’ He replied, ‘Prayer at its proper time.’ I said, ‘Then which?’”
See also section … below, where أَيّ is used standalone in a response.
28.3.5 أَيّ annexed to multiple base nouns
One أَيّ may be annexed to multiple base nouns separated by وَ “and”. For example,
أَيُّ زِرَاعَةِ ٱلْفَاكِهَةِ وَزِرَاعَةِ ٱلْقُطْنِ أَرْبَحُ؟
“Which one of the agriculture of fruit, and the agriculture of cotton is more profitable?”
In such a case, it is optional to have one أَيّ or to repeat it. So we could also say, for the same meaning:
أَيُّ زِرَاعَةِ ٱلْفَاكِهَةِ وَأَيُّ زِرَاعَةِ ٱلْقُطْنِ أَرْبَحُ؟
However, if one of the base nouns is an attached pronoun then repeating أَيّ is mandatory.3 Example:
أَيِّي وَأَيُّكَ أَعْلَمُ؟
“Which one of you and me is more knowledgeable?”
أَيِّي وَأَيُّكَ is equivalent to أَيُّنَا but it spells out the two options to choose from.
28.4 The question sentence within another sentence4
TODO
28.5 Usage of question nouns in quoting and standalone5
TODO
28.6 Differentiating question words from their other functions
Many of the question words (أَ, مَنْ, مَا, كَيْفَ, etc.) also have other functions. For example, in chapter @ref(the-connected-nouns) we learned that مَنْ, مَا, and أَيّ are also connected nouns. Many of the question nouns can also be used as conditional nouns that we will study in chapter @ref(…), if Allāh wills.
In this section, we will discuss briefly how to determine when words like أَ, مَنْ, مَا, كَيْفَ, etc. are question words, and when they could have one of their other functions.
The basic principle regarding a question sentence is that it is to be treated as one unit. A word from within a question sentence is not, individually, affected by anything outside the question. Let’s try to understand this using an example.
Consider the following sentence:
ٱِسْأَلْ أَيُّهُمْ قَامَ
ʾisʾal ʾayyuhum qām
“Ask: ‘Which of them stood?’”
The speaker is commanding the addressed person to ask a group of people the question: “Which of them stood”.
The question sentence is أَيُّهُمْ قَامَ ʾayyuhum qām “Which of them stood”. This entire sentence is considered the direct doee of the verb of command ٱسْأَلْ “ask!”. The question noun أَيُّ ʾayyu is in the u-state because it is the subject of the question sentence. It does not become أَيَّ ʾayya in the a-state because it is not, by itself, the direct doee of ٱسْأَلْ. Rather, as we have just stated, the entire question sentence is the direct doee. But because the direct doee is a sentence, and not an individual word, it does not indicate its state using, for example, an a-mark ◌َ.
Now, let’s modify the example. Consider now this sentence:
ٱِسْأَلْ أَيَّهُمْ قَامَ
ʾisʾal ʾayyahum qām
Ask the one of them who stood!
Now, the noun أَيَّ is in the a-state because it (individually) is the direct doee of the verb of command ٱسْأَلْ. The speaker is now commanding the addressed person to ask (something) of only the person who stood, out of a group of people. The rest of the people are not to be asked. Because the noun أَيَّ is individually affected by the preceding verb ٱسْأَلْ it is now not a question noun, and must be one of the other functions that the word أَيّ can have. As a matter of fact, it is here a connected noun, and the sentence following it: قَامَ “he stood” is its connector.
The other noteworthy point regarding questions (besides their being considered one unit) is that they may only be preceded either by a verb of knowledge, (like عَلِمَ, دَرىٰ, etc.) or by an expression indicating that the question is being quoted. We have already seen an example of the question being quoted in the example:
ٱِسْأَلْ أَيُّهُمْ قَامَ
“Ask: ‘Which of them stood?’”
An example of a question being preceded by a verb of knowledge is:
مَا عَلِمْتُ أَذَهَبَ أَمْ مَكَثَ
I don’t know whether he went or stayed.
Here the question sentence is: أَذَهَبَ أَمْ مَكَثَ “Did he go or did he stay?”
By the way, a question sentence may be part of a bigger question as well. For example:
أَتَدْرِي أَيُّهُمْ فِي ٱلدَّارِ؟
ʾatadrī ʾayyuhum fi -ddār
Do you know: which of them is in the house?
Note now the subtle difference in meaning if we change the state of أَيّ in the above example from the u-state to the a-state:
أَتَدْرِي أَيَّهُمْ فِي ٱلدَّارِ؟
ʾatadrī ʾayyahum fi -ddār
Do you know the one of them who is in the house?
When أَيّ was in the u-state it was a question noun. And the speaker was asking the addressed person if he could figure out who, from among the group of people, was in the house.
When أَيّ is in the a-state it is now a connected noun. The connector’s link-back pronoun is omitted (as is permissible in this case, see section @ref(…)). With the link-back pronoun restored, the sentence is أَتَدْرِي أَيَّهُمْ هُوَ فِي ٱلدَّارِ؟ And the speaker is asking the addressed person if he is familiar with the person who is in the house. Now he is not asking the addressed person to identify him, but rather if knows him as a person.
This difference is apparent with أَيّ because it is a flexible noun whose state is indicated by the vowel mark at its end. The same occurs in the other question nouns that are also connected nouns: مَا, and مَنْ but it won’t often be as apparent because they are rigid nouns.
As a final note, sometimes, one of the words like أَ, مَنْ, مَا, كَيْفَ, etc. may be preceded by parts of a sentence that are neither quoting, nor a verb of knowledge. Here we can be sure that the word is not a question word and must be one of its other functions. However, it still may not be easy to figure out what that other function is. Nevertheless, the meaning of the sentence can still usually be gleaned. For example:
فَلْتَدْخُلْ مِنْ أَيِّ أَبْوَابِ الْجَنَّةِ شَاءَتْ
“then let her enter from whichever of the doors of paradise she wishes.”[^question-vs-other-functions]
See also تفسير البحر المحيط لأبي حيان for «فإن كانتا اثنتين» [النساء:١٧٦] and «ثم لم تكن فتنتهم» [الأنعام:٢٣]↩︎
Wright, vol. ii, §87, p. 220A↩︎
Wright, vol. ii §87, p. 220B↩︎
التعليق. See معاني النحو (ظن وأخواتها) ٢/٣٧; النحو الوافي ٢/٢٧; Howell, part II, book 5, §444, pp. 155–165.↩︎
الحكاية. See Wright, vol. i., §352–353, pp. 275B–276B, vol. ii, §170, p. 313↩︎