Relative pronouns in Arabic - اِسْمُ الْمَوْصُول | Arabic Free Course

Masculine

Singular

اَلَّذِي

That one who/ that one which

Dual

اَلَّذَيْنِ - اَلَّذَانِ

Those two who/ those two which

Plural

اَلَّذِيْنَ

Those all who/ That who/ Those which

Feminine

Singular

اَلّتِيْ

That one who/ that one which

Dual

اَلَّتَيْنِ - اَلَّتَانِ

Those two who/ those two which

آلائِي

Those all who/ That who/ Those which

Relative pronoun - اَلصِّلَةُ

The subsequent phrase that accompanies the relative pronoun is termed: اَلصِّلَةُ.

This phrase complements and clarifies the meaning initiated by the relative pronoun.

If the relative pronoun alludes to any component of the اَلصِّلَةُ other than the subject, it necessitates reinforcement with an affixed pronoun known as: عَائِدٌ or رَاجِعٌ.

For example:

فَاتَّقُوا النَّارَ الَّتِي وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ ۖ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْكَافِرِينَ

then fear the Fire, whose fuel is men and stones, prepared for the disbelievers. (2:24)

النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ = صِلة

وَقُودُهَا = راجِعٌ

الَّتِي = relative pronoun

Here هَا is the attached pronouns - راجِعٌ.

Illustrations used in the Holy Quran

وَلَوْ قَاتَلَكُمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَوَلَّوُا الْأَدْبَارَ

And if those [Makkans] who disbelieve had fought you, they would have turned their backs [in flight]. (48:22)

الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ

Those who have believed and done righteous deeds (13:29)

وَاللَّذَانِ يَأْتِيَانِهَا مِنكُمْ

And the two who commit it among you (4:16)

وَلَا تَسْتَوِي الْحَسَنَةُ وَلَا السَّيِّئَةُ ۚ ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِي بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِيٌّ حَمِيمٌ

And not equal are the good deed and the bad. Repel [evil] by that [deed] which is better, and thereupon the one whom between you and him is enmity [will become] as though he was a devoted friend. (41:34)

وَاللَّاتِي يَأْتِينَ الْفَاحِشَةَ مِن نِّسَائِكُمْ

Those who commit unlawful sexual intercourse of your women(4:15)

وَاللَّائِي يَئِسْنَ مِنَ الْمَحِيضِ

And those who no longer expect menstruation among your women (65:4)

إِنْ أُمَّهَاتُهُمْ إِلَّا اللَّائِي وَلَدْنَهُمْ

Their mothers are none but those who gave birth to them (58:2)

The terms مَنْ, لِمَنْ, and مَا function as relative pronouns in Arabic

In Arabic, مَنْ (meaning "who" or "whoever") and مَا (meaning "what" or "whatever") serve as relative pronouns. While مَنْ is reserved for living entities, مَا is employed for inanimate objects.

Examples:

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يُجَادِلُ فِي اللَّـهِ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ

And of the people is he who disputes about Allah without knowledge (22:3)

يَدْعُو لَمَن ضَرُّهُ أَقْرَبُ مِن نَّفْعِهِ ۚ لَبِئْسَ الْمَوْلَىٰ وَلَبِئْسَ الْعَشِيرُ

He invokes one whose harm is closer than his benefit - how wretched the protector and how wretched the associate. (22:13)

مَا عِندَكُمْ يَنفَدُ ۖ وَمَا عِندَ اللَّـهِ بَاقٍ ۗ وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّ الَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا أَجْرَهُم بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

Whatever you have will end, but what Allah has is lasting. And We will surely give patients their reward according to the best of what they used to do. (16:96)

Conclusion

This lesson on Arabic nuances concludes here. Insha’Allah, our subsequent session will delve into the interrogative pronouns.

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