Consider the following sentence:
man dayyaʿa shayʾan min hadhihi al-wasaya fata-hu murad-u-hu
— Whoever wastes any of these counsels — his desired aim eludes him.
We have here a compound sentence beginning with a conditional particle: 'man' ('whoever'). It contains an original clause: 'man dayyaʿa shayʾan' ('whoever has wasted something'). This clause has not yet conveyed anything to the listener; it has therefore been joined to another clause: 'fata-hu murad-u-hu' ('his desired aim has eluded him'). This indicates that the eluding of the desired aim follows from — and is contingent upon — the wasting of any of these counsels. The first clause is called jumlat al-shart (the conditional clause), and the second is called jumlat jawab al-shart (the response of the condition).
Examples of the Conditional Sentence
in tajtahid tanjah
— If you strive, you will succeed.
in ataʿta walid-ay-ka nilta rida-hum
— If you obeyed your parents, you would attain their approval.
in turafiq-ni tarbah
— If you accompany me, you will gain.
law istaqama al-nas-u la-ma wujidat mahakim
— If people were upright, courts would not exist.
Types of the Conditional Sentence
The conditional sentence may be:
— Verbal, e.g.:
man zaraʿa hasada
— Whoever sows reaps.
— Nominal, e.g.:
law anna-ka ʿamil-ta bi-nasihat-i la-najahta
— Had you acted on my advice, you would have succeeded.
The verb in jumlat jawab al-shart is usually:
— Past-tense if the conditional verb is past-tense, e.g.:
in sadaq-ta najaw-ta
— If you told the truth, you escaped.
— Present-tense if the conditional verb is present-tense, e.g.:
in tasduq tanjah
— If you tell the truth, you succeed.
— Imperative — whether the conditional verb is past-tense or present-tense, e.g.:
in atayta (or taʾti) ila al-ʿasimat-i fa-zur-ni
— If you have come (or come) to the capital, then visit me.
Linking the Response to the Condition
1 — Jumlat al-jawab attaches directly to jumlat al-shart if it begins with a past-tense or present-tense verb, e.g.:
man jadda wajada
— Whoever strives, finds.
man yazraʿ yahsud
— Whoever sows reaps.
2 — Jumlat al-jawab attaches to jumlat al-shart by means of the faʾ if it is:
— Beginning with a past- or present-tense verb preceded by one of the following particles: qad, ma al-nafiya, lan, la al-nafiya or al-nahiya, sa-, sawfa, e.g.:
in faʿal-ta khayran fa-lan tandam ʿalayh
— If you do good, you will not regret it.
man lam yashkur al-niʿam fa-qad taʿarrada li-zawal-i-ha
— Whoever does not give thanks for blessings has indeed exposed himself to losing them.
— Beginning with an imperative verb, e.g.:
in turid fiʿl-a khayrin fa-ʿajjil bi-h
— If you wish to do good, then hasten to it.
— An interrogative or exclamatory clause, e.g.:
in khun-ta al-amanat-a fa-ma abshaʿ fiʿlat-a-ka!
— If you betrayed the trust — how hideous is your deed!
— Beginning with one of the inflexible verbs: laysa, niʿma, biʾsa, ʿasa, e.g.:
in ihtaqar-ta faqir-an fa-ʿasa an tatabaddal hal-u-hu
— If you despise a poor man, perhaps his condition will change.
in kun-ta marid-an fa-laysa ʿalayka haraj
— If you are sick, there is no blame upon you.
Order of the Condition and the Response
The default order is for al-shart to precede al-jawab. But al-jawab may precede al-shart so as to be:
— More prominent, e.g.:
yandam-u al-kaslan-u in lam yanjah
— The lazy one will regret if he does not succeed.
— And if al-jawab is one that would normally attach with faʾ, the faʾ must be omitted, e.g.: 'sa-tanjahu in ihtamamta bi-durusika' ('you will succeed if you take care of your lessons') — originally: 'in ihtamamta bi-durusika fa-sa-tanjahu'.
— Sometimes it falls between the elements of jumlat al-jawab, to avoid heaviness, e.g.:
laʿalla-ka in dhuq-ta marar-a al-fashal muttaʿiz
— Perhaps you, if you have tasted the bitterness of failure, will take heed.
Omission in the Conditional Sentence
— The conditional particle must be dispensed with if the conditional verb appears in the imperative form, e.g.:
usduq tanju
— Be truthful, you will be saved.
— It is permissible to omit the conditional verb if the speech contains what indicates it and it is preceded by 'illa', e.g.:
rattib umur-a-ka, wa-illa ikhtalatat ʿalayka al-umur
— Order your affairs — otherwise the matters will become muddled for you.
Additional Information
1 — When jumlat al-shart begins with 'law' and is verbal, its verb is usually:
— In the past-tense form, e.g.:
law sada al-nizam-u wa-l-salam-u la-ma kana li-l-ʿuquba faʾida
— If order and peace prevailed, punishment would have no benefit.
— In the present-tense form preceded by 'lam', e.g.:
law lam yujad al-taʿab-u la-ma kana li-l-rahat-i ladhdha
— If there were no fatigue, rest would have no pleasure.
— If nominal, it is joined with 'anna', e.g.:
law anna al-mal-a mukhalladun sahib-u-hu la-khallada Qarun
— If wealth could grant immortality to its owner, it would have made Qarun (Korah) immortal.
2 — Jumlat al-shart beginning with 'lawla' is:
— A simple nominal clause whose predicate is omitted, e.g.:
lawla al-taʿab-u la-ma kana li-l-rahat-i ladhdha
— Were it not for fatigue, rest would have no pleasure.
— Or joined with 'anna' fully complete in elements, e.g.:
lawla anna al-kitab-a mufid-un la-ma qaraʾ-tu-hu
— Were it not for the fact that the book is beneficial, I would not have read it.
3 — It is preferable to front jumlat al-jawab beginning with one of the verbs of approximation if the conditional particle is: law, law lam, lawla, e.g.:
kadat al-harb-u tudammir-u al-bashariyya law lam yusriʿ al-ʿuqalaʾ ila iqaf-i-ha
— War was about to destroy humanity had not the wise hastened to stop it.
4 — The conditional sentence may also occur as:
— A khabar (predicate), e.g.:
al-shaʿb-u al-muttahid-u in asabat-hu karithat-un samada la-ha
— A united people, when struck by a calamity, stand firm against it.
— A naʿt (descriptive adjective), e.g.:
la tuʿashir sadiqan in ihtaj-ta ilayh-i aʿrada ʿan-ka
— Do not befriend a friend who turns away from you when you need him.
— A relative clause (sila al-mawsul), e.g.:
hadhihi hiya al-tariq-u allati in salak-ta-ha haqqaq-ta murad-a-ka
— This is the path which, if you take it, will achieve your aim.
Iʿrab of the Conditional Sentence
1 — man yasʿa ila khayrin yajid-hu
— Whoever strives toward goodness will find it.
Conditional particle: man (a jussive-governing conditional noun, mubtadaʾ). Jumlat al-shart: yasʿa ila khayrin (with no place in iʿrab). Jumlat jawab al-shart: yajid-hu (with no place in iʿrab). The two clauses (al-shart and its jawab) are in the position of nominative as the khabar of the mubtadaʾ 'man'.
2 — mahma yulqi al-ustadh-u fa-ana ahfaz-u-hu
— Whatever the teacher delivers, I memorize it.
Conditional particle: mahma (a jussive-governing conditional noun, fronted direct object). Jumlat al-shart: yulqi al-ustadhu (with no place in iʿrab). Jumlat jawab al-shart: fa-ana ahfazu-hu (the nominal clause is in the position of jussive as jumlat jawab al-shart, because of being attached with the faʾ).
3 — ayyana tazur-ni ukrim-ka
— Whenever you visit me, I shall honor you.
Conditional particle: ayyana (a jussive-governing conditional noun, in the position of accusative as a noun of time). Jumlat al-shart: tazur-ni (in the position of genitive as a mudaf ilayh). Jumlat jawab al-shart: ukrim-ka (with no place in iʿrab).
4 — bi-ayyi maqʿadin tajlis ajlis
— On whatever seat you sit, I shall sit.
Conditional particle: bi-ayy (a jussive-governing conditional noun in the genitive after the preposition). Jumlat al-shart: tajlis (with no place in iʿrab). Jumlat jawab al-shart: ajlis (with no place in iʿrab).
Reminder: Review the dedicated lesson on the conditional style and its particles, mentioned at the start of this topic.
5 — idha sahib-ta al-laʾim-a taʾadhdhay-ta
— If you keep company with the base, you are harmed.
Conditional particle: idha (an adverbial conditional). Jumlat al-shart: sahib-ta al-laʾim-a (in the position of genitive as a mudaf ilayh). Jumlat jawab al-shart: taʾadhdhay-ta (with no place in iʿrab).
6 — man yadrus bi-jiddin najaha bi-tafawwuq
— Whoever studies diligently has succeeded with excellence.
Conditional particle: man (a jussive-governing conditional noun, mubtadaʾ). Jumlat al-shart: yadrus bi-jiddin (a present-tense verb in the jussive). Jumlat jawab al-shart: najaha bi-tafawwuq (a past-tense verb).
7 — anna sir-ta wajad-ta-ni janib-a-ka
— Wherever you go, you find me at your side.
Conditional particle: anna (a jussive-governing conditional noun — adverb of place). Jumlat al-shart: sir-ta (a past-tense verb in the position of genitive as a mudaf ilayh). Jumlat jawab al-shart: wajad-ta-ni janib-a-ka (with no place in iʿrab).
The Conditional Sentence in the Noble Quran
Allah Most High said:
— "And whether you show what is within yourselves or conceal it, Allah will bring you to account for it. Then He will forgive whom He wills..." — Quran 2:284 (Sahih International)
— "Whoever does a wrong will be recompensed for it..." — Quran 4:123 (Sahih International)
— "And whatever good you do — Allah knows it." — Quran 2:197 (Sahih International)
— "And they said, 'Whatever sign you bring us with which to bewitch us, we will not be believers in you.'" — Quran 7:132 (Sahih International)
— "If you do good, you do good for yourselves..." — Quran 17:7 (Sahih International)