Definition of Al-Uslub al-Shart (the Conditional Style)

The realization of the second matter (success) is contingent on the realization of the first (study).

Examples of the Conditional Style

Pillars of the Conditional Style

The conditional style consists of three pillars:

• 1 — Adat al-shart (the conditional particle).
• 2 — Jumlat fiʿl al-shart (the conditional clause).
• 3 — Jumlat jawab al-shart (the response of the condition).

Adat al-shart: man. Jumlat fiʿl al-shart: yakthur kalam-u-hu. Jumlat jawab al-shart: yakthur malam-u-hu.

Conditional Particles

Adat al-shart is a word that links the two clauses (the conditional clause and the response of the condition). The conditional has two types of particles:

• 1 — Jussive-governing conditional particles (al-jazima).
• 2 — Non-jussive-governing conditional particles (ghayr al-jazima).

Jussive-Governing Conditional Particles

Jussive-governing conditional particles are divided into two categories:

1 — Two particles, namely:

• in, idhma: with no place in iʿrab.

2 — The following nouns:

• man: for rational beings ('whoever').
• ma, mahma: for non-rational ('whatever, however').
• mata, ayyana: for time ('whenever').
• ayna, anna, haythuma: for place ('wherever').
• kayfama: for state ('however').

These are mabni (indeclinable) nouns parsed according to their position in the sentence.

Non-Jussive-Governing Conditional Particles

Non-jussive-governing conditional particles are divided into two categories:

1 — Particles, namely:

• law: a conditional particle, mostly for the past, called 'harf imtinaʿ li-imtinaʿ' ('a particle of impossibility-due-to-impossibility').
• lawla, lawma: two conditional particles called 'harfa imtinaʿ li-wujud' ('particles of impossibility-due-to-existence').
• amma: a conditional particle conveying detail; it stands in for both the conditional particle and the conditional verb. Its response must be joined with faʾ.

Nouns:

• idha: an adverb of future time.
• lamma, kullama: two adverbs of past time.

Iʿrab of Jussive-Governing and Non-Jussive-Governing Conditional Particles

in, idhma: two particles with no place in iʿrab.

man, ma, mahma: nouns parsed either as:

— In the position of nominative as a mubtadaʾ, if the jussive verb is intransitive, or transitive with its object already supplied.

man: a jussive-governing conditional noun, mubtadaʾ.

— In the position of accusative as a fronted direct object, if the jussive verb has not yet supplied its object.

mata, ayyana: two adverbs of time.

ayna, anna, haythuma: adverbs of place.

These nouns are parsed in the position of accusative as adverbs of time or place.

ayyana: a jussive-governing conditional noun, in the position of accusative as an adverb of time.

kayfama: a jussive-governing conditional noun, parsed in the position of accusative as a fronted haal.

kayfama: a jussive-governing conditional noun, fronted haal.

Iʿrab of the Jussive-Governing Conditional 'Ayy'

ayy: a jussive-governing conditional noun, parsed according to its position in the sentence; it occurs only as a mudaf.

— If preceded by a preposition, it is parsed as a noun in the genitive.

bi-ayy: a jussive-governing conditional noun in the genitive after the preposition.

— If 'ayy' is preceded by a mudaf, it is parsed as a mudaf ilayh.

ayy: a jussive-governing conditional noun, mudaf ilayh.

— If 'ayy' is annexed to an adverb of time or place, it takes that iʿrab.

ayy: a jussive-governing conditional noun, an adverb of time.

— If 'ayy' is annexed to a masdar followed by its corresponding verb, it is parsed as al-mafʿul al-mutlaq.

ayy: a jussive-governing conditional noun, mafʿul mutlaq in the accusative.

— 'ayy' is parsed as a mubtadaʾ if the conditional verb is incomplete (one of kana and its sisters), or intransitive, or transitive with its object already supplied.

ayy: a jussive-governing conditional noun, mubtadaʾ in the nominative.

Iʿrab of the Conditional 'Law'

law: a non-jussive-governing conditional particle, called 'harf imtinaʿ li-imtinaʿ' ('a particle of impossibility-due-to-impossibility'). The realization of the second matter is contingent on the realization of the first; if the second matter does not occur, that is because the first did not occur.

Victory did not occur because fighting did not occur.

— The conditional verb and the response after non-jussive 'law' are past in form and meaning.

— If a noun comes after non-jussive 'law', a verb is implied before it.

mudir: the subject of an omitted verb explained by what follows.

— It is permissible for the response of non-jussive 'law' to be joined with the lam — whether a verbal or nominal clause — called 'al-lam al-rabita li-l-jawab' (the lam binding the response).

— If 'anna' comes after non-jussive 'law', it is interpreted with its noun and predicate as a masdar in the position of nominative as the subject of an omitted verb, implied as 'thabata' ('it is established').

Implied: 'law thabata infaqu al-mal-i la-stafada al-nas-u min-hu' ('if the spending of wealth were established, people would benefit from it').

Iʿrab of the Conditional 'Lawla'

The non-jussive conditional particle 'lawla' enters upon two clauses, linking them, but does not put the verb in the jussive. It is 'harf imtinaʿ li-wujud' ('a particle of impossibility-due-to-existence').

Failure did not befall Khalid because of the existence of his studying. For this reason 'lawla' is called 'harf imtinaʿ li-wujud'.

— After 'lawla' comes a mubtadaʾ whose khabar is obligatorily omitted.

lawla: a non-jussive-governing conditional particle. al-Qurʾan: a mubtadaʾ whose khabar is obligatorily omitted.

— The response of 'lawla' comes as a past-tense verb, or a present-tense verb indicating the past.

— 'lawla al-ʿiqab lam yasud al-amn' ('were it not for punishment, security would not prevail').

— It is permissible for the response of 'lawla' to be joined with the lam binding the response.

Iʿrab of the Conditional 'Lawma'

The non-jussive conditional particle 'lawma' operates like 'lawla' and shares its rulings: it is 'harf imtinaʿ li-wujud'; after it comes a mubtadaʾ whose khabar is obligatorily omitted; and its response comes as a past-tense verb (or present indicating past). It is also permissible for its response to be joined with the lam binding the response.

Iʿrab of the Conditional 'Amma'

The non-jussive conditional particle 'amma' carries the meaning of jussive 'mahma' — though that does not appear in form. It conveys emphasis.

Implied: 'al-kutub-u anwaʿ-un, wa-mahma yakun min shayʾin fa-l-jayyid-u ma ʿammat fawaʾid-u-hu' ('books are of various kinds; whatever it may be, the good ones — their benefits have not become widespread').

— The response of 'amma' must be joined with the faʾ.

— After conditional 'amma' may come:

A mubtadaʾ in the nominative, e.g.: 'amma al-madrasat-u fa-manbaʿ-u al-ʿilm-i wa-l-maʿrifa' ('as for the school, it is the source of learning and knowledge').

A direct object in the accusative, e.g.: 'amma al-wajib-a fa-la tuhmil' ('as for the duty, do not neglect it').

A prepositional phrase, e.g.: 'amma bi-l-maʾ-i fa-tawaddaʾ' ('as for the water, perform ablution with it').

An adverb, e.g.: 'amma yawm-a ams-i fa-hafil-un bi-l-ʿamal' ('as for yesterday, it was full of work').

Iʿrab of the Conditional 'Idha'

idha: an adverb of future time, carrying the meaning of a condition.

— If a noun comes after non-jussive conditional 'idha', it is parsed as the subject of an omitted verb explained by what follows.

Waʾil: the subject of an omitted verb explained by what follows.

Iʿrab of the Conditional 'Kullama'

kullama: an adverb conveying repetition, carrying the meaning of a condition. It requires both a past-tense conditional verb and a past-tense response.

Iʿrab of the Conditional 'Lamma'

lamma: an adverbial conditional, non-jussive — carrying the meaning of 'when'. It is an adverb only when followed by two clauses both of which are past-tense verbs.

Examples of Iʿrab for the Conditional Style

Allah Most High said:

lawla: a non-jussive conditional particle. kitab: a mubtadaʾ in the nominative, marked by the manifest damma at its end; its khabar is obligatorily omitted, implied as 'kaʾinun' or 'mawjudun' ('existing'). The clause (kitab and the omitted khabar) has no place in iʿrab. min: a preposition. Allah: the divine name in the genitive after 'min', marked by the manifest kasra at its end. sabaqa: a past-tense verb fixed on fatha; the subject is a permissibly concealed pronoun, implied as 'huwa'. la-massa-kum: the lam falls in the response of 'lawla'; massa is a past-tense verb fixed on fatha; the kaf is a connected pronoun fixed on damma, in the position of accusative as a fronted direct object; the mim is the sign of masculine plural. fima: fi is a preposition; ma is a noun fixed on sukun, in the position of genitive after 'fi'. akhadhtum: a past-tense verb fixed on sukun; the taʾ is a connected pronoun fixed on damma, in the position of nominative as a mubtadaʾ; the mim is the sign of masculine plural. ʿadhab: the subject of 'massa' in the nominative, marked by the manifest damma at its end. ʿazim: a naʿt in the nominative, marked by the manifest damma at its end.

wa-amma: the waw is a conjunction; amma is a non-jussive conditional particle. bi-niʿma: the baʾ is a preposition; niʿma is a noun in the genitive after the baʾ, marked by the manifest kasra at its end; a mudaf. rabbi-ka: a mudaf ilayh in the genitive, marked by the manifest kasra at its end; a mudaf. The kaf is a connected pronoun fixed on fatha, in the position of genitive as a mudaf ilayh. fa-haddith: the faʾ falls in the response of 'amma'. haddith is an imperative verb fixed on sukun; the subject is an obligatorily concealed pronoun, implied as 'anta' ('you').

The Conditional Style in the Quran

Allah Most High said: