الإضافة

We are amazed to observe in the syllables, movements-حَرَكَاْتٌ [three Short vowels] and terminations [endings] in the words chosen that they control our eye movements by directing the visual axis to a forward location, and restrict regressions back to material already read. Regression is a habit; a process of re-reading text that we have already read. It wastes almost one third of the time we spend on reading. Regression disrupts our concentration. Reading is not all that matters. We have to comprehend what we read because without comprehension, reading is a wasted effort.

We are progressing not only in recognizing words effortlessly but also the interaction-relationships between the words of the text. This is the key for unfolding the thought, idea, perception and message of the Arabic text in our native language. By recalling the perception of Arabic Root "ق ر ء" we are acting to achieve that it signifies; collecting and compressing the spread text comprising of many words to one point-reducing it in our minds to a dot. This "dot" is in fact the thought, idea and the message that the author of the book intends to convey to us. When a human writer transcribes in writing, he actually expands the thought which is stored in his memory merely as an encoded dot.

We can neither claim nor can understand the message of Qur'aan even if we memorize the meanings of all the individual words. We can understand it if we recognize each word and know about itself, determine its relation with other words on its boundaries and the role it plays in the text.

The third word

of the text has shifted our gaze fixation to its fourth word

. We have determined the relationship of word

with its preceding word as Equivalent Appositive. Now we read it in relation to the next word:

Kindly watch both the words and point out two similarities in them. Yes, right you are; both have

in their beginning and both have genitive ending [ـِ]. [However, we hope you have noticed the difference in coloring of

in both. It is an integral part of the Personal Name of Allah the Exalted and is NOT definite article. In the next noun it is the definite article. We can skip this delicacy for now and revert to recognizing phrases visually]. The important question is the same; Why the word

, which we have instantly recognized as Noun by presence of prefixed

, is in genitive case [ـِ]? This is because a genitive state is caused by the influence of preceding word whereby they both develop a mutual relationship as we observed earlier. We have further vividly recognized that this pair of words is neither prepositional nor a possessive phrase.

Therefore, we should study the grammar book of our mother language to acquire information about a phrase other than a prepositional and possessive phrase. There we find the term "adjective phrase" which is defined as; "A word group with an adjective as its head. This adjective may be accompanied by modifiers, determiners, and/or qualifiers. Adjective phrases modify nouns. They may be attributive (appearing before the noun) or predicative (appearing after a linking verb), but not all adjectives can be used in both positions." Adjective is defined as: "The part of speech that modifies a noun or other substantive by limiting, qualifying, or specifying" [Adjectival Phrase: "The term adjectival phrase, adjective phrase, or sometimes phrasal adjective may refer to any one of several types of grammatical phrase. (1) In syntax, the term adjectival phrase or adjective phrase refers to a phrase built upon an adjective, which functions as the head of that phrase.(2) A different use of the term is for a phrase that modifies a noun as an adjective would, even if it does not contain or is not based on an adjective. These may be more precisely distinguished as phrasal noun modifiers. (3) Under some definitions the term adjectival phrase is only used for phrases in attributive position, within the noun phrase they modify.]

The grammatical information about elements of text in your native language will help you when you start translating the Arabic text of Qur'aan. In Arabic, a true adjective is a subordinate word indicating a meaning in its principle. The important points to memorize:

(a) In Arabic, the noun comes first. The one being described must come first; it is called الْمُوصُوفُ and also الْمَنْعُوتُ-the one who is described-portrayed. In the above Adjectival Phrase is the مُوْصُوف-the one who is described-portrayed adjectively.

(b) The adjective follows the Noun. The description must come second; it is called الصِّفَةُ/adjective. It indicates a meaning in its principle without exception meaning without restrictions, like that of time or other restrictions. It functions as qualitative portrayal of the mentioned noun. Adjective's meaning is not for itself, rather its meaning is found in the noun which it modifies. Most often it is a derivative. : the appositive subordinate; الصِّفَةُ/adjective in Adjectival Phrase.

(c) We observed that the ending of both the Noun-مُوْصُوف and the Adjective-صِفَةٌ are in genitive case [ـِ]. It is thus obvious that the grammatical case of the Noun is determined by external factors and the case of Adjective will always match it. This is important visible sign to visually recognize Adjectival Phrase. We see another Phrase with same words but different case ending: . The adjective has matching nominative [ُ ] case ending with its Noun.

(d) Unlike Possessive Phrase, both the Nouns are visibly definite. The Noun and Adjective must correspond in definiteness. Both should either be definite or indefinite.

I place before you in isolation two words and request you to tell as to what they are without consulting a dictionary:

If you effortlessly tell me that both words are nouns and they constitute an Adjectival Phrase it will indicate that you have completely grasped and attained the skill to visually recognize words and the Adjectival Phrase. We have effortlessly recognized both words as definite nouns by finding that both have prefixed . Our brain effortlessly ruled out that they are a Possessive Phrase because in Possessive Phrase neither the first Noun carries nor the second noun has any other state-ending except genitive [ـِ]. On finding both matching in case ending and definiteness, we adjudged the pair as Adjectival Phrase.

Encouraged by the interest and wisdom of you the reader, we see another pair of words in isolation:

Wonderful, you are absolutely right; both are nouns and constitute an Adjectival Phrase. We instantly recognized them as nouns because of nominative ـُـُ, tanwīn at their end which is unique determiner of the noun. Barring Proper Nouns-names of persons, this is the default case of the Nouns and indicator of their indefiniteness. We instantly recognized that they are not constituents of a Possessive Phrase because its first noun never has tanwīn and its second noun never has state other than genitive [ـِ]. We adjudged it as Adjectival Phrase because both match in indefiniteness and case ending.

We read in English grammar that an adjective also functions to specify a noun. When both the nouns in Adjectival Phrase are indefinite, the benefit of adjective is specification of the modified noun-الْمُوصُوفُ.

We have not as yet learnt to recognize another two aspects of a Noun which are otherwise well known to us; that a noun has gender and plurality. In Arabic, a noun is either masculine or feminine. Similarly a noun is either singular, dual or plural. In the Possessive Phrase the first and the second noun worry about their own gender and plurality. But in an Adjectival Phrase the adjective/الصِّفَةُ will be masculine if the Noun-الْمُوصُوفُ is masculine. And if the Noun is feminine the Adjective will also be feminine. Similarly if the Noun is singular, the adjective will also be singular and it will respectively be dual or plural if the noun is dual or plural. Let us see two examples:

Adjectival Phrase; singular, masculine genitive noun and corresponding adjective singular masculine.

Adjectival Phrase; plural, feminine noun and corresponding adjective plural feminine.

Yes, you are right in telling me that the adjective in English remains the same while the noun it describes can be of any gender, plurality, or definiteness. In Arabic, both parts of the Adjectival Phrase match in gender, plurality, definiteness and inflection-case ending. This aspect facilitates the effortless visual perception of the Adjectival Phrase in the Qur'aan that enhances the comprehension; level of understanding of text.

Recap

(a) In Arabic, the noun comes first. The one being described must come first; it is called الْمُوصُوفُ and also الْمَنْعُوتُ-the one who is described-portrayed.

(b) The adjective follows the Noun. The description must come second; it is called الصِّفَةُ/adjective. It indicates a meaning in its principle without exception meaning without restrictions, like that of time or other restrictions. It functions as qualitative portrayal of the mentioned noun. Adjective's meaning is not for itself, rather its meaning is found in the noun which it modifies. Most often it is a derivative. However, when both the nouns in Adjectival Phrase are indefinite the benefit of adjective is specification of the noun.

(d) The Noun and Adjective must correspond in definiteness. Both should either be definite or indefinite.

(e) The Noun and Adjective must correspond in gender. Both should either be masculine or feminine.

(f) The Noun and Adjective must correspond in plurality. Both should either be singular, dual or plural.