Ilm Fruits

Laysa (Not)

Laysa in Arabic means "not" (eg. that is not a pen). Unlike the other negations maa and laa, laysa is conjugated as a verb, depending on what you're negating.

For example:

1. the duck is not big (al-battatu laysat kabiyratan)
2. the cat is not lazy (al-qittu laysa bi kaslaana)

Whenever you use laysa, the mubtada and khabr change: the mubtada becomes ismu laysa, and the khabr becomes khabru laysa.

Finally, laysa causes ismu laysa (not the mubtada--it's now ismu laysa) to be marfoo' (takes dumma/tanween-dumma), and khabru laysa becomes mansoob (takes fatha/tanween-fatha -- see example one). Except if you prefix the khabr with bi (the preposition). In that case, it takes kasra, just as any word with a preposition. (Like example two.)

And of course, you can use laysa at the beginning of a sentence, just like any verb--eg. I am not sick (lastu bi mariydin).

The sarf for laysa is listed below--laysa is essentially a past-tense verb. (Read the sarf from top to bottom and right to left.)

Wallahu 'alim. As usual, post a comment inshallah if you need any clarifications or have any questions.

• No related posts

Like this post? Get instant ilm-ification via our RSS feed or through email!

Victory Comes With Patience

The Messenger of Allah (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said to his cousin: "And know that victory comes with patience, relief with affliction, and ease with hardship. [1]

Even in the battle of Qadisiyyah, after fighting through the whole day, the Muslim leader said "just be patient, and keep fighting." Even into the night, when most armies stop fighting at night! But subhanallah, what happened? By the next morning, the Muslims had won.

With anything you do, there's this one moment everyone is tired, and if you push through that moment, endure a little more, then you make it. A winner mentality. Losers are like "no, I can't do it, I'll just quit." Ask people who are black-belts--they'll tell you the same thing. There's this one moment where you feel like quitting. But if you push through that moment, you've succeeded--the rest you can do on cruise-control.

So whatever you're trying to do--whether succeed at a project, or change a habit, or achieve a goal, or conquer an enemy, remember that victory comes with patience.

And of course, patience is an active quality, not a passive quality--don't just sit back and expect things to go your way. Work for it, strive for it, and remember that results are from Allah (سبحانه وتعالى).

And Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says in the Qur'an:

Translation: And seek assistance through patience and prayer, and most surely it is a hard thing except for the humble ones. [Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 45]

[1] "Important Lessons From Ramadaan." Islaam.Com. Jan. 1997. 24 Feb. 2007 <http://www.islaam.com/Article.aspx?id=143>.

[2] Muhammad ibn Faqih. Lecture. AlMaghrib. Rules of Engagement. University of Toronto, Toronto. September 2006.

• On Patience
• Benefits to Not Fighting Back
• Khalid bin Walid: From General to Foot-Soldier
• What is a Museebah?
• Where’s Our Dignity?

Like this post? Get instant ilm-ification via our RSS feed or through email!

Two for the Price of One

Allah says in the Qur'an:

Translation: So verily, with the hardship, there is relief; Verily, with the hardship, there is relief! [Surah Ash-Shrah, verses 5-6]

Two for the price of one! How's that for a deal?

So if you find yourself in a position of hardship, ask yourself: What ease am I forgetting?

And also, the use of with, shows that the two are so closely related as to be companions--they are together! [1]

And Allah is the source of peace, As-Salaam.

[1] Mawdudi, Abul Ala. The Meaning of the Qur'An. 3 Rev. ed. Vol. 6. Lahore: Islamic Publications (Pvt.) Ltd., 2002. 418.

• ‘Uthman’s Caravan: Doing Business with Allah
• Business Zakaah
• Imam Abu Hanifa: A True Tradesman
• Earth’s Fill in Gold

Like this post? Get instant ilm-ification via our RSS feed or through email!

Adjectives for Allah

Allah says in the Qur'an:

You might ask, why do rabb, Ar-Rahmaan, Ar-Raheem, and Maalik all have kasra on them? Why not dumma (the default), or fatha?

The answer is that, wallahu 'alim, they are na'at (adjactives) for Allah--words that describe His greatness.

For example, Ar-Rahmaan means "the source of mercy" (that's why, scholars say, you cannot name your son Rahman). Ar-Raheem is the one who shows mercy to the creation.

And rabbil 'alamiyn means "Lord of the Worlds" (yes, worlds, not world). And Maaliki Yawmid-Deen means king or soverign of the Day of Recompense.

Inshallah we'll post more details (tafseer) on each of these aspects in the future.

• Default Dumma and Definitivity
• Number and Counted / ‘Adad and Ma’duwd

Like this post? Get instant ilm-ification via our RSS feed or through email!

Schedule Around Salaah

Not enough time to do what you want in life? Are you over-worked, over-stressed, and over-tired? Looking for that one key element that'll make everything fall into place time-wise?

Schedule around salaah.

Try it--plan your day around your salaah. "I'll do x, y, z after Fajr." "I can fit these things in before Dhur ..." "Sorry bro, I can't meet up until after Isha" etc.

And see the difference it makes. Just try it. (It's a prophetic technique.)

Inshallah do post in the comments if it makes any kind of difference in your life.

• “As-Salaah! As-Salaah!”
• Relax! Who are you Racing?
• “If it is sound then the rest of his deeds will be sound…”
• Are You a Believer?
• Have you Established the Salaah?

Like this post? Get instant ilm-ification via our RSS feed or through email!

Hadhaa Kitaabun vs. Haadhal Kitaabu

One question that plagues many new students of the Arabic language is the difference between hadhaa kitaabun and hadhaal kitaabu ...

The difference is best demonstrated by example: hadhaa kitaabun kabiyrun means "this is a big book," and "hadhaal kitaabul kabiyru" means "this big book ..."

Get the difference? The first (hadhaa kitaabun) is talking about any book. "This is a book." Nothing special. The second--hadhaal kitaabu--is talking about a specific book. It's saying "this book ... something."

And how do you know the difference? in the second case, the book is definite--it's a specific book. Notice, al-kitaabu--the book. Not kitaabun--a book.

And, notice the second one is a fragment--this big book what? This big book is open? This big book is on the table? And so on.

• Default Dumma and Definitivity
• Possessive Case / Mudaf & Mudaf Ilayh
• Huruwful Jarr: Prepositions

Like this post? Get instant ilm-ification via our RSS feed or through email!