The Four Properties Complete

What You'll Learn

• Recognize the five pluralJamʿجَمْعPlural: a noun referring to three or more items. Arabic has five kinds of plural, including the sound masculine, sound feminine, and broken plurals.Introduced on Day 1 patterns in Arabic and identify each one in a word.
• Apply the rule that a broken pluralJamʿ Taksīrجَمْع تَكْسِيرThe broken plural: a plural that "breaks" the spelling of its singular (like mouse to mice) and carries ending sounds, so it looks singular and must be known by vocabulary. Grammatically it is treated as a singular feminine ("she"); human broken plurals may instead take their real plural.Introduced on Day 3 is treated grammatically as a singularMufradمُفْرَدSingular: a noun referring to just one item. Its status is shown by the ending sound (un / an / in or u / a / i).Introduced on Day 1 feminineMuʾannathمُؤَنَّثFeminine. A noun is feminine either really (biologically female) or grammatically, for four reasons: certain endings (ة، اء، ى), the conventional-feminine words, paired body parts, and broken plurals.Introduced on Day 3, and know when human broken plurals may instead take their real plural.
• Determine a noun's gender using the principle "masculineMudhakkarمُذَكَّرMasculine. The default gender of any noun: a word is masculine until it shows a sign of being feminine.Introduced on Day 3 until proven feminine," including the four causes of grammatical (fake) feminine.
• Classify a noun as commonNakiraنَكِرَةCommon (indefinite). The default type of any noun: a word is common unless it falls into one of the seven categories that make it proper.Introduced on Day 3 or properMaʿrifaمَعْرِفَةProper (definite). A noun is common until proven proper; there are seven categories that make it proper, including proper names, words with Al, all pronouns, pointers, the Ism Mawṣūl, the one being called, and a Muḍāf to a proper word.Introduced on Day 3 by checking it against the seven categories of proper nouns.
• Build an IḍāfahIḍāfahإِضَافَةThe possessive "of" construction joining two nouns, like rasūlu-llāh (the Messenger of Allah). It needs a Muḍāf (light, no Al) immediately followed by a Muḍāf Ilayhi (in Jar). Iḍāfahs can chain together.Introduced on Day 3 ("of") construction from its two roles, and read an Iḍāfah chain.

Lesson 0: Review: The Framework of the Ism

This marks the completion of the foundational study of the IsmIsmاِسْمA noun: a word naming a person, place, thing, or idea (and also adjectives and adverbs). It has meaning but is unattached to time, so it is not a verb (Fiʿl) or a particle (Harf). One of the three Arabic word types.Introduced on Day 1's first property (StatusIʿrābإِعْرَابStatus: the first and most important property of a noun. It is the grammatical case (Rafaʿ, Nasb, or Jar) shown by the word’s ending, telling you the word’s role in the sentence.Introduced on Day 1).

• Four Properties: Status, Number, Gender, Type.
• Four Lessons of Status:
  1. Forms (Rafa'RafaʿرَفْعThe "doer" status (subject). The word that performs the action, answering "who or what did it?" Its singular ending is the u/un sound. The state-word for it is Marfūʿ.Introduced on Day 1, NasbNasbنَصْبThe "done-to" status (object / detail). The word receiving the action or giving its detail (to whom, what, where, when, how), answered by the a/an sound. The state-word for it is Mansūb.Introduced on Day 1, JarJarجَرّThe status of the word after "of" or after a preposition. Shown by the i/in sound. A word is Jar for one of two reasons: it is a Muḍāf Ilayhi, or it follows a Harf of Jar. The state-word for it is Majrūr.Introduced on Day 1)
  2. How to Tell (Sounds, Combinations, PronounsḌamīrضَمِيرA pronoun. Independent (detached) pronouns like huwa stand alone, are always Rafaʿ and proper. Attached pronouns like -hu cling to another word and are always Nasb or Jar.Introduced on Day 2)
  3. LightLightA special form where the extra "n" sound has been dropped (muslimu instead of muslimun). A word goes light for exactly four reasons: it is partly flexible, it is the one being called (al-munādā), it follows the lā of absolute categorical negation (lā an-nāfiya lil-jins), or it is a Muḍāf.Introduced on Day 2 vs. HeavyHeavyThe normal, default form of a noun, which keeps the extra "n" sound (from tanwin like -un, or a combination like -āni / -ūna). After lā it signals a general negation.Introduced on Day 2 (four reasons to be light)
  4. FlexibilityFlexibilityHow freely a noun can show its status. Fully flexible words show all three statuses; partly flexible words (places and non-Arab names) are always light and never take a Kasrah; non-flexible words look the same in every status.Introduced on Day 2 (Fully, Partly, Non-Flexible)

By mastering this framework, we can now analyze any Ism in the Quran and identify its grammatical properties. The Status part is complete here.

Lesson 1: The Second Property of the Ism: Number

The study of "Number" is essentially the study of the five types of plurals in Arabic. (Singular endings: un/an/in or u/a/i; DualMuthannāمُثَنَّىDual: a noun referring to exactly two items. Rafaʿ ends in -āni; Nasb and Jar both end in -ayni.Introduced on Day 1: āni/ayni combinations, both already known.)

The five plural types are:

1. Normal masculine pluralJamʿ Mudhakkar Sālimجَمْع مُذَكَّر سَالِمThe sound masculine plural: identified by the -ūna (Rafaʿ) / -īna (Nasb-Jar) combinations. It is used for intelligent beings only and is inclusive (covers a mixed group of men and women).Introduced on Day 1 (the core noun chart)
2. Normal feminine pluralJamʿ Muʾannath Sālimجَمْع مُؤَنَّث سَالِمThe sound feminine plural: ends in -ātun (Rafaʿ) and -ātin (both Nasb and Jar); there is no -ātan form. It can be used for groups of women or for non-human things (like "heavens").Introduced on Day 2 (the core noun chart)
3. Human broken plural
4. Non-human broken plural
5. Plural by meaning (e.g.: people نَاسٌ, generation قَرْنٌ, nation قَوْمٌ)

Broken plurals do not carry the plural endings found in the core noun chart. Instead they have ending sounds, so they can only be identified through vocabulary; otherwise they look singular.

The full categorization of Number (the full list of forms a noun can take):

1. Masculine Plural (Sound):

• Identified by -ūna / -īna (ـُوْنَ / ـِيْنَ) combinations.
• Rule: Used for intelligent beings only (humans, angels, jinn).
• Rule: It is inclusive: includes both males and females in a group (like collective nouns, e.g., "Students"). Sometimes Allah uses the Masculine Plural for Himself to show royalty in the Quran.

2. Feminine Plural (Sound):

• Identified by -ātun / -ātin (ـَاتٌ / ـَاتٍ) combinations.
• Rule: Can be used for human females (exclusively) and for non-human objects or ideas too (like "Sky").
• Examples of non-human use: samāwātin (سَمَاوَاتٍ, heavens), āyātin (آيَاتٍ, signs).
• Declension of muslimah (Muslim woman): مُسْلِمَاتٌ (muslimātun, Rafaʿ) → مُسْلِمَاتٍ (muslimātin, Nasb/Jar). Note it has no separate Nasb form: it stays muslimātin like its Jar.
• For comparison, the dual of the same word: مُسْلِمَتَانِ (muslimatāni) → مُسْلِمَتَيْنِ (muslimatayni).

3. Broken Plural:

• Identification: The plural form "breaks" the spelling of the singular. They look singular because they use ending sounds, not combinations. Recognition depends on vocabulary.
• English Analogy: mouse → mice (broken); house → houses (not broken).

• Arabic Examples:
  • masjidun (مَسْجِدٌ) → masājidu (مَسَاجِدُ)
  • kitābun (كِتَابٌ) → kutubun (كُتُبٌ)
  • rasūlun (رَسُوْلٌ) → rusulun (رُسُلٌ)
  • Other broken plurals: alAlالْThe definite article "the" (الْ). Adding it makes a word proper and drops the tanwin off singulars (Al and tanwin cannot share one word). A Muḍāf can never carry Al.Introduced on Day 2-malā'ikah (الْمَلَائِكَةُ, the angels, a human broken plural), sunan (سُنَن, ways/practices).
  • The "Crazy" Grammar Rule: Broken plurals are treated grammatically as singular feminine (a "she").

• Non-Human Broken Plurals (e.g., books, mountains): ALWAYS treated as singular feminine.
• Example: Fatima bought 4 books (kutubun is a broken plural here). She read her all in just a few days. Then returned her for a full weekend because she found her boring.
• Human Broken Plurals (e.g., messengers, scholars): Can be treated as singular feminine (the grammar rule) OR as their actual plural reality (plural masculine/feminine). The Quran uses both.
• Example: Ahmad learned from a few scholars (Ustād is a broken human plural here). He spent years with her. He served her and benefited from her company. [OR] He spent years with them. He served them and benefited from their company.
• About Broken Plurals:
  • You can't predict what they are going to be (as a new learner, until you have a good amount of vocabulary).
  • Most words are broken plurals.
  • Without vocabulary, they look singular because they don't have a combination; rather they have ending sounds (un, an, in): e.g., kutubun, rusulun are plural but carry singular ending sounds.

4. Plural Because the Arabs Said So (Collective Nouns):

• A few specific words that are singular in form but actually plural in meaning.
• Examples (NAAS, QAWM, QARN): نَاس (nās, people), قَوْم (qawm, nation/group), قَرْن (qarn, generation).

Lesson 2: The Third Property of the Ism: Gender

The Core Rule: An Ism is masculine until proven feminine. The default gender of any Ism is masculine; we only need to learn the signs of femininity. If a word shows no signs of being feminine, it is masculine by default.

• Real Feminine: Words that are biologically female (a matter of biology, not grammar).
  • Examples: mother, sister, Maryam (مَرْيَم), Zaynab (زَيْنَب), cow.
• Fake (Grammatical) Feminine: Words for things without biological gender that are treated as feminine. The four reasons a word can be grammatically feminine are:
  1. Certain Letter Endings (ة، اء، ى, these do not always indicate feminine):
  • Tā MarbūṭaTā MarbūṭaةThe "tied tā" (ة) ending. It is the most common sign that a word is feminine. In the sound feminine plural it "opens up" into a regular tā (ت) before the -āt ending.Introduced on Day 2 (ة / ةٌ): e.g., رَحْمَةٌ (raḥmatun, love & care / mercy)
  • Alif MamdūdaAlif MamdūdaـَاءThe "stretched alif" ending (ـَاء). It typically marks femininity specifically for colors and sicknesses or defects, as in ṣafrāʾ (yellow, feminine) or ʿamyāʾ (a blind woman).Introduced on Day 3 (اء / اءُ): e.g., سَمَاءٌ (samā'un, sky)
  • Alif MaqṣūraAlif MaqṣūraىThe "shortened alif" ending (ى), as in mūsā, ʿīsā, hudā. Words ending in it are often non-flexible (they cannot show their status), and it can be a sign of feminine.Introduced on Day 2 (ى): e.g., الْحُسْنَى (al-ḥusnā, the most beautiful), dunyā (دُنْيَا, world)
  2. Feminine Because the Arabs Said So (the conventional-feminine list): A list of words feminine by convention.
  • Examples: ḥarb (حَرْب, war), samā' (سَمَاء, sky), shams (شَمْس, sun), nafs (نَفْس, soul), nār (نَار, fire), arḍ (أَرْض, land/earth), sabīl (سَبِيل, path), dār (دَار, house), ka's (كَأْس, cup), jahannam (جَهَنَّم, Hell), 'aṣā (عَصَا, staff), dalw (دَلْو, bucket), ṭarīq (طَرِيق, path), rīḥ (رِيح, wind), bi'r (بِئْر, well), khamr (خَمْر, wine), sa'īr (سَعِير, blaze).
  3. Body Parts that Come in Pairs:
  • Examples: yad (يَد, hand), 'ayn (عَيْن, eye), rijl (رِجْل, foot), udhun (أُذُن, ear), ka'b (كَعْب, ankle), mirfaq (مِرْفَق, elbow), shafah (شَفَة, lip), 'aqib (عَقِب, heel), khadd (خَدّ, cheek), mankib (مَنْكِب, shoulder).
  4. Broken Plurals: As a category, they are treated grammatically as singular feminine ("she").
  5. Places: Names of cities and countries are feminine (for example مَكَّة (Makkah), مِصْر (Egypt), الشَّام (Shām)).

The signs of the feminine (taʾnīth)

Classically, a feminine noun carries one of three signs (ʿalāmāt al-taʾnīth):

• the round tāʾ, ة: e.g. بَقَرَةٌ (baqaratun, a cow).
• the shortened alif, alif maqṣūra ى: e.g. بُشْرى (bushrā, glad tidings).
• the extended alif, alif mamdūda اء: e.g. سَوْدَاءُ (sawdāʾu, black, feminine).

A masculine noun (mudhakkar) is then defined as one that carries no sign of taʾnīth (e.g. فَرَسٌ, farasun, a horse), while a feminine noun (muʾannath) carries one (e.g. نَاقَةٌ, nāqatun, a she-camel).

Real feminine vs verbal feminine

The feminine is further split by whether a living male counterpart exists:

• muʾannath ḥaqīqī (real feminine): has a living male counterpart, whether or not it carries a feminine sign. For example اِمْرَأةٌ (imraʾatun, a woman) against اِمْرَؤٌ (imruʾun, a man), and أَتَانٌ (atānun, a she-donkey) against حِمَارٌ (ḥimārun, a he-donkey).
• muʾannath lafẓī (verbal feminine): carries a feminine look but has no living male counterpart, e.g. ظُلْمَةٌ (ẓulmatun, darkness) and عَيْنٌ (ʿaynun, a spring).

Lesson 3: The Fourth Property of the Ism: Type

The Core Rule: An Ism is common until proven proper. The default type of any Ism is common; we only need to learn the seven categories that make an Ism proper.

The seven types of proper Isms are:

1. Specific names

2. Words with al (الْ = "the")

3. All pronouns are proper

4. PointersIsm al-Ishāraاِسْم الإِشَارَةA demonstrative pointer (this, that, these, those), like hādhā or dhālika. Pointers are proper. A pointer followed immediately by an Al-word forms a fragment with no "is."Introduced on Day 3 are proper (this, that, these, those)

5. Ism MawṣūlIsm Mawṣūlاِسْم مَوْصُولA relative ("connecting") word like alladhī (the one who / that which). It is one of the seven kinds of proper noun and is inherently proper.Introduced on Day 3 (alladhī = "that which / the one who")

6. The one being called

7. MuḍāfMuḍāfمُضَافThe first word of an Iḍāfah, the thing being possessed (the word before "of"). It must be light and carry no Al, and it takes its type (proper/common) from the Muḍāf Ilayhi.Introduced on Day 3 to a proper Ism, see Lesson 4

8. Specific Names: e.g., Muhammad, Makkah, America, Nūman (نُعْمَان), Makkah (مَكَّة), نُوحٌ (Nūḥ).

9. Words with Al (The): e.g., al-kitāb (الْكِتَاب, the book), الْإِنْسَانُ (al-insān, the human being). Compare bare إِنْسَان (insān, common) vs. الْإِنْسَانُ (proper, because of al).

• Examples: Yā rajulu! (يَا رَجُلُ, "Man!"), Yā waladu! (يَا وَلَدُ, "Boy!").

7. The Muḍāf to a Proper Ism (see Lesson 4).

Two kinds of Nakira

A nakira (indefinite noun) is itself of two kinds, depending on whether it has been made specific:

• nakira mukhaṣṣaṣa (specified indefinite): an indefinite noun made specific by one of the means of specification, such as adding an adjectiveṢifahصِفَةThe adjective in a noun-adjective fragment. By the Golden Rule it must match its Mawṣūf in all four properties: Status, Number, Gender, and Type. In Arabic the adjective comes after the noun. It is never a proper name, pronoun, or pointer word.Introduced on Day 5 or being muḍāf to another noun. For example رَجُلٌ عَالِمٌ (rajulun ʿālimun, a knowledgeable man) and طِفْلُ رَجُلٍ (ṭiflu rajulin, a man's child).
• nakira ghayr mukhaṣṣaṣa (unspecified indefinite): an indefinite noun left unspecified by any of those means, e.g. كِتابٌ (kitābun, a book).

Lesson 4: Putting the Bricks Together: The Iḍāfah Construction

This is the first and most fundamental way to connect two Isms to form a phrase. It is the grammatical construction for "of" (e.g., "The Messenger of Allah").

A. The Two Roles

1. Muḍāf (مُضَاف): The word before "of." The thing being possessed.
2. Muḍāf IlayhiMuḍāf Ilayhiمُضَاف إِلَيْهThe second word of an Iḍāfah, the possessor (the word after "of"). It must be in Jar status.Introduced on Day 3 (مُضَاف إِلَيْه): The word after "of." The possessor.

An English illustration helps with the word order. English can say "his class" OR "the class of his", Arabic's Iḍāfah works like the second phrasing: the possessed thing (the Muḍāf, e.g. "class") comes first, and the possessor (the Muḍāf Ilayhi, e.g. "his") comes after. So you read an Iḍāfah right-to-left as "[Muḍāf] of [Muḍāf Ilayhi]."

B. The Two Conditions of the Muḍāf

For an Ism to be a Muḍāf, it must meet two strict conditions:

1. It must be LIGHT.
2. It must have NO Al.

C. The One Condition of the Muḍāf Ilayhi

For an Ism to be a Muḍāf Ilayhi, it must meet one condition:

1. It must be in the status of JAR.

When a word that is Light and has no Al is followed immediately by a word in Jar, an "of" is automatically created between them. This construction is called an Iḍāfah (إضافة).

D. Examples

• rasūlu-llāh (رَسُولُ اللَّهِ): The Messenger of Allah.
  • rasūlu is light and has no Al (Muḍāf). Allāhi is Jar (Muḍāf Ilayhi).
• subḥāna-llāh (سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ): The Perfection of Allah.
  • subḥāna is light and has no Al. Allāhi is Jar.
• ibna Maryam (ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ): The Son of Maryam.
  • ibna is light and has no Al. Maryam is partly flexible, so its Jar form is Maryama.
• Āli Muḥammad (آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ): The Family of Muhammad.
• Āli Ibrāhīm (آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ): The Family of Abraham.

E. The Iḍāfah Chain

It is possible to have a chain of Iḍāfahs, where a word acts as a Muḍāf Ilayhi to the word before it and a Muḍāf to the word after it.

• Example: Māliki Yawmi-d-Dīn (مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ): Master of the Day of Judgment.
  • Māliki is Muḍāf to Yawmi.
  • Yawmi is Muḍāf Ilayhi to Māliki AND Muḍāf to ad-Dīn.
  • ad-Dīn is Muḍāf Ilayhi to Yawmi.

This marks the end of the first "semester" and the completion of the Ism's four foundational properties.

Appendix A: Flexibility Exercise

The exercise asks: Are the following words Fully (F), Partly (P), or Non-Flexible (N)? The words to classify include:

• مُوسَى (Mūsā), جَنَّة (jannah), يُوسُف (Yūsuf), عِيسَى ('Īsā), رَحْمَة (raḥmah), سُلْطَان (sulṭān)
• لُوط (Lūṭ), مُحَمَّد (Muḥammad), سَفِينَة (safīnah), صَاحِب (ṣāḥib), مَسْجِد (masjid), هَذَا (hādhā)
• دَالس (dālis), آدَم (Ādam), قَلَم (qalam), مُصَيْطِر / مُسَيْطِر (muṣayṭir), فِرْعَوْن (Firʿawn), الذِّكْرَى (adh-dhikrā)
• إِطْعَام (iṭʿām), يَتِيم (yatīm), نَار (nār), رَسُول (rasūl), الْأُنْثَى (al-unthā), ابْتِغَاء (ibtighā')
• زُب / رَبّ (rabb), عَلَق ('alaq), الرُّجْعَى (ar-rujʿā), إِبْرَاهِيم (Ibrāhīm), لَهَب (lahab), أَحَد (aḥad)
• مُحْصِنِين (muḥṣinīn), سَيِّئَات (sayyi'āt), مِئَتَيْنِ (mi'atayni), طَوْلًا (ṭawlan)

Appendix B: Qur'anic Passages

These passages apply the day's grammar (number, gender, broken plurals, iḍāfah) to real āyāt.

Sūrah al-Kahf (18:17–18): the people of the cave:

• وَتَرَى الشَّمْسَ إِذَا طَلَعَت تَّزَاوَرُ عَن كَهْفِهِمْ ذَاتَ الْيَمِينِ وَإِذَا غَرَبَت تَّقْرِضُهُمْ ذَاتَ الشِّمَالِ وَهُمْ فِي فَجْوَةٍ مِّنْهُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ ۗ مَن يَهْدِ اللَّهُ فَهُوَ الْمُهْتَدِ ۖ وَمَن يُضْلِلْ فَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُ وَلِيًّا مُّرْشِدًا (17)
• وَتَحْسَبُهُمْ أَيْقَاظًا وَهُمْ رُقُودٌ ۚ وَنُقَلِّبُهُمْ ذَاتَ الْيَمِينِ وَذَاتَ الشِّمَالِ ۖ وَكَلْبُهُم بَاسِطٌ ذِرَاعَيْهِ بِالْوَصِيدِ ۚ لَوِ اطَّلَعْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ لَوَلَّيْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِرَارًا وَلَمُلِئْتَ مِنْهُمْ رُعْبًا (18)
• Key word highlighted: فَجْوَة (fajwah, an open space).

Sūrah Maryam (19:1–5): the supplication of Zakariyyā:

• كهيعص (Kāf Hā Yā ʿAyn Ṣād) (1)
• ذِكْرُ رَحْمَتِ رَبِّكَ عَبْدَهُ زَكَرِيَّا (dhikru raḥmati rabbika ʿabdahu Zakariyyā, A mention of the mercy of your Lord to His servant Zakariyyā) (2): note the iḍāfah chain raḥmati rabbika.
• إِذْ نَادَى رَبَّهُ نِدَاءً خَفِيًّا (idh nādā rabbahu nidā'an khafiyyā, when he called to his Lord a quiet call) (3)
• قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي وَهَنَ الْعَظْمُ مِنِّي وَاشْتَعَلَ الرَّأْسُ شَيْبًا وَلَمْ أَكُن بِدُعَائِكَ رَبِّ شَقِيًّا (qāla rabbi innī wahana-l-ʿaẓmu minnī wa-shtaʿala-r-ra'su shaybā..., He said: My Lord, indeed my bones have weakened and my head has filled with white hair...) (4)
• وَإِنِّي خِفْتُ الْمَوَالِيَ مِن وَرَائِي وَكَانَتِ امْرَأَتِي عَاقِرًا فَهَبْ لِي مِن لَّدُنكَ وَلِيًّا (...wa-kānat-i-mra'atī ʿāqiran..., and my wife has been barren, so grant me from Yourself an heir) (5)

Recap

• Number is the study of the five plurals: sound masculine, sound feminine, human broken, non-human broken, and plural-by-meaning words like nās, qawm, and qarn.
• Broken plurals look singular and depend on vocabulary; grammatically they are treated as singular feminine, with human broken plurals allowed to take their real plural instead.
• Gender follows "masculine until proven feminine," with four causes of grammatical feminine: certain endings (ة، اء، ى), the conventional-feminine words, paired body parts, and broken plurals.
• Type follows "common until proven proper," with seven categories making a noun proper, including proper names, words with al, all pronouns, pointers, the Ism Mawṣūl, the one being called, and the Muḍāf to a proper Ism.
• An Iḍāfah joins a Muḍāf (light, no al) to a Muḍāf Ilayhi (in Jar) to express "of," and Iḍāfahs can chain, as in Māliki Yawmi-d-Dīn.

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