Affirmation
Affirmation is a linguistic technique employed to reinforce and establish a specific meaning or concept in the mind of the reader or listener. The primary objective is to dispel any doubts that an individual may sometimes harbor. In Arabic, affirmation is categorized into two main types: verbal affirmation and contextual affirmation. Additionally, there are tools known as affirmation tools that facilitate this process. Affirmation falls under the broader category of follow-ups, similar to adjectives, conjunctions, and substitutions.
Types of Affirmation
Verbal Affirmation
Verbal affirmation involves the repetition of the term being affirmed, either verbally or through synonymous expressions. Instances of verbal affirmation include the reiteration of the confirmed element as a noun, pronoun, verb, conjunction, or complete sentence. Some examples of verbal affirmation are as follows:
- I brought the water, the water: where the second instance of “water” serves to affirm the first mention.
- We went, we: “we” is a separate pronoun that emphasizes the attached “nun” in the verb, alongside countless other examples.
Contextual Affirmation
Contextual affirmation refers to emphasizing meaning through specific tools such as: kula, kiltā, jamīʿ, ʿayn, nafs, kāffah, and ʿāmmah. Examples of contextual affirmation include:
- Both parents came.
- I saw all my siblings.
Tools of Affirmation
The tools and letters of affirmation include: inna (إنّ), anna (أنّ), the letter of beginning (لام الابتداء), light and heavy noon (نون التّوكيد الخفيفة والثّقيلة), the letter that appears in response to an oath, qad (قد), and the absolute object (المفعول المطلق).
Light and Heavy Noon
The light and heavy noon are utilized for affirmation in several scenarios:
- Imperative verbs: such as uktubn-na (اكتبنّ) and taʿallamn-na (تعلمنّ).
- Future tense verbs following request tools: lan takhrujun-na (لنتخرجنّ), wa lanakūnn-na (ولنكوننّ), and wa linjahtidn-na (ولنجتهدنّ).
- Negated present tense verbs using the particle “la” (لا): such as lā tamṭirann al-ghuyūm (لا تمطرنّ الغيوم) and lā yanāman bakīran (ولا ينامنّ باكراً).
- Affirmative present tense verbs occurring in a response to an oath: wa-llāh lanajīḥanna (والله لأنجحنّ) and tallāh lā akīdan aṣnāmakum (تالله لأكيدنّ أصنامكم).
Letter of Oath
This is the letter that appears in response to an oath for emphasis, exemplified by:
- By God, I will study until I succeed.
- I swear I have seen the eclipse of the moon.
- I swear that Allah has favored you over us.
The Particle “Qad”
The particle “qad” expresses certainty and skepticism, but in the context of affirmation, it is specifically used with past and present tense verbs. It is essential that neither tense is preceded by negation or jussive particles, nor by “sīn” or “sawfa.” For instance, it is incorrect to say: qad lā yanjah (قد لا ينجح) or qad lan yanjah (قد لن ينجح).
When “qad” is combined with a present or past action, it should not be separated from the verb except in one case: an oath, such as “qad wa-llāh ṣallaytu” (قد واللهِ صليتُ). When “qad” is used with a past action, it emphasizes the reality of that action, while with a present action, it indicates a reduction in the likelihood of the action occurring, for example: “qad yajūd al-bakhīl” (قد يَجود البخيل) implies that the miser gives only sparingly.
The Letter of Beginning
This letter appears at the beginning of a sentence or phrase and emphasizes the significance of the following word, contingent upon the completeness of meaning. An example of this is in the sentence: “li-Muḥammad khayru al-khalq” (لـمحمدٌ خيرُ الخلق), where the letter emphasizes the word “Muḥammad.”
“Anna” and “Inna”
When either of these particles is introduced into sentences, they serve to affirm the meaning of the sentence, for instance: “Inna Allāh maʿa al-ṣābirīn” (إنّ اللهَ مع الصّابرين).
Absolute Object
The absolute object is considered a form of affirmation, as it acts as the source of the action itself, such as in the phrase: “Wa-kallama Allāh Mūsā taklīman” (وكلّمَ اللهُ موسى تَكليماً).