Conditional Tools
Conditional nouns serve as a means to connect a conditional verb with its response, and they are always a fixed noun, acting as the conditional tool itself. Conditional tools are divided into two categories: decisive conditional tools and non-decisive conditional tools.
Types of Conditional Tools
There are two main types of conditional tools:
- Decisive Conditional Tools: These are fixed nouns that declare two subjunctive verbs. The decisive tools include: (من, إن, أي, أينما, كيفما, حيثما, متى, أنى, أيان, مهما, إذما, ما). It is noteworthy that the two tools (إن and إذما) are classified as particles and are analyzed as decisive conditional particles with no position in the sentence. The analysis for the other decisive conditional tools is as follows:
- من: This is used with animate subjects and its analysis depends on the context in which it appears, similar to the tools (ما and مهما), which are used with inanimate subjects.
- متى and أيان: These are analyzed as adverbial expressions of time. They indicate specific times.
- كيفما: This is used to describe a condition and is analyzed as an adverbial expression of manner.
- أنّى, حيثما, أينما: These are adverbial expressions of place, indicating locations.
- أي: Its analysis and meaning are determined based on the noun it accompanies.
- Non-Decisive Conditional Tools: These tools are termed non-decisive because they do not alter the grammatical structure of the following verb. Their analysis depends on their position in the sentence, noting that in the conclusion of the analysis, the statement “this is the conditional verb or the response” appears. The non-decisive conditional tools include (لو, لولا, لوما, كلما, إذا, لما, أما), and their analysis is that of a conditional particle with no grammatical position. However, the particles (إذ, كلما, لما) are exceptions and are analyzed as non-decisive conditional tools functioning as adverbial expressions of time.
Meanings of Non-Decisive Conditional Tools
These tools encompass the following:
- إذا: A non-decisive conditional tool indicating a future time context, for example: “إذا أقبلَتِ الدنيا على المرءَ أعارتْهُ محاسنَ غيرِه، وإذا أدبرَتْ عنه سلبتْهُ محاسنَ نفسِهِ.”
- لو: A particle indicating a hypothetical situation, e.g., “لو تأنّى العامل ما ندم.”
- لوما: A non-decisive conditional tool that indicates a hypothetical scenario due to a blocking factor, e.g., “لوما العمل لم تكن للعلم فائدة.”
- لولا: A non-decisive conditional tool conveying a hypothetical state due to a hindrance, e.g., “لولا نهر النيل لكان الإقليم الجنوبي صحراء.”
- لما: This tool is associated with the past tense verb, necessitating the presence of two clauses where the second clause is conditional on the first, e.g., “لما نزل المطر نما الزرع.”
- كلما: A non-decisive conditional tool that suggests repetition and denotes a temporal context, e.g., “كلما رأيت فقيراً عطفت عليه.”
- أما: A conditional tool that emphasizes detail, which is typically accompanied by the letter ف in the response, e.g., “أما بنعمة ربك فحدّث.”
Video on Conditional Tools and Their Types
To learn more about conditional tools and their types, watch the video.
- ↑ Ali Al-Jarim and Mustafa Amin (1930), “Clear Grammar in the Rules of the Arabic Language” (1st Edition), Cairo – Egypt: Dar Al-Ma’arif, Page 39, Volume Two. Adapted.
- ↑ Hagar Moharam (September 26, 2017), “Explanation of Conditional Style Lesson,” www.almrsal.com, accessed on July 19, 2018. Adapted.
- ↑ Fahd Mohammad Diab Al-Jamal (2014), “Non-Decisive Conditional Tools in the Holy Quran: A Semantic and Grammatical Study” (1st Edition), Gaza – Palestine: Islamic University, Page 84. Adapted.