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Separation & Conjunction
Surah: Al-Baqarah (18)
Separation and Connection — When to Separate and When to Join with "Wa"
صُمُّۢ بُكۡمٌ عُمۡيٌ فَهُمۡ لَا يَرۡجِعُونَ
— البقرة الآية 18
The basis of connection: A sentence is joined to what precedes it with "wa" when it shares its ruling or topic.
The basis of separation: No conjunction when it is a new beginning, clarification, answer to an implied question, or completely disconnected.
The four main positions for separation:
"Deaf, dumb, blind" (2:18) — three attributes listed without "wa" because each completes the preceding in an ascending degree — if "and" were inserted, it would equalize them. Separation conveyed escalation and accumulation.
The basis of separation: No conjunction when it is a new beginning, clarification, answer to an implied question, or completely disconnected.
The four main positions for separation:
- Complete disconnection: two sentences with no shared topic.
- Complete connection: the second sentence confirms or explains the first.
- Near-complete disconnection: conjunction would imply a corrupt shared meaning.
- Near-complete connection: the second is the answer to an implied question.
"Deaf, dumb, blind" (2:18) — three attributes listed without "wa" because each completes the preceding in an ascending degree — if "and" were inserted, it would equalize them. Separation conveyed escalation and accumulation.
Source: Al-Jurjani (p.233); Al-Zarkashi (3/332); Al-Suyuti (3/193)
Test Yourself
Why were the attributes "deaf, dumb, blind" listed without "wa" between them?
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