Intermediate
Morphology
Surah: Al Imran (176)
"La Yahzunka" vs "La Yahzunka" — Difference of Damma and Fatha
لَا يَحۡزُنكَ ٱلَّذِينَ يُسَٰرِعُونَ فِي ٱلۡكُفۡرِ
— آل عمران الآية 176
The word and its positions:
"La yahzunka" (Let them not grieve you) — in multiple positions including: Al Imran (176), Al-Maida (41), Ya-Sin (76), Al-Naml (70).
Two well-known variants:
Ibn Mujahid: "Two well-known Arabic forms — both hazina and ahzana are eloquent — the meanings are close but distinguishing them reveals rhetorical precision."
"La yahzunka" (Let them not grieve you) — in multiple positions including: Al Imran (176), Al-Maida (41), Ya-Sin (76), Al-Naml (70).
Two well-known variants:
- Fatha on ya and damma on za: "yahzunka" — from "hazana yahzunu" — the prevalent paradigmatic form. The majority reading.
- Damma on ya and kasra on za: "yuhzinuka" — from "ahzana yuhzinu" — meaning: let the agent not cause you grief. Nafi reading in most positions.
- "Yahzunka": grief overtakes you internally — meaning: do not grieve
- "Yuhzinuka": an external agent causes you grief — meaning: do not let that person cause you grief
Ibn Mujahid: "Two well-known Arabic forms — both hazina and ahzana are eloquent — the meanings are close but distinguishing them reveals rhetorical precision."
Source: Al-Nashr (2/243); Ibn Mujahid, Al-Saba (p.214); Al-Dani (p.51)
Test Yourself
What is the subtle meaning difference between "la yahzunka" and "la yuhzinuka"?
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