Intermediate Specific Words Surah: Hud (26)

The verse:
"Indeed I fear for you the torment of a painful day." (Hud: 26)

The disagreement:

• "Alim" (genitive, adjective for "yawm"): majority reading. Meaning: the day itself is described as painful.
• "Alima" (accusative, adjective for "adhab"): read by Abu Jafar. Meaning: a painful torment on a given day.

Rhetorical significance:

• Describing the day as painful: hyperbolic intensification — even the day itself causes pain.
• Describing the torment as painful: a direct description of the punishment.

Note: This pattern recurs in the Quran ("torment of a great day," "torment of an encompassing day") — each with multiple grammatical and rhetorical analyses.

Source: Al-Nashr (2/291); Al-Itihaf (p.255); Al-Nahhas, I'rab Al-Quran (2/98); Abu Hayyan, Al-Bahr Al-Muhit

Tags: هودعذاب يوم أليمأبو جعفرنعتإعراببلاغة