A Simplified Breakdown of the Types of 'Lam' (ل) in Arabic
Here’s a simplified breakdown of the different types of **ل (Lam)** in Arabic, with Quranic examples and their **I‘rāb (إعراب)** effects:
1. لَ (Lam of Emphasis - لام التوكيد)
- Function: Adds certainty to a verb ("truly," "certainly").
- I‘rāb Effect: No change to the verb’s grammatical case.
Quranic Example (Surah Yusuf 12:18):
إِنَّا لَنَرَىٰكَ مِنَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
"Indeed, we surely see you among the doers of good."
- لَنَرَىٰكَ: Lam emphasizes **نَرَىٰ** (we see).
- إعراب: Verb remains **مرفوع (marfūʿ)** (nominative case) with a **ḍamma** (ـُ) (though it's an implied damma on the weak verb here).
2. لِ (Jār Lam - لام الجار)
- Function: Preposition meaning "for" or "belongs to."
- I‘rāb Effect: Causes the following noun to be **مجرور (majrūr)** (genitive case), typically ending with a **kasra** (ـِ).
Quranic Example (Surah Al-Fatiha 1:2):
ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ
"All praise is for Allah, Lord of the worlds."
- لِلَّهِ: **لِ** makes **ٱللَّهِ** **majrūr** (ending with **kasra**).
3. لَا النَّهْي (Prohibitive La - لام النهي)
(Note: This is technically "La" (لا) but often discussed alongside "Lam" due to similar functions.)
- Function: Used for negative commands ("Don’t!").
- I‘rāb Effect: Makes the verb **مجزوم (majzūm)** (jussive case), often resulting in a **sukūn** (ـْ) or the dropping of letters.
Quranic Example (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:35):
وَلَا تَقْرَبَا هَٰذِهِ ٱلشَّجَرَةَ
"And do not approach this tree."
- لَا تَقْرَبَا: **لَا النَّهْي** makes **تَقْرَبَا** **majzūm** (the final "ن" (noon) would normally be there for a dual verb in the nominative case, but it is dropped here, leaving **ـَا**).
4. لِ (Imperative Lam - لام الأمر)
- Function: Used for commands in the third person or dual/plural ("Let him do...", "Let them do...").
- I‘rāb Effect: Makes the verb **مجزوم (majzūm)**.
Example:
فَلْيَكْتُبْ وَلْيُمْلِلْ
"So let him write and let him dictate."
(Note: This is a reconstructed example to clearly show the grammatical effect, not an exact Quranic verse.)
- فَلْيَكْتُبْ: The **لِ** (Imperative Lam) before **يَكْتُبُ** makes the **verb majzūm** (ending with **sukūn**).
- وَلْيُمْلِلْ: Similarly, **لِ** makes **يُمْلِلُ** **majzūm** (ending with **sukūn**).
Key Takeaways:
- **لَ (Lam of Emphasis)**: Strengthens meaning; no case change to the verb.
- **لِ (Jār Lam)**: A preposition that makes the following noun **مجرور (majrūr)**.
- **لَا النَّهْي (Prohibitive La)**: Used for prohibition; makes the verb **مجزوم (majzūm)**.
- **لِ الأمر (Imperative Lam)**: Used for commands; makes the verb **مجزوم (majzūm)**.