حَرْف جَرّ
harf jarr
Preposition (harf jarr)
Nahw · syntaxParticle typecore term13,370+ in the Qur'an
Also written: Huruf al-jarr · Jarr · Prepositions
In one line
A preposition — a particle that puts the noun after it into jarr.
Classical definition
حُرُوفُ الخَفْضِ هِيَ الَّتِي تَخْفِضُ الاسْمَ، كَمِنْ وَإِلَى وَعَنْ وَعَلَى وَفِي وَالبَاءِ وَاللَّامِ.
(الآجرّومية)
What it is
The huruf al-jarr are Arabic's prepositions — مِنْ (from), فِي (in), عَلَى (on), بِ (with), لِ (for) and their fellows. Each one pulls the noun that follows it into the jarr state. This is the first of only two reasons a noun is ever in jarr (the other being the idafa), which makes a preposition one of the most reliable signposts in a Qur'anic phrase: see the harf, and you know the next noun is in jarr.
How to spot it
Recognition test
A short particle (مِنْ، فِي، بِ، لِ، عَلَى…) followed by a noun in jarr is a harf jarr.
In the Qur'an
ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ
Al-Fatihah 1:2 — “All praise is for Allah, Lord of the worlds”
لِ is a harf jarr putting ٱللَّه into jarr.
Related terms
حَرْف عَطْف · harf 'atf
حَرْف زَائِد · harf za'id
حَرْف نَفْي · harf nafy
حَرْف تَوْكِيد · harf tawkid
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From the free course The Language of Quran — Easier than English (Book 1) (LoQ1), taught by Ustad Muhammad Arjan Ali.