Grammar term · I'rab · i'rab
حَذْف النُّون
hadhf al-nun
Elision of nun
I'rab · i'rabI'rab marker (alama)advanced term1,876+ in the Qur'an
In one line
Elision of the nun — the nasb and jazm marker of the five verbs.
Classical definition
وَأَمَّا الْحَذْفُ فَيَكُونُ عَلَامَةً لِلْجَزْمِ فِي الْفِعْلِ الْمُضَارِعِ الْمُعْتَلِّ الْآخِرِ، وَفِي الْأَفْعَالِ الَّتِي رَفْعُهَا بِثَبَاتِ النُّونِ.
“Elision is the marker of jazm in the present verb with a weak final letter, and in the verbs whose raf' is by retention of the nun.”
(الآجرّومية)
Understand it
The same missing nun serves two masters: after a nasb particle (أَن تَفْعَلُوا) and after a jazm particle (لَمْ تَفْعَلُوا) the five verbs look identical — the governor before them tells you which state struck. A vanished nun at these endings is never an error in the text; it is grammar happening.
How to spot it
Recognition test
A five-verb form without its nun — find the أَنْ / لَنْ / لَمْ / لَا that removed it.
Related terms