Grammar term · Nahw · syntax
حَرْف تَوْكِيد
harf tawkid
Emphasis particle
Nahw · syntaxParticle typecore term2,504+ in the Qur'an
In one line
An emphasis particle — إِنَّ, the opening لَـ, or the ending ـنَّ: Arabic's “certainly”.
Classical definition
حَرْفُ التَّوْكِيدِ مَا يُؤَكِّدُ مَضْمُونَ الجُمْلَةِ، كَإِنَّ وَأَنَّ وَلَامِ الابْتِدَاءِ وَنُونِ التَّوْكِيدِ.
“The emphasis particle confirms the content of the sentence — like inna, anna, the lam of commencement and the nun of emphasis.”
(بتصرف من ابن هشام)
Key words in the Arabic
مَضْمُون الْجُمْلَةِthe content of the sentence
لَام الابْتِدَاءthe lam of commencement: لَـ
نُون التَّوْكِيدthe nun of emphasis: ـنَّ
Understand it
Arabic grades its certainty. One tool says “indeed” (إِنَّ); add the lam and it doubles (إِنَّ… لَـ); seal a verb with ـنَّ and it becomes an oath-backed promise: لَيُنصَرَنَّ. Quranic rhetoric works in these gears — watching which emphasis tools an ayah stacks tells you how strongly it is pressing its point.
How to spot it
Recognition test
إِنَّ at the door, لَـ on the khabar, or ـنَّ on the verb — emphasis machinery.
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