Grammar term · The verb · Tense
Lam of command
lam al-amr
لَام الْأَمْر
The verbTenseadvanced term
In one line
A one-letter command: لِ before the mudari' clips it to jazm — 'let him do it'.
Definition (modern)
لَامُ الْأَمْرِ هِيَ الَّتِي يُطْلَبُ بِهَا فِعْلُ شَيْءٍ، وَمَعَانِيهَا: الْأَمْرُ، وَالدُّعَاءُ، وَالالْتِمَاسُ.
“The lam of command is the one by which the doing of something is demanded. Its meanings: command, supplication, and polite request.”
(النحو التطبيقي)
Key words in the Arabic
يُطْلَبُ بِهَاa demand is made by it
الالْتِمَاسa request between equals
Understand it
A command need not use the amr form: put لِ before the mudari' and jazm it — لِيُنفِقْ, 'let him spend'. This is how Arabic commands the absent third person, whom the direct amr cannot reach. The pin's three meanings grade by rank: amr from higher to lower, du'a addressed upward to Allah, iltimas between equals. After فَ or وَ the lam usually loses its kasra: فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا.
How to spot it
Recognition test
لِ (or ْلـ after فَ / وَ) + mudari' ending in sukun, or with its weak letter or nun dropped = lam al-amr. If the mudari' after لِ is manṣūb instead, you are looking at lam al-ta'lil.
In the Qur'an
لِيُنفِقْ ذُو سَعَةٍ مِّن سَعَتِهِۦ ۖ وَمَن قُدِرَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقُهُۥ فَلْيُنفِقْ مِمَّآ ءَاتَىٰهُ ٱللَّهُ ۚ لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا مَآ ءَاتَىٰهَا ۚ سَيَجْعَلُ ٱللَّهُ بَعْدَ عُسْرٍ يُسْرًا
At-Talaq 65:7 — “Let the man of means spend according to his means: and the man whose resources are restricted, let him spend according to what Allah has given him. Allah puts no burden on any person beyond what He has given him. After a difficulty, Allah will soon grant relief.”
لِ + يُنفِقْ with sukun — jazm: a command aimed at a third person.
Related terms
Common questions
Why would you need to command in the third person?
Because the ordinary imperative can only address someone in front of you. To say let him do it — a command about an absent person, or about oneself — Arabic puts this one letter in front of the present verb and clips it.
Next in the guideمَبْنِيّ لِلْمَعْلُوم / مَبْنِيّ لِلْمَجْهُولVoice →Updated