Grammar term · Nahw · syntax
لَام الْأَمْر
lam al-amr
Lam of command
Nahw · syntaxSpecific particleadvanced term5+ in the Qur'an
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 mansub instead, you are looking at lam al-ta'lil.
In the Qur'an
لِيُنفِقْ ذُو سَعَةٍ مِّن سَعَتِهِۦ
At-Talaq 65:7 — “Let a man of wealth spend from his wealth”
لِ + يُنفِقْ with sukun — jazm: a command aimed at a third person.
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