Grammar term · Nahw · syntax
مُضَاف
mudaf
First term of idafa (mudaf)
Nahw · syntaxSyntactic rolecore term9,565+ in the Qur'an
Also written: Idaafah · Idafa · Mudaf and Mudaf Ilayh · Possessive construct · Idafah · Possessive construction
In one line
The first noun of an idafa — “the book OF…”: it drops its tanwin and takes its case from its job in the sentence.
Classical definition
المُضَافُ اسْمٌ نُسِبَ إِلَى اسْمٍ بَعْدَهُ بِنِسْبَةٍ تَقْدِيرِيَّةٍ، فَحُذِفَ تَنْوِينُهُ لِلْإِضَافَةِ.
“The mudaf is a noun related to the noun after it by an understood relation, its tanwin removed on account of the idafa.”
(بتصرف من الألفية)
Key words in the Arabic
نُسِبَ إِلَىrelated, annexed to
حُذِفَ تَنْوِينُهُits tanwin is removed
Understand it
The mudaf leans on the noun after it: كِتَابُ اللهِ, “the Book of Allah”. Leaning costs it two things — its tanwin and its ال — and buys it definiteness from its partner. Its own case is whatever its job in the sentence demands; only its partner, the mudaf ilayh, is locked in jarr.
How to spot it
Recognition test
A noun with no ال and no tanwin, gripping the noun after it — a mudaf.
In the Qur'an
مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ
Al-Fatihah 1:4 — “Master of the Day of Judgement”
A chained idafa: مَالِكِ is mudaf to يَوْمِ, and يَوْمِ is itself mudaf to الدِّينِ. Each link is in jarr, and only the final word can carry ال.
Related terms
▶ Watch the lessons
From the free course The Language of Quran — Easier than English (Book 1) (LoQ1), taught by Ustad Muhammad Arjan Ali.
▶ L10-P1 · The Idafah — Mudaf and Mudaf Ilayhi
▶ L10-P2 · Idafah with Pronouns and Adverbs
▶ L11-P1 · Idafah Special Features — Part 1
▶ L11-P2 · Idafah Special Features — Part 2
Common questions
How do I spot an idafa in the Quran?
Two nouns directly adjacent: the first with no ال and no tanwin, the second in jarr (usually a kasra). If inserting “of” between them gives a sensible meaning, it is an idafa.