What is the adjective (na't)?
In one line
Classical definition
Understand it
A noun is named, then described. The description is the نَعْت; the noun described is the مَنْعُوت (man'ut).
جَاءَ رَجُلٌ مُجْتَهِدٌ (ja'a rajulun mujtahidun) — a hard-working man came. Unlike English, the description comes after the noun.
The followers
A follower has no i'rab of its own. It copies the word before it — which is why the followers sit outside the twenty-two roles.
It copies its man'ut in four things at once: i'rab, definiteness, number, gender. Change any one on the noun and the adjective changes with it — الرَّجُلُ الْمُجْتَهِدُ، الرَّجُلَانِ الْمُجْتَهِدَانِ، الرِّجَالُ الْمُجْتَهِدُونَ.
There are two kinds. A نَعْت حَقِيقِيّ describes the man'ut itself. A نَعْت سَبَبِيّ describes something belonging to it — جَاءَ رَجُلٌ مُجْتَهِدٌ أَبُوهُ, a man came whose father is hard-working.
How to spot it
In the Qur'an
Don't confuse it with the hal
Do not confuse the نَعْت with the حَال.
A نَعْت describes a standing quality of the noun, and copies it in everything — definiteness included: جَاءَ الرَّجُلُ الطَّوِيلُ.
A حَال describes a passing state at the time of the action, is indefinite while its owner is definite, and is always mansub: جَاءَ الرَّجُلُ رَاكِبًا.
Definiteness is the quick test. Definite noun + definite describer = na't. Definite noun + indefinite describer in nasab = hal.
Related terms
Common questions
How many things must a na't agree with its noun in?
Four: definiteness, gender, number and i'rab. That is what marks it out from the other followers — a ma'tuf matches only in i'rab, and so does a badal. The na't is the one that has to match in everything.
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