لا

Root entry · 4 derived lemmas

The root لا (l-a) primarily deals with negation and prohibition. It encompasses particles used for deterrence, prohibition, and affirmation, as well as derived terms related to these concepts.

Derived headwords

كَلَّاparticle

1.
Certainly notboth
A particle used for deterrence and prohibition, meaning 'stop' or 'do not do'. It is often used to reject a preceding statement or intention.
2.
Indeedclassical
A particle used for confirmation or affirmation, similar to 'truly' or 'indeed'. This usage is less common than its prohibitive sense.
3.
Verilyclassical
Used as an introductory particle, similar to 'verily' or 'indeed', often preceding oaths or statements of fact.

يطمع كل امرىء منهم أن يدخل جنة نعيم كلا — Every one of them desires that he may enter a Garden of Delight. Nay! —

كلا لئن لم ينته لنسفعا — Nay, if he do not desist, We will certainly smite him

كلاكparticle

1.
Indeedclassical
A variant pronunciation or form of 'kalla', used in oaths, meaning 'indeed' or 'truly'.

كلاك واللها — Indeed, by God

بلاكparticle

1.
Indeedclassical
A variant pronunciation or form of 'kalla', used in oaths, meaning 'indeed' or 'truly'.

بلاك واللها — Indeed, by God

سلاسلاnoun

1.
chainsclassical
A plural noun meaning 'chains', possibly derived from a root related to ease or flow, but here discussed in the context of a grammatical anomaly.

سلاسلا — chains

Parallel reading

تكون صلة لما بعدها

it serves as a connector to what follows

تكون ردعا وزجرا

it serves as deterrence and admonition

معناها انته لا تفعل

its meaning is 'stop, do not do'

يطمع كل امرىء منهم أن يدخل جنة نعيم كلا

Every one of them desires that he may enter a Garden of Delight. Nay!

أي لا يطمع في ذلك

meaning, he does not covet that

قد تكون تحقيقا

it may be for confirmation

كلا لئن لم ينته لنسفعا

Nay, if he do not desist, We will certainly smite him

أي حقا

meaning, truly

يقال: كلاك واللها، وبلاك واللها، أي كلا واللها، وبلى واللها

It is said: 'kalak wallahi', and 'balak wallahi', meaning 'kalla wallahi', and 'bala wallahi'

سمعت العرب تقول ذلك

I heard the Arabs say that

والكاف لا موضع لها من الإعراب

and the 'kaf' has no grammatical position

هي عند سيبويه والخليل والمبرد والزجاج وأكثر نحاة البصرة حرف معناه الردع والزجر لا معنى له سواه

According to Sibawayh, Al-Khalil, Al-Mubarrad, Al-Zajjaj, and most of the Basran grammarians, it is a particle whose meaning is deterrence and admonition and nothing else

يجيزون الوقف عليها أبدا والابتداء بما بعدها

they permit pausing on it always and starting with what follows it

إذا سمعت كلا في سورة فاحكم بأنها مكية لأن فيها معنى التهديد والوعيد

if you hear 'kalla' in a surah, then judge that it is Meccan because it contains the meaning of threat and warning

لا يظهر معنى الزجر في كلا المسبوقة بنحو {في أي صورة ما شاء ركبك}

the meaning of deterrence is not apparent in 'kalla' when preceded by something like {In whatever form He wills, He constitutes you}

قول من قال: فيه ردع عن ترك الإيمان بالتصوير في أي صورة شاء اللها، وبالبعث، وعن العجلة بالقرآن فيه تعسف ظاهر

the statement of one who said: it is a deterrence from abandoning belief in the formation in whatever form God wills, and in resurrection, and from hastening with the Quran, involves apparent forced interpretation

والوارد منها في التنزيل ثلاثة وثلاثون موضعا كلها في النصف الأخير

and its occurrences in the Quran are thirty-three, all in the latter half

زادوا ومعنى ثانيا يصح عليه أن يوقف دونها ويبتدأ بها

they added a second meaning for which it is permissible to stop before it and start with it

فقيل بمعنى حقا

it was said to mean 'truly'

وقيل بمعنى إلا الاستفتاحية

and it was said to mean 'illa' (verily) the introductory particle

وقيل: حرف جواب بمنزلة إي ونعم

and it was said: it is an answer particle like 'ay' and 'na'am'

حملوا عليه {كلا والقمر}

they interpreted {Nay, by the Moon} based on this

فقالوا: معناه إي والقمر

so they said: its meaning is 'Ay, by the Moon'

وهذا المعنى لا يتأتى في آيتي المؤمنين والشعراء

and this meaning is not applicable in the verses of the Believers and the Poets

وقول من قال بمعنى حقا لا يتأتى في نحو: {كلا إن كتاب الفجار}

and the statement of one who said it means 'truly' is not applicable in cases like: {Nay! Truly the record of the wicked}

لأن أن تكسر بعد ألا الاستفتاحية ولا تكسر بعد حقا

because 'inna' is vocalized with kasra after the introductory particle 'alla', but not after 'haqqan'

وإذا صلح الموضع للردع ولغيره جاز الوقف عليها والابتداء بها على اختلاف التقديرين

and if the context is suitable for deterrence and for another meaning, it is permissible to stop on it and start with it, depending on the interpretation

والأرجح حملها على الردع لأنه الغالب عليها

and the more likely interpretation is to take it as deterrence because that is its predominant usage

اطلع الغيب أم اتخذ عند الرحمن عهدا، كلا سنكتب ما يقول

Have you knowledge of the unseen so that you can report it? Nay, We shall record what he says

واتخذوا من دون اا آلهة ليكونوا لهم عزا كلا سيكفرون بعبادتهم

And they have taken besides Allah gods that they might be an honor for them. Nay, they will deny their worship of them

وقد يتعين للردع أو الاستفتاح نحو: {رب ارجعون لعلي أعمل صالحا فيما تركت كلا إنها كلمة}

And it may be specifically for deterrence or introduction, such as: {My Lord! Send me back that I may do righteousness in that which I left behind. Nay! it is but a word

لأنها لو كانت بمعنى حقا لما كسرت همزة إن

because if it meant 'truly', the hamza of 'inna' would not be vocalized with kasra

ولو كانت بمعنى نعم لكانت للوعد بالرجوع لأنها بعد الطلب كما يقال: اكرم فلانا فيقول نعم

and if it meant 'na'am', it would be for the promise of return because it follows a request, as one might say: 'Honor so-and-so', and the reply is 'Na'am'

قال أصحاب موسى إنا لمدركون، قال: كلا إن معي ربي سيهدين

The companions of Moses said: 'Indeed, we are overtaken!' He said: 'Nay! Indeed, with me is my Lord; He will guide me'

وذلك لكسر إن، ولأن نعم بعد الخبر للتصديق

and that is because of the kasra on 'inna', and because 'na'am' after a statement is for confirmation

وقد يمتنع كونها للزجر وللردع نحو: {وما هي إلا ذكرى للبشر كلا والقمر}

And it may be impossible for it to be for admonition and deterrence, such as: {And it is not but a reminder to mankind. Nay, by the Moon}

إذ ليس قبلها ما يصح رده

as there is nothing before it that can be rejected

وقوله تعالى: {كلا سيكفرون بعبادتهم} قرىء بالتنوين على أنه مصدر كل إذا أعيا

And the saying of Allah: {Nay, they will deny their worship of them} was read with tanwin, as a masdar of 'kull' when it is difficult

جوز الزمخشري كونه حرف الردع نون كما في {سلاسلا}

Al-Zamakhshari allowed it to be a particle of deterrence with a 'nun' as in {chains}

ورد بأن سلاسلا اسم أصله التنوين فرد إلى أصله

and it was argued that 'salasilan' is a noun whose origin is tanwin, and it returned to its origin

ويصحح تأويل الزمخشري قراءة من قرأ {والليل إذا يسر} ، بالتنوين، إذا الفعل ليس أصله التنوين

and Al-Zamakhshari's interpretation is supported by the reading of one who recited {And by the night when it is overspread} with tanwin, since the verb does not originally have tanwin