Relative Pronouns (al-Asma' al-Mawsulah)

Introduction

One of the most frequently recited verses in the Quran contains a powerful relative pronoun construction:

The word ٱلَّذِينَ (alladhīna) means “those who” — it’s a relative pronoun that introduces a relative clause. It connects “the path” to a description: “the path of THOSE WHO [You have bestowed favor upon].”

Relative pronouns are the glue that builds complex descriptions in Arabic. Where English uses “who,” “which,” “that,” “whose” to create relative clauses, Arabic uses the ٱلَّذِي family (alladhī, allatī, alladhīna, etc.) and the invariable forms مَنْ (man) “who” and مَا (mā) “what/which.”

These pronouns appear in virtually every Quranic page. They enable the Quran to create rich, embedded descriptions: “the believers WHO do good,” “the Book WHICH was revealed,” “those WHO reject the truth.” Mastering relative pronouns unlocks the structure of complex Quranic sentences.

In this lesson, you will:

• Learn all forms of the ٱلَّذِي family (gender and number variations)
• Understand invariable relative pronouns (مَنْ and مَا)
• Recognize relative clause structure in Arabic
• Identify relative pronouns and their clauses in Quranic verses

Connection to previous learning: In L3.10 Demonstrative Pronouns, you learned words that POINT to nouns (هَٰذَا “this,” ذَٰلِكَ “that”). Now you’ll learn relative pronouns (al-asmāʾ al-mawṣūlah / ٱلْأَسْمَاءُ ٱلْمَوْصُولَةُ) — words that CONNECT to nouns by introducing descriptive clauses. Demonstratives point; relatives connect and describe.

Forward connection: Relative pronouns are essential for understanding complex Quranic sentence structures. They appear throughout advanced lessons on sentence analysis and rhetorical patterns.

Understanding Relative Pronouns

Plain English first: Relative pronouns are connecting words that introduce descriptive clauses. In English:

• “The man WHO wrote the book” — “who” connects “the man” to “wrote the book”
• “The book WHICH was revealed” — “which” connects “the book” to “was revealed”
• “Those WHOSE hearts believe” — “whose” connects “those” to “hearts believe”

The relative pronoun creates a RELATIVE CLAUSE — a mini-sentence embedded within the larger sentence to describe a noun.

Think of relative pronouns like bridges:

• On one side: the noun being described (the ANTECEDENT)
• On the other side: a clause that describes it (the RELATIVE CLAUSE)
• The relative pronoun: the BRIDGE connecting them

In Arabic, the structure is the same:

• ٱلرَّجُلُ ٱلَّذِي كَتَبَ = “the man who wrote”
  • Antecedent: ٱلرَّجُلُ “the man”
  • Relative pronoun: ٱلَّذِي “who”
  • Relative clause: كَتَبَ “he wrote”

Arabic terminology: Relative pronouns are called al-asmāʾ al-mawṣūlah (al-asmāʾ al-mawṣūlah / ٱلْأَسْمَاءُ ٱلْمَوْصُولَةُ) — literally “the connected nouns” or “the joining nouns.” The root و-ص-ل (w-ṣ-l) means “connection, joining.” These pronouns JOIN a descriptive clause to a noun.

The relative clause itself is called ṣilah (ṣilah / صِلَةٌ) — “connection, link” — the clause that completes the relative pronoun’s meaning.

The Alladhi Family — Variable Relative Pronouns

Arabic has relative pronouns that change form based on the gender and number of the ANTECEDENT (the noun they refer back to):

Key observations:

1. All forms begin with ٱلّ (alif-lam with shadda) — the definite article merged with the relative pronoun base. This makes them definite pronouns.

2. Gender and number agreement: The relative pronoun MUST agree with its antecedent (the noun it refers to):

   • ٱلرَّجُلُ ٱلَّذِي — “the man who” (m sg)
   • ٱلْمَرْأَةُ ٱلَّتِي — “the woman who” (f sg)
   • ٱلرِّجَالُ ٱلَّذِينَ — “the men who” (m pl)
   • ٱلنِّسَاءُ ٱللَّاتِي — “the women who” (f pl)

3. Dual forms decline by case (like demonstrative duals):

   • Nominative: ٱللَّذَانِ, ٱللَّتَانِ (ends with ـَانِ)
   • Accusative/Genitive: ٱللَّذَيْنِ, ٱللَّتَيْنِ (ends with ـَيْنِ)

4. Feminine plural has two forms: ٱللَّاتِي (more common) and ٱللَّوَاتِي (poetic/formal)

Invariable Relative Pronouns — مَنْ and مَا

Arabic also has TWO relative pronouns that DO NOT change for gender or number:

Usage notes:

1. مَنْ (man) — for PEOPLE (rational beings):

   • مَنْ آمَنَ — “who believed” OR “whoever believes”
   • Works for any gender and number — the same form for male/female, singular/plural
   • Context determines meaning: Can mean “who” (specific) or “whoever” (general)

2. مَا (mā) — for THINGS and CONCEPTS (non-rational):

   • مَا نَزَّلَ ٱللَّهُ — “what Allah has revealed”
   • مَا فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ — “that which is in the heavens”
   • Broad usage: Covers objects, actions, abstract concepts

3. Why invariable? These pronouns are GENERAL and FLEXIBLE. They don’t specify gender or number, making them useful for:

   • General statements: مَنْ يَعْمَلْ “whoever does”
   • Unknown referents: مَا جَاءَكَ “whatever came to you”
   • Mixed or unspecified groups: مَنْ فِي ٱلْأَرْضِ “who(ever) is on earth”

Relative Clause Structure

A complete relative pronoun construction has three parts:

1. Antecedent — the noun being described (usually definite)
2. Relative pronoun — the connecting word (ٱلَّذِي, مَنْ, etc.)
3. Relative clause (ṣilah) — the descriptive sentence

Example: ٱلرَّجُلُ ٱلَّذِي كَتَبَ ٱلْكِتَابَ

• Antecedent: ٱلرَّجُلُ (ar-rajulu) “the man”
• Relative pronoun: ٱلَّذِي (alladhī) “who”
• Relative clause: كَتَبَ ٱلْكِتَابَ (kataba l-kitāba) “he wrote the book”
• Full meaning: “the man who wrote the book”

Structure rule: The relative clause must be a COMPLETE SENTENCE (verbal or nominal). It provides information about the antecedent.

Common Quranic pattern:

صِرَاطَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ

• Antecedent: صِرَاطَ (ṣirāṭa) “path” (implicit antecedent)
• Relative pronoun: ٱلَّذِينَ (alladhīna) “those who” (m pl)
• Relative clause: أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ (anʿamta ʿalayhim) “You bestowed favor upon them”
• Full meaning: “the path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor”

Notice the attached pronoun ـهِمْ in عَلَيْهِمْ refers back to ٱلَّذِينَ — the relative clause contains a pronoun linking back to the relative pronoun.

Examples from the Quran

Let’s examine relative pronouns from Al-Fatiha and Al-Baqarah:

Example 1: ٱلَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ — Masculine Plural

Morphological analysis:

• ٱلَّذِينَ (alladhīna) — “those who”

  • Type: Relative pronoun (ism mawṣūl)
  • Gender: Masculine
  • Number: Plural
  • Agreement: Agrees with implied antecedent “people” (those on the path)
  • Case: Genitive (in iḍāfah construct after صِرَاطَ)
  • Function: Connects “path” to the description “those You favored”

• Relative clause (ṣilah): أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ

  • Verb: أَنْعَمْتَ (anʿamta) “You bestowed favor”
    • Root: ن-ع-م (n-ʿ-m) “blessing, favor”
    • Form: Form IV causative (أَفْعَلَ pattern)
    • Subject: ـتَ (second person masculine singular) — “You” (Allah)
  • Prepositional phrase: عَلَيْهِمْ (ʿalayhim) “upon them”
    • Preposition: عَلَىٰ “upon”
    • Attached pronoun: ـهِمْ “them” — refers BACK to ٱلَّذِينَ
  • Clause meaning: “You bestowed favor upon them”

Structure breakdown:

• صِرَاطَ — “path of” (iḍāfah construct, genitive)
• ٱلَّذِينَ — “those who” (relative pronoun, genitive after صِرَاطَ)
• أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ — “You bestowed favor upon them” (relative clause describing ٱلَّذِينَ)
• Full meaning: “the path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor”

Key insight: The pronoun ـهِمْ in عَلَيْهِمْ is ESSENTIAL — it links the clause back to ٱلَّذِينَ. Without it, the clause wouldn’t connect properly. This is called the ʿāʾid (ʿāʾid / عَائِدٌ) — the “returning pronoun” that refers back to the relative pronoun.

Example 2: ٱلَّذِي — Masculine Singular

Morphological analysis:

• ٱلَّذِى (alladhī) — “who”

  • Type: Relative pronoun (ism mawṣūl)
  • Gender: Masculine
  • Number: Singular
  • Agreement: Agrees with antecedent ٱللَّهِ (Allah — masculine singular)
  • Function: Describes Allah as “the One who created”

• Relative clause: خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ

  • Verb: خَلَقَ (khalaqa) “he created”
    • Root: خ-ل-ق (kh-l-q) “creation”
    • Form: Form I past tense, third person masculine singular
  • Object: ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ “the heavens and the earth”
  • Clause meaning: “He created the heavens and the earth”

Structure: This relative clause modifies Allah (mentioned earlier in the verse). The pronoun is masculine singular to agree with ٱللَّهِ.

Example 3: مَنْ — Invariable for People

Morphological analysis:

• مَن (man) — “whoever”

  • Type: Invariable relative pronoun (ism mawṣūl)
  • Used for: Rational beings (people)
  • Gender/Number: Unspecified — works for any gender or number
  • Meaning here: “whoever” (general conditional)
  • Function: Subject of the conditional structure

• Relative clause: يُؤْمِنۢ بِٱللَّهِ وَيَعْمَلْ صَٰلِحًۭا

  • Verb 1: يُؤْمِنۢ (yuʾmin) “he believes”
    • Root: ء-م-ن (ʾ-m-n) “belief, faith”
    • Form: Form IV present tense
    • Subject: Implicit third person (whoever)
  • Prepositional phrase: بِٱللَّهِ (bi-llāhi) “in Allah”
  • Verb 2: يَعْمَلْ (yaʿmal) “he does”
    • Root: ع-م-ل (ʿ-m-l) “action, work”
    • Form: Form I present tense, jussive mood (after وَ in conditional)
  • Object: صَٰلِحًۭا (ṣāliḥan) “righteousness” (accusative)
  • Clause meaning: “believes in Allah and does righteousness”

• Result clause: يُدْخِلْهُ جَنَّٰتٍۢ

  • Verb: يُدْخِلْهُ (yudkhilhu) “He will admit him”
    • Root: د-خ-ل (d-kh-l) “entering”
    • Form: Form IV causative
    • Subject: Implicit third person (Allah)
    • Object pronoun: ـهُ “him” — refers back to مَن
  • Object: جَنَّٰتٍۢ (jannātin) “gardens” (accusative/genitive with tanween)

Structure: The relative pronoun مَن introduces a general conditional: “whoever does X, Allah will do Y.” The pronoun ـهُ in يُدْخِلْهُ links back to مَن.

Example 4: مَا — Invariable for Things

Morphological analysis:

• مَآ (mā) — “what”

  • Type: Invariable relative pronoun (ism mawṣūl)
  • Used for: Non-rational beings (things, concepts — here: revelation)
  • Meaning: “what” or “that which”
  • Function: Subject/object of the verb (what was revealed)

• Relative clause (first instance): أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ

  • Verb: أُنزِلَ (unzila) “it was sent down”
    • Root: ن-ز-ل (n-z-l) “descending, revelation”
    • Form: Form IV passive, past tense
    • Subject: Implicit (the revelation — مَا)
  • Prepositional phrase: إِلَيْكَ (ilayka) “to you”
    • Preposition: إِلَىٰ “to”
    • Attached pronoun: ـكَ “you (masculine)”
  • Clause meaning: “it was revealed to you”

• Relative clause (second instance): أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ

  • Same verb structure
  • Prepositional phrase: مِن قَبْلِكَ (min qablika) “before you”
  • Clause meaning: “it was revealed before you”

Structure: The pronoun مَا appears twice, each time introducing a relative clause describing revelation. No explicit pronoun links back because the passive verb structure implicitly refers to مَا.

Example 5: ٱلَّتِي — Feminine Singular

Morphological analysis:

• ٱلَّتِى (allatī) — “she who”

  • Type: Relative pronoun (ism mawṣūl)
  • Gender: Feminine
  • Number: Singular
  • Agreement: Agrees with feminine antecedent (Maryam — Mary)
  • Function: Subject of the sentence, describing the one who guarded her chastity

• Relative clause: أَحْصَنَتْ فَرْجَهَا

  • Verb: أَحْصَنَتْ (aḥṣanat) “she guarded”
    • Root: ح-ص-ن (ḥ-ṣ-n) “fortification, guarding”
    • Form: Form IV past tense, third person feminine singular
    • Subject: Implicit (she — ٱلَّتِى)
    • Feminine marker: ـتْ (tāʾ marbūṭah past tense)
  • Object: فَرْجَهَا (farjahā) “her chastity”
    • Noun: فَرْج “chastity, modesty”
    • Attached pronoun: ـهَا “her” — links back to ٱلَّتِى
  • Clause meaning: “she guarded her chastity”

Structure: The feminine singular relative pronoun ٱلَّتِى agrees with Maryam (feminine singular). The pronoun ـهَا in فَرْجَهَا links back to ٱلَّتِى.

The Rule

Practice Exercises

Related Lessons

Prerequisites:

• L3.10 Demonstrative Pronouns — Pronouns that point to nouns
• L3.08 Subject Pronouns — Independent pronouns
• L2.02 Subject and Predicate — Nominal sentence structure (relative clauses are embedded sentences)

Next Steps:

• L3.12 Verb Form II — Derived verb forms appearing in relative clauses
• L4.03 Conditional Sentences — Advanced relative clause usage

Advanced Topics:

• L4.06 Emphasis & Affirmation — Advanced rhetorical structures
• L5.15 Nahw Synthesis — Multiple relative pronouns and nested structures

Reference Resources:

• Pronoun Charts — Complete reference with all pronoun types
• Glossary: Relative Pronouns (al-asmāʾ al-mawṣūlah)
• Glossary: Relative Clause (ṣilah)
• Glossary: Returning Pronoun (ʿāʾid)