Lesson 61
Demand and Wish Ṭalab
الطلب
Arabic has precise categories for different types of demands: command (أَمْر), prohibition (نَهْي), request (اِلْتِمَاس), and wish (تَمَنِّي). Each uses different grammatical tools and tones.
Types of Ṭalab (Demand)
TypeFormExample
Command (أَمْر)Imperative 2nd personاُكْتُبْ اِقْرَأ
3rd person commandلِـ + jussiveلِيَكْتُبْ لِتَقُمْ
Prohibition (نَهْي)لَا + jussiveلَا تَكْذِبْ لَا تَقْرَبُوا
Request (اِلْتِمَاس)Polite imperativeمِنْ فَضْلِكَ، اُكْتُبْ
Wish (تَمَنِّي)لَيْتَ + accusativeلَيْتَ الشَّبَابَ يَعُود
Encouragement (تَرَجٍّ)لَعَلَّ + accusativeلَعَلَّكَ تَنْجَح
Lām al-Amr 3rd Person Commands
ArabicTransliterationMeaning
لِيَكْتُبْli-yaktubLet him write / He should write
فَلْيَنْظُرِ الإِنْسَانُfal-yanẓuri l-insānuLet man look… (80:24)
لِتَكُنْ مِنْكُمْ أُمَّةlitakun minkum ummaLet there be a group from you… (3:104)
اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ لَا تَقْرَبُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَأَنْتُمْ سُكَارَى
Iqraʾ bismi rabbik Lā taqrabū ṣ-ṣalāta wa-antum sukārā
"Read in the name of your Lord." (96:1) "Do not approach the prayer while you are intoxicated." (4:43)
فَلْيَعْبُدُوا رَبَّ هَذَا الْبَيْتِ لِتَكُنْ مِنْكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْر
Fal-yaʿbudū rabba hādhā l-bayt Litakun minkum ummatun yadʿūna ilā l-khayr
"Let them worship the Lord of this House." (106:3) "Let there be a group calling to good." (3:104)
- The imperative is only for 2nd person. For 3rd person: لِـ + jussive لِيَكْتُبْ (let him write), لِتَكْتُبْ (let her write).
- لَيْتَ (wish): one of the إِنَّ sisters pulls the noun to accusative.
- Stylistic difference: command (أَمْر) from superior to inferior; request (اِلْتِمَاس) between equals or from inferior to superior.
- لَام الْأَمْر attaches to the jussive verb after فَ or وَ it loses its kasra: فَلْيَكْتُبْ (not فَلِيَكْتُبْ).
- Prohibition لَا + jussive is the most productive negation in the Quran for divine commands 50+ prohibitions in the Quran alone.