Lesson 82
Praise and Blame Madḥ and Dhamm (Comprehensive)
المدح والذم شامل
Extended coverage of praise and blame verbs: ḥabbadha (حَبَّذَا) as an alternative praise formula, laʿima (لَعِمَ) and sāʾa (سَاءَ) as additional blame verbs.
All Madḥ and Dhamm Verbs
VerbUsePattern / NotesExample
نِعْمَPraiseFrozen verb + definite fāʿil + makhṣūṣنِعْمَ الرَّجُلُ زَيْدٌ
بِئْسَBlameSame structure as نِعْمَبِئْسَ الرَّفِيقُ الشَّيْطَانُ
حَبَّذَاStrong praiseحَبَّ (frozen) + ذَا (fixed subject) + nom. nounحَبَّذَا الصَّبْرُ!
لَاحَبَّذَاStrong blameNegated form of حَبَّذَالَاحَبَّذَا الْكَذِبُ!
سَاءَBlame (strong)Like بِئْسَ; مَثَلاً is tamyīzسَاءَ مَثَلاً الْقَوْمُ (7:177)
حَبَّذَا Analysis
ElementRoleNotes
حَبَّFrozen past-tense verbAlways 3rd masc. sg. never conjugates
ذَاFixed subject (fāʿil)ism al-ishāra always ذَا regardless of gender
Following nounمَخْصُوص (what is praised)Nominative the actual referent of the praise
بِئْسَ الِاسْمُ الْفُسُوقُ بَعْدَ الْإِيمَانِ
Biʾsa l-ismu l-fusūqu baʿda l-īmān
"How wretched is the name of wickedness after faith!" (49:11) الْفُسُوقُ is the مَخْصُوص (nominative).
نِعْمَ الْعَبْدُ إِنَّهُ أَوَّابٌ وَبِئْسَ الِاسْمُ الْفُسُوقُ
Niʿma l-ʿabdu innahu awwāb wa-biʾsa l-ismu l-fusūq
"What an excellent servant he was always turning back…" (38:30) "Wretched is the name of wickedness." (49:11) Quranic نِعْمَ and بِئْسَ side by side.
- حَبَّذَا: حَبَّ (frozen verb) + ذَا (fixed subject) = "loved is this" → "how excellent!" The following noun is nominative as مَخْصُوص.
- سَاءَ in 7:177: مَثَلاً is tamyīz, القَوْمُ is the makhṣūṣ "How wretched an example is that people!"
- The مَخْصُوص is the specific person or thing being praised/blamed nominative if it stands as a separate sentence or explicit noun after بِئْسَ.
- All these verbs (نِعْمَ, بِئْسَ, حَبَّذَا, سَاءَ) are "frozen verbs" they never conjugate for gender, number, or tense.
- Taʿajjub (lesson 81) expresses astonishment; niʿma/biʾsa pass formal praise/blame the two systems are distinct in function and grammar.