Question:
In the text from Al-Qirā’ah al-Rāshidah, Part 2, in the story Yawm Ṣāʾif (“A Hot Day”), the following sentence appears:
“هذَا، وَأَهْلُ الأَكْوَاخِ الحَقِيْرَةِ وَالخُصَصِ وَالبُيُوْتِ المَبْنِيَّةِ مِنَ اللَّبِنِ أَنْعَمُ فِي الصَّيْفِ مِنْ أَهْلِ القُصُوْرِ المَبْنِيَّةِ مِنَ الجَصِّ وَالآجُرِّ.”
“This (is how it is); meanwhile, the inhabitants of humble huts, reed shelters, and mud-brick houses are more comfortable in the summer than those living in palaces built of plaster and bricks.”
Where is the predicate (خبر) of “هذا”? Is it omitted? Or is “هذا” itself the predicate? If so, what would the implied mubtadā (subject) be?
Answer:
To understand the grammatical structure and the role of “هذا” in this sentence, it’s essential to consider the broader context in which it appears. The full passage is:
“مَا أَشَدَّ الحَرَّ؟ يَا لَطِيْفُ! النَّاسُ فِيْ بُيُوْتِهِمْ لَا يَخْرُجُوْنَ خَوْفَ السَّمُوْمِ، وَقْدِ اتَّخَذُوْا سُتُوْرًا مِّنَ الحَشِيْشِ يَرُشُّوْنَ عَلَيْهَا المَاءَ، وَيُحَرِّكُوْنَ المَرَاوِحَ، وَقَدْ سَدُّوا النَّوَافِذَ لِئَلَّا تَدْخُلَ مِنْهَا السَّمُوْمُ، وَمَعَ ذلِكَ يَتَقَلَّبّوْنَ عَلى مِثْلِ الجَمْرِ، هذَا، وَأَهْلُ الأَكْوَاخِ الحَقِيْرَةِ وَالخُصَصِ وَالبُيُوْتِ المَبْنِيَّةِ مِنَ اللَّبِنِ أَنْعَمُ فِي الصَّيْفِ مِنْ أَهْلِ القُصُوْرِ المَبْنِيَّةِ مٍنَ الجَصِّ وَالآجُرِّ”
“”How intense the heat is! Latīf! People are inside their homes, not venturing out for fear of the scorching hot wind (samūm). They have put up curtains made of straw, sprinkling them with water and operating fans. They have shut the windows to prevent the hot wind from entering, yet they still toss and turn as if lying on embers. This (is how it is), (on the other hand) the inhabitants of humble huts, reed shelters, and mud-brick houses are more comfortable in summer than those living in palaces built of plaster and baked bricks.”
In this context, “هذَا” serves as the khabar (predicate) of an omitted mubtada’ (subject), which implicitly refers to the entire preceding situation — specifically, the hardship and discomfort experienced by people in their homes despite their attempts to stay cool. The implied mubtada’ is thus understood to be “الأمر” (“the situation”).
So the phrase:
“هذَا، وَأَهْلُ الأَكْوَاخِ…”
can be understood as:
“الأمرُ هذا، وأما أهل الأكواخ…”
“This is the situation, but as for the people of the huts…”
This structure is comparable to what we see in the Qur’anic verse:
“هَذَا وَإِنَّ لِلطَّاغِينَ لَشَرَّ مَآبٍ”
All this [for the righteous]: but, verily,
the transgressors will certainly have the worst destination. (Surah Ṣād 38:55)
In this verse, the reward of the believers is mentioned first, and before introducing its opposite, the word “هذا” (“this”) appears, indicating that this is the state or condition of the believers. In contrast, the rebellious ones will have an evil place of return. Thus, the structure implies:
(هذا الأمر – أي: الجزاء للمتقين كما وُصف)
*Summary:*
In the sentence “هذَا، وَأَهْلُ الأَكْوَاخِ…”, the word “هذَا” functions as the khabar (predicate) of an implied mubtada’ (subject), which is understood to be “الأمر” (the matter). This phrase is used to conclude one depiction and shift towards another, offering a contrasting viewpoint.
Note:
There is another interpretation here — the word هذا can be understood as the Mubtadā (subject) of an implied Khabar (predicate). In that case, the intended meaning would be:
هذا للمذكورين أي للذين لا يخرجون خوفَ السموم، وقد اتخذوا ستورًا من الحشيش يرشّون عليها الماء، ويسدّون النوافذ، ويتقلّبون على مثل الجمر.
هذا وإن للطاغين لشر مآب:
(ها) للتنبيه و(ذا) اسم إشارة في محل رفع خبر لمبتدأ محذوف، والتقدير: الأمر هذا، أو مبتدأ خبره محذوف، والتقدير: هذا للمؤمنين. (إعراب القرآن لسليمان ياقوت ١٨٤٢)
Allah knows best.
Abbas Afzal
6 Muḥarram / 01 July 2025
