Dictionary of The Holy Quran — Page 33
اما )2:7(. It is also used as a simple interrogative in the sense of هَلْ as in أَمْ كُنتُمْ شُهَدَاءَ : Were you present )2:134(. و is used to denote an interrogation, in a compound of the interrogative hamzah and the negative ما. It is a mere interrogative as in أَمَا تَسْتَحْيِي مِنَ اللهِ : Art thou not ashamed of thyself with respect to God. الا It is also an inceptive word used in the manner of الا followed by إِنَّهُ . It is syn with الا )meaning "now" or 'now surely" or both of these meaning verily or truly). أَمَا إِنَّهُ لَرَجُلٌ كَرِيمٌ : Verily, or now surely, he is a generous man. أما is a conditional and partitive and corroborative particle. فَلَمَّا الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا فَيَعْلَمُوْنَ : As for those who disbelieved, they will know. وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوْا فَيَقُوْلُوْنَ : As for those who disbelieved, they will say. In most cases it is used as a partitive implying the meaning of a condition. أَمَّا السَّفِيْنَةُ : As for as the boat is concerned. وَأَمَّا الْغُلَامُ : And as for the boy. Few have mentioned its use as a corroborative as in the phrase أَمَّا زَيْدٌ فَذَاهِبٌ : Whatever may be, Zaid is going. It is sometimes used as a compound of أم and the interrogative مَا as in أَمَّا ذَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُوْنَ : Or rather what is it that you did )27:85( إِمَّا was originally اِنْ مَا the particle إِنْ having been added to ما which means "if". The change effected in the sense of the particle اِنْ by the addition of the particle ما is that whereas اِنْ alone expresses a mere contingency or possibility which is not necessarily accompanied by hope, the addition of the particle ما makes the contingency not only more emphatic but also expressive of hope. وَإِمَّا نُرِيَنَّكَ بَعْضَ الَّذِيْ نَعِدُهُمْ : And if We show thee some of the things We have promised them, (thou will know it( )10:47( إِمَّا denotes doubt as in مَا أَدْرِي مَنْ قَامَ إِمَّا زَيْدٌ وَإِمَّا عَمْرُو : I know not who stood, whether Zaid or Amr. It also denotes giving option; إِمَّا أَنْ تُعَذِّبَ وَإِمَّا أَنْ تَتَّخِذَ فِيْهِمْ حُسْنًا : Either thou punish them or treat them with kindness (18:87). It also denotes vagueness of meaning: إِمَّا يُعَذِّبُهُمْ وَإِمَّا يَتُوْبُ عَلَيْهِمْ : Either He will punish them or He will turn to them with compassion (9:106). It is also used as a partitive as in إِمَّا شَاكِرًا وَإِمَّا كَفُوْرًا : Whether he be grateful or ungrateful (76:4). 33 اما اما