1
In its primitive use it is made up of the interrogative hamzeh and the negative لا, and it asks a question about a negative, as in the poet's line: [Is there not any patience belonging to Selmà, or has she hardiness, when I experience what people like me have experienced?]
shāhidأَلَا ٱصْطِبَارَ لِسَلْمَى أَمْ لَهَا جَلَدٌإِذَا أُلَاقِى ٱلَّذِى لَاقَاهُ أَمْثَالِى
Used in this way, it stands before a nominal proposition only, and it governs like the negative لا when that is used without the interrogative hamzeh.
1.1
It also denotes a wish, as in the poet's line: [May there not be a life that has declined, whose return is possible, so that it may repair what the hand of neglect has spoiled?]
shāhidأَلَا عُمْرَ وَلَّى مُسْتَطَاعٌ رُجُوعُهُفَيَرْأَبَ مَا أَثْأَتْ يَدُ الغَفَلَاتِ
For this reason يرأب is mansūb, being the complement of a wish, coupled with فَ.
Used in this way also, it stands before a nominal proposition only, [ولّى in the verse above being a qualificative, like an adjective,] and it governs like the negative لا without the interrogative hamzeh, and it has no khabar either expressed or understood.
1.2Do you not repent of your actions?—أَلَا تَنَدَّمَ عَلَى فِعَالِكَ
Are you not ashamed for yourself with respect to your neighbours?—أَلَا تَسْتَحْيِى مِنْ جِيرَانِكَ
Do you not fear your Lord?—أَلَا تَخَافُ رَبَّكَ
on this sense It also denotes reproof or reproach, and disapproval, as in the poet's line: [Is there no self-restraint for one whose youth has declined and announced hoariness, after which decrepitude is to follow?]
shāhidأَلَا ٱرْعِوَآءَ لِمَنْ وَلَتْ شَبِيْبَتُهُوَاذَنَتْ بِمَشِيبٍ بَعْدَهُ هَرَمُ
on this sense Used in this way also, it stands before a nominal proposition only, and governs as in the cases mentioned above; or it stands before a verb as well, which is then always marfūʿ.
1.3Do you not, or why do you not, like that God should forgive you?—أَلَا تُحِبُّونَ أَنْ يَغْفِرَ ٱللّٰهُ لَكُمْ
It also denotes عَرْضٌ, or العَرْضُ and التَّحْضِيضُ, the last two of which both mean the asking, or requiring, of a thing — the first of them doing so gently, the second with urgency.
Used in this way it is said to be made up of لا with the interrogative hamzeh, and it stands before a verbal proposition only.
In the Qur 24:22; for this rendering see أَمَا.
Will you not, or why will you not, fight a people who have broken their oaths?—أَلَاتُقَاتِلُونَ قًوْمًا نَكَثُوا أَيْمَانَهُمْ
Will you not, or why will you not, alight and eat?—أَلَا تَنْزِلْ تَأْكُلْ
In the Qur 9:13.
The same is said with أَلَا تَنْزِلُ تَأْكُلُ: it stands before a majzūm or a marfūʿ muḍāriʿ, both of these forms being mentioned on the authority of the Arabs.
Lane cites “Kur xxiv. 22” — Flügel numbering, not yet mapped
1.4Now surely it is they who are the light-witted—أَلَا إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ ٱلسُّفَهَآءُ
It is also an inceptive particle, whose place those who parse point out while neglecting its meaning; it gives notice of something about to be said.
[This is much like the use of Now and why in our own language — the former, I think, is generally the best rendering when the word is used in this way — and like the use of a Greek particle remarkably close to it in sound.]
It imports averment, because it is made up of the interrogative hamzeh and the negative لا, which carry this import when so combined, like أَلَمْ and أَلَيْسَ: the interrogative particle resembles the particle of negation, and the negation of a negation is an affirmation. It is also like أَمَا before an oath.
[It may therefore also be rendered by our word surely; for this word, as Dr. Johnson says in his Dictionary, "is often used rather to intend and strengthen the meaning of the sentence, than with any distinct and explicable meaning."]
Or it means حَقًّا [truly], as is said under أَمَا.
Now surely, on the day of its coming to them, it shall not be averted from them—أَلَا يَوْمَ يَأْتِيهِمْ لَيْسَ مَصْرُوفًا عَنْهُمْ
It stands before both kinds of proposition, the nominal and the verbal.
In the Qur 2:12.
In the Qur 11:11. Here يَوْمَ يَأْتِيهِمْ appears to be governed by مَصْرُوفًا, which is the khabar of لَيْسَ; and from this it has been argued that, since what is governed by the khabar of ليس may precede that verb, the khabar itself may precede it.
Now surely Zeyd is going forth—أَلَا إِنَّ زَيْدًا خَارِجٌ
J says that this is said just as one says إِعْلَمْ أَنَّ زَيْدًا خَارِجٌ [Know that Zeyd is going forth].
Ks says that أَلَا is used to give notice of what is about to be said, and is followed by a command, a prohibition, or a statement.
Now stand—أَلَا قُمْ
Now do not stand—أَلَا لَا تَقُمْ
Now surely Zeyd has stood, or has just now stood—أَلَا إِنَّ زَيْدًا قَدْ قَامَ
When it is put before the particle [يَا] that is used to give notice of what is about to be said, it is merely an inceptive, as in the poet's line: [Now be free from evil, O abode of Meiyà, through all wear and tear]
shāhidأَلَا يَا ٱسْلَمِى يَا دَارَ مَىَّ عَلَى البِلَى
Qur’ān 2:13 approximate — somewhere between 2:1 and 2:17 Lane cites “Kur ii. 12”
Qur’ān 2:13 the verse Lane’s citation points to, and it uses this word
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ ءَامِنُوا۟ كَمَآ ءَامَنَ ٱلنَّاسُ قَالُوٓا۟ أَنُؤْمِنُ كَمَآ ءَامَنَ ٱلسُّفَهَآءُ ۗ أَلَآ إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ ٱلسُّفَهَآءُ وَلَـٰكِن لَّا يَعْلَمُونَWhen it is said to them: "Believe as the others believe:" They say: "Shall we believe as the fools believe?" Nay, of a surety they are the fools, but they do not know.Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur’ān (1934)
1.5Why no—أَلَا لَا
Lth says that أَلَا is sometimes immediately followed by another لا, and he cites the line: [Then he began to drive the people away from us, saying, Now is there no way to Hind?]
shāhidفَقَامَ يَذُودُ النَّاسَ عَنَّا بِسَيْفِهِيَقُولُ أَلَا لَا مِنْ سَبِيلٍ إِلَى هِنْدِ
One says to a man, "Did such and such things happen?" and he answers with this.
Lth holds الا to be used to give notice of what is about to be said, and لا to be a negative.
Show Lane's original text
[in its primitive acceptation, being composed of the interrogative hemzeh and the negative لا ,] denotes an interrogation respecting a negative, as in the saying [of the poet], 1 [Is there not any patience belonging to Selmà, or has she hardiness, when I experience what persons like me have experienced?]: (Mughnee, K:) and when used in this manner, it is put before a nominal proposition only, and governs like the negative لا [when used without the interrogative hemzeh]. (Mughnee.) أَلَا ٱصْطِبَارَ لِسَلْمَى أَمْ لَهَا جَلَدٌ | إِذَا أُلَاقِى ٱلَّذِى لَاقَاهُ أَمْثَالِى It also denotes a wish; as in the saying [of the poet], 1 [May there not be a life which has declined whereof the returning is possible, so that it may repair what the hand of negligences hath marred?]; for which reason يرأب is mansoob, because it is the complement of a wish, coupled with فَ : and used in this manner, also, it is put before a nominal proposition only, [ ولّى in the verse above being a qualificative, like an epithet,] and it governs like the negative لا [without the interrogative hemzeh], and has no enunciative either expressed or understood. (Mughnee.) أَلَا عُمْرَ وَلَّى مُسْتَطَاعٌ رُجُوعُهُ | فَيَرْأَبَ مَا أَثْأَتْ يَدُ الغَفَلَاتِ It also denotes reproof, or reproach, (T, Mughnee, K,) and disapproval; as in the saying [of the poet], 1 [Is there no self-restraint to him whose youth hath declined, and announced hoariness, after which is to follow decrepitude?]: (Mughnee, K:) and used in this manner, also, it is put before a nominal proposition only, and governs as in the cases mentioned above, (Mughnee,) or before a verb [also], which is always marfooa; as in the phrase أَلَا تَنَدَّمَ عَلَى فِعَالِكَ [Dost not thou repent of thine actions?] and أَلَا تَسْتَحْيِى مِنْ جِيرَانِكَ [Art not thou ashamed for thyself, or of thyself, with respect to thy neighbours?] and أَلَا تَخَافُ رَبَّكَ [Dost not thou fear thy Lord?]. (T.) أَلَا ٱرْعِوَآءَ لِمَنْ وَلَتْ شَبِيْبَتُهُ | وَاذَنَتْ بِمَشِيبٍ بَعْدَهُ هَرَمُ It also denotes عَرْضٌ , (T,) or العَرْضُ , and التَّحْضِيضُ , both of which signify the asking, or requiring, a thing; (Mughnee, K; *) but the former means the doing so with gentleness; (Mughnee, K;) and the latter, the doing so with urgency: (Mughnee:) and when used in this manner, [also,] it is said to be composed of لا with the interrogative hemzeh; (TA;) and is put before a verbal proposition only; (Mughnee;) as in the saying [in the Kur xxiv. 22], أَلَا تُحِبُّونَ أَنْ يَغْفِرَ ٱللّٰهُ لَكُمْ [Do not ye, or wherefore do not ye, (see أَمَا ,) like that God should forgive you?] (Mughnee, K,) and [in the same, ix. 13,] أَلَاتُقَاتِلُونَ قًوْمًا نَكَثُوا أَيْمَانَهُمْ [Will not ye, or wherefore will not ye, fight a people who have broken their oaths?]; (Mughnee;) or before a mejzoom or marfooa aor., both of these forms being mentioned on the authority of the Arabs, as in أَلَا تَنْزِلْ تَأْكُلْ and أَلَا تَنْزِلُ تَأْكُلُ [Wilt not thou, or wherefore wilt not thou, alight and eat?]. (Ks, T.) It is also an inceptive particle, (S, Mughnee, K,) of which those who parse show the place but neglect the meaning, (Mughnee,) used to give notice of something about to be said, [like as Now, and why, (by the former of which I think it is generally best rendered when thus used,) are often employed in our language, and like as (which is remarkable for its near agreement with it in sound) is often used in Greek,] (S, Mughnee, K,) and importing averment, because it is composed of the interrogative hemzeh and the negative لا which, when thus composed, have this import, (Mughnee, K,) like أَلَمْ , and أَلَيْسَ , because the interrogative particle resembles the particle of negation, and the negation of a negation is an affirmation, (Ham p. 589,) and like أَمَا before an oath: (Z, Mughnee:) [it may therefore be further rendered by our word surely;; for this word (as Dr. Johnson says in his Dictionary) "is often used rather to intend and strengthen the meaning of the sentence, than with any distinct and explicable meaning:"] or it signifies حَقًّا [verily, or truly]: (M voce أَمَا :) it is put before both the [kinds of] propositions, [the nominal and the verbal;] (Mughnee;) as in the saying [in the Kur ii. 12], أَلَا إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ ٱلسُّفَهَآءُ [meaning Now surely it is they who are the lightwitted], (Mughnee, K,) and [in the same, xi. 11,] أَلَا يَوْمَ يَأْتِيهِمْ لَيْسَ مَصْرُوفًا عَنْهُمْ [meaning Now surely, on the day of its coming to them, it shall not be averted from them], (Mughnee,) in which يَوْمَ يَأْتِيهِمْ appears to be the object of government of مَصْرُوفًا , which is the enunciative of لَيْسَ whence it has been argued that, as the object of government of the enunciative of ليس precedes that verb, the enunciative itself may precede it: (I 'Ak pp. 74 and 75:) [J says,] you say, أَلَا إِنَّ زَيْدًا خَارِجٌ [Now surely Zeyd is going forth], like as you say, إِعْلَمْ أَنَّ زَيْدًا خَارِجٌ [Know thou that Zeyd is going forth]: (S:) Ks says, أَلَا is used to give notice of what is about to be said, and is followed by a command and a prohibition and an enunciation, as in أَلَا قُمْ [Now stand thou], and أَلَا لَا تَقُمْ [Now stand not thou], and أَلَا إِنَّ زَيْدًا قَدْ قَامَ [Now surely Zeyd has stood, or has just now stood]. (T.) When it is put before the particle [ يَا ] used to give notice of what is about to be said, it is merely an inceptive, as in the saying. [of the poet], 1 [Now be thou free from evil, O abode of Meiyà, during wear and tear]. (AAF, M.) أَلَا يَا ٱسْلَمِى يَا دَارَ مَىَّ عَلَى البِلَى Lth says, sometimes أَلَا is immediately followed by another لا ; and he cites the following ex.: 1 [Then he began to drive away the people from us, saying, Now is there no way to Hind?]: and one says to a man, "Did such and such things happen?" and he answers, أَلَا لَا [Why no]: he holds الا to be used to give notice of what is about to be said, and لا to be a negative. (T.) فَقَامَ يَذُودُ النَّاسَ عَنَّا بِسَيْفِهِ | يَقُولُ أَلَا لَا مِنْ سَبِيلٍ إِلَى هِنْدِ