1Is Zeyd in the house, or 'Amr?—أَزَيُدٌ فِى الدَّارِ أَمْ عَمْرٌو
It is a conjunction, connected with what comes before it, so that neither what comes before it nor what comes after it is independent of the other.
It denotes interrogation, or is used in a case of interrogation, corresponding to the interrogative أَ and meaning أَىّ, or, as Z says, أَىُّ الأَمْرَيْنِ كَائِنٌ [for an explanation of which, see what follows]; or, in other words, corresponding to the interrogative أَ, by which, and by أَمْ, one seeks specification. It is as though it were an interrogative after an interrogative.
That is, which of the two is in the house? So what follows ام and what comes before it make up one sentence.
Is Zeyd standing, or sitting?—أَزَيْدٌ قَائِمٌ أَمع قَاعِدٌ
Did Zeyd stand, or sit?—أَقَامَ زَيْدٌ أَمْ قَعَدَ
It is not used in commanding or in forbidding, and what follows it must match what precedes it in being a noun or a verb.
It is not to be coupled with أَ after it: one may not say أَعِنْدَكَ زَيْدٌ أَمْ أَعِنْدَكَ عَمْرٌو.
1.1It will be equal to them whether you beg forgiveness for them or do not beg forgiveness for them—سَوَآءُ عَلَيْهِمْ أَسْتَغْفَرْتَ لَهُمٌ لَمٌ تَسْتَغُفِرْ لَهُمٌ
Connected in the same way with what goes before, it is preceded by أَ, which denotes equality (by occurring after سَوَآءٌ and the like), and corresponds to it, as in Kur 63:6.
Lane cites “Kur lxiii. 6” — Flügel numbering, not yet mapped
1.2They are indeed camels: nay, or nay but, they are sheep, or goats; or, nay, are they sheep, or goats?—إِنَّهَا لَإِبِلٌ أَمْ شَآءٌ
It is also unconnected with what comes before it, always implying digression. It is then preceded by a khabar, or by an interrogative other than أَ, or by أَ used not as a real interrogative but to show disapproval, and it signifies بَلْ, or بَلْ and أَ together. This is its meaning always according to all the Basrees, but the Koofees deny it.
This is an example of its use after a khabar. It is said when a man looks at a bodily shape, imagines it to be a number of camels, and says what first occurs to him; then the opinion that it is a number of sheep or goats suggests itself to him, and he turns away from the first idea and says أَمْ شَآءٌ, meaning بَلْ, because it is a digression from what came before. What follows بل is properly something known for certain, while what follows ام is only opined.
Is Zeyd going away? Nay rather, or or rather, is 'Amr?—هَلْ زيْدٌ مُنْطَلِقٌ أَمْ عَمْرٌو
This is an example of its use after an interrogative in this case: you turn away from the question about Zeyd's going away and make the question relate to 'Amr, so that ام carries indecisive opinion, interrogation, and digression together.
Did Zeyd stand? Nay rather, or or rather, did 'Amr?—هَلْ زَيْدٌ قَامَ أَمْ عَمْرٌو
Are the blind and the seeing equal? Or rather are darkness and light equal?—هَلْ يَسْتَوِى الْأَعْمَى وَالْبَصِيرُ أَمْ هَلْ تَسْتَوِى الظُّلُمَاتُ وَالنُّورُ
An example from Kur 13:17.
Have they feet, to walk with? Or have they hands, to assault with?—أَلَهُمْ أَرْجُلٌ يَمْشُونَ بِهَا أَمْ لَهُمْ أَيْدٍ يَبْطِشُونَ بِهَا
An example of it preceded by أَ used to show disapproval, Kur 7:194: أَ is here equivalent to a negation.
أَمْ is sometimes brought in immediately before هَلْ, but IB says that this is when هل occurs in a phrase just before it, as in the example from Kur 13:17; and in that case the interrogative meaning of ام is cancelled, it being brought in only to mark a digression.
Qur’ān 13:16 matched to Lane’s own quotation of it Lane cites “Kur xiii. 17”
Qur’ān 7:195 matched to Lane’s own quotation of it Lane cites “Kur vii. 194”
Qur’ān 13:16 matched to Lane’s own quotation of it Lane cites “Kur xiii. 17”
Qur’ān 13:16 Lane quotes this verse
قُلْ مَن رَّبُّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ قُلِ ٱللَّهُ ۚ قُلْ أَفَٱتَّخَذْتُم مِّن دُونِهِۦٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ لَا يَمْلِكُونَ لِأَنفُسِهِمْ نَفْعًا وَلَا ضَرًّا ۚ قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِى ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ وَٱلْبَصِيرُ أَمْ هَلْ تَسْتَوِى ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتُ وَٱلنُّورُ ۗ أَمْ جَعَلُوا۟ لِلَّهِ شُرَكَآءَ خَلَقُوا۟ كَخَلْقِهِۦ فَتَشَـٰبَهَ ٱلْخَلْقُ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ قُلِ ٱللَّهُ خَـٰلِقُ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ وَهُوَ ٱلْوَٰحِدُ ٱلْقَهَّـٰرُSay: "Who is the Lord and Sustainer of the heavens and the earth?" Say: "(It is) Allah." Say: "Do ye then take (for worship) protectors other than Him, such as have no power either for good or for harm to themselves?" Say: "Are the blind equal with those who see? Or the depths of darkness equal with light?" Or do they assign to Allah partners who have created (anything) as He has created, so that the creation seemed to them similar? Say: "Allah is the Creator of all things: He is the One, the Supreme and Irresistible."Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur’ān (1934)
1.3Have you a morning-meal ready?—أَمْ عِنْدَكَ غَدَآءِ حَاضِرٌ
It is also used as a simple interrogative: according to AO's assertion, in the sense of هَلْ; or in the sense of the interrogative أَ.
This is a good form of speech used by the Arabs, and allowable when it is preceded by another phrase.
1.4O Dahnà, my walking was not, as it is now in my age, a feeble movement like dancing; but in my youth my way of walking used to be a bounding
shāhidيَا دَهْنَ أَمْ مَا كَانَ مَشْيِى رقَصَابَلْ قَدْ تَكُونُ مِشْيَتِى تَوَقُّصَا
Sometimes it is redundant, in the dialect of the people of El-Yemen.
In one version يا هِنْدُ, and only the first hemistich is given.
The shortened form دَهْنَ is used for دَهْنَآء. This is according to the opinion of AZ.
A 'Hát reports another opinion: ام is here joined to a preceding clause that has been left out, as though the speaker had said يَا دَهْنَ أَكَانَ مَشْيِى رَقَصَّا أَمْ مَا كَانَ كَذلِكَ.
2Fasting in journeying is not an act of obedience to God—لَيْسَ مِنَ امْبِرّ امْصِيامُ فِى امْسَفَرِ
It is also used, in the dialect of the people of El-Yemen, or of Teiyi and Himyer, in the sense of ال, to make a noun determinate.
That is, الَيْسَ مِنَ البِرِّ الصِّيَامُ فِى السَّفَرِ. See also the article بر.
Now fighting has become lawful—اَلْآنَ طَابَ امْضَرْبُ
So in this tradition, related according to the dialect of Himyer, for الضَّرْبُ. See also the article طيب.
Take the spear, and mount the mare, or horse—خُذِ الرُّمْحَ وَارْكَبِ امْفَرَسَ
It has been said that this form ام is used only in those cases in which the ل of the article is not assimilated to the first letter of the noun it is prefixed to; as in this phrase, reported as heard in El-Yemen.
on this sense But this usage may belong only to some of the people of that country, and not to all of them, as appears from what has been cited above.
3used before an oath—أَمَ
Used for أَمَا; see the article اما.
4
For أَمَ اللّٰهِ and أَمُ اللّٰهِ and the like, see أَيْمُنُ اللّٰهِ in the article يمن.
Show Lane's original text
is a conjunction, (S, M, K,) connected with what precedes it (Msb, Mughnee) so that neither what precedes it nor what follows it is independent, the one of the other. (Mughnee.) It denotes interrogation; (M, K;) or is used in a case of interrogation, (S, Msb,) corresponding to the interrogative أَ , and meaning أَىّ , (S,) or, as Z says, أَىُّ الأَمْرَيْنِ كَائِنٌ ; [for an explanation of which, see what follows;] (Mughnee;) or, [in other words,] corresponding to the interrogative أَ , whereby, and by أَمْ , one seeks, or desires, particularization: (Mughnee:) it is as though it were an interrogative after an interrogative. (Lth, T.) Thus you say, أَزَيُدٌ فِى الدَّارِ أَمْ عَمْرٌو [Is Zeyd in the house, or 'Amr?]; (S, Mughnee;) i. e. which of them two ( أَيُّهُمَا ) is in the house? (S;) therefore what follows ام and what precedes it compose one sentence; and it is not used in commanding nor in forbidding; and what follows it must correspond to what precedes it in the quality of noun and of verb; so that you say, أَزَيْدٌ قَائِمٌ أَمع قَاعِدٌ [Is Zeyd standing, or sitting?] and أَقَامَ زَيْدٌ أَمْ قَعَدَ [Did Zeyd stand, or sit?]. (Msb.) It is not to be coupled with أَ after it: you may not say, أَعِنْدَكَ زَيْدٌ أَمْ أَعِنْدَكَ عَمْرٌو . (S.) As connected in like manner with what goes before, it is preceded by أَ denoting equality [by occurring after سَوَآءٌ &c.], and corresponds thereto, as in [the Kur lxiii. 6,] سَوَآءُ عَلَيْهِمْ أَسْتَغْفَرْتَ لَهُمٌ لَمٌ تَسْتَغُفِرْ لَهُمٌ [It will be equal to them whether thou beg forgiveness for them or do not beg forgiveness for them]. (Mughnee.) It is also unconnected with what precedes it, (S, Msb, Mughnee,) implying always digression, (Mughnee,) preceded by an enunciative, or an interrogative, (S, Msb, Mughnee,) other than أَ , (Mughnee,) or by أَ not meant [really] as an interrogative but to denote disapproval, (Mughnee,) and signifies بَلْ , (Lth, Zj, T, S, M, Mughnee, K,) or بَلْ and أَ together, (Msb,) and this is its meaning always accord. to all the Basrees, but the Koofees deny this. (Mughnee.) Thus, using it after an enunciative, you say, إِنَّهَا لَإِبِلٌ أَمْ شَآءٌ [Verily they are camels: nay, or nay but, they are sheep, or goats: or nay, are they sheep, or goats?]: (S Msb, Mughnee:) this being said when one looks at a bodily form, and imagines it to be a number of camels, and says what first occurs to him; then the opinion that it is a number of sheep or goats suggests itself to him, and he turns from the first idea, and says, أَمْ شَآءٌ , meaning بَلْ , because it is a digression from what precedes it; though what follows بل is [properly] a thing known certainly, and what follows ام is opined. (S, TA.) And using it after an interrogative in this case, you say, هَلْ زيْدٌ مُنْطَلِقٌ أَمْ عَمْرٌو [Is Zeyd going away? Nay rather, or, or rather, is 'Amr?]: you digress from the question respecting Zeyd's going away, and make the question to relate to 'Amr; so that ام implies indecisive opinion, and interrogation, and digression. (S.) And thus using it, you say, هَلْ زَيْدٌ قَامَ أَمْ عَمْرٌو [Did Zeyd stand? Nay rather, or or rather, did 'Amr?]. (Msb.) And an ex. of the same is the saying [in the Kur xiii. 17], هَلْ يَسْتَوِى الْأَعْمَى وَالْبَصِيرُ أَمْ هَلْ تَسْتَوِى الظُّلُمَاتُ وَالنُّورُ [Are the blind and the seeing equal? Or rather are darkness and light equal?]. (Mughnee.) And an ex. of it preceded by أَ used to denote disapproval is the saying [in the Kur vii. 194], أَلَهُمْ أَرْجُلٌ يَمْشُونَ بِهَا أَمْ لَهُمْ أَيْدٍ يَبْطِشُونَ بِهَا [Have they feet, to walk therewith? Or have they hands to assault therewith?]: for أَ is here equivalent to a negation. (Mughnee.) [It has been shown above that] أَمْ is sometimes introduced immediately before هَلْ : (S, K:) but IB says that this is when هل occurs in a phrase next before it; [as in the ex. from the Kur xiii. 17, cited above;] and in this case, the interrogative meaning of ام is annulled; it being introduced only to denote a digression. (TA.) It is also used as a simple interrogative; accord. to the assertion of AO; in the sense of هَلْ ; (Mughnee;) or in the sense of the interrogative أَ ; (Lth, T, K) as in the saying, أَمْ عِنْدَكَ غَدَآءِ حَاضِرٌ , meaning Hast thou a morning-meal ready? a good form of speech used by the Arabs; (Lth, T;) and allowable when preceded by another phrase. (T.) And sometimes it is redundant; (AZ, T, S, Mughnee, K) in the dial. of the people of El-Yemen; (T;) as in the saying, 1 (T, S, * [in the latter, يا هِنْدُ , and only the former hemistich is given,]) meaning O Dahnà, (the curtailed form دَهْنَ being used for دَهْنَآء ,) my walking was not, as now in my age, [a feeble movement like] dancing: but in my youth, my manner of walking used to be a bounding: (T:) this is accord. to the opinion of AZ: but accord. to another opinion, ام is here [virtually] conjoined with a preceding clause which is suppressed; as though the speaker had said, يَا دَهْنَ أَكَانَ مَشْيِى رَقَصَّا أَمْ مَا كَانَ كَذلِكَ . (A 'Hát, TA.) يَا دَهْنَ أَمْ مَا كَانَ مَشْيِى رقَصَا | بَلْ قَدْ تَكُونُ مِشْيَتِى تَوَقُّصَا It is also used (T, Mughnee) in the dial. of the people of El-Yemen, (T,) or of Teiyi and Himyer, (Mughnee,) in the sense of ال , (T,) to render a noun determinate. (Mughnee.) So in the trad., لَيْسَ مِنَ امْبِرّ امْصِيامُ فِى امْسَفَرِ , (T, Mughnee,) i. e. الَيْسَ مِنَ البِرِّ الصِّيَامُ فِى السَّفَرِ [Fasting in journeying is not an act of obedience to God]. (T, and M in art. بر .) So too in the trad., اَلْآنَ طَابَ امْضَرْبُ Now fighting has become lawful; as related accord. to the dial. of Himyer, for الضَّرْبُ . (TA in art. طيب .) It has been said that this form ام is only used in those cases in which the ل of the article does not become incorporated into the first letter of the noun to which it is prefixed; as in the phrase, خُذِ الرُّمْحَ وَارْكَبِ امْفَرَسَ [Take thou the spear, and mount the mare, or horse], related as heard in El-Yemen; but this usage may be peculiar to some of the people of that country; not common to all of them; as appears from what we have cited above. (Mughnee.) أَمَ for أَمَا , before an oath: see art. اما . And أَمَ اللّٰهِ and أَمُ اللّٰهِ &c.: see أَيْمُنُ اللّٰهِ , in art. يمن .