08-09-2003, 09:39 PM
As Salam Alykom
I got this further explanation from another board saw to add it here:
The particle 'maa' is for negating the past tense verb...e.g. maa fahimtu (I didn't understand).
lam...is a jazm giving partical and it enters upon the present tense verb (mudhari e.g. yafhamu)...makes the last letters sakin...and it changes the meaning from present tense to the past and negates it just like 'maa'...so esencially lam afham means the same as maa fahimtu i.e. I did not understand. Howevere, there is a slight degree of emphasis in lam which is not in maa...like in terms of usage you would choose the simple maa fahimtu..when ur listener requires simple information...if the listener is in doubt or actuall arguing with u, you would use the lam afham...
Laa in arabic is two types...one that comes on the present tense verb and negates it...like laa yansuru...simply means 'he does not help'...this laa is not a governing agent i.e. it does not change the last letter of the verb.
The other laa is the 'nahi laa' the one for prohibition...this one like lam makes the last letter of the verb sakin..look at the difference.
1. laa tansuru..You do not help
2. Laa tansur...Don't help
laysa.....is a verb unlike the first three for they were all particals..
laysa enters upon the ismiyyah sentence (subject and predicate)...and alters the gramatical state of both...like if you had al-Muallimu Hadirun (the teacher is present)..then you add laysa to the front..it will now read laysa al-Mualimu haadiran (the teacher is not present)...Note the hadiran...before it was haadirun...so the last letter changed from dhammas to fathas...laysa did that..