دَرْسُ الحَالِ | The Lesson of the Circumstantial State
"A spy in Abbasid Baghdad learns to describe actions in their precise state, as she decodes messages hidden in the grammar of whispered secrets."
دَرْسُ الحَالِ
The Lesson of the Circumstantial State
الفصل الأول | Chapter One
فِي أَزِقَّةِ بَغْدَادَ المُظْلِمَةِ، سَارَتِ الجَاسُوسَةُ مُتَخَفِّيَةً.
In the dark alleys of Baghdad, the spy walked disguised.
لَمَحَتْ رَجُلًا وَاقِفًا عِنْدَ البَابِ. كَانَ يَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهَا مُبْتَسِمًا.
She glimpsed a man standing at the door. He was looking at her, smiling.
"أَرَاكِ مُتَسَرِّعَةً،" قَالَ بِصَوْتٍ خَفِيضٍ. "اُدْخُلِي هَادِئَةً."
"I see you hurrying," he said in a low voice. "Enter calmly."
Grammar Note | ملاحظة نحوية:
الحَالُ (al-ḥāl) - The Circumstantial State
الحال describes the STATE or CONDITION of the subject or object when the action occurs:
- مُتَخَفِّيَةً (disguised) - describes how she walked
- مُبْتَسِمًا (smiling) - describes his state while looking
- هَادِئَةً (calm) - describes how she should enter
The حال is ALWAYS in the ACCUSATIVE case (منصوب) and is ALWAYS indefinite (نكرة).
الفصل الثاني | Chapter Two
دَخَلَتْ خَائِفَةً لَكِنَّهَا أَظْهَرَتْ شَجَاعَةً. وَجَدَتْهُ جَالِسًا فِي الظِّلِّ.
She entered afraid but showed courage. She found him sitting in the shadow.
"الرِّسَالَةُ مَكْتُوبَةٌ بِطَرِيقَةٍ غَرِيبَةٍ،" قَالَتْ وَاضِعَةً الوَرَقَةَ عَلَى الطَّاوِلَةِ.
"The message is written in a strange way," she said, placing the paper on the table.
"اِقْرَئِيهَا مُتَأَنِّيَةً. السِّرُّ فِي الحَالِ."
"Read it carefully. The secret is in the ḥāl."
Grammar Note | ملاحظة نحوية:
شروط صاحب الحال - Conditions for the Owner of the Ḥāl
The "owner" (صاحب الحال) is the noun the ḥāl describes:
| الشرط | Condition | المثال | |-------|-----------|--------| | مَعْرِفَة | Must be definite | جَاءَ مُحَمَّدٌ ضَاحِكًا | | فاعل أو مفعول به | Subject or object | رَأَيْتُ الرَّجُلَ جَالِسًا | | قد يكون نكرة مُخَصَّصَة | Or specified indefinite | جَاءَ رَجُلٌ كَرِيمٌ رَاكِبًا |
Example parsing:
- وَجَدَتْهُ جَالِسًا = She found him sitting
- صاحب الحال: الهاء (him)
- الحال: جَالِسًا (sitting)
الفصل الثالث | Chapter Three
اِقْتَرَبَتْ مِنْهُ مُتَرَدِّدَةً. كَانَ وَجْهُهُ يَلْمَعُ تَحْتَ ضَوْءِ الشَّمْعَةِ.
She approached him hesitantly. His face was gleaming under candlelight.
"كُلُّ فِعْلٍ لَهُ حَالٌ،" هَمَسَ مُقْتَرِبًا. "كَمَا أَنَّ كُلَّ قَلْبٍ لَهُ سِرٌّ."
"Every action has a state," he whispered, drawing near. "Just as every heart has a secret."
"أَخْبِرْنِي سِرَّكَ وَاضِحًا."
"Tell me your secret clearly."
Grammar Note | ملاحظة نحوية:
أنواع الحال - Types of Ḥāl
| النوع | Type | المثال | Example | |-------|------|--------|---------| | مُفْرَد | Single word | جَاءَ ضَاحِكًا | He came laughing | | جُمْلَة اسْمِيَّة | Nominal clause | جَاءَ وَهُوَ يَضْحَكُ | He came while he was laughing | | جُمْلَة فِعْلِيَّة | Verbal clause | جَاءَ يَضْحَكُ | He came laughing | | شِبْه جُمْلَة | Semi-clause | رَأَيْتُهُ فِي البَيْتِ | I saw him in the house |
The clausal ḥāl requires a رابط (connector) linking it to the owner.
الفصل الرابع | Chapter Four
أَمْسَكَ يَدَهَا نَاظِرًا فِي عَيْنَيْهَا. اِرْتَجَفَتْ وَاقِفَةً أَمَامَهُ.
He held her hand, looking into her eyes. She trembled, standing before him.
"الحَالُ يَكْشِفُ مَا تُخْفِيهِ الأَفْعَالُ،" قَالَ. "جِئْتِ خَائِفَةً لَكِنَّكِ الآنَ مُشْتَاقَةً."
"The ḥāl reveals what actions hide," he said. "You came afraid but now you are longing."
"كَيْفَ عَرَفْتَ؟"
"How did you know?"
"عَيْنَاكِ تَتَكَلَّمَانِ صَادِقَتَيْنِ."
"Your eyes speak truthfully."
Grammar Note | ملاحظة نحوية:
الحال المتعددة - Multiple Ḥāl States
A single action can have multiple ḥāl:
جَاءَتْ مُسْرِعَةً خَائِفَةً مُتَلَفِّتَةً She came hurrying, afraid, looking around
All three are حال منصوب describing the same subject.
الحال المؤكدة - Confirmatory Ḥāl
Sometimes the ḥāl confirms what's already clear:
- فَتَبَسَّمَ ضَاحِكًا (He smiled laughingly)
- The ḥāl emphasizes the already-implied state.
الفصل الخامس | Chapter Five
جَذَبَهَا إِلَيْهِ وَاثِقًا. وَقَفَتْ بَيْنَ ذِرَاعَيْهِ مُسْتَسْلِمَةً.
He pulled her to him confidently. She stood between his arms, surrendering.
"أَنَا لَسْتُ كَمَا تَظُنُّ،" قَالَتْ مُحَذِّرَةً.
"I am not what you think," she said, warning.
"وَأَنَا لَسْتُ كَمَا أَبْدُو،" أَجَابَ مُبْتَسِمًا. "كِلَانَا يَلْعَبُ دَوْرًا مُتَقَنًا."
"And I am not what I appear," he answered smiling. "Both of us play a perfect role."
Grammar Note | ملاحظة نحوية:
الحال من المفعول به - Ḥāl from the Object
The ḥāl can describe the object, not just the subject:
| الجملة | صاحب الحال | الحال | |--------|------------|-------| | رَأَيْتُ القَمَرَ طَالِعًا | القمر (object) | طالعًا | | شَرِبْتُ المَاءَ بَارِدًا | الماء (object) | باردًا | | تَرَكْتُهَا نَائِمَةً | ها (object) | نائمةً |
جَذَبَهَا مُسْتَسْلِمَةً:
- صاحب الحال: الهاء (her - object)
- الحال: مُسْتَسْلِمَةً
الفصل السادس | Chapter Six
قَبَّلَهَا حَارِقًا شَفَتَيْهَا. اِسْتَقْبَلَتْهُ رَاغِبَةً فِي المَزِيدِ.
He kissed her, burning her lips. She received him, wanting more.
"الرِّسَالَةُ..." تَذَكَّرَتْ فَجْأَةً مُنْتَبِهَةً.
"The message..." she remembered suddenly, alert.
"الرِّسَالَةُ تَقُولُ: 'اِلْتَقِ بِهَا مُنْفَرِدًا.' وَهَا أَنَا أُنَفِّذُ الأَمْرَ طَائِعًا."
"The message says: 'Meet her alone.' And here I am executing the order obediently."
Grammar Note | ملاحظة نحوية:
إعراب الحال - Parsing the Ḥāl
تَذَكَّرَتْ فَجْأَةً مُنْتَبِهَةً:
- تَذَكَّرَتْ: فعل ماضٍ مبني على الفتح، والتاء للتأنيث
- فَجْأَةً: مفعول فيه ظرف زمان منصوب
- مُنْتَبِهَةً: حال منصوب وعلامة نصبه الفتحة الظاهرة
اِلْتَقِ بِهَا مُنْفَرِدًا:
- مُنْفَرِدًا: حال من الفاعل المستتر (أنت)
الفصل السابع | Chapter Seven
غَادَرَتْ مَعَ الفَجْرِ حَامِلَةً أَسْرَارًا جَدِيدَةً.
She left with the dawn, carrying new secrets.
نَظَرَتْ إِلَيْهِ وَاقِفَةً عِنْدَ البَابِ. كَانَ يُرَاقِبُهَا صَامِتًا.
She looked at him, standing at the door. He was watching her silently.
"سَأَعُودُ،" قَالَتْ وَاعِدَةً.
"I will return," she said, promising.
"وَسَأَنْتَظِرُ،" أَجَابَ مُتَيَقِّنًا.
"And I will wait," he answered, certain.
Grammar Note | ملاحظة نحوية:
الحال المتنقلة والثابتة - Transient and Fixed Ḥāl
| النوع | Type | المثال | التوضيح | |-------|------|--------|---------| | مُتَنَقِّلَة | Transient | جَاءَ ضَاحِكًا | State can change | | ثَابِتَة | Fixed | خَلَقَ اللهُ الزَّرَافَةَ طَوِيلَةَ العُنُقِ | Permanent state |
Most ḥāl are transient—describing a temporary state during the action.
الخاتمة | Conclusion
فِي تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةِ، تَعَلَّمَتِ الجَاسُوسَةُ أَنَّ الحَالَ لَيْسَ مُجَرَّدَ وَصْفٍ.
That night, the spy learned that the ḥāl is not merely a description.
بَلْ هُوَ كَشْفُ الحَقِيقَةِ خَلْفَ كُلِّ فِعْلٍ.
Rather, it is the revelation of truth behind every action.
وَكَمَا تُخْفِي الأَفْعَالُ نَوَايَاهَا، يَكْشِفُهَا الحَالُ صَادِقًا.
And just as actions hide their intentions, the ḥāl reveals them truthfully.
ملخص القواعد | Grammar Summary
الحال - The Circumstantial State:
- التعريف: وصف حالة الفاعل أو المفعول به عند وقوع الفعل
- الإعراب: منصوب دائمًا
- التنكير: نكرة دائمًا
- صاحب الحال: معرفة غالبًا
- أنواعه: مفرد، جملة اسمية، جملة فعلية، شبه جملة
- الحال المؤكدة: تؤكد معنى الفعل
تمارين | Exercises
استخرج الحال وصاحبها: Extract the ḥāl and its owner:
- دَخَلَ الطَّالِبُ مُسْرِعًا.
- شَاهَدْتُ الطِّفْلَ يَلْعَبُ.
- عَادَتِ الأُمُّ وَهِيَ تَبْكِي.
- جَاءَ الضَّيْفُ رَاكِبًا حِصَانًا.
- قَرَأْتُ الكِتَابَ جَالِسًا فِي الحَدِيقَةِ.
الإجابات:
- الحال: مسرعًا، صاحبها: الطالب
- الحال: يلعب (جملة فعلية)، صاحبها: الطفل
- الحال: وهي تبكي (جملة اسمية)، صاحبها: الأم
- الحال: راكبًا، صاحبها: الضيف
- الحال: جالسًا، صاحبها: التاء في قرأتُ
انتهى درس الحال End of the Lesson of Ḥāl