Lesson 170: Conditional Sentences

Every conditional sentence has two parts. The clause that states the condition is the protasis, in Arabic اَلشَّرْطُ the condition; the clause that states what follows from it is the apodosis, جَوَابُ الشَّرْطِ the answer to the condition. In English the protasis is marked by if or when and the verbs take ordinary tenses. Arabic instead chooses one of three introductory particles according to how real the condition is, and lets that particle govern the form of the verb in both halves. The system looks large, but it rests on four ideas: إِذَا takes the perfect, لَوْ takes the perfect with لَـ in the answer, إِنْ and its family take the jussive (or the perfect), and فَ opens the answer whenever that answer is not a bare verb. You already know every verb form involved; the perfect from Volume 2 and the jussive from lesson 71.

Rule 1: 1. Protasis, apodosis and the three particles

A condition regarded as possible or expected is introduced by إِنْ if or إِذَا when, if; a condition regarded as unreal, contrary to fact or merely imagined is introduced by لَوْ if (only). إِذَا is the everyday word for conditions that are expected to happen (when he comes); إِنْ leaves the matter open (if he comes); لَوْ says that it did not or will not happen (if he had come). Whichever particle is used, the protasis normally comes first and the apodosis follows it directly.

إِنْ تَصُمْ تُؤْجَرْ.
in taṣum tuʾjar
If you fast, you will be rewarded.
إِنْ: both verbs jussive.
إِذَا جَاءَ رَمَضَانُ صَامَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ.
idhā jāʾa ramaḍānu ṣāma l-muslimūna
When Ramaḍān comes, the Muslims fast.
إِذَا: both verbs perfect, present or future meaning.
لَوْ قَرَأْتَ الْقُرْآنَ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ لَحَفِظْتَهُ.
law qaraʾta l-qurʾāna kulla yawmin la-ḥafiẓtahu
If you had read the Quran every day, you would have memorised it.
لَوْ: perfect in both halves, لَـ on the apodosis.
مَنْ يَتُبْ يَغْفِرِ اللّٰهُ لَهُ.
man yatub yaghfiri llāhu lahu
Whoever repents, God forgives him.
مَنْ behaves exactly like إِنْ; the jussive يَغْفِرْ takes kasra before the article.

Rule 2: 2. إِذَا with the perfect

After إِذَا the perfect is used in both the protasis and the apodosis, although the meaning is present or future: إِذَا دَخَلَ الْإِمَامُ قَامَ النَّاسُ when the imam enters, the people stand. The imperfect indicative is sometimes found instead, especially in the protasis, with the same meaning. The negative of the protasis is لَمْ with the jussive, as everywhere else: إِذَا لَمْ يَصُمْ. When a sentence with إِذَا depends on كَانَ, both perfects describe a past habit: كَانَ إِذَا قَرَأَ بَكَى whenever he read, he used to weep.

إِذَا دَخَلَ الْإِمَامُ الْمَسْجِدَ قَامَ النَّاسُ لِلصَّلَاةِ.
idhā dakhala l-imāmu l-masjida qāma n-nāsu li-ṣ-ṣalāti
When the imam enters the mosque, the people stand up for the prayer.
إِذَا تَلَوْتَ آيَةً بِتَدَبُّرٍ خَشَعَ قَلْبُكَ.
idhā talawta āyatan bi-tadabburin khashaʿa qalbuka
If you recite a verse with reflection, your heart becomes humble.
إِذَا أَنْفَقْتَ مِنْ مَالِكَ زَادَكَ اللّٰهُ رِزْقًا.
idhā anfaqta min mālika zādaka llāhu rizqan
When you spend of your wealth, God increases you in provision.
إِذَا تَسْمَعُ الْقُرْآنَ تَخْشَعُ.
idhā tasmaʿu l-qurʾāna takhshaʿu
When you hear the Quran you become humble.
Imperfect indicative in both halves: possible, less common.
إِذَا لَمْ يَصُمِ الْمَرِيضُ قَضَى الْأَيَّامَ بَعْدَ شِفَائِهِ.
idhā lam yaṣumi l-marīḍu qaḍa l-ayyāma baʿda shifāʾihi
If the sick man does not fast, he makes up the days after his recovery.
Negative protasis: لَمْ + jussive.
كَانَ جَدِّي إِذَا قَرَأَ الْقُرْآنَ بَكَى.
kāna jaddī idhā qaraʾa l-qurʾāna bakā
My grandfather, whenever he recited the Quran, would weep.
كَانَ before إِذَا turns the two perfects into a past habit.

Rule 3: 3. لَوْ and لَوْلَا: the unreal condition

لَوْ introduces a condition that is contrary to fact or purely hypothetical. The perfect stands in both halves, and the apodosis is introduced by لَـ: لَوْ صَلَّيْتَ لَنِلْتَ أَجْرًا had you prayed, you would have gained a reward. The time is supplied by the context: the same sentence can mean if you prayed you would gain. A negative protasis uses لَوْ لَمْ with the jussive; a negative apodosis uses مَا with the perfect, usually without لَـ but often لَمَا. لَوْ أَنَّ allows a nominal clause to follow: لَوْ أَنَّكَ حَضَرْتَ. The compound لَوْلَا were it not for is followed by a noun in the nominative or a pronoun suffix (لَوْلَاكَ, لَوْلَاهُ), never by a verb, and its apodosis takes لَـ with the perfect in the same way.

لَوْ صَلَّيْتَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ لَنِلْتَ أَجْرًا أَكْبَرَ.
law ṣallayta fi l-masjidi la-nilta ajran akbara
Had you prayed in the mosque, you would have gained a greater reward.
لَوْ عَلِمَ النَّاسُ ثَوَابَ الصَّدَقَةِ لَأَنْفَقُوا كُلَّ مَا عِنْدَهُمْ.
law ʿalima n-nāsu thawāba ṣ-ṣadaqati la-anfaqū kulla mā ʿindahum
If people knew the reward of charity, they would spend all they have.
لَوْ لَمْ يَتُبْ لَهَلَكَ.
law lam yatub la-halaka
Had he not repented, he would have perished.
Negative protasis: لَوْ لَمْ + jussive.
لَوْ كُنْتُ مَكَانَكَ مَا تَرَكْتُ الصَّلَاةَ.
law kuntu makānaka mā taraktu ṣ-ṣalāta
If I were in your place, I would not abandon the prayer.
Negative apodosis with مَا; also لَمَا تَرَكْتُ.
لَوْ أَنَّكَ حَضَرْتَ الدَّرْسَ لَفَهِمْتَ الْآيَةَ.
law annaka ḥaḍarta d-darsa la-fahimta l-āyata
If you had attended the lesson, you would have understood the verse.
لَوْلَا رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ لَهَلَكْنَا، وَلَوْلَاكَ لَمَا عَرَفْتُ هٰذِهِ السُّورَةَ.
lawlā raḥmatu llāhi la-halaknā, wa-lawlāka lamā ʿaraftu hādhihi s-sūrata
Were it not for God's mercy we would have perished, and but for you I would not have known this sūra.
لَوْلَا + nominative noun / pronoun suffix; apodosis لَـ + perfect, negative لَمَا.

Rule 4: 4. إِنْ and the conditional words with the jussive

إِنْ if governs the jussive in both halves: إِنْ تَدْعُ اللّٰهَ يَسْتَجِبْ لَكَ. The perfect may replace the jussive in either half or both, without any change of meaning; إِنْ صَبَرْتَ نِلْتَ means if you are patient you will gain, not if you were patient. The same construction is used with a group of words that contain a condition inside themselves: مَنْ whoever, مَا and مَهْمَا whatever, مَتَى whenever, أَيْنَمَا and حَيْثُمَا wherever, كَيْفَمَا however, أَيُّ whichever. Each is at once the conditional particle and a part of the sentence (subject, object or adverb). كُلَّمَا every time that is followed by the perfect only. The negative protasis is إِنْ لَمْ with the jussive, or إِلَّا (from إِنْ لَا).

إِنْ تَدْعُ اللّٰهَ يَسْتَجِبْ لَكَ.
in tadʿu llāha yastajib laka
If you call upon God, He answers you.
Jussive of دَعَا drops its final و: تَدْعُ.
إِنْ صَبَرْتَ نِلْتَ الثَّوَابَ، وَإِنْ عَصَيْتَ تَنْدَمْ.
in ṣabarta nilta th-thawāba, wa-in ʿaṣayta tandam
If you are patient you will gain the reward, and if you disobey you will regret it.
Perfect + perfect, then perfect + jussive: all with future meaning.
مَا تُنْفِقْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّٰهِ تَجِدْ ثَوَابَهُ.
mā tunfiq fī sabīli llāhi tajid thawābahu
Whatever you spend in the way of God, you will find its reward.
مَهْمَا تَفْعَلْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ يَعْلَمْهُ اللّٰهُ.
mahmā tafʿal min khayrin yaʿlamhu llāhu
Whatever good you do, God knows it.
مَتَى تَصِلْ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ تَجِدِ الْبَابَ مَفْتُوحًا، وَأَيْنَمَا تَذْهَبْ يَرْزُقْكَ اللّٰهُ.
matā taṣil ila l-masjidi tajidi l-bāba maftūḥan, wa-aynamā tadhhab yarzuqka llāhu
Whenever you reach the mosque you will find the door open, and wherever you go God will provide for you.
كُلَّمَا قَرَأْتُ سُورَةَ الْكَهْفِ ازْدَدْتُ خُشُوعًا.
kullamā qaraʾtu sūrata l-kahfi zdadtu khushūʿan
Every time I read Sūrat al-Kahf, I grew in humility.
كُلَّمَا: perfect only, usually past meaning.
إِنْ لَمْ تَفْهَمِ الْآيَةَ تَسْأَلِ الشَّيْخَ.
in lam tafhami l-āyata tasʾali sh-shaykha
If you do not understand the verse, you ask the shaykh.
Both jussives take kasra before the article.

The conditional words

The first three are pure particles; the rest are pronouns or adverbs that carry a condition and also serve as subject, object or adverb inside the protasis.
Word	Meaning	Verb forms	Example
إِنْin	if (possible)	jussive + jussive, or perfect	إِنْ تَجْتَهِدْ تَنْجَحْin tajtahid tanjaḥif you strive you will succeed
إِذَاidhā	when, if (expected)	perfect + perfect	إِذَا جَاءَ الْعِيدُ فَرِحَ الْأَطْفَالُidhā jāʾa l-ʿīdu fariḥa l-aṭfāluwhen the feast comes the children rejoice
لَوْlaw	if (unreal)	perfect + لَـ perfect	لَوْ صَامَ لَصَحَّ جِسْمُهُlaw ṣāma la-ṣaḥḥa jismuhuhad he fasted his body would have been healthy
لَوْلَاlawlā	were it not for	noun / suffix + لَـ perfect	لَوْلَا الْمَطَرُ لَخَرَجْنَاlawla l-maṭaru la-kharajnābut for the rain we would have gone out
مَنْman	whoever	jussive or perfect	مَنْ يَزْرَعْ يَحْصُدْman yazraʿ yaḥṣudwhoever sows reaps
مَا / مَهْمَاmā / mahmā	whatever	jussive or perfect	مَهْمَا تَقُلْ أَسْمَعْmahmā taqul asmaʿwhatever you say I listen
مَتَىmatā	whenever (time)	jussive or perfect	مَتَى تَأْتِ أُكْرِمْكَmatā taʾti ukrimkawhenever you come I will honour you
أَيْنَمَا / حَيْثُمَاaynamā / ḥaythumā	wherever	jussive or perfect	أَيْنَمَا تَسْكُنْ أَزُرْكَaynamā taskun azurkawherever you live I will visit you
كَيْفَمَاkayfamā	however	jussive or perfect	كَيْفَمَا تُعَامِلِ النَّاسَ يُعَامِلُوكَkayfamā tuʿāmili n-nāsa yuʿāmilūkahowever you treat people they treat you
أَيُّayyu	whichever (declined)	jussive or perfect	أَيَّ سُورَةٍ تَقْرَأْ تَنْتَفِعْ بِهَاayya sūratin taqraʾ tantafiʿ bihāwhichever sūra you read you benefit from it
كُلَّمَاkullamā	every time that	perfect + perfect only	كُلَّمَا دَعَا اسْتُجِيبَ لَهُkullamā daʿā stujība lahuevery time he prayed he was answered

Moods and tenses in the two halves

The meaning is the same in the first three rows; the jussive pair is the normal written form after إِنْ and its family.
Particle	Protasis	Apodosis	Example	Meaning
إِنْ، مَنْ، مَا …in, man, mā	jussive	jussive	إِنْ تَتُبْ يَغْفِرْ لَكَin tatub yaghfir laka	if you repent He forgives you
إِنْ، مَنْ، مَا …in, man, mā	perfect	perfect	إِنْ تُبْتَ غَفَرَ لَكَin tubta ghafara laka	if you repent He forgives you
إِنْ، مَنْ، مَا …in, man, mā	perfect	jussive	إِنْ تُبْتَ يَغْفِرْ لَكَin tubta yaghfir laka	if you repent He forgives you
إِنْ لَمْin lam	لَمْ + jussive	jussive / perfect	إِنْ لَمْ تَتُبْ تَنْدَمْin lam tatub tandam	if you do not repent you will regret
إِذَاidhā	perfect	perfect	إِذَا تُبْتَ غَفَرَ لَكَidhā tubta ghafara laka	when you repent He forgives you
إِذَا لَمْidhā lam	لَمْ + jussive	perfect	إِذَا لَمْ تَتُبْ نَدِمْتَidhā lam tatub nadimta	if you do not repent you will regret
لَوْlaw	perfect	لَـ + perfect	لَوْ تُبْتَ لَغَفَرَ لَكَlaw tubta la-ghafara laka	had you repented He would have forgiven you
لَوْ لَمْlaw lam	لَمْ + jussive	لَـ + perfect	لَوْ لَمْ تَتُبْ لَهَلَكْتَlaw lam tatub la-halakta	had you not repented you would have perished
لَوْلَاlawlā	noun (nom.) / suffix	لَـ + perfect / لَمَا + perfect	لَوْلَا تَوْبَتُكَ لَهَلَكْتَlawlā tawbatuka la-halakta	but for your repentance you would have perished

Rule 5: 5. كَانَ in conditional sentences

A perfect after إِنْ, مَنْ, مَتَى and the rest has future meaning. To make the condition refer to the past, كَانَ is inserted between the particle and the verb, and the apodosis is then introduced by فَ: إِنْ كَانَ قَدْ تَابَ فَقَدْ غَفَرَ اللّٰهُ لَهُ if he has repented, God has forgiven him. When both halves describe a past habit, كَانَ is placed before the conditional word and no فَ is used: كَانَ كُلَّمَا سَمِعَ آيَةً بَكَى whenever he heard a verse he would weep. If كَانَ is followed by an imperfect or a participle, the condition keeps its present meaning: إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُرِيدُونَ if you want.

إِنْ كَانَ أَخُوكَ قَدْ صَلَّى فَلَا تُوقِظْهُ.
in kāna akhūka qad ṣallā fa-lā tūqiẓhu
If your brother has already prayed, do not wake him.
Past condition: كَانَ + قَدْ + perfect, apodosis with فَ.
إِنْ كَانَ قَدْ تَابَ فَقَدْ غَفَرَ اللّٰهُ لَهُ.
in kāna qad tāba fa-qad ghafara llāhu lahu
If he has repented, then God has forgiven him.
كَانَ كُلَّمَا سَمِعَ آيَةً بَكَى.
kāna kullamā samiʿa āyatan bakā
Whenever he heard a verse he would weep.
كَانَ before the conditional word: past habit, no فَ.
كَانَ مَتَى دَخَلَ الْمَسْجِدَ صَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ.
kāna matā dakhala l-masjida ṣallā rakʿatayni
Whenever he entered the mosque he would pray two rakʿas.
إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُرِيدُونَ الْمَغْفِرَةَ فَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللّٰهِ.
in kuntum turīdūna l-maghfirata fa-tūbū ila llāhi
If you want forgiveness, then repent to God.
كَانَ + imperfect: present meaning.

Rule 6: 6. فَ introducing the apodosis

When the apodosis is a plain verb, it follows the protasis directly. Whenever it is anything else, it must be introduced by فَ, which here means then. This happens (1) when the apodosis is a nominal sentence: مَنْ يُطِعِ اللّٰهَ فَلَهُ الْجَنَّةُ; (2) when it is an imperative, a prohibition or a wish: إِذَا سَمِعْتَ الْأَذَانَ فَأَجِبْ; (3) when its verb is preceded by سَـ or سَوْفَ, by لَنْ, by قَدْ, or by the negatives مَا and لَيْسَ. With لَمْ no فَ is needed; with لَا it is optional: if it is inserted, the verb after لَا stands in the indicative, if not, in the jussive. After فَ the verb is no longer governed by the conditional particle, so it is indicative, not jussive: فَسَيَغْفِرُ, never فَسَيَغْفِرْ. Finally, the apodosis may come first; it is then an ordinary main clause with no فَ and no jussive, and only the protasis shows the conditional form: أُعْطِيكَ الْكِتَابَ إِنْ أَرَدْتَهُ.

مَنْ يُطِعِ اللّٰهَ فَلَهُ الْجَنَّةُ، وَمَنْ يَعْصِهِ فَلَيْسَ لَهُ إِلَّا النَّدَمُ.
man yuṭiʿi llāha fa-lahu l-jannatu, wa-man yaʿṣihi fa-laysa lahu illa n-nadamu
Whoever obeys God, Paradise is his; and whoever disobeys Him has nothing but regret.
Nominal apodosis, and apodosis with لَيْسَ: both need فَ.
إِذَا سَمِعْتَ الْأَذَانَ فَأَجِبْ، وَإِنْ أَخْطَأَ أَخُوكَ فَلَا تَفْضَحْهُ.
idhā samiʿta l-adhāna fa-ajib, wa-in akhṭaʾa akhūka fa-lā tafḍaḥhu
When you hear the call to prayer, answer it; and if your brother errs, do not expose him.
Imperative and prohibition after فَ.
إِنْ تَتُبِ الْيَوْمَ فَسَيَغْفِرُ اللّٰهُ لَكَ، وَمَنْ يَصْبِرْ فَسَوْفَ يَنَالُ أَجْرَهُ.
in tatubi l-yawma fa-sa-yaghfiru llāhu laka, wa-man yaṣbir fa-sawfa yanālu ajrahu
If you repent today God will forgive you, and whoever is patient will receive his reward.
سَـ / سَوْفَ: فَ required; the verb after it is indicative.
إِنْ تَرَكْتَ الصَّلَاةَ فَلَنْ تَجِدَ رَاحَةً، وَإِنْ نَسِيتَ الْآيَةَ فَقَدْ نَسِيَهَا غَيْرُكَ قَبْلَكَ.
in tarakta ṣ-ṣalāta fa-lan tajida rāḥatan, wa-in nasīta l-āyata fa-qad nasiyahā ghayruka qablaka
If you abandon the prayer you will never find rest, and if you have forgotten the verse, others forgot it before you.
لَنْ and قَدْ: فَ required.
إِنْ تَدْعُهُ لَا يَرُدَّكَ، أَوْ: إِنْ تَدْعُهُ فَلَا يَرُدُّكَ.
in tadʿuhu lā yaruddaka, aw: in tadʿuhu fa-lā yarudduka
If you call on Him, He does not turn you away.
لَا without فَ: jussive يَرُدَّ; with فَ: indicative يَرُدُّ.
أُعْطِيكَ الْمُصْحَفَ إِنْ أَرَدْتَهُ، وَسَأَزُورُكَ إِذَا رَجَعْتُ مِنَ الْحَجِّ.
uʿṭīka l-muṣḥafa in aradtahu, wa-sa-azūruka idhā rajaʿtu mina l-ḥajji
I will give you the muṣḥaf if you want it, and I will visit you when I return from the pilgrimage.
Apodosis first: indicative verb, no فَ; the protasis keeps its perfect.

When the apodosis takes فَ

Applies to إِنْ, إِذَا and all the conditional words. لَوْ never takes فَ; its apodosis is marked by لَـ instead.
Apodosis is …	فَ	Example	Meaning
a plain verb (jussive or perfect)	no	إِنْ تَصْدُقْ تَنْجُin taṣduq tanju	if you are truthful you will be saved
a nominal sentence	required	إِنْ تَصْدُقْ فَأَنْتَ مُؤْمِنٌin taṣduq fa-anta muʾminun	if you are truthful you are a believer
an imperative, prohibition or wish	required	إِذَا دَخَلْتَ فَسَلِّمْidhā dakhalta fa-sallim	when you enter, give the greeting
a verb with سَـ / سَوْفَ	required	إِنْ تَدْعُ فَسَوْفَ يُجِيبُin tadʿu fa-sawfa yujību	if you call He will answer
a verb with لَنْ	required	إِنْ تَكْذِبْ فَلَنْ يُصَدِّقَكَ أَحَدٌin takdhib fa-lan yuṣaddiqaka aḥadun	if you lie nobody will believe you
a verb with قَدْ	required	إِنْ تَابَ فَقَدْ نَجَاin tāba fa-qad najā	if he has repented he is saved
a verb with مَا or لَيْسَ	required	إِنْ لَمْ تُنْفِقْ فَمَا أَنْتَ بِكَرِيمٍin lam tunfiq fa-mā anta bi-karīmin	if you do not give you are not generous
a verb with لَمْ or لَا	none with لَمْ; optional with لَا	إِنْ تَجْتَهِدْ لَمْ تَنْدَمْ / فَلَا تَنْدَمُin tajtahid lam tandam / fa-lā tandamu	if you strive you will not regret
placed before the protasis	never	أَزُورُكَ إِنْ شِئْتَazūruka in shiʾta	I will visit you if you wish

إِنْ or لَوْ?

إِنْ تَصُمْ تُؤْجَرْ.

in taṣum tuʾjar

If you fast you will be rewarded. (open: you may yet fast)

لَوْ صُمْتَ لَأُجِرْتَ.

law ṣumta la-ujirta

Had you fasted you would have been rewarded. (closed: you did not)

إِنْ leaves the door open and takes the jussive; لَوْ looks back at a door that is shut and takes the perfect with لَـ. إِذَا stands between them: it expects the condition to be fulfilled and takes the perfect without لَـ.

Conditional Sentences

Step 1 of 5: Learn

Rule 1: 1. Protasis, apodosis and the three particles

Rule 2: 2. إِذَا with the perfect

Rule 3: 3. لَوْ and لَوْلَا: the unreal condition

Rule 4: 4. إِنْ and the conditional words with the jussive

The conditional words

Moods and tenses in the two halves

Rule 5: 5. كَانَ in conditional sentences

Rule 6: 6. فَ introducing the apodosis

When the apodosis takes فَ

إِنْ or لَوْ?

Vocabulary

Step 2 of 5: Read

My grandfather's counsel

Notes

Comprehension

In the Quran

Step 3 of 5: Practice

Exercises

Step 4 of 5: Quiz

Translate from Arabic to English

Translate from English to Arabic

Quiz: Test Your Knowledge

How many questions would you like?

Step 5 of 5: Finish