A Conversational Course in Qur'ānic Arabic
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Part 5 · Chapter Forty-Five · Form X — اسْتَفْعَلَ

اسْتَفْعَلَ

Form X — Seeking, Requesting, Considering

Form X adds اسْتَـ to the front of a root, and the meaning is almost always ‘to seek/request/consider [the root's meaning]’ — غَفَرَ (Form I, ‘he forgave’) becomes اسْتَغْفَرَ (Form X, ‘he sought forgiveness.’) This is the form behind اسْتِغْفَار, one of the most frequently repeated acts of worship in Islam.

Every Arabic passage has a small circle button — click it to hear it read aloud using your browser's own Arabic voice.

BY THE END OF THIS CHAPTER YOU WILL BE ABLE TO

TEACHER NOTES
Pacing: 45 min
Prerequisite check: General sarf awareness (Chapter Thirty-Seven).
Watch out for: Form X's ‘to consider/seek X’ sense is one of the more semantically rich forms — give it more examples than the others.
01 — THE FULL PICTURE, FIRST

رُكْنُ الْقَوَاعِدِGrammar Corner

Nine word-forms, one root.

Perfect (active)Imperfect (active)Active participlePerfect (passive)Imperfect (passive)Passive participleMaṣdar (verbal noun)Imperative (positive)Imperative (negative)
اسْتَغْفَرَ
istaghfara
he sought forgiveness
يَسْتَغْفِرُ
yastaghfiru
he seeks forgiveness
مُسْتَغْفِرٌ
mustaghfir
one who seeks forgiveness
اسْتُغْفِرَ
ustughfira
forgiveness was sought (rare in use)
يُسْتَغْفَرُ
yustaghfaru
forgiveness is being sought (rare)
مُسْتَغْفَرٌ
mustaghfar
that for which forgiveness is sought
اسْتِغْفَارٌ
istighfār
the seeking of forgiveness
اسْتَغْفِرْ
istaghfir
seek forgiveness!
لَا تَسْتَغْفِرْ
lā tastaghfir
don't seek forgiveness!
Root غ-ف-ر, Form X — اسْتَغْفَرَ ‘to seek forgiveness’

The ‘seeking’ meaning, consistently.

غَفَرَ (I) → اسْتَغْفَرَ (X)
ghafara → istaghfara
he forgave → he sought forgiveness
قَامَ (I) → اسْتَقَامَ (X)
qāma → istaqāma
he stood → he sought/maintained standing = he was upright, steadfast

Form X's maṣdar is اِسْتِفْعَالٌ, always — compare اِسْتِغْفَارٌ. Note that hollow roots like ع-و-ن and ق-و-م keep their long vowel in Form X (اسْتَعَانَ, اسْتَقَامَ) rather than losing it the way Form I hollow verbs sometimes do.

Quick check: what does اسْتَقَامَ literally build on? (قَامَ, ‘he stood’ — Form X gives ‘he sought/maintained standing,’ i.e. he was steadfast.)

02 — LISTEN & REPEAT

حِوَارٌDialogue

Yūsuf and Maryam talk about seeking forgiveness and staying steady. Listen twice, then read aloud.

MARYAM
أَشْعُرُ بِالذَّنْبِ لِأَنِّي أَخْطَأْتُ الْيَوْمَ.
ash‘uru bi-dh-dhanbi li’annī akhṭa’tu-l-yawm.
I feel guilty because I made a mistake today.
YŪSUF
اسْتَغْفِرِي اللَّهَ، فَهُوَ يَقْبَلُ التَّوْبَةَ دَائِمًا.
istaghfiri-llāh, fa huwa yaqbalu-t-tawbata dā’iman.
Seek Allah's forgiveness, He always accepts repentance.
MARYAM
أَسْتَعِينُ بِاللَّهِ عَلَى أَلَّا أُكَرِّرَ ذَلِكَ.
asta‘īnu bi-llāhi ‘alā allā ukarrira dhālik.
I seek Allah's help not to repeat that.
YŪSUF
اسْتَقِيمِي عَلَى الطَّاعَةِ، وَسَيُيَسِّرُ اللَّهُ أَمْرَكِ.
istaqīmī ‘ala-ṭ-ṭā‘ah, wa saya‘sarū-llāhu amrak.
Stay firm in obedience, and Allah will make your affair easy.
03 — CORE WORDS

الْمُفْرَدَاتُVocabulary

Every one of these adds اسْتَـ to a root you likely already partly know, shifting the meaning to ‘seeking’ that root's action.

ArabicSaysMeaningNote
NEWاسْتَغْفَرَ / يَسْتَغْفِرُ istaghfara / yastaghfiruhe sought forgiveness / he seeksRoot غ-ف-ر — compare غَفَرَ (I), ‘he forgave.’
NEWاسْتَعَانَ / يَسْتَعِينُ ista‘āna / yasta‘īnuhe sought help / he seeks helpRoot ع-و-ن, hollow — gives إِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ.
NEWاسْتَقَامَ / يَسْتَقِيمُ istaqāma / yastaqīmuhe stood firm, was upright / he stands firmRoot ق-و-م, hollow — gives الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ.
REVIEWاسْتَغْفِرِ اللَّهَ istaghfiri-llāhseek Allah's forgiveness! (f.)Form X imperative.
NEWذَنْبٌ dhanba sin, fault—
NEWتَوْبَةٌ tawbahrepentance—
NEWمُسْتَقِيمٌ mustaqīmstraight, uprightActive participle — الصِّرَاطُ الْمُسْتَقِيمُ, ‘the straight path.’
NEWطَاعَةٌ ṭā‘ahobedience—

Also in this chapter's dialogue and reading.

ArabicSaysMeaningNote
EARLYالطَّرِيقُaṭ-ṭarīqthe road, the way—
EARLYالْفِكْرَةُal-fikrahthe idea—
04 — READING THE SOURCE

وَقْفَةٌ قُرْآنِيَّةٌQur'ān Connection

The opening of Sūrat al-Fātiḥah itself contains a Form X verb — recited in every unit of prayer.

SŪRAT AL-FĀTIḤAH — 1:5
إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ
It is You we worship and You we ask for help.
إِيَّاكَ
iyyāka
You (emphatic object pronoun)
نَعْبُدُ
na‘budu
we worship
وَإِيَّاكَ
wa iyyāka
and You
نَسْتَعِينُ
nasta‘īnu
we seek help (Form X, ‘we’ form)
نَسْتَعِينُ is the exact Form X pattern from this chapter, built on the hollow root ع-و-ن. This verse, recited at least seventeen times a day by praying Muslims, places ‘seeking help’ (Form X) directly beside ‘worship’ — two acts, one exclusively for Allah.
05 — SAY IT LIKE A NATIVE

عِبَارَاتٌ يَوْمِيَّةٌEveryday Phrases

Everyday phrases built from Form X verbs.

أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ
astaghfiru-llāh — I seek Allah's forgiveness
اسْتَعِنْ بِاللَّهِ
ista‘in bi-llāh — seek Allah's help
اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ
ihdinā-ṣ-ṣirāṭa-l-mustaqīm — guide us to the straight path
اسْتَخْدَمْتُ الْقَامُوسَ
istakhdamtu-l-qāmūs — I used the dictionary
اسْتَعْجِلْ قَلِيلًا
ista‘jil qalīlan — hurry up a bit
اسْتَرِحْ قَلِيلًا
istariḥ qalīlan — rest a little
اسْتَمَرَّ فِي عَمَلِهِ
istamarra fī ‘amalih — he continued in his work
اسْتَحْسَنْتُ الْفِكْرَةَ
istalḥsantu-l-fikrah — I found the idea good
SKILLS PRACTICE

الِاسْتِمَاعُListening

Audio track 45.1

Aḥmad and Salmā talk about repentance and steadiness. Listen first, script second.

AḨMAD
أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ مِئَةَ مَرَّةٍ.
SALMĀ
وَأَنَا أَسْتَعِينُ بِاللَّهِ حَتَّى أَسْتَقِيمَ عَلَى الطَّاعَةِ.
AḨMAD
اسْتِغْفَارٌ وَاسْتِعَانَةٌ، هَذَا طَرِيقُ كُلِّ مُؤْمِنٍ.
SALMĀ
نَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ الثَّبَاتَ.
  1. How often does Aḥmad seek forgiveness?
  2. What does Salmā seek Allah's help for?
  3. What do they ask Allah for at the end?
Reveal answers
1. A hundred times every day.   2. To remain steadfast in obedience.   3. Steadfastness (thabāt).
SKILLS PRACTICE

التَّحَدُّثُSpeaking

Pair work

Partner drill. Use اسْتَغْفَرَ or اسْتَعَانَ in a sentence about your own daily worship.

LettersWord 1Word 2Tip
غَفَرَ vs اسْتَغْفَرَغَفَرَاسْتَغْفَرَAdding اسْتَـ at the front shifts ‘he forgave’ (I, active toward another) into ‘he sought forgiveness’ (X, seeking it for himself).
SKILLS PRACTICE

الْقِرَاءَةُReading

Read silently, then aloud

Read once for meaning, then aloud.

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ سَبْعِينَ مَرَّةً فِي الْيَوْمِ. نَسْتَعِينُ بِاللَّهِ فِي كُلِّ أُمُورِنَا، صَغِيرِهَا وَكَبِيرِهَا. مَنِ اسْتَقَامَ عَلَى أَمْرِ اللَّهِ يَسَّرَ اللَّهُ لَهُ حَيَاتَهُ. الِاسْتِغْفَارُ بَابٌ مَفْتُوحٌ لِكُلِّ مُذْنِبٍ تَائِبٍ.
1) كَمْ مَرَّةً كَانَ الرَّسُولُ يَسْتَغْفِرُ فِي الْيَوْمِ؟
2) بِمَنْ نَسْتَعِينُ فِي كُلِّ أُمُورِنَا حَسَبَ النَّصِّ؟
3) لِمَنِ الِاسْتِغْفَارُ بَابٌ مَفْتُوحٌ؟
Reveal answers
1. ب — أَكْثَرَ مِنْ سَبْعِينَ مَرَّةً   2. ب — بِاللَّهِ   3. أ — لِكُلِّ مُذْنِبٍ تَائِبٍ
SKILLS PRACTICE

الْكِتَابَةُWriting

On paper or in your notebook

Sentence building. Put these words in the correct order, then translate.

  1. الْيَوْمِ   فِي   مَرَّةً   سَبْعِينَ   يَسْتَغْفِرُ   كَانَ
  2. أُمُورِنَا   كُلِّ   فِي   بِاللَّهِ   نَسْتَعِينُ
  3. نَسْتَعِينُ   وَإِيَّاكَ   نَعْبُدُ   إِيَّاكَ

Guided writing. Write three sentences using اسْتَغْفَرَ, اسْتَعَانَ, and اسْتَقَامَ, about your own worship and daily life.

06 — CHAPTER EXERCISES

التَّدْرِيبَاتُExercises

1اخْتَرِ الْإِجَابَةَ الصَّحِيحَةَChoose the correct answer
1. Form X is formed by:
2. Form X's meaning is typically:
3. اسْتَغْفَرَ is built on which Form I verb?
4. نَسْتَعِينُ in Sūrat al-Fātiḥah means:
Reveal answers
1. b   2. b   3. a   4. b
2صِلْ كُلَّ كَلِمَةٍ بِمَعْنَاهَاMatch each item to its meaning
  1. اسْتَغْفَرَ
  2. اسْتَعَانَ
  3. اسْتَقَامَ
  4. تَوْبَةٌ
  5. مُسْتَقِيمٌ
  1. straight, upright
  2. repentance
  3. he stood firm
  4. he sought help
  5. he sought forgiveness
Reveal answers
1–e, 2–d, 3–a, 4–b, 5–c
3تَرْجِمْ إِلَى الْإِنْجِلِيزِيَّةِTranslate into English

Self-check — type your answer, then compare with the model answer below. This one isn’t scored.

  1. اسْتَغْفِرِي اللَّهَ.
  2. أَسْتَعِينُ بِاللَّهِ.
  3. اسْتَقِيمِي عَلَى الطَّاعَةِ.
  4. إِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ.
Reveal answers
1. Seek Allah's forgiveness (f.).
2. I seek Allah's help.
3. Stay firm in obedience (f.).
4. It is You we ask for help.
4تَرْجِمْ إِلَى الْعَرَبِيَّةِTranslate into Arabic

Self-check — type your answer, then compare with the model answer below. This one isn’t scored.

  1. I seek Allah's forgiveness every day.
  2. Seek Allah's help.
  3. Guide us to the straight path.
Reveal answers
١) أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ.
٢) اسْتَعِنْ بِاللَّهِ.
٣) اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ.
5أَكْمِلِ الْحِوَارَComplete the dialogue
Word bank: اسْتَغْفِرِي — أَسْتَعِينُ — اسْتَقِيمِي — يَقْبَلُ
مريم: أَشْعُرُ بِالذَّنْبِ.
يوسف: اللَّهَ، فَهُوَ التَّوْبَةَ.
مريم: بِاللَّهِ عَلَى أَلَّا أُكَرِّرَ ذَلِكَ.
يوسف: عَلَى الطَّاعَةِ.
Reveal answers
اسْتَغْفِرِي — يَقْبَلُ — أَسْتَعِينُ — اسْتَقِيمِي
6صَحِيحٌ أَمْ خَطَأٌ؟True or false? (based on the reading passage)
يُوسُفُ يَقُولُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَقْبَلُ التَّوْبَةَ.true / false
مَرْيَمُ تَشْعُرُ بِالذَّنْبِ لِأَنَّهَا أَخْطَأَتْ.true / false
يُوسُفُ يَنْصَحُهَا بِالِاسْتِعَانَةِ بِاللَّهِ.true / false
Reveal answers
1. False — he says Allah always accepts repentance.   2. True.   3. True.
SKILLS PRACTICE

قِرَاءَةٌ حُرَّةٌFree Reading

Hover to check — no test, just read

A short passage using only words you've met so far. Just read for meaning — hover any word if you get stuck. Flip the switch to check whole sentences instead of single words.

Word Sentence
اسْتَغْفَرَ أَخِي مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ. اسْتَعَنْتُ بِاللَّهِ قَبْلَ الِامْتِحَانِ. اسْتَقَامَ عَلَى طَاعَةِ رَبِّهِ. اسْتَغْفِرِ اللَّهَ قَبْلَ التَّوْبَةِ. الطَّرِيقُ الْمُسْتَقِيمُ طَرِيقُ الطَّاعَةِ. هَذِهِ الْفِكْرَةُ جَدِيدَةٌ عِنْدِي.
SKILLS PRACTICE — NEW

مُحَادَثَةٌ حُرَّةٌConversation Practice

Chat with Yūsuf or Maryam using only what you've learned so far — type it or say it out loud, your choice.

تَمَّ الدَّرْسُ الْخَامِسُ وَالْأَرْبَعُونَ بِحَمْدِ اللَّهِ
Chapter Forty-Five complete — next chapter: Form IX (افْعَلَّ), a short one
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