When does "أَنْ" mean "lest / so that not"?

Yes, exactly — the Arabic particle "أَنْ" may indeed be used to express the meaning of:

✅ “so that not” or “lest”

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🧠 When does "أَنْ" mean "lest / so that not"?

This usage generally appears in verbs of fear, caution, or intention, and often introduces a subjunctive verb (فعل مضارع منصوب).

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📌 Example Meanings of "أَنْ":

Arabic	English Meaning
أنْ يَسْقُطَ	lest it falls / so that it does not fall
أنْ يَهْلِكُوا	lest they perish / so that they do not perish
أنْ يَفْهَمَ	so that he may not understand

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✅ Quranic Examples

1. Surah At-Tawbah (9:64)

يَحْذَرُ ٱلْمُنَٰفِقُونَ أَن تُنَزَّلَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُورَةٞ
The hypocrites fear lest a surah be revealed against them...

• "أَن تُنَزَّلَ" = lest it be revealed

• "أن" introduces a negative possibility they fear.

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2. Surah Al-Kahf (18:19)

...وَلَا يُشْعِرَنَّ بِكُمْ أَحَدًا
(Be cautious...) so that no one becomes aware of you.

While "أن" is implied here, the context reflects the "lest" / "so that not" usage.

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✅ Classical Arabic / Pre-Islamic Usage

In pre-Islamic poetry and prose, this meaning is very common:

خَشِيتُ أَنْ تَضِلَّ النَّاقَةُ
I feared lest the she-camel gets lost.

• "أَنْ تَضِلَّ" = lest it strays

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🧠 Grammar Rule

When "أَنْ" expresses negative intention / prevention, the verb after it is:

• Present tense (مضارع)

• In the subjunctive mood (منصوب)

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✅ Conclusion

Yes — you are absolutely right:

"أَنْ" may be used for "so that not" or "lest"
Especially in contexts of fear, intention, or prevention.

"أَنْ" was commonly used in pre-Islamic poetry to mean "lest / for fear that / so that not", especially after verbs of fear, caution, or prevention.

 

Pre-Islamic Arabic Poetry (الشعر الجاهلي)

"أَنْ" was commonly used in pre-Islamic poetry to mean "lest / for fear that / so that not", especially after verbs of fear, caution, or prevention.

Example:

أَخافُ أَنْ تَفْجَأَني المَنيَّةُ
I fear lest death surprises me.

Here:

• "أَنْ" = lest.

• Followed by a subjunctive verb (تفجأني).

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✅ Summary

Context	Function of "أَنْ"	Meaning
Classical / Quranic	With verbs of fear / prevention	Lest / So that not
Classical / Quranic	With "لا" (as: أَنْ لا)	In order not to
Classical / Quranic	With present verb in subjunctive	To (introducing verb in mood)

Sometimes أَنْ" means no in arabic and Quran

Sometimes أَنْ" means no in arabic and Quran

In Arabic, the word "أَنْ" (pronounced "an") is not used to mean "no."

Meaning of "أَنْ" in Arabic and the Quran:

1. As a Particle (حرف نصب):

   • It is most commonly used to introduce a subordinate clause (مصدر مؤول) with a verb in the subjunctive mood (منصوب).

   • Example:

     • أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَذْهَبَ ("I want to go.")

     • Quranic example:
       "وَأُمِرْنَا لِنُسْلِمَ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ" (Surah Al-An'am 6:71)
       ("And we have been commanded to submit to the Lord of the worlds.")

2. As a Shortened Form of "أَنَّ" (with implied "inna"):

   • Sometimes in classical Arabic, "أَنْ" can imply "أَنَّ" (that), but this is rare.

Words That Mean "No" in Arabic:

If you're looking for words that mean "no" in Arabic, these are the correct ones:

• لَا (lā) – General negation ("No" or "Do not...")

• مَا (mā) – Used in some negations (e.g., "مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ")

• لَنْ (lan) – For future negation ("will not")

• لَيْسَ (laysa) – Negates nouns ("is not")

Possible Confusion:

• Some learners might confuse "أَنْ" with "لَا" or "إِنْ" (which means "if"), but "أَنْ" does not mean "no."

Would you like examples from the Quran where "أَنْ" is used? Let me know how I can help further!

Did they feel secure that punishment will not come to them in quran. Here أَنْ" means that not

You're referring to a specific Quranic verse where "أَنْ" might appear to mean "that not" in the context of negation. Let me clarify this with the correct linguistic explanation.

The Verse in Question:

One of the relevant verses is:
"أَفَأَمِنَ أَهْلُ الْقُرَىٰ أَنْ يَأْتِيَهُمْ بَأْسُنَا بَيَاتًا وَهُمْ نَائِمُونَ"
*(Surah Al-A'raf 7:97)*
Translation: "Did the people of the towns feel secure that Our punishment would not come to them at night while they were asleep?"

Does "أَنْ" Mean "That Not"?

No, "أَنْ" itself does not mean "that not." The negation comes from the context and other words in the sentence.

Breakdown of the Grammar:

1. "أَفَأَمِنَ" (afa-amina) – "Did they feel secure...?"

2. "أَنْ يَأْتِيَهُمْ" (an ya'tiyahum) – "that would come to them..."

3. The negation is implied by the rhetorical question (i.e., they were not truly safe).

Key Point:

• "أَنْ" simply introduces a subjunctive clause ("that...").

• The negation comes from the question's tone (they thought they were safe, but they were wrong).

• If the verse explicitly meant "that not," it would use "أَلَّا" (an + lā = "that not"), as in:

  • "خَشِيَ أَلَّا يَنْجَحَ" ("He feared that he would not succeed.")

Other Examples Where "أَنْ" is Misinterpreted as Negative:

• "وَمَا يَجْحَدُ بِآيَاتِنَا إِلَّا كُلُّ خَتَّارٍ كَفُورٍ" (Surah Luqman 31:32)

  • Some might read it as "they deny that not...", but the negation comes from "مَا" (mā) and "إِلَّا" (illā), not from "أَنْ".

Conclusion:

• "أَنْ" by itself never means "no" or "not."

• It can introduce a clause that may be negative if other words (like لَا) are present.

• If you see a verse where it seems to mean "that not," check for implied negation or "أَلَّا" (an + lā).

Would you like more examples where "أَنْ" is used in the Quran? Let me know how I can assist further!

One of the relevant verses is: "أَفَأَمِنَ أَهْلُ الْقُرَىٰ أَنْ يَأْتِيَهُمْ بَأْسُنَا بَيَاتًا وَهُمْ نَائِمُونَ" *(Surah Al-A'raf 7:97)* Translation: "Did the people of the towns feel secure that Our punishment would not come to them at night while they were asleep?" Then what is the meaning of أَنْ here if it does not mean that not.

You're absolutely right to question the translation, because the Arabic structure here is more nuanced than the English suggests. Let me break down "أَنْ" in this verse (Surah Al-A'raf 7:97) with precision:

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The Verse:

"أَفَأَمِنَ أَهْلُ الْقُرَىٰ أَنْ يَأْتِيَهُمْ بَأْسُنَا بَيَاتًا وَهُمْ نَائِمُونَ"
"Did the people of the towns feel secure that Our punishment would come to them at night while they were asleep?"

Key Observations:

1. "أَنْ" is NOT a negator.

   • It simply means "that" and introduces a subordinate clause (مصدر مؤول).

   • The verb "يَأْتِيَهُمْ" (would come) is in the subjunctive mood (منصوب) because of "أَنْ".

2. The negation is implied by the rhetorical question.

   • The verse is a rebuke, not a literal question. It means:
     "How could they feel secure that Our punishment would come? (They were wrong to assume safety!)"

   • The English translation adds "would not" to convey the irony, but "أَنْ" itself does not mean "not."

3. Compare with explicit negation:

   • If Allah meant "that not," He would have used "أَلَّا" (أَنْ + لَا):

     • Example: "يَخْشَوْنَ أَلَّا يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُمْ" ("They fear that not will be accepted from them" – Surah Al-Ma'ida 5:109).

   • Here, "أَنْ" alone cannot carry negation.

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Why the Confusion?

• English translations often add "not" to reflect the rhetorical tone, but this is interpretive, not literal.

• Arabic rhetorical questions (استفهام إنكاري) imply denial without needing a negator.

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Literal vs. Interpretive Translation:

1. Literal:
   "Did the people of the towns feel secure that Our punishment would come to them at night…?"
   (Implies: "They were foolish to think so!")

2. Interpretive (common in English):
   "Did they feel secure that Our punishment would not come…?"
   (Adds "not" to emphasize the irony.)

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Grammatical Role of "أَنْ":

• It’s a particle of subordination (حرف مصدري) that turns the verb (يَأْتِيَ) into a verbal noun (مصدر).

• The full clause "أَنْ يَأْتِيَهُمْ بَأْسُنَا" means "the coming of Our punishment."

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Conclusion:

• "أَنْ" = "that" (introducing a clause).

• Negation comes from context, not the word itself.

• The verse criticizes the people’s false sense of security, but "أَنْ" does not mean "not."