Back to search
The question

Why did our Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) say, "son of my mother" (ibn umma) and not "son of my mother" (ibn ummi)?

Share this answer

Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 20261 min readAlso available in العربية
The answer

If the vocative is an إضافة (genitive construction) to an إضافة (genitive construction) to the "yā’" of the first person singular (يَاءُ الْمُتَكَلِّم), then the "yā’" is retained, such as: "Yā ibn akhī" (O son of my brother). However, in the cases of "ibna ummī" (son of my mother) or "ibna ‘ammī" (son of my paternal uncle), it is permissible to retain the "yā’" or to omit it while retaining the fatḥah or kasrah to indicate it. The reciters (Qurrā’) have differed concerning (ibna ummī); some recited it with a kasrah on the mīm, and others with a fatḥah, both being valid linguistic forms. The "yā’" of the إضافة was omitted for lightness (تَخْفِيف), because the structure of nida’ (calling/vocative) is based on that, and because these words are frequently used. Harun’s statement to his brother Musa, ﴿يَا ابْنَ أُمَّ﴾ (O son of my mother!), was for entreaty and to emphasize the strong bond, with the vocative particle (yā’) omitted to show agitation.

Summary from Ftawy's records · added here

Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.

Read the full answer on Ftawy
Where this answer came from
Source platform
Ftawy
Original fatwa ID
4424
Added here
. This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
Text
Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full ruling
Read the full answer on Ftawy