Why was the verb masculine in the verse from Surat Yusuf: (And women in the city said)?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
The verb "qala" (قال - said) was not feminized in the Qur'anic verse: "And women said" (وقال نسوة), because the word "niswah" (نسوة - women) is a non-real feminine noun. Being so permits either the masculinization or feminization of the verb. Grammarians have stipulated that the feminine "ta'" (تاء) is not obligatory with the verb if its doer is an overt noun that is truly feminine, unless it is singular. However, if the doer is a broken plural or a collective noun — like "niswah" — then the verb may be masculinized, considering the meaning of plurality, or feminized, considering the meaning of a group.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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