وَلَوْeven if

Example sentences

• وإن كثرت سيئاته عوقِبَ بقدرها، ثم تُخرجه بقيةُ حسناته ولو كانت مثقال ذرّة؛ إذ إن الإيمان لا ينعدم مع وجود أصلٍ منه

  And if his bad deeds are numerous, he is punished according to them, then the rest of his good deeds deliver him, even if they are the weight of an atom, for faith does not vanish as long as a trace of it remains.

  وَلَوْ — even if. 'even if' — 'wa' plus 'law', a concessive conditional about a far-fetched case. It sets up 'even were they only...'.

  From: Small Deeds, Great Reward →

• ولو فهم معنى التوكل لعلم أنه لا ينافي استغاثته في تلك الحال،

  If he understood the true meaning of trust in God, he would realize that it does not conflict with calling for help in such a situation.

  وَلَوْ — and if. The opening particle joins this on, and the rest is the counterfactual 'if' for an unreal supposition, together 'and had he...'. It sets up a hypothetical whose result clause follows.

  From: Trust in God →

• ولو أن إنسانًا جاع فلم يأكل، أو احتاج فلم يسأل، أو عري فلم يلبس، فمات دخل النار،

  And if a person goes hungry and does not eat, or is in need and does not ask, or is unclothed and does not dress, and dies, he enters the Fire,

  وَلَوْ — and if. The opening particle joins this on, and the rest is the counterfactual 'if' for an unreal supposition: 'and if...'. It sets up a hypothetical case whose grim result follows.

  From: Trust in God →

• قُلْتَ لِي يَا أَحْمَقُ وَلَوْ قُلْتَ لِي يَا أَرْعَنُ كَانَ أَسْهَلُ عَلَيَّ

  You said to me, "You fool." If you had said to me, "You oaf," it would have been easier for me.

  وَلَوْ — and if. This pairs an attached 'and' with a counterfactual 'if', the kind that supposes something contrary to fact and expects a 'would have' result. So beyond linking, it sets up an unreal condition. It opens the 'had you said ...' clause.

  From: On Foolishness and Wisdom →