Arabic vocabulary
علىon
How to say “on” in Arabic, with pronunciation and real example sentences from OpenArabic texts.
Example sentences
اسْتَعِنْ عَلَى سَيْرِكَ إِلَى اللَّهِ بِتَرْكِ مَنْ شَغَلَكَ عَنِ اللَّهِ ﷿
Seek assistance on your path to Allah by abandoning those who divert you from Allah.
عَلَى — on. Preposition 'ala' = 'on, for'.
From: Taming the Lower Self →النَّفْسُ مَجْبُولَةٌ عَلَى سُوءِ الأَدَبِ
The self is inherently inclined towards poor manners.
عَلَى — towards. Preposition 'ala' = 'upon, toward'.
From: Taming the Lower Self →هناك، في المسافة الخفية، تُعرَض عليك اختياراتك الأولى أن تستجيب لوطأة العادة، أو أن تؤثر ما يرفعك درجةً في البصيرة
There, in the hidden distance, your first choices are presented to you: to respond to the pressure of habit, or to prefer what elevates you a degree in insight.
عَلَيْكَ — to you. 'ala' = 'on, to' + '-ka' = 'you', so 'to you'.
From: Small Daily Habits →فَلا يَصْلُحُ ذَمُّ الْهَوَى عَلَى الإِطْلاقِ
Thus, desire should not be condemned indiscriminately.
عَلَى — upon. Preposition 'ala' = 'upon'.
From: When Desire Exceeds Its Bounds →وَهُوَ مَا يَزِيدُ عَلَى جَلْبِ الْمَصَالِحِ وَدَفْعِ الْمَضَارِّ
And that is what exceeds bringing benefits and repelling harms.
عَلَى — beyond. Preposition 'ala'; the verb 'zada ala' = 'went beyond'.
From: When Desire Exceeds Its Bounds →وَلَمَّا كَانَ الْغَالِبُ مِنْ مُوَافِقِ الْهَوَى أَنَّهُ لَا يَقِفُ مِنْهُ عَلَى حَدِّ الْمُنْتَفِعِ
And since the common case when following desire is that it does not stop at the limit of benefit,
عَلَى — at. Preposition 'ala'; 'waqafa ala' = 'stopped at'.
From: When Desire Exceeds Its Bounds →وخروجٌ من البيت مع بِسم الله توكّلتُ على الله فيُحفَظُ المسار
And leaving the house with 'In the name of Allah, I rely on Allah,' preserves the path.
عَلَى — on. 'ala' equals 'upon', governing genitive — the verb 'rely' pairs with 'ala' for the one leaned on.
From: Turning Daily Words into Worship →ومحل اعتراضه أو معارضته، وأين يجب عليه السكوت ولخصمه الكلام والاستدلال
the place of their objections or oppositions, and where one must remain silent while their opponent speaks and reasons.
عَلَيْهِ — on them. 'upon him' — 'ala' plus 'him'; duty falls on him.
From: Rules of Scholarly Debate →وقد وصف لنا شيخ الإسلام ابن تيمية هذه المرحلة وصفًا يكشف لنا حقيقتها وخصائصها وميزاتها وما لها وما عليها،
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah described this phase with a description that reveals its nature, characteristics, and advantages and disadvantages,
عَلَيْهَا — against it. 'against it' — 'ala' plus 'it'; 'what counts against it' (its cons). The pairing 'ma laha wa-ma alayha' means its pros and cons.
From: Rules of Scholarly Debate →وأيضاً فجماهير العلماء على إيجاب الثناء،
Also, the majority of scholars mandate praise.
عَلَى — on. 'ala' equals 'upon' — here it frames the predicate 'hold the position [of]'; 'are FOR [obligating]'. It governs the genitive.
From: Required Remembrance →فلم يبق لِلِّصِّ إلا البيت الثالث، فهو الذي يَشُنُّ عليه الغارة
So the thief is left with only the third house, which he launches an attack on.
عَلَيْهِ — on it. 'Ala (on / against) fused with '-hi' (it), the house being the target — 'launches against it'. One word carries the direction of the assault.
From: Repelling the Devil →ولينزله على القلوب،
and apply it to the hearts,
عَلَى — to. Preposition 'onto / upon', here the surface the example is to be applied to; it governs the genitive. It frames bringing the lesson down onto the hearts.
From: Repelling the Devil →فإنها على منواله
as they are patterned upon it.
عَلَى — upon. Preposition 'upon / according to', setting up 'patterned upon it'; it governs the genitive. It marks conformity to a model.
From: Repelling the Devil →فأيُّ شيطان يجترئ على هذا القلب؟،
So what Satan could dare to approach this heart?!
عَلَى — upon. Preposition 'against / upon', here the target of the daring; it governs the genitive. It frames daring an assault on the heart.
From: Repelling the Devil →وغايته أن يظفر في الأحايين منه بخَطْفَةٍ ونَهْبَةٍ تحصل له على غِرَّةٍ من العبد وغفلةٍ لابد له منها؛
At most, he might occasionally manage a snatch or grab from him when the servant is caught off guard in an unavoidable moment of heedlessness;
عَلَى — upon. Preposition here marking circumstance — 'in a state of', setting up 'at a moment of heedlessness'; it governs the genitive. It frames the condition under which the snatch lands.
From: Repelling the Devil →وأحكام البشرية جارية عليه من الغفلة والسهو، والذهول وغلبة الطبع
and the laws of humanity apply to him, including forgetfulness, error, distraction, and the dominance of nature.
عَلَيْهِ — to him. 'Ala (upon) fused with '-hi' (him) — the laws run 'upon him'. One word marks who they bear on.
From: Repelling the Devil →الْمعرفَة بِسَاط لَا يطَأ عَلَيْهِ إِلَّا مقرب
Knowledge is a carpet stepped on only by those close to it.
عَلَيْهِ — on it. 'Ala (on) fused with '-hi' (it) — treads 'upon it', the carpet. One word for preposition plus pronoun, pointing back to the carpet.
From: Love and Devotion to God →والمحبة نشيد لَا يطرب عَلَيْهِ إِلَّا محب مغرم
Love is a hymn enjoyed only by an infatuated lover.
عَلَيْهِ — on it. 'Ala (at / over) fused with '-hi' (it) — stirred 'at it', the song. The pairing names what one is moved by.
From: Love and Devotion to God →الْحبّ غَدِير فِي صحراء لَيست عَلَيْهِ جادة
Love is a spring in the desert without a path leading to it.
عَلَيْهِ — to it. 'Ala (to / over) fused with '-hi' (it) — 'leading to it', the spring. The masculine suffix points back to the spring, not the desert.
From: Love and Devotion to God →والبعد مِنْهُ لَيْسَ فِي أعدائك أضرّ عَلَيْك مِنْك
And being far from Him — among your enemies, none is more harmful to you than yourself.
عَلَيْكَ — to you. 'Ala (upon / to) fused with '-ka' (you) — harmful 'to you'. The pairing 'harmful + 'ala' names the one harmed.
From: Love and Devotion to God →لَو تَخَيَّلت قرب الأحباب لأقمت المأتم على بعْدك
If you imagined the closeness of loved ones, you would hold a funeral for your distance.
عَلَى — for. Preposition 'over / for', here of cause; it governs the genitive — 'over your remoteness'. It names what the mourning is for.
From: Night Prayer and Nearness to God →تذكر حلاوة الْوِصَال يهن عَلَيْك مر المجاهدة
Remember the sweetness of reunion, and the bitterness of struggle will become easy for you.
عَلَيْكَ — for you. 'Ala (upon) fused with '-ka' (you) — easy 'upon you'. The pairing 'easy + 'ala' names the one for whom it eases.
From: Night Prayer and Nearness to God →لَو كَانَ فِي قَلْبك محبَّة لبان أَثَرهَا على جسدك
If there was love in your heart, its effect would appear on your body.
عَلَى — on. Preposition 'on / upon', governing the genitive — 'on your body'. Where the trace would show.
From: Remembering and Loving God →وَاجْتمعَ على بيعَته الْمُهَاجِرُونَ وَالْأَنْصَار
The Emigrants and the Helpers united in pledging allegiance to him.
عَلَى — in. Preposition here 'upon / in [agreeing on]'; it governs the genitive. With 'gathered' it means 'united upon'.
From: Abu Bakr: First Champion of Islam →
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