Arabic vocabulary
How to say “optional” in Arabic, with pronunciation and real example sentences from OpenArabic texts.
أمّا إذا أتمَّ فريضةً بالتيمم ثم استمر وجودُ الماء بعد السلام، بَطَلَ تيممُه فلا يستبيح به نافلةً
If one completed an obligatory prayer with Tayammum and then water became available after the Salam, their Tayammum is void, and they cannot perform a voluntary prayer with it.
نَافِلَةً — a supererogatory prayer. 'a voluntary [prayer],' in the -a form as object, indefinite — an optional prayer, opposite to the obligatory one earlier. Even this lesser prayer he may not perform once the tayammum has lapsed.
From: When Earth Replaces Water →فلا يجمعُ بين صلاتينِ مفروضتينِ بتيممٍ واحدٍ، ويجوز أن يُضمَّ إلى الفريضةِ نوافلُ معها
Two obligatory prayers cannot be combined with a single dry ablution, but it is permissible to add optional prayers to it.
نَوَافِلُ — optional prayers. A broken plural, 'optional prayers,' the subject of the passive 'be added' (the thing added). It is a 'diptote' — it refuses the light '-n,' so it shows a bare -u with no nunation. These may ride along with the obligatory one.
From: Purification Without Water →أمّا صلاةُ الجنازةِ فحكمُها في الجمعِ أقربُ إلى النوافلِ،
As for the funeral prayer, its ruling regarding combining is closer to optional prayers.
النَّوَافِلِ — optional prayers. A broken plural, 'the optional prayers,' in the -i form after 'to.' The funeral prayer is reckoned closer to these than to the obligatory — so, like them, several may share one tayammum, as the next sentence says.
From: Purification Without Water →ويجوزُ التيممُ للنوافلِ غيرِ المؤقّتةِ في سائرِ الأوقاتِ غيرِ أوقاتِ الكراهة
It is permissible to perform a dry ablution for non-time-bound optional prayers at all times except those of dislike.
لِلنَّوَافِلِ — for the optional prayers. The 'li-' marks the purpose — 'for the optional prayers,' a broken plural, in the -i form. For these the timing rule relaxes — provided they are non-timed, as the next word says.
From: Purification Without Water →وإذا أتمَّ فريضةً بالتيمم، ثم زالَ عذرُه قبل أن يشرعَ في نافلةٍ،
If one completes an obligatory prayer with dry ablution, and the excuse is lifted before beginning a non-obligatory prayer,
نَافِلَةٍ — a non-obligatory prayer. 'an optional [prayer],' indefinite, in the -i form after 'in.' He had not yet begun one when his excuse lifted — the precise situation the next sentence rules on.
From: Purification Without Water →انقطعَ به استباحةُ النوافلِ حتى يُجدِّدَ طهارةً
The permission to perform voluntary prayers ceases until one renews purification.
النَّوَافِلِ — non-obligatory prayers. A broken plural, 'the optional prayers,' in the -i form, owned in 'the permission for the optional prayers.' These are what he may no longer perform on that spent tayammum — until he renews purity (next).
From: Purification Without Water →OpenArabic teaches words like نَافِلَة through real bilingual reading with native audio and spaced-repetition practice.
Get the app