أَوِor

Example sentences

• وَخَافَ فَوْتَ الصَّلَاةِ أَوِ الْوَقْتِ لَمْ يَبْلُغْ عَدُوُّهُ مِنْهُ مَا شَاءَ

  He feared missing the prayer or its appointed time, and his enemy did not attain from him what he wanted.

  أَوِ — or. A coordinating 'or', offering an alternative to 'the prayer': or its time. It links the two as options of what he feared losing. Its final vowel is the connecting one used before the following 'the-' word; unlike 'and' it presents a choice, not a sum.

  From: Choosing Good Companions →

• وَالنَّفْسُ مَطِيَّةُ الْعَبْدِ الَّتِي يَسِيرُ عَلَيْهَا إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ أَوِ النَّارِ

  And the soul is the servant's mount on which he rides to Paradise or Hell.

  أَوِ — or. A disjunction particle ('or') offering an alternative destination, here vowelled to ease the join with the next word. It sets Hell against Paradise as the two possible ends of the ride.

  From: Patience and the Human Self →