أَلاwill you not

Example sentences

• قُلْتُ فَإِنْ كُفِيتَ ذَلِكَ وَدُعِيتَ إِلَى الْجَمَالِ وَالْمَالِ وَالشَرَفِ وَالْكَفَاءَةِ أَلا تُجِيبُ؟

  I said: If that would be enough, and you were asked for beauty, wealth, honor, and suitability, would you not answer?

  أَلا — will you not. A negative-question particle ('would you not...?') that combines a negation with a question to invite agreement, expecting a 'yes'. It opens the answer-clause of the condition, prodding him toward consent.

  From: The Prophet's Marriage to Khadijah →