Then We awakened them that We might show which of the two factions was most precise in calculating what they had remained in time. counting and precision in their translations:

This is why when you look at a translation translators combine these both possible meanings i.e. If we understand the the word أحصى to be an elative noun then it would be translated as “most precise” and the word أمدا would clarify what they are most precise at, such a word is known as the تمييز or clarifier.

In Arabic elative nouns are called اسم التفضيل. Some grammarians argue the word أحصى matches the pattern of أكبر and hence is not a verb but an elative noun. The word أكبر is an elative of the word كبير. You might wonder what an elative noun is? Take for example the word كبير kabeer “big”, its elative noun is أكبر akbar “bigger” or “biggest”.

An alternative view is that the pattern of the word أحصى used resembles the pattern أفعل which is used for elative nouns in Arabic. He argued against it being an elative noun (see later) because its pattern is not based on derivation as it is a triliteral increased verb. The word أحصى according to the well renowned commentator Zamakshari, whose strength was his grammatical analysis of the Quran, the word أحصى is a verb, “to count”, and it acts upon the word أمدً time and the phrase ما لبثوا “the they remained” is considered to be taking the place of a verbal noun مصدر. This topic may come across as grammatically complex but read on and see how you manage. Is the word أحصى a verb or an elative noun? If أحصى is a noun what is the word أمدا called? The root letters of the word أحصى are :ģ.

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