Thus, conditional particles are those that introduce the condition and are used in conditional constructions.

Know that what the author has mentioned is not an exhaustive list; rather, he intends the conditional particles that are most commonly used, for there are other particles besides those he has mentioned.

First, his statement: “in (if).” He began with it because it is the primary particle in this category. Grammarians assign a primary member to every category: among inna (indeed) and its sisters, the primary one is inna; among kāna (was) and its sisters, the primary one is kāna; among the conditional particles, the primary one is in (if); and in interrogation, the primary particle is the hamzah. The sign of a primary member is its frequent and broad usage. Some particles may coincide with it in certain respects but are not used in every context, while the primary one has distinctive characteristics not shared by the others. For example, kāna has five features in which none of its sister verbs share, and in (if) likewise has features—which will come, Allah willing—not shared by the other particles.

His statement: “in (if),” is illustrated by saying, “You are divorced if you stand,” or, “If you stand, then you are divorced.” There is no difference whether the condition is placed after or before the statement.

Second, his statement: “idhā (when),” as when one says to his wife, “When you stand, you are divorced,” or, “You are divorced when you stand.”

Third, his statement: “matā (whenever),” as in, “Whenever you stand, you are divorced,” or, “You are divorced whenever you stand.”

Fourth, his statement: “ayy (whichever),” with a geminated yā’, unlike ay, with an ungeminated, vowelless yā’, which is not a conditional particle. An example would be for one to say, “Whichever woman among you rises is divorced.” Does it refer to time, place, a rational being, or an inanimate thing? That depends on the noun to which it is annexed. Thus, in the phrase, “whichever woman rises,” this