This is because hasb (“sufficiency”) is a verbal noun. Once placed in a construct, it is not elegant to coordinate another term with its genitive complement unless the genitive governor is repeated. Although coordination without such repetition is permissible according to the sounder of the two views, it is rare; repeating the genitive governor is better and more eloquent. The coordination therefore follows the meaning, for the genitive complement is semantically equivalent to an accusative object. Thus, the expression fa-hasbuka wa-l-Dahhāka (“sufficiency for you and al-Dahhāk”) [means: “it suffices you and al-Dahhāk”] (1).

A verbal noun exercises the same syntactic government as a verb. When it is in a construct, however, it governs the term other than its genitive complement. Thus, if it is annexed to the agent, it places the object in the accusative; and if it is annexed to the object, it places the agent in the nominative. Hence you say, “The fuller’s beating of the garment pleased me.” This is the standard form of the expression. You may also say, “The beating of the garment by the fuller pleased me.”

Some grammarians maintain that it is better for a verbal noun to govern while indefinite than while annexed, because annexation strengthens its nominal character. The correct view, however, is that annexing it to one of the two terms and allowing it to govern the other is better than leaving it indefinite and allowing it to govern both. Thus, saying, “The fuller’s beating of the garment pleased me,” is better than saying, “The beating of the garment by the fuller pleased me.” Indefiniteness is also a characteristic of nouns, while the construct construction is lighter. Since it is a noun, the basic rule is for it to form a construct without exercising syntactic government. But because it cannot be annexed simultaneously to both the agent and the object, it is annexed to one and made to govern the other (2).

The same applies to coordinated terms: if it can be annexed to all of them (3), as when it is annexed to an explicit noun, that is preferable. An example is the Prophet’s statement—may Allah bless him and grant him peace: “Indeed, Allah has forbidden the sale of