Quran Vocabulary

آدم

Adam

Adam, father of humanity. It is said he was named thus because his body came from the surface (adîm) of the earth, or due to his brownish complexion. ...

25 verses

بخل

Avarice

Al-bukhl (miserliness): withholding what should be given. Opposite of 'jûd' (generosity). Allah says: 'Those who are stingy (yabkhalûn) and enjoin sti...

7 verses

بدا

To appear / To manifest

Badâ al-shay' buduwwan wa badâ'an: the thing appeared clearly. Allah says: 'There appeared to them (badâ lahum) what they had been concealing' (Az-Zum...

21 verses

بهم

Animals / Beasts

Al-bahîma (animal): any quadruped, so named for its confused (mubham) nature. Plural 'bahâ'im'. Allah says: 'The beast (bahîmat) of cattle' (Al-Mâ'ida...

3 verses

ترك

To abandon / To leave

At-tark (leaving): abandoning something. Taraka: he left. Allah says: 'Do you think you will be left (tutrakû)?' (At-Tawba: 16). At-tarika: what is le...

30 verses

جرز

Arid land

Allah says: 'Barren land (juruz)' (Al-Kahf: 8). That is: whose vegetation is cut at the root. A 'majrûza' land is one whose growth has been consumed. ...

2 verses

جلب

To attract / To import

The origin of al-jalb: to drive something. One says 'jalabtu jalban' (I drove). Al-jawâlib: what drives. The clamor 'jalaba' is the noise people make ...

2 verses

جند

Army / Soldiers

Al-jund: the army, considered for its hardness. The word comes from 'jand', hard land with stones. Allah says: 'The armies (junûd) of Allah' (Al-Fath:...

27 verses

جهر

Aloud / Manifest

Jahr refers to the excessive appearance of something to sight or hearing. For sight: 'I saw him clearly'. For hearing: 'he spoke aloud (jahra)'. Allah...

15 verses

جوب

Answer / To cross

Al-jawb: crossing a flat expanse of land. This term is then used for crossing any land. Allah says: 'And Thamûd who carved (jâbû) the rocks in the val...

30 verses

جوز

To allow / To cross

Allah says: 'When he had crossed it (jâwazahu)' (Al-Baqara: 249). That is: he passed its middle. And: 'We made the Children of Israel cross (jâwaznâ) ...

5 verses

حاج

Argument / Proof

Al-hâja: the need for something with desire. Plural: 'hâj', 'hâjât', 'hawâ'ij'. One says 'hâja yahûju' (he needed). Pilgrimage (hajj) implies intense ...

11 verses

خذل

To abandon / To hand over

Allah says: 'And the devil is a great abandoner (khadhûl) to man' (Al-Furqân: 29). Al-khidhlan: abandonment. The devil abandons those he has misled wh...

3 verses

خصم

Adversary / Dispute

Al-khasm: source of 'khasamtuhu' (I disputed with him). One says 'khâsamtuhu wa-khtasamtu ma'ahu' (I fought with him in dispute). Allah says: 'These a...

17 verses

در

Abundance / Milk

Allah says: 'We sent the sky upon them abundantly (midrâran)' (Al-An'âm: 6). Midrâran: pouring abundantly. Abundant rain is a favor from Allah. It can...

4 verses

ذر

Atom / To scatter

Al-dhurriyya: offspring. Allah says: 'And from my offspring (dhurriyyatî)' (Al-Baqara: 124). Ibrahim asked for prophethood for his offspring too. The ...

30 verses

ذرع

Arm / Span

Al-dhirâ': the known limb (forearm). Used for what is measured. One says 'dâqa dhir'uhû bi-kadhâ' (his arm narrowed from such), meaning he is incapabl...

4 verses

ربط

To attach / To bind

Rabt al-faras: tying the horse to a place to keep it. Hence: 'ribât' (guard post), and 'murâbata' (stationing at frontiers). Allah says: 'We strengthe...

5 verses

رسا

Anchor / To stabilize

One says 'rasâ al-shay' yarsû' (the thing became stable). Arsâhu ghayruhû (another stabilized it). Allah says: 'And the mountains, He anchored them (a...

14 verses

رص

Alignment / Row

Allah says: 'As if they were a solid structure (marsûs)' (As-Saff: 4). Marsûs: solidly assembled, without cracks. Believers who fight in tight ranks a...

1 verse

رغد

Abundance / Ease

'Aysh raghad and raghîd: pleasant and ample life. Allah says: 'Eat from it wherever you will freely (raghadan)' (Al-Baqara: 58). Adam and the Children...

3 verses

رمد

Ash / Ruin

One says 'ramâd' and 'rimdid' (ash). Armad: ashy gray. Allah says: 'Their deeds are like ashes (ramâd)' (Ibrâhîm: 18). Disbelievers' deeds are scatter...

1 verse

زحف

To advance / Crawling

The origin of al-zahf: advancing while dragging feet. Allah says: 'When you meet in mass (zahfan) those who disbelieved' (Al-Anfâl: 15). Zahfan: as an...

1 verse

زلف

Approach / Proximity

Az-zulfa: rank and favor. The Almighty says: 'When they saw it approaching' (Al-Mulk 27), meaning close and imminent. 'Parts of the night' (Hud 114): ...

10 verses

زهد

Asceticism / Renunciation

Az-zahid: the insignificant thing. Az-zahid fi shay: one who turns away from something and is content with the minimum of it. The Almighty says: 'They...

1 verse

سأل

To ask / To question

As-su'al: requesting knowledge or what leads to knowledge, and requesting money or what leads to it. The Almighty says: 'They ask you about the Hour' ...

30 verses

سبغ

Abundant / Perfect

Dir' sabigh: a complete and ample coat of mail. The Almighty says: 'Make complete coats of mail' (Saba 11). The root evokes amplitude and totality. 'A...

2 verses

سطا

To attack / To seize

As-satwa: violence by raising the hand. One says: he attacked him. The Almighty says: 'They are almost about to assault those who recite to them Our v...

1 verse

سلط

Authority / Power

As-salata: the power to dominate. One says: I made him dominate and he dominated. The Almighty says: 'We made them dominate over you' (Al-Isra 6). As-...

30 verses

سلف

Ancestors / Predecessors

As-salaf: what precedes. The Almighty says: 'We made them a precedent and an example' (Az-Zukhruf 56): an example for those who come after. As-salaf c...

8 verses

سهم

Arrow / Lot

As-sahm: that with which one shoots, and that with which one draws lots like arrows. The Almighty says: 'Then he drew lots and was among the losers' (...

1 verse

شح

Avarice / Rapacity

Ash-shuhh: stinginess with greed, and this becomes a habit. The Almighty says: 'Souls are prone to stinginess' (An-Nisa 128). 'Whoever is protected fr...

4 verses

شحن

Anger / Hatred

The Almighty says: 'in the laden ship' (Ash-Shu'ara 119), meaning the filled ship. Ash-shahn: the filling. 'We carried him in a laden vessel' (Al-Qama...

3 verses

شرك

Association / Polytheism

Ash-sharika and al-musharaka: mixing properties. One says: a thing exists in two subjects without one being distinguished from the other. The Almighty...

30 verses

شيب

Aging / Grey hair

Ash-shayb and al-mashib: the whiteness of hair. The Almighty says: 'And my head has ignited with white hair' (Maryam 4), Zechariah's words. White hair...

3 verses

صمع

Attentive ear

As-sawma'a: every building with a pointed head, meaning narrowed. Plural sawami'. The Almighty says: 'hermitages would have been demolished' (Al-Hajj ...

1 verse

طعن

To attack / To criticize

At-ta'n: striking with a spear or horn. The Almighty says: 'If they had had a refuge' (Al-Ahzab 14). At-ta'n fi ad-din: criticizing religion. 'If they...

2 verses

طلب

To ask / To seek

At-talab: seeking the existence of something, whether concrete or abstract. The Almighty says: 'Seek what Allah has given you' (Al-Qasas 77). 'And see...

3 verses

طلح

Acacias

At-talh: a tree, singular talha. The Almighty says: 'and banana trees with clusters' (Al-Waqi'a 29). The talh tree in Paradise has abundant and layere...

1 verse

عبقر

'Abqari / Genius

'Abqar: it is said to be a place of jinn to which is attributed everything rare among humans, animals and fabrics. The Almighty says: 'reclining on gr...

1 verse

عجب

Astonishment / Admiration

Al-'ajab and at-ta'ajjub: a state that occurs in man when he ignores something's cause. The Almighty says: 'Or did you think the people of the Cave we...

24 verses

عدن

'Adn / Eden

The Almighty says: 'Gardens of Eden' (An-Nahl 31), meaning of residence and stability. 'Adn implies permanent establishment. The Gardens of Eden are t...

11 verses

عرب

Arabic / Eloquence

Al-'arab: the descendants of Ishmael. Al-a'rab is originally their plural, then became specific to Bedouins. The Almighty says: 'The Bedouins are more...

22 verses

عضد

Arm / Support

Al-'adud: what is between the elbow and shoulder. 'Adadtuhu: I reached his arm. The Almighty says: 'And We will strengthen your arm through your broth...

2 verses

عمل

Action / Work

Al-'amal: every act done by an animal with intention. It is more specific than mere act (al-fi'l). The Almighty says: 'Whoever does good' (Al-Anbiya 9...

30 verses

غدق

Abundance / Water

The Almighty says: 'We would have given them abundant water to drink' (Al-Jinn 16), meaning plentiful. Al-ghadaq: abundant water. Abundant water is a ...

1 verse

غرا

To attract / To seduce

Ghariya bikadha: he attached and stuck to it. The origin is from al-ghira': glue. The Almighty mentions excessive attachment to worldly things. Attach...

2 verses

غضب

Anger / Wrath

Al-ghadab: the boiling of the heart's blood wanting revenge. That is why the Prophet said: 'Do not get angry'. God's anger is His disapproval. The Alm...

21 verses

غوث

Aid / Help

Al-ghawth: said for relief. Al-ghayth: for rain. I implored him and he helped me. The Almighty says: 'When you implored the help of your Lord' (Al-Anf...

4 verses

غيب

Absent / Invisible

Al-Ghayb is the verbal noun of ghābat ash-shams (the sun set) and similar: when they became hidden from view. One says: ghāba 'annī kadhā (such thing ...

30 verses