Quran Vocabulary

أج

Bitter / Hot

Allah says: 'This is fresh and sweet, and this is salty and bitter (ujâj)' (Al-Furqân: 53). Ujâj: very salty and hot, from 'ajîj an-nâr' (the cracklin...

3 verses

أخ

Brother

Akh (brother): originally 'akhw'. One who shares with another birth from both parents or one, or nursing. It is used metaphorically for any associate ...

30 verses

أصر

Bond / Constraint

Al-asr: binding something and holding it by force. Ma'sûr: one who is bound. Allah says: 'And He removes their burden (israhum)' (Al-A'râf: 157), mean...

3 verses

بدأ

To begin / To initiate

Al-bad' (beginning): the first action. Bada'a: he began. Allah says: 'It is He who begins creation then repeats it' (Ar-Rûm: 27). Al-badî': the Origin...

14 verses

بدن

Body / Corpulence

Al-badan (body): the trunk of the human body without head or limbs. Allah says: 'Today We save you with your body (badanika)' (Yûnus: 92). Al-budn: fa...

2 verses

برك

Blessing / Knee

Al-baraka (blessing): the increase of divine good. Bâraka: he blessed. Allah says: 'Blessed (tabâraka) is He in Whose hand is the dominion' (Al-Mulk: ...

30 verses

بطن

Belly / Interior

Al-batn (belly): the inner part of the body. Plural 'butûn'. Allah says: 'And We brought you out from the bellies (butûn) of your mothers' (An-Nahl: 7...

25 verses

بل

But / Rather

Bal: a particle of rectification. It is of two types: 1) When what follows contradicts what precedes, like 'Say: My Lord projects the truth' then 'Bal...

30 verses

بنى

To build / To construct

Al-binâ' (building): erecting an edifice. Banâ: he built. Allah says: 'And We built (banaynâ) above you seven heavens' (An-Naba': 12). Al-bunyân: the ...

30 verses

بهج

Beauty / Radiance

Al-bahja (splendor): beauty that delights the eye. Bahîj: beautiful, delightful. Allah says: 'Splendid (bahîj) gardens' (Al-Hajj: 5). Ibtahaja: he rej...

3 verses

بين

Between / Separation

Bayna (between): what separates two things. Allah says: 'What is between (bayna) their hands and behind them' (Al-Baqara: 255). Al-bayân: clear explan...

30 verses

ثور

Bull / Agitation

Thâra al-ghubâr (the dust rose): it scattered while rising. One says 'athartuhû' (I raised it). Allah says: 'And raise thereby (fa-atharna) dust' (Al-...

5 verses

جحم

Blazing Hellfire

Al-jahîm (blazing Hell): intense fire. Allah says: 'And the deviators and Iblis's soldiers, all will be thrown into Hell (al-jahîm)' (Ash-Shu'arâ': 94...

26 verses

جسد

Body / Statue

Al-jasad (body): physical body without soul. Allah says: 'And We made him a body (jasadan) without soul' (Al-A'râf: 148), speaking of the Israelites' ...

4 verses

جسم

Body / Mass

Al-jism: what has length, width and depth. Parts of a body remain bodies even if cut and divided. Allah says: 'And He has favored him in knowledge and...

2 verses

جيب

Bosom / Neckline

Allah says: 'And let them draw their veils over their chests (juyûbihinna)' (An-Nûr: 31). Juyûb is the plural of 'jayb' (the opening of the garment, t...

3 verses

حجز

Barrier / To separate

Al-hajz: preventing between two things by a separation. One says 'hajaza baynahumâ' (he separated between them). Allah says: 'And We have placed betwe...

2 verses

حرق

To burn / To set ablaze

One says 'ahraqa kadhâ fa-htaraqa' (he burned such thing and it burned). Al-harîq: fire. Allah says: 'And taste the punishment of burning (harîq)' (Al...

9 verses

حسن

Beauty / Goodness

Al-husn: what is beautiful, pleasant and desirable. This includes three categories: what is beautiful from the viewpoint of intellect, passion, or sen...

30 verses

حصر

To besiege / To restrict

Al-hasr: constriction. Allah says: 'And besiege them (uhsurûhum)' (At-Tawba: 5). That is: constrict them, prevent their movement. The verse speaks of ...

6 verses

حضب

Burning ember

Al-hadab: fuel. What stirs the fire is 'mihdab'. A variant reading has: 'Fuel (hadab) of Hell'. Al-hadab is what feeds and maintains the fire. Hell ne...

1 verse

حطم

To break / To crush

Al-hatm: breaking something like smashing. Then used for all total destruction. Allah says: 'Lest he crush you (yahtimannakum)' (An-Naml: 18). The ant...

6 verses

حفى

Barefoot / To honor

Al-ihfâ' in questioning: insistence in asking or in seeking news. Allah says: 'As if they question you insistently (hafiyy)' (Al-A'râf: 187). They ins...

2 verses

خبث

Bad / Impure

Al-khubth and al-khabîth: what is disliked for its mediocrity and lowliness, whether perceived by senses or intellect. The opposite is 'tayyib' (good)...

10 verses

خبز

Bread

Al-khubz (bread) is known. Allah says, quoting Joseph's prison companion: 'I carry on my head bread (khubzan)' (Yûsuf: 36). The baker's dream foretold...

1 verse

خضد

To bend / To fold

Allah says: 'In thornless lote trees (makhdûd)' (Al-Wâqi'a: 28). Makhdûd: whose thorns have been cut. Paradise trees have no thorns, unlike worldly tr...

1 verse

خلا

To be alone / Empty

Al-khalâ': the place without shelter of construction or habitation. Allah says: 'When they are alone (khalaw) with their devils' (Al-Baqara: 14). Hypo...

25 verses

خون

Betrayal

Al-khiyâna and al-nifâq are identical, except khiyâna is said regarding pact and trust, and nifâq regarding religion. Allah says: 'Allah does not like...

11 verses

دب

Bear

Al-dabb and al-dabîb: walking lightly. Used for insects, children, elderly, and light wind on water. Allah says: 'There is no creature (dâbba) on eart...

18 verses

دبر

Back / To manage

Dubur al-shay': the opposite of its front. Used metaphorically for the rear. Al-tadbîr: considering the consequences (awâqib) of things. Allah says: '...

30 verses

دس

To bury / To conceal

Al-dass: inserting something into another with constraint. One says 'dassa al-shay' fî al-turâb' (he buried the thing in earth). Allah says: 'Or bury ...

1 verse

دلو

Bucket / To descend

Dalawtu al-dalw: I lowered the bucket. Adlaytuhâ: I raised it. Allah says: 'He let down his bucket (dalwahu)' (Yûsuf: 19). The traveler who lowered hi...

3 verses

دم

Blood

The origin of al-dam is 'damî'. Blood is known. Allah says: 'Forbidden to you are carrion, blood (al-dam)' (Al-Baqara: 173). Shed blood is forbidden f...

10 verses

دمغ

Brain

Allah says: 'We hurl the truth against falsehood and it crushes it (tadmaghuhu)' (Al-Anbiyâ': 18). Damagha: to strike the brain until destroying it. T...

1 verse

ذأم

Blame / Shame

Allah says: 'Get out of here, blamed (madh'ûman)' (Al-A'râf: 18). Madh'ûm: covered with blame and shame. Iblis was expelled from Paradise, bearing ete...

1 verse

ذم

Blame / Reproach

One says 'dhamamtuhu adhummuhu dhamman' (I blamed him). He is 'madhmûm' (blamed) and 'dhamîm' (blameworthy). Al-dhimma: protection pact. Allah says: '...

5 verses

رس

To bury / To drive in

Allah says: 'The people of the Rass (ashâb al-Rass)' (Al-Furqân: 38). It is said to be a well or valley. This people was destroyed for rejecting their...

2 verses

رضع

To breastfeed

One says 'rada'a al-mawlûd yarda'u' (the newborn suckled) and 'radi'a yarda'u'. Al-radâ'a and al-ridâ': breastfeeding. Allah says: 'Mothers shall brea...

6 verses

ركع

Bowing (prayer)

Al-rukû': bowing. Sometimes used for bowing in prayer specifically, sometimes for all prayer. Allah says: 'And bow (irka'û) with those who bow' (Al-Ba...

10 verses

رمض

Burning heat (Ramadan)

Allah says: 'The month of Ramadan (Ramadân)' (Al-Baqara: 185). The word comes from 'ramad' (intense heat) because this month fell in summer when named...

1 verse

زرق

Blue / Blindness

Al-zurqa: a color between white and black (blue-gray). Allah says: 'We will gather the criminals that Day blue-eyed (zurqan)' (Tâ-Hâ: 102). Blue eyes ...

1 verse

سأم

Boredom / Weariness

As-sa'ama: boredom from what lasts long, whether an action or emotion. The Almighty says: 'and they do not grow weary' (Fussilat 38) concerning the an...

3 verses

سفع

To blacken / To mark

As-saf': seizing by the forelock of the horse, meaning the blackness of its forehead. The Almighty says: 'We will seize him by the forelock' (Al-Alaq ...

1 verse

سلق

To boil

As-salq: spreading with force, either by hand or tongue. Climbing a wall is tassalluq. The Almighty says: 'They hurt you with sharp tongues' (Al-Ahzab...

1 verse

سمر

Brown / Night

As-sumra: one of the composite colors between white and black. As-samar: night conversation or the place of conversation. The Almighty says: 'delibera...

4 verses

سود

Black / Master

As-sawad: the color opposite to white. One says: iswadda (it became black). The Almighty says: 'the Day when faces will turn white and faces will turn...

9 verses

شرى

To buy / To sell

Ash-shira' and al-bay' are linked. The buyer (al-mushtari) gives the price and receives the goods, the seller does the opposite. The Almighty says: 'T...

23 verses

شعف

Burning passion

It was recited sha'afaha, from sha'afat al-qalb (the top of the heart), its extremity attached to the pericardium. The Almighty says: 'He has impassio...

1 verse

شوظ

Blazing flame

Ash-shuwaz: flame without smoke. The Almighty says: 'A flame of fire and molten copper will be sent upon you' (Ar-Rahman 35). Pure and intense flame c...

1 verse

صدد

To block / To obstruct

As-sudud and as-sadd: can be turning away from something and refusing, or preventing others from something. The Almighty says: 'who turn away from God...

30 verses