Quran Vocabulary

أتى

To come / To arrive

Al-ityân: coming with ease. Hence a flowing torrent is called 'atiyy'. Ityân is used for coming in person, by command or by providence, for good and e...

30 verses

إبل

Camels

Al-ibil (camels): refers to a herd of many camels, with no singular from the same root. Allah says: 'And of camels, two' (Al-An'âm: 144). Allah says: ...

2 verses

بتر

To cut / To amputate

Al-batr: close to the preceding, but used for cutting the tail, then by extension for cutting off posterity. Someone is called 'abtar' when he has no ...

1 verse

بتك

To cut / To sever

Al-batk: close to al-batt, but used for cutting limbs and hair. One says 'bataka sha'rahu' (he cut his hair) and 'bataka udhunahu' (he cut his ear). A...

1 verse

برد

Cold / Coolness

Al-bard (cold): opposite of heat. Allah says: 'We said: O fire, be coolness (bardan) and peace for Ibrahim' (Al-Anbiyâ': 69). Al-barad: hail. Allah sa...

5 verses

بعر

Camel / Dung

Al-ba'îr (camel): male or female camel capable of carrying. Plural 'ab'ira'. Allah says: 'And to whoever brings it a camel's load (ba'îr)' (Yûsuf: 72)...

2 verses

بقر

Cows / Cattle

Al-baqar (cattle): bovine livestock. Allah says: 'A bright yellow cow (baqara)' (Al-Baqara: 69). Baqara: he opened, split. Surah Al-Baqara takes its n...

9 verses

بك

Crowd / Pressure

Bakka is Mecca according to Mujâhid, like saying 'sabada' and 'samada' (synonyms). Allah says: 'The first House established for mankind is that at Bak...

1 verse

بلد

Country / City

Al-balad (country): the inhabited region. Plural 'bilâd' and 'buldân'. Allah says: 'I swear by this country (al-balad)' (Al-Balad: 1). Al-balda: land ...

19 verses

بهت

To confound / To astonish

Al-buhtân (slander): falsely accusing someone, leaving them stunned. Allah says: 'And a tremendous slander (buhtânan)' (An-Nisâ': 156). Bahata: he stu...

8 verses

بهل

To curse / To abandon

The origin of 'bahl': leaving something unattended. Al-bâhil: the camel left free from its bridle. One says 'abhala nâqatahu' (he left his she-camel f...

1 verse

تابوت

Coffin / Ark

Al-tâbût (the chest, the ark): known among us. Allah says: 'The sign of his kingship is that the chest (al-tâbût) will come to you' (Al-Baqara: 248). ...

2 verses

ترق

Collarbone

Allah says: 'When the soul reaches the collarbones (al-tarâqî)' (Al-Qiyâma: 26). Al-tarâqî: plural of 'tarquwa', the collarbones. This verse describes...

1 verse

جاء

To come / To arrive

Jâ'a yajî'u majî'an: to come. Al-majî' is like al-ityân, but more general because al-ityân implies ease. Al-ityân can be used for command and providen...

30 verses

جال

To circulate / To wander

Jâlût (Goliath): name of a tyrannical king whom David, peace be upon him, struck and killed. He is mentioned in Allah's words: 'And David killed Golia...

1 verse

جبر

To compel / To repair

Al-jabr (compulsion): forcing someone to do something. Jabara: he forced. Allah says: 'You are not a tyrant (jabbâr) over them' (Qâf: 45). Al-Jabbâr: ...

10 verses

جبى

To collect / To gather

One says 'jabaytu al-mâ' fî al-hawd' (I gathered water in the basin). The collecting basin is 'jâbiya', plural 'jawâbin'. Allah says: 'And bowls (jifâ...

12 verses

جثم

To crouch

'They became fallen (jâthimîn) in their homes' (Al-A'râf: 78): metaphor for those who remain motionless, from 'jathama al-tâ'ir' (the bird crouched) w...

5 verses

جذ

To cut / To sever

Al-jadhd: to break and crumble something. Broken gold stones and gold fragments are called 'judhâdh'. Hence Allah's words: 'He made them into fragment...

2 verses

جرف

To carry off / To engulf

Allah says: 'On the edge of a crumbling precipice (jurf)' (At-Tawba: 109). The place that the torrent erodes and carries away is called 'jurf'. This v...

1 verse

جرم

Crime / Fault

Al-jurm (crime): committing a grave sin. Ajrama: he committed a crime. Allah says: 'The criminals (al-mujrimûn) will not succeed' (Yûnus: 17). Mujrim:...

30 verses

جمل

Camel / Beauty

Al-jamâl: abundant beauty. It is of two kinds: beauty proper to the person in soul or body, and beauty that comes from relatives or possessions. Allah...

11 verses

حدب

Compassion / To lean

The origin of al-hadab may be the hump of the back. One says 'hadiba al-rajul hadaban' (the man became hunchbacked). Allah says: 'And they will descen...

1 verse

حذر

Caution / Wariness

Al-hadhar: guarding against what is feared. One says 'hadhira hadharan' (he was wary). Allah says: 'Take your precautions (hidhrakum)' (An-Nisâ': 71)....

19 verses

حسب

To count / To suffice

Al-hisâb: the use of number. One says 'hasabtu ahsubu hisâban' (I counted). Allah says: 'He will hold them to account with a severe account (hisâban s...

30 verses

حسم

To cut / To sever

Al-hasm: eliminating the trace of something. One says 'qata'ahu fa-hasamahu' (he cut it then cauterized it). Cauterization prevents blood from flowing...

1 verse

حمل

To carry / Load

Al-haml: one meaning used for many things. The verbal form is unified but nouns are distinguished. Haml and himl: the load. Al-hamal: the lamb. Allah ...

30 verses

حول

Change / Around

The origin of al-hawl: change and separation from something. Considering change, one says 'hâla' (it changed). Hawla (power) is the ability to change....

25 verses

خد

Cheek

Allah says: 'Cursed were the people of the trench (al-ukhdûd)' (Al-Burûj: 4). Al-ukhdûd: the pit, the furrow dug in the earth. The people of the trenc...

1 verse

خدن

Close friend

Allah says: 'Nor taking lovers (akhdan)' (An-Nisâ': 25). Akhdan is the plural of 'khidn' (intimate friend, lover). The verse forbids slave women from ...

2 verses

خسأ

To chase / To drive away

Khasa'tu al-kalb fa-khasa'a: I drove away the dog with contempt and it withdrew. It is repelling with contempt. Allah says: 'Be driven away (ikhsa'û) ...

4 verses

خلق

To create / Character

Al-khalq: originally, just measure. Used for invention without prior model. Allah is the Creator (al-Khâliq). Allah says: 'Blessed is Allah, the best ...

30 verses

خوى

To collapse / To fall

The origin of al-khawâ': emptiness. One says 'khawâ batnuhu min al-ta'âm yakhwî' (his belly emptied of food). Allah says: 'Empty (khâwiya) on its trel...

5 verses

دثر

Covered / Wrapped

Allah says: 'O you who are wrapped up (al-muddaththir)' (Al-Muddaththir: 1). The origin is 'al-mutadaththir': one who wraps himself in a garment (dith...

1 verse

دسى

To corrupt / To defile

Allah says: 'And failed is one who corrupts it (dassâhâ)' (Ash-Shams: 10). Dassâhâ: buried and lowered it through sins. The opposite is 'zakkâhâ' (pur...

1 verse

دع

To call / To invoke

Al-da'': pushing strongly. Said to one who stumbles: 'da' da'' (get up). Allah says: 'That is the one who repulses (yadu''u) the orphan' (Al-Mâ'ûn: 2)...

2 verses

دعا

Call / Prayer / Invocation

Al-du'â' is like al-nidâ' (calling), except calling can be with 'yâ' or without. Allah says: 'Call upon Me (ud'ûnî), I will respond to you' (Ghâfir: 6...

30 verses

دمدم

To crush / To destroy

Allah says: 'Their Lord destroyed them (fa-damdama 'alayhim)' (Ash-Shams: 14). Damdama: to destroy completely, annihilate with a crash. The people of ...

1 verse

دوم

Continuous / Permanent

The origin of al-dawâm: stillness. One says 'dâma al-mâ'' (water became still). Allah says: 'For them a permanent (dâ'im) reward' (Ar-Ra'd: 35). Belie...

9 verses

ذرأ

To create / To sow

Al-dhar': Allah manifesting what He created. One says 'dhara'a Allâhu al-khalq' (Allah created creatures). Allah says: 'He created you (dhara'akum) fr...

6 verses

ذقن

Chin / Beard

Allah says: 'They fall on their chins (li-l-adhqân) weeping' (Al-Isrâ': 109). Al-adhqân: plural of 'dhaqan' (chin). Prostrating on the chin is a mark ...

3 verses

رأف

Compassion / Pity

Al-ra'fa (compassion) is mercy. One says 'ra'ufa' (he was compassionate). Allah says: 'Indeed Allah is toward the people compassionate (ra'ûf)' (Al-Ba...

13 verses

رتق

To close / To weld

Al-ratq: assembly and junction, whether natural or manufactured. Allah says: 'The heavens and earth were a joined mass (ratqan)' (Al-Anbiyâ': 30). The...

1 verse

زال

To cease / To stop

Zâla al-shay' yazûlu zawâlan: the thing left the state it was in. Allah says: 'Allah holds the heavens and earth lest they cease (tazûlâ)' (Fâtir: 41)...

2 verses

زعم

To claim / To assert

Al-za'm: reporting words supposed true or false. Allah says: 'Say: Call upon those you claim (za'amtum)' (Al-Isrâ': 56). The idols polytheists claim t...

16 verses

سبب

Cause / Means

As-sabab: the rope used to climb palm trees, plural asbab. The Almighty says: 'Let them ascend the ways of heaven' (Sad 10). Everything that connects ...

10 verses

سجى

Calm / Serene night

The Almighty says: 'By the night when it covers with darkness' (Ad-Duha 2), meaning when it becomes calm and peaceful. This describes the calm and tra...

1 verse

سرمد

Continuous / Uninterrupted

As-sarmad: the perpetual, the permanent. The Almighty says: 'Say: Have you considered if Allah made the night perpetual over you' (Al-Qasas 71-72). Th...

2 verses

سقف

Ceiling / Roof

Saqf al-bayt: the roof of the house, plural suquf. The sky is made a roof in His saying: 'And We made the sky a protected ceiling' (Al-Anbiya 32). The...

4 verses

شرد

To chase / To expel

Sharada al-ba'ir: the camel fled. Sharadtu fulanan: I drove him away to other lands. The Almighty says: 'Scatter by them those behind them' (Al-Anfal ...

1 verse