Quran Vocabulary

أث

Dense / Bushy

Al-athâth: the abundant household goods. Its root comes from 'aththa' (to be plentiful and thick). All abundant wealth is called 'athâth'. It has no s...

2 verses

أجل

Delay / Term

Al-ajal: the term fixed for something. Allah says: 'That you may reach an appointed term' (Ghâfir: 67), 'Whichever term I fulfill' (Al-Qasas: 28). A d...

30 verses

أرب

Desire / Need

Al-arab and al-irba refer to need. Someone who is 'ârib' is one in need. 'Ulû al-irba' are those who need women. Allah says: 'Or male servants who hav...

2 verses

أله

Deity / Object of worship

Ilâh (deity): what is worshipped. It comes from 'aliha' (to be worshipped) or 'walaha' (to be perplexed), as creatures are perplexed in their knowledg...

30 verses

أيك

Dense forest

Al-ayka (the thicket): a grove of dense trees, plural 'ayak'. Allah says: 'The dwellers of the thicket (ashâb al-ayka)' (Al-Hijr: 78, Ash-Shu'arâ': 17...

2 verses

باب

Door / Chapter

Al-bâb (the door/gate): designates the entrance of something. Originally, this concerns entrances to places like the gate of the city, the house, the ...

24 verses

بتل

To devote oneself

At-tabtîl: devoting oneself entirely to Allah by cutting off from everything else. Allah says: 'And devote yourself (tabattul) to Him completely' (Al-...

1 verse

برم

To decide definitively

Al-ibrâm (confirmation): making something firm and solid. Abrama: he confirmed. Allah says: 'Have they decided (abramû) a matter?' (Az-Zukhruf: 79). M...

1 verse

بلس

Despair

Al-iblâs (despair): losing all hope. Ablasa: he despaired. Allah says: 'And that Day the criminals will despair (yublisu)' (Ar-Rûm: 12). Iblîs: the de...

5 verses

تبر

Destruction / Ruin

Al-tabr: to break and destroy. One says 'tabarahu' and 'tabbarahu'. Allah says: 'And We utterly destroy (nutabbira) what they used to make' (Al-A'râf:...

4 verses

ترب

Dust / Earth

At-turâb (dust): fine dry earth. Allah says: 'It is He who created you from dust (turâb)' (Ghâfir: 67). Tariba: he got covered with dust. Atraba: he e...

22 verses

ثبط

To discourage / To restrain

Allah says: 'He made them lag behind (fa-thabbatahum) and it was said: Stay with those who stay' (At-Tawba: 46). Al-tathbît: to discourage someone, sl...

1 verse

ثل

To demolish / To bring down

Al-thulla: a gathered piece of wool. One who is settled is called 'thulla'. Due to the idea of gathering, one says: 'A group (thulla) of the former' (...

3 verses

ثوى

To dwell / To remain

Ath-thawâ' (dwelling): staying in a place. Thawâ: he dwelt. Allah says: 'Hell will be their abode (mathwâ)' (Âl 'Imrân: 151). Al-mathwâ: permanent dwe...

14 verses

جحد

To deny / To disown

Al-juhûd (denial): denying what one knows. Jahada: he denied. Allah says: 'They denied them (jahadû) while they were certain of them' (An-Naml: 14). J...

12 verses

جدل

Dispute / Polemic

Al-jadal (debate): arguing strongly. Jâdala: he debated. Allah says: 'And do not argue (tujâdil) on behalf of those who betray themselves' (An-Nisâ': ...

27 verses

جعل

To do / To place

Ja'ala: a general term for all actions, broader than fa'ala and sana'a. It has five meanings: 1) To create: 'Who made (ja'ala) for you the earth a bed...

30 verses

حفر

To dig / Ditch

Allah says: 'And you were on the edge of a pit (hufra) of fire' (Âl 'Imrân: 103). Al-hufra: the hole dug in the ground, the pit. Arabs before Islam we...

2 verses

حلم

Dream / Gentleness

Al-hilm: self-control and temperament against the rush of anger. Plural: 'ahlâm'. Allah says: 'Do their minds (ahlâmuhum) command them' (At-Tûr: 32). ...

20 verses

حمر

Donkey / Wine

Al-himâr: the known animal (donkey). Plural: 'hamîr', 'ahmira', 'humur'. Allah says: 'Like frightened donkeys (humur)' (Al-Muddaththir: 50). Disbeliev...

6 verses

خدع

To deceive / To dupe

Al-khidâ': making others descend from what they seek by something appearing contrary to what is hidden. Allah says: 'They seek to deceive (yukhâdi'ûn)...

3 verses

خلص

To deliver / To save

Al-khâlis is like al-sâfî (pure) except al-khâlis is what had impurity removed after mixing. Allah says: 'We have chosen them (akhlasnâ) for the remem...

30 verses

درج

Degree / Step

Al-daraja is like manzila (rank), but one says manzila when ascending by degrees. Allah says: 'They have degrees (darajât) with their Lord' (Al-Anfâl:...

20 verses

درهم

Dirham / Currency

Allah says: 'They sold him for a low price, a few dirhams (darâhim)' (Yûsuf: 20). Al-dirham: silver currency. Joseph was sold for a few coins by the c...

1 verse

دمر

To destroy / To annihilate

Allah says: 'We destroyed them (dammarnâhum) completely' (Al-Furqân: 36). Al-tadmîr: total destruction. Allah destroys peoples who reject His messenge...

8 verses

دنا

To draw near / To be close

Al-dunuww: proximity by essence or status. Used for place, time, rank and position. Allah says: 'Then he approached (danâ) and descended' (An-Najm: 8)...

2 verses

دنر

Denarius / Gold coin

Allah says: 'One who, if you entrust him with a dinar (dînâr)' (Âl 'Imrân: 75). The dînâr is gold currency. The verse distinguishes honest from dishon...

1 verse

دهم

Dark / Deep-colored

Al-duhma: the blackness of night. Also used for blackness of horses and herds. The black night is 'dahma'. A large army black with intensity is also '...

1 verse

رد

Dismissal / Refusal

Al-radd: returning something by its essence or state. Allah says: 'And if Allah intends harm for a people, there is no repelling (maradd)' (Al-Ra'd: 1...

30 verses

رغب

Desire / Wish

The origin of al-raghba: amplitude in something. One says 'saqâ' raghîb' (large waterskin). Raghiba fîhi (he desired it), raghiba 'anhu (he turned awa...

8 verses

رغم

Despite / To force

Al-raghâm: fine dust. Raghima anfuhu (his nose was in dust), meaning humiliated. Allah says: 'A vast refuge (murâghaman)' (An-Nisâ': 100). One who emi...

1 verse

ريب

Doubt / Suspicion

One says 'râbanî kadhâ' and 'arâbanî' (that made me doubt). Al-rayb: doubt causing worry. Allah says: 'This Book, no doubt (rayb) in it' (Al-Baqara: 2...

30 verses

زحح

To drive away / To repel

Allah says: 'One who is removed (zuhziha) from the Fire' (Âl 'Imrân: 185). Zuhziha: removed, pushed away. One removed from Fire and admitted to Paradi...

2 verses

زرى

To despise / To disdain

Zaraytu 'alayhi: I blamed him. Azraytu bihi: I humiliated him. Allah says: 'And money has not diminished (yazri) with me' (Tâ-Hâ: 94). Harûn explains ...

1 verse

زهق

To disappear / To die

Zahaqat nafsuhu: his soul departed out of intense regret for something. The Almighty says: 'and their souls depart' (At-Tawba 55), 'Indeed, falsehood ...

4 verses

زيغ

Deviation / Error

Az-zaygh: deviation from straightness. At-tazayugh: wavering. A man is za'igh, and a group zagha. The Almighty says: 'those in whose hearts is deviati...

8 verses

سام

Death / Poison

As-sawm: going in search of something. It is a term composed of movement and seeking. The Almighty says: 'who afflicted you with the worst torment' (A...

3 verses

سحب

To drag / To drag along

As-sahb originally means dragging, like dragging a garment or dragging someone on their face. The Almighty says: 'The Day they are dragged into the Fi...

11 verses

سخط

Discontent / Anger

As-sakhat and as-sukht: intense anger that requires punishment. The Almighty says: 'When they came out to face the believers' (Al-Ma'ida 80). 'They in...

4 verses

سد

Dam / Obstacle

As-sadd and as-sudd: some say they are identical. Others say as-sudd is natural (divine creation), and as-sadd is man-made. The Almighty says: 'We hav...

3 verses

سكن

To dwell / Calm

As-sukun: the stopping of something after its movement. It is used for dwelling. The Almighty says: 'It is He who made for you the night to rest in' (...

30 verses

شرب

To drink / Drink

Ash-shurb: consuming any liquid, whether water or other. The Almighty says in Paradise's description: 'Drink pleasantly' (Al-Haqqah 24). 'Eat and drin...

30 verses

شطن

Devil / Satan

Ash-shaytan: the nun is a radical letter, and the word comes from shatana meaning to distance. The devil is so named because he distances from truth a...

30 verses

شق

Difficulty / Crack

Ash-shaqq: the crack in something. One says: I split it in two. The Almighty says: 'Then We split the earth' (Abasa 26). Al-mushaqqa: difficulty. 'Doe...

6 verses

شكك

Doubt / Hesitation

Ash-shakk: the balance of two opposites in a person, their equality. This can be through ignorance of both or equal knowledge of both. The Almighty sa...

15 verses

شمأز

Disgust / Repugnance

The Almighty says: 'the hearts of those who do not believe in the Hereafter shrink with aversion' (Az-Zumar 45). Al-ishmi'zaz: disgust and repulsion. ...

1 verse

شيط

Devil / Demon

Ash-shaytan: the devil, its explanation was mentioned previously in the root 'shatn'. The term refers to every rebellious being among jinn and humans ...

30 verses

صمم

Deaf

As-samam: loss of hearing. It is used for one who does not listen to truth. The Almighty says: 'deaf, dumb and blind' (Al-Baqara 18). Spiritual deafne...

14 verses

طمث

To deflower

At-tamth: the blood of menstruation and defloration. At-tamith: the menstruating woman. Tamitha: he deflowered her. The Almighty says: 'whom no man or...

2 verses

عزم

Determination / Intention

Al-'azm and al-'azima: the heart's resolution to accomplish a matter. One says: 'azama ya'zimu. The Almighty says: 'And if you are resolved, trust in ...

9 verses