Quran Vocabulary

آل

Family / Clan

Âl: an inverted form of 'ahl' (family/people). It is used exclusively in annexation with proper nouns of rational beings, not with indefinites, times,...

21 verses

أب

Father

Allah says: 'And fruits and herbage (abb)' (Abasa: 31). Al-abb refers to pasture prepared for grazing and cutting, from 'abba li-kadhâ' (to prepare fo...

30 verses

أبق

Flight (slave)

Allah says: 'When he fled (abaqa) to the laden ship' (As-Sâffât: 140). One says 'abaqa al-'abd' (the slave fled) when he runs away. A fugitive slave i...

1 verse

أدى

To fulfill / To deliver

Al-adâ' (fulfillment): delivering something to its recipient. Allah says: 'Allah commands you to render trusts to their owners' (An-Nisâ': 58), 'While...

5 verses

أصبع

Finger

Al-isba' (the finger): a name that refers to the phalanges, nail, fingertip, and joints together. It is used metaphorically for positive influence: 'Y...

2 verses

أنث

Feminine

Al-unthâ (the female): the opposite of male (dhakar). Plural 'inâth'. Allah says: 'Of everything We created pairs' (Adh-Dhâriyât: 49). At-ta'nîth: fem...

26 verses

أنمل

Fingertips

Al-anâmil (fingertips): plural of 'unmula', the upper segment of fingers where the nail is. Allah says: 'They bite their fingers in rage at you' (Âl '...

1 verse

أهل

Family / People

Ahl (people of): those united by kinship, religion, or what resembles them. Ahl ar-rajul: his close family. Ahl al-bayt: the Prophet's ﷺ family. Allah...

30 verses

بدر

Full moon / To hasten

Al-badr (full moon): the moon when complete. Bâdara: he hastened, he preceded. Allah says: 'And hasten (bâdirû) to forgiveness from your Lord' (Âl 'Im...

1 verse

بسل

Forbidden / Sacrifice

Al-basl: to tighten and prevent something. Since it contains the meaning of tightening, it is used metaphorically for frowning. One says: he has a 'bâ...

1 verse

بعد

Far / Distance

Al-bu'd (distance): remoteness in space or time. Ba'îd: far. Allah says: 'They have strayed a far (ba'îdan) straying' (An-Nisâ': 136). Ba'da: after, o...

30 verses

بعض

A few / A part

Al-ba'd (a part): a portion of a whole. Allah says: 'You are of one another (ba'dukum min ba'd)' (Âl 'Imrân: 195). Ba'd is always in relation to a lar...

30 verses

تبع

To follow / To obey

At-tibâ' (following): walking behind someone. Tabi'a: he followed. Allah says: 'Then We made you successors (tâbi'în) on earth' (Yûnus: 14). Tâbi': fo...

13 verses

تين

Fig tree

Allah says: 'By the fig and the olive' (At-Tîn: 1). It is said they are two mountains or two fruits. The fig and olive are two blessed trees mentioned...

1 verse

ثبا

Firmness / Stability

Allah says: 'Go forth in separate groups (thubât) or go forth all together' (An-Nisâ': 71). Thubât: plural of 'thuba', meaning a group, a troop. The v...

1 verse

ثبت

Firm / Stable

Ath-thubût (firmness): remaining stable without moving. Thabata: he remained firm. Allah says: 'Allah keeps firm (yuthabbitu) those who believe' (Ibrâ...

17 verses

ثمر

Fruit / Harvest

Ath-thamar (fruit): what trees and plants produce. Plural 'thimâr' and 'athmâr'. Allah says: 'Eat of its fruits (thamarihi) when they ripen' (Al-An'âm...

22 verses

ثنى

To fold / To praise

Ath-thany (folding): bending something. Thanâ: he folded. Allah says: 'They fold (yathnûna) their chests' (Hûd: 5). Ithnân: two. Ath-thânî: the second...

24 verses

جبه

Forehead / Face

Al-jabha: the place of prostration on the head, the forehead. Allah says: 'Their foreheads (jibâhuhum), their sides and their backs will be branded' (...

1 verse

جث

To fall to one's knees

One says 'jathathtuhu fa-njaththa' and 'jathathtuhu fa-jtaththa' (I uprooted it and it was uprooted). Allah says: 'Uprooted (ujtuthhat) from the surfa...

1 verse

جثى

To fall to one's knees

Jathâ 'alâ rukbatayhi yajthû juthuwwan wa jithiyyan: he knelt. The participle is 'jâthin', plural 'juthiyy'. Allah says: 'You will see every nation kn...

2 verses

جرى

To flow / To unroll

Al-jary (flowing): to flow or run. Jarâ: he/it ran/flowed. Allah says: 'Gardens beneath which flow (tajrî) rivers' (Al-Baqara: 25). Jâriya: flowing, s...

30 verses

جفأ

Foam / Froth

Allah says: 'As for the foam, it vanishes (jufâ'an)' (Al-Ra'd: 17). Foam is what the torrent or pot rejects as worthless matter. This verse compares f...

1 verse

حاشى

Far be it! / By no means!

Allah says: 'They said: God forbid! (hâsha li-Llâh)' (Yûsuf: 31). That is: far be it from Him! Abû 'Ubayda says: it is a preposition of exception and ...

1 verse

حاص

To flee / To dodge

Allah says: 'Is there any refuge (mahîs)?' (Qâf: 36). And: 'We have no refuge (mahîs)' (Ibrâhîm: 21). Al-mahîs: the place of escape and refuge. On the...

5 verses

حرم

Forbidden / Sacred

Al-harâm: what is forbidden, either by divine disposition, human law, or constraint. Allah says: 'And He has forbidden (harrama) to you carrion, blood...

30 verses

حصن

Fortress / Virtue

Al-hisn: the fortress, plural 'husûn'. Allah says: 'Their fortresses (husûnuhum) will not protect them from Allah' (Al-Hashr: 2). The Jews of Banû Nad...

12 verses

حظر

To forbid / To prohibit

Al-hazr: gathering something in an enclosure (hazîra). Al-mahzûr: the forbidden. Al-muhtazir: one who makes an enclosure. Allah says: 'It was like the...

2 verses

حوت

Fish / Whale

Allah says: 'They forgot their fish (hûtahumâ)' (Al-Kahf: 61). And: 'The fish (al-hût) swallowed him' (As-Sâffât: 142). Moses' and his companion's fis...

5 verses

خر

To fall / To collapse

Allah says: 'As if he had fallen (kharra) from the sky' (Al-Hajj: 31). And: 'They fall (yakhirrûn) prostrating' (Al-Isrâ': 107). Kharra: to fall. Pros...

12 verses

خشى

Fear / Reverence

Al-khashya: fear mixed with veneration. It mostly comes from knowledge of what is feared. Allah says: 'Only those among His servants who have knowledg...

30 verses

خمس

Five

The origin of al-khams is the number five. Allah says: 'They say: five (khamsa), the sixth being their dog' (Al-Kahf: 22). The verse speaks of the Peo...

8 verses

خوف

Fear / Dread

Al-khawf: expecting harm by supposed or known sign, as hope is expecting good. Allah says: 'Do not fear them (lâ takhâfûhum) but fear Me' (Al-Baqara: ...

30 verses

دك

To flatten / To crush

Al-dakk: soft flat land. One says 'dakkahu dakkan' (he flattened it). Allah says: 'And the earth and mountains will be lifted and crushed (dukkatâ) wi...

2 verses

ذب

Fly

Al-dhubâb: the known flying insect (fly). Allah says: 'The fly (al-dhubâb) takes something from them' (Al-Hajj: 73). Idols cannot recover what flies t...

1 verse

ربع

Four / Thursday

Arba'a, arba'ûn, rub', rubâ': all from the same root related to number four. Allah says: 'Four (arba'a) months' (At-Tawba: 2). The quarter (rub') is a...

21 verses

ردف

To follow / Successor

Al-ridf: the follower. Ridf al-mar'a: the woman's rear. Al-irdâf: making someone ride behind. Allah says: 'Followed by the one that follows it (al-râd...

3 verses

ردم

To fill / To plug

Al-radm: filling a breach with stones. Allah says: 'I will make between you and them a barrier (radman)' (Al-Kahf: 95). Dhû al-Qarnayn built a barrier...

1 verse

رسخ

Firmly anchored

Rusûkh al-shay': firm stability of something. Rasakha al-shay' yarsukhu: the thing became firmly established. Allah says: 'Those firmly rooted (al-râs...

2 verses

رق

Fine / Light

Al-riqqa: like thinness. But thinness is for what is thin by nature, and riqqa for what is refined. Al-riqq: slavery. Al-raqîq: the slave. Al-mirqâq: ...

1 verse

رهب

Fear / Dread

Al-rahba and al-ruhb: fear with caution and guard. Allah says: 'And fear (irhabûna) Me' (Al-Baqara: 40). Reverential fear of Allah is prescribed. Al-r...

12 verses

روع

To frighten / To inspire

Al-ruw': the spirit, the heart. In hadith: 'The Holy Spirit breathed into my ruw''. Allah says: 'When the fear (raw') left Ibrahim' (Hûd: 74). Ibrahim...

1 verse

ريش

Feather / Adornment

Rîsh al-tâ'ir (bird feathers) is known. Wings are sometimes called feathers. Allah says: 'And feathers (rîshan)' (Al-A'râf: 26). Clothing is adornment...

1 verse

زبد

Foam / Froth

Al-zabad: foam of water or pot. Allah says: 'As for the foam (zabad), it vanishes' (Al-Ra'd: 17). Foam symbolizes falsehood that disappears, while tru...

1 verse

زجا

To flow / To slide

Al-tazjiya: pushing something to make it advance. Allah says: 'Your Lord is the One who drives (yuzjî) the ships for you' (Al-Isrâ': 66). Allah drives...

3 verses

زنا

Fornication / Adultery

Az-zina: intimate relations with a woman without a legal contract. The word can be written short or long. When lengthened, it can be a masdar (verbal ...

1 verse

سال

To flow / To drip

Sala ash-shay yasilu: the thing flowed. Asaltuhu ana: I made it flow. The Almighty says: 'We made flow for him a spring of copper' (Saba 12) for Solom...

30 verses

سحل

To file / To reduce

The Almighty says: 'let the sea cast it onto the bank' (Ta-Ha 39). As-sahil: the seashore where waves push things. The root evokes rubbing and smoothi...

1 verse

سرح

To free / Herd

As-sarh: a tree that bears fruit. Sarrahtu al-ibil: I let the camels graze freely. The Almighty says: 'when you bring them in for the evening and when...

5 verses

سعر

Fire / Ardor

As-si'r: the kindling of fire. One says: I lit and stoked the fire. The Almighty says: 'when Hell is set ablaze' (At-Takwir 12). As-sa'ir: the blazing...

19 verses