Quran Vocabulary

أفك

Lie / Slander

Al-ifk (falsehood): diverting something from its direction. Afaka: he diverted it. Allah says: 'How are you averted (tu'fakûn)?' (Al-An'âm: 95). Al-if...

29 verses

الباء

The letter Ba

Al-bâ': this particle attaches either to an apparent verb with it, or to an implied verb. Attached to an apparent verb, it indicates several meanings:...

6 verses

التاءات

The letters Ta

Al-tâ'ât: the tâ' at the beginning of a word is for oath as in 'By Allah, I will surely plot against your idols' (Al-Anbiyâ': 57). It is specific to A...

6 verses

باء

The letter Ba

Bâ'a bi-ghidabi-Llâh: he incurred Allah's wrath and bore it. Allah says: 'They returned with wrath from Allah' (Âl 'Imrân: 112). Al-baw': bearing sin....

6 verses

برص

Leprosy

Al-baras: a known disease (leprosy, vitiligo). The moon is called 'abras' because of the spot it bears. The 'sâm abras' lizard is named thus for the s...

2 verses

برق

Lightning / To shine

Al-barq (lightning): the light appearing from clouds. Allah says: 'The lightning (al-barq) almost takes away their sight' (Al-Baqara: 20). Bariqa basa...

7 verses

ترف

Luxury / Wealth

Al-turfa: abundance in blessings. One says 'utrifa fulân' (so-and-so was showered with luxury), he is 'mutraf'. Allah says: 'And We gave them ease (at...

8 verses

تكأ

To lean / To incline

Al-muttaka': the place where one reclines. The cushion: what one reclines on. Allah says in the story of Yûsuf: 'She prepared for them a place of recl...

8 verses

جرد

Locust / To strip

Al-jarâd (locusts): well-known. Allah says: 'We sent upon them the flood, locusts (al-jarâd), lice' (Al-A'râf: 133). Locusts were one of the plagues s...

2 verses

جنح

To lean / To sin

Al-janâh: the bird's wing. One says 'juniha al-tâ'ir' (the bird had its wing broken). Allah says: 'And there is no bird that flies with its two wings ...

30 verses

حب

Love / Seed

Al-habb and al-habba: refer to wheat, barley and similar foods. Al-hubb and al-hibba: the seed for planting. Allah says: 'The grain (al-habb) and the ...

15 verses

حقب

Long time / Era

Allah says: 'They will remain therein for ages (ahqâb)' (An-Naba': 23). It is said to be the plural of 'huqub' (a long period, about 80 years). Eterni...

2 verses

حيى

Life / Living

Al-hayât is used in several ways: 1) The growing force present in plants, animals and humans. 2) The capacity to feel and move. 3) The eternal life of...

30 verses

خاب

To lose / To fail

Al-khayba: failure of the request. Allah says: 'And every obstinate tyrant has failed (khâba)' (Ibrâhîm: 15). Failure is the fate of those who oppose ...

4 verses

خسر

Loss / Failure

Al-khusr and al-khusrân: reduction of capital. This is attributed to man and his deeds. Allah says: 'Those are the real losers (al-khâsirûn)' (Al-Baqa...

30 verses

خف

Light / Swift

Al-khafîf: the opposite of heavy. Said sometimes by comparison, sometimes by nature. Allah says: 'Go forth light (khifâfan) and heavy' (At-Tawba: 41)....

8 verses

خفض

To lower / To humiliate

Al-khafd: the opposite of raising. Al-khafd also means rest and gentle walking. Allah says: 'And lower (ikhfid) to them the wing of humility' (Al-Isrâ...

4 verses

خوار

Lowing / To moo

Allah says: 'A calf, a body that had a lowing sound (khuwâr)' (Al-A'râf: 148). Al-khuwâr: the cry of cattle. The golden calf of the Children of Israel...

2 verses

رب

Lord / Nurturer

Al-Rabb: originally education, meaning to make something grow progressively until its perfection. Allah says: 'Praise be to Allah, Lord (Rabb) of the ...

30 verses

زور

Lie / False testimony

Az-zawr: the upper part of the chest. Zurtuhu: I visited him by heading toward him. Az-ziwar and at-tazawur: the visit. The Almighty says: 'And you se...

6 verses

ساق

Leg / To drive

Sawq al-ibil: gathering and driving camels. One says: I drove them and they followed. As-sayiqa: what is driven ahead. The Almighty says: 'And the sky...

3 verses

سجر

To light / To ignite

As-sajr: stoking the fire. One says: I heated the oven. The Almighty says: 'And when the seas are set on fire' (At-Takwir 6), meaning filled with fire...

3 verses

سرج

Lamp / Saddle

As-siraj: what shines with a wick and oil. It is used for anything that illuminates. The Almighty says: 'and placed a burning lamp' (An-Naba 13) for t...

4 verses

سطر

Line / To write

As-satr and as-satar: the line of writing, and the row of planted trees or men. The Almighty says: 'By the pen and what they write' (Al-Qalam 1). 'The...

16 verses

سفل

Low / Inferior

As-sufl: the opposite of height. Safula: he became low. The Almighty says: 'We reduced him to the lowest' (At-Tin 5). 'the lowest part of the land' (A...

9 verses

سنا

Light / Lightning

As-sana: the dazzling light. As-sana': elevation in rank. As-saniya: the camel or wheel that draws water from the well. The Almighty says: 'Its lightn...

1 verse

سنن

Law / Tradition

As-sinn: the tooth, known to all, plural asnan. The Almighty says: 'a tooth for a tooth' (Al-Ma'ida 45) in the law of retaliation. As-sunna: the estab...

15 verses

سين

The letter Sin

Tur Sayna' (or Sina'): a known mountain. The Almighty says: 'which grows from Mount Sinai' (Al-Mu'minun 20). 'And Mount Sinai' (At-Tin 2). It is where...

1 verse

شرع

Law / Legislation

Ash-shar': tracing a clear path. One says: I traced a path for him. Ash-shari'a and ash-shir'a: the way to water. The Almighty says: 'To each of you W...

5 verses

شمل

Left / Complete

Ash-shimal: the opposite of right (al-yamin). The Almighty says: 'to the right and to the left' (Al-Kahf 17). Ash-shamal: the north wind. Ash-shimla: ...

11 verses

صغا

To lean / To bow

As-saghw: the inclination. One says: the stars and sun inclined. The Almighty says: 'Your hearts have inclined' (At-Tahrim 4), meaning they leaned tow...

2 verses

ضحك

To laugh

Ad-dahik: the beaming of the face and showing of teeth from the soul's joy. At its appearance, laughing is called tabsim (smiling). The Almighty says:...

10 verses

ضوأ

Light / Clarity

Ad-daw': what spreads from luminous bodies. One says: the fire shone. The Almighty says: 'the light of the moon' (Yunus 5). 'Their light runs before t...

6 verses

ضيع

To lose / To neglect

Da'a ash-shay' yadi'u daya'an: the thing is lost. I lost and I neglected. The Almighty says: 'Who neglected prayer' (Maryam 59). 'Allah does not let t...

10 verses

طبق

Layer / Level

Al-mutabaqa: relative names, it is putting something on another and matching it. The Almighty says: 'layer by layer' (Al-Inshiqaq 19), the stages of c...

3 verses

طول

Long / Length

At-tul and al-qisr: relative names as mentioned before. They are used for bodies and times. The Almighty says: 'a Day whose extent is fifty thousand y...

10 verses

عدس

Lentil

Al-'adas: the known legume. The Almighty says: 'its lentils and its onions' (Al-Baqara 61). The Children of Israel asked Moses to give them varied veg...

1 verse

عطل

To leave / To abandon

Al-'atal: absence of adornment and work. One says: the woman stripped herself of jewelry. The Almighty says: 'abandoned wells' (Al-Hajj 45). 'The preg...

2 verses

عكف

To linger / Spiritual retreat

Al-'ukuf: devoting oneself to something and clinging to it in veneration. The Almighty says: 'They devoted worship to the calf' (Al-A'raf 138). 'When ...

9 verses

عيش

Life / Sustenance

Al-'aysh: life specific to animals. It is more specific than life (al-hayat) as life also applies to plants. The Almighty says: 'A satisfied life' (Al...

8 verses

غض

To lower (gaze) / To moderate

Al-ghadd: the lowering of gaze and voice. The Almighty says: 'Tell the believers to lower their gazes' (An-Nur 30). 'Lower your voice' (Luqman 19). Lo...

4 verses

فقد

To lose / To miss

Al-Faqd refers to the loss of something, the deprivation of what existed. The Almighty says: 'What is it you are missing?' (Yusuf 71), and: 'And knows...

3 verses

قرض

Loan / To borrow

Al-Qarḍ originally refers to cutting. Then it was used for what is given on condition of recovering the equivalent. The Almighty says: 'Who will lend ...

7 verses

قطن

Linen / Cotton

Al-Quṭn is the known cotton. Qaṭana bi-l-makān means to reside in a place. The Almighty says: 'And of His signs is that the heaven and earth remain by...

1 verse

قفل

Lock / To close

Al-Qufl refers to the lock, the bolt. The Almighty says: 'Or are there locks upon their hearts?' (Muhammad 24). Al-aqfāl is the plural of qufl. Aqfala...

1 verse

قمل

Louse

Al-Qummal refers to lice or weevils. The Almighty says: 'So We sent upon them the flood, locusts, lice' (Al-A'raf 133). It is one of the punishments s...

1 verse

كبد

Liver / Difficulty

Al-Kabd refers to the liver. The Almighty says: 'We have certainly created man into hardship' (Al-Balad 4). Al-mukābadah is difficult effort. Al-kabd ...

1 verse

كذب

Lie / To deny

Al-Kadhib is the opposite of ṣidq (truthfulness). The Almighty says: 'And those who lie against Allah' (Az-Zumar 60). Kadhdhaba means to call a liar. ...

30 verses

كسل

Laziness / Nonchalance

Al-Kasal refers to laziness and lack of energy to perform actions. The Almighty says: 'And when they stand for prayer, they stand lazily' (An-Nisa 142...

2 verses

لات

Lat (idol)

Lāta is composed of lā and tā. The Almighty says: 'And it was not a time of escape' (Sad 3), meaning it was no longer time for flight. Lāta ḥīna manās...

1 verse