Quran Vocabulary

أسر

Prisoner / Captive

Al-asr: binding, then used for imprisonment. Allah says: 'And We strengthened their constitution' (Al-Insân: 28). Al-asîr: the captive. Plural 'usarâ'...

6 verses

أشر

Pride / Arrogance

Al-ashar (excessive arrogance): the excess of pride. Ashira ya'sharu asharan: to be excessively arrogant. Allah says: 'They will know tomorrow who is ...

2 verses

ألم

Pain / Suffering

Al-alam (pain): what affects the soul or body with suffering. Plural 'âlâm'. Alîm means painful. Allah says: 'For them is a painful (alîm) punishment'...

30 verses

باد

To perish / To vanish

Allah says: 'I do not think this will ever perish (tabîda)' (Al-Kahf: 35). One says 'bâda al-shay'' (the thing perished) when it disappears completely...

1 verse

بره

Proof / Argument

Al-burhân: the explanation of proof. It is a noun of the form 'fu'lân' like 'rujhân' and 'thunyân'. Some say it is the masdar of 'barhana' (he proved)...

3 verses

بطر

Pride / Arrogance

Al-batar (arrogance): pride facing blessings, by denying them or misusing them. Allah says: 'Do not be like those who left their homes with arrogance ...

2 verses

بور

Perdition / Ruin

Al-bûr (ruin): land that produces nothing. Bâra: he perished. Allah says: 'And they were a ruined (bûran) people' (Al-Furqân: 18). Bâ'ir: ruined, barr...

5 verses

تقوى

Piety / Fear of Allah

The tâ' of 'taqwâ' is transformed from wâw. This is mentioned in its proper chapter. Taqwâ (piety, reverential fear of Allah) is the protection of the...

17 verses

ثبر

To perish / To go astray

Al-thubûr: perdition and corruption. Al-muthâbir: one who persists in coming, meaning who perseveres. Allah says: 'They will cry: Woe to us! (thubûran...

4 verses

ثقب

To pierce / To run through

Al-thâqib: the bright one that pierces with its light and brilliance what it falls upon. Allah says: 'The piercing star (al-thâqib)' (At-Târiq: 3). Th...

2 verses

ثمن

Price / Value

Ath-thaman (price): what something is exchanged for. Allah says: 'And do not sell My signs for a small price (thamanan)' (Al-Baqara: 41). Thamâniya: e...

19 verses

جزء

Part / Fraction

Al-juz' (part): a portion of a whole. Plural 'ajzâ''. Allah says: 'They attributed to Him a part (juz'an) of His servants' (Az-Zukhruf: 15). Jazza'a: ...

3 verses

جنى

To pick / To commit

Janaytu al-thamara wa-jtanaytuhâ: I picked the fruit. Al-jany: what is picked from fruits and honey. Allah says: 'And the fruits picked (janâ) of both...

2 verses

حج

Pilgrimage / Argument

The origin of al-hajj: heading toward to visit. Pilgrimage (hajj) is visiting the Sacred House in Mecca with specific rites. Allah says: 'Pilgrimage (...

7 verses

حرث

To plough / Harvest

Al-harth: sowing and preparing land for cultivation. Cultivated land is also called harth. Allah says: 'Your wives are a tilth (harth) for you' (Al-Ba...

11 verses

حزب

Party / Group

Al-hizb: a group in which there is solidity and cohesion. Allah says: 'Which of the two parties (al-hizbayn) best calculated' (Al-Kahf: 12). Al-ahzâb ...

17 verses

حصا

Pebbles / To count

Al-ihsâ': calculation by number. One says 'ahsaytu kadhâ' (I enumerated such thing). This comes from 'hasâ' (pebbles). Pebbles were used for counting....

11 verses

حضر

Presence / City

Al-hadar: the opposite of bâdiya (desert). Al-hadâra: dwelling in the city, as al-badâwa is dwelling in the desert. Allah says: 'When death approaches...

25 verses

حمد

Praise / Eulogy

Al-hamd li-Llâh: praising Allah for His merits. More specific than madh (praise) and more general than shukr (thanks). Allah says: 'Praise (al-hamd) b...

30 verses

حمى

To protect / To defend

Al-hamy: heat generated by hot substances like fire and sun, and by heated bodies. Allah says: 'The Day it will be heated (yuhmâ 'alayhâ) in the fire ...

5 verses

حنث

Perjury / Sin

Allah says: 'They used to persist in the great sin (al-hinth al-'azîm)' (Al-Wâqi'a: 46). Al-hinth: major sin, perjury. The major sin mentioned is shir...

2 verses

حنك

Palate / Mouth

Al-hanak: the palate of man and animal. The crow's beak is also called 'hanak' because it resembles the palate. Allah says, quoting Iblis: 'I will sur...

1 verse

حير

Perplexity / Misguidance

One says 'hâra yahâru hayra' (he is perplexed). The state is 'hâ'ir' or 'hayrân'. Tahayyara and istahâra: to be perplexed. Allah says: 'Like one whom ...

1 verse

خص

Particularity / Specificity

Al-takhsîs, al-ikhtisâs, al-khusûsiyya, al-takhassus: isolating a part from the whole by what is not shared with others. Allah says: 'He singles out (...

4 verses

خنزير

Pig / Pork

Allah says: 'And made of them apes and pigs (khanâzîr)' (Al-Mâ'ida: 60). The pig (khinzîr) is an impure animal whose consumption is forbidden. Allah t...

5 verses

دفع

To push / To defend

Al-daf': when transitive with 'ilâ', it implies giving. Allah says: 'And give (idfa'û) the orphans their property' (An-Nisâ': 2). When orphans reach m...

9 verses

دفق

To pour / To ejaculate

Allah says: 'From a gushing fluid (dâfiq)' (At-Târiq: 6). Dâfiq: flowing rapidly. This verse recalls man's humble origin, created from a drop of sperm...

1 verse

دهق

Pressed / Crowd

Allah says: 'And a cup full to the brim (dihâqan)' (An-Naba': 34). Dihâqan: full, overflowing. Paradise cups are always full of the best drink, withou...

1 verse

ذخر

Provision / Reserve

The origin of al-iddikhâr is 'idhtakhara'. One says 'dhakhartuhu' and 'iddakhartuhu' (I stored, I hoarded). Allah says regarding what is stored: 'And ...

1 verse

ذكا

Perceptive / Perspicacious

Dhakat al-nâr tadhkû: the fire ignited and shone. Dhakkaytuhâ: I kindled it. Al-dhakât in slaughtering: slaughtering the animal according to Islamic r...

1 verse

ذو

Possessor / Holder

Dhû has two uses: 1) Used to qualify with nouns of parts and states, like 'dhû mâl' (possessor of wealth). Allah says: 'Possessor (dhû) of the Gloriou...

30 verses

ذود

To protect / To defend

Dhudtuhu 'an kadhâ adhûduhu: I kept him away from such. Allah says: 'He found two women holding back (tadhûdân)' (Al-Qasas: 23). Shu'ayb's daughters h...

1 verse

ربح

Profit / Gain

Al-ribh: profit obtained in trade. Then extended to all benefit. Allah says: 'Their trade did not profit them (mâ rabihat)' (Al-Baqara: 16). Hypocrite...

1 verse

رجز

Punishment / Sin

The origin of al-rijz: agitation. Hence 'rajaza al-ba'îr' (the camel trembled). Al-rijz also means punishment and impurity. Allah says: 'We will send ...

9 verses

رحق

Pure wine

Allah says: 'They will be given pure sealed wine (rahîq makhtûm)' (Al-Mutaffifîn: 25). Al-rahîq: pure wine without mixture. This is the drink of the e...

1 verse

رفد

Provision / Help

Al-rifd: help and gift. Al-rafd is the act of helping. Al-râfida: what supports the tent. Allah says: 'What an evil gift (rifdan) for those followed' ...

1 verse

ركز

To plant / To drive in

Al-rikz: the faint sound. Allah says: 'Do you hear from them the slightest whisper (rikzan)?' (Maryam: 98). Destroyed nations leave not even the faint...

1 verse

ركم

To pile up / To accumulate

One says 'sahâb markûm' (heaped clouds), meaning piled up. Allah says: 'Heaped clouds (rukâman)' (An-Nûr: 43). Allah heaps clouds to produce rain by H...

3 verses

ركن

Pillar / To lean on

Rukn al-shay': the side of the thing one relies on and leans upon. Allah says: 'Or that I could lean on a strong support (rukn)' (Hûd: 80). Lût wished...

4 verses

رهن

Pledge / Hostage

Al-rahn: what is deposited as guarantee for a debt. Al-rahîna: the pledge. Allah says: 'Every soul is pledged (rahîna) for what it has earned' (Al-Mud...

3 verses

زاد

Provision / Travel supply

Al-ziyâda: that something is added to what it is. Allah says: 'We increased them (zidnâhum) in guidance' (Al-Kahf: 13). Allah increases believers' gui...

30 verses

زكا

Purity / Zakat

The origin of al-zakât: growth from divine blessing. Allah says: 'Take from their wealth a charity (sadaqa) that purifies them (tuzakkîhim)' (At-Tawba...

30 verses

زوج

Pair / Spouse

Each of the two partners, male and female, in reproducing animals is called 'zawj' (spouse). The Almighty says: 'eight pairs' (Al-An'am 143), 'of each...

30 verses

ساغ

Pleasant / Flowing

Sagha ash-sharab: the drink passed easily in the throat. Asaghuhu: I made it go down easily for him. The Almighty says: 'palatable for drinkers' (An-N...

3 verses

سبل

Path / Ear of grain

As-sabil: the path that contains ease. Plural subul. The Almighty says: 'and rivers and paths' (An-Nahl 15). There is sabil Allah (the path to God), s...

30 verses

سجد

Prostration / Mosque

As-sujud originally means lowering and humility. It became the expression for prayer and worship of God. The Almighty says: 'Prostrate before Adam' (A...

30 verses

سجن

Prison

As-sajn: imprisonment in prison. Different vowelizations were recited for: 'Prison is more dear to me' (Yusuf 33). The prisoner is al-masjun and as-sa...

12 verses

سرب

Path / Herd

As-sarab: going downward. As-sarab: the sloping place. One says: he went freely. The Almighty says: 'and took its course into the sea as a tunnel' (Al...

4 verses

سردق

Pavilion / Tent

As-suradiq: an Arabized Persian word. There is no word of this pattern in their language. The Almighty says: 'a pavilion will envelop them' (Al-Kahf 2...

1 verse

سكب

To pour / To spread

The Almighty says: 'and flowing water' (Al-Waqi'a 31), meaning continuously poured. Al-inskibab: the pouring. Water that pours continuously without st...

1 verse