Quran Vocabulary

أرم

Sharp tooth

Al-iram: a monument built of stones, plural 'ârâm'. Stones are called 'urram'. Allah says: 'Iram of the pillars' (Al-Fajr: 7), referring to raised dec...

1 verse

أزر

Support / Help

Al-izâr: the waist-wrap. Azara means to wear an izâr. Â'zarahu means to strengthen and support him. Allah says: 'And strengthen my back through him' (...

2 verses

أفل

To set (celestial body)

Al-uful (setting): the disappearance of celestial bodies behind the horizon. Allah says: 'When he saw it setting (âfilan)' (Al-An'âm: 76). Everything ...

3 verses

أمن

Security / Faith

Al-amn (security): the tranquility of the soul and absence of fear. Its opposite is fear (khawf). Amina: he is secure. Âmana: he gave security. Al-îmâ...

30 verses

أوى

To shelter / To take refuge

Al-ma'wâ (refuge): the place where one takes shelter. Awâ ilayhi: he took refuge with him. Âwâhu: he gave him refuge. Allah says: 'And when the young ...

30 verses

أي

Sign / Verse

Ayy: an interrogative, conditional, and relative term. It can be for the rational or irrational, time or place. Allah says: 'Which (ayy) of you will t...

30 verses

إثم

Sin

Al-ithm (sin): acts that delay reward. Plural 'âthâm'. Allah says: 'In them is great sin and benefits for people' (Al-Baqara: 219). Athima: he sinned....

30 verses

اليم

The sea / The flood

Al-yamm: the sea, the ocean. Allah says: 'Cast him into the sea (al-yamm)' (Al-Qasas: 7), and: 'We drowned them in the sea' (Al-A'râf: 136). Yammamtu ...

7 verses

بث

To spread / To scatter

Al-bathth: originally, to scatter and stir up something, like the wind scattering dust. Also: to spread what the soul contains of grief or secrets. Al...

6 verses

بحث

To search / To rummage

Al-bahth: uncovering and searching. One says 'bahathtu 'an al-amr' (I searched for the matter) and 'bahathtu kadhâ' (I examined such thing). Allah say...

1 verse

بحر

Sea / Ocean

Al-bahr (the sea): abundant water, salty or fresh. Plural 'bihâr' and 'abhur'. Allah says: 'The two seas are not alike' (Fâtir: 12). Tabahhhara: he ex...

30 verses

بدل

Substitute / Replacement

Al-badal (replacement): putting one thing in place of another. Baddala: he changed. Allah says: 'They did not change (baddadû) their commitment' (Al-A...

30 verses

برز

To show / To stand out

Al-burûz (appearance): coming out and appearing. Baraza: he appeared. Allah says: 'And they will appear (barazû) before Allah' (Ibrâhîm: 21). Al-barza...

9 verses

بصر

Sight / Clairvoyance

Al-basar (sight): the faculty of seeing. Absara: he saw. Al-basîr: the All-Seeing, a name of Allah. Allah says: 'Indeed Allah is Seeing (basîr) of wha...

30 verses

بضع

Some / A part

Al-bid' (few): a number between three and nine. Allah says: 'Within a few (bid') years' (Ar-Rûm: 4). Al-bid'a: the piece of meat. Abda'ahu: he cut it ...

6 verses

بطؤ

Slowness / Heaviness

Al-but': delay in movement and walking. One says 'batu'a' when someone is slow to set out. Allah says about the hypocrites: 'Among you is he who linge...

1 verse

بطش

To seize violently

Al-batsh (violent seizing): taking something with force and violence. Allah says: 'And when you seize (batashtum), you seize as tyrants' (Ash-Shu'arâ'...

8 verses

بعثر

To scatter / To strew

Allah says: 'And when the graves are overturned (bu'thirat)' (Al-Infitâr: 4). That is: their earth will be turned over and what they contain will be e...

2 verses

بغت

Sudden / Abruptly

Al-baghta (suddenness): arriving unexpectedly. Baghatahum: it surprised them. Allah says: 'Until the Hour takes them suddenly (baghtatan)' (Al-An'âm: ...

13 verses

بلع

To swallow / To engulf

Al-bal' (swallowing): gulping something down. Bala'a: he swallowed. Allah says: 'O earth, swallow (ibla'î) your water' (Hûd: 44). Inbala'a: it was swa...

1 verse

تارة

Sometimes / At times

Allah says: 'To bring you back into it another time (târatan ukhrâ)' (Al-Isrâ': 69). Târa means once, a moment. It is used to mark alternation: 'Somet...

2 verses

ثعب

Snake / Viper

Allah says: 'And there it was - a serpent manifest (thu'bân mubîn)' (Al-A'râf: 107). Al-thu'bân is the large serpent. Moses' staff transformed into an...

2 verses

ثقف

Skill / Dexterity

Al-thaqf: skill in grasping and doing something. A man is called 'thaqif': skilled in grasping and executing. Hence 'thaqifa' (he found, seized). Alla...

6 verses

جأر

To shout / To groan

Allah says: 'It is to Him that you cry (taj'arûn)' (An-Nahl: 53), and: 'They cry out (yaj'arûn)' (Al-Mu'minûn: 64). Al-ju'âr: the intense cry of suppl...

3 verses

جرع

To swallow / To drink

Jari'a al-mâ' yajra'u: he swallowed the water. And 'tajarra'ahu': he swallowed it gulp by gulp. Allah says: 'He gulps it (yatajarra'uhu)' (Ibrâhîm: 17...

1 verse

جسس

To spy

Allah says: 'And do not spy (lâ tajassasû)' (Al-Hujurât: 12). The origin of al-jass: feeling the artery and knowing its pulse to judge health status. ...

1 verse

جلد

Skin / To whip

Al-jild: the skin of the body, plural 'julûd'. Allah says: 'Every time their skins (julûduhum) are roasted' (An-Nisâ': 56). This verse describes the p...

9 verses

جلس

To sit

The origin of al-jals: the elevated and hard land. Najd is called 'jals' for this. It is reported that the Prophet ﷺ gave him land in the jals. Al-jul...

1 verse

جنب

Side / Far from

The origin of al-janb: the limb, the side, plural 'junûb'. Allah says: 'Their foreheads, their sides (junûbuhum) and their backs' (At-Tawba: 35). Al-j...

30 verses

حجر

Stone / To emigrate

Al-hajar: the known hard substance (stone), plural 'ahjâr' and 'hijâra'. Allah says: 'Whose fuel is people and stones (al-hijâra)' (Al-Baqara: 24). Th...

18 verses

حرى

Suitable / Worthy

Harâ al-shay' yahrî: it headed toward its side. Taharrâhu: he sought it, aimed for it. Allah says: 'We have sought (taharraynâ) the right direction' (...

1 verse

حزن

Sadness / Sorrow

Al-huzn and al-hazan: roughness of land and of the soul due to grief. Allah says: 'Do not grieve (lâ tahzan)' (At-Tawba: 40). The Prophet ﷺ is console...

30 verses

حقف

Sand dunes

Allah says: 'When he warned his people at Al-Ahqâf' (Al-Ahqâf: 21). Al-ahqâf: plural of 'hiqf', elongated sand dunes. This is the territory of the peo...

1 verse

حلق

To shave / Throat

Al-halq: the known limb (throat). Halaqahu: he cut his throat. Then halq became cutting hair. Allah says: 'And do not shave (lâ tahliqû) your heads' (...

3 verses

حوب

Sin / Fault

Al-hûb: sin. Allah says: 'It was a great sin (hûban kabîran)' (An-Nisâ': 2). The verse speaks of devouring orphans' property. This is a major sin dese...

1 verse

حيد

To step aside / To avoid

Allah says: 'That is what you were fleeing (tahîd)' (Qâf: 19). That is: what you avoided and distanced yourself from. Death is what man flees his whol...

1 verse

حيز

Space / Zone

Allah says: 'Or retreating (mutahayyizan) to a group' (Al-Anfâl: 16). That is: becoming in the space and camp of a group. Tactical retreat toward an a...

1 verse

حيط

To surround / To encompass

Al-hâ'it: the wall that surrounds the place. Ihâta is said in two ways: physically surrounding a place, and surrounding by knowledge. Allah says: 'Ind...

7 verses

خبط

To strike / To collide

Al-khabt: striking unevenly, like a camel striking the ground with its foreleg. Allah says: 'Like one whom the devil has struck (yatakhabbatuhu)' (Al-...

1 verse

ختم

To seal / To stamp

Al-khatm and al-tab' are said in two ways: sealing and stamping. To seal is to imprint a mark on something. Allah says: 'Allah has sealed (khatama) th...

8 verses

خسف

To sink / To collapse

Al-khusûf for the moon, al-kusûf for the sun. Some say al-kusûf for both. Allah says: 'We caused the earth to swallow him (khasafnâ)' (Al-Qasas: 81). ...

8 verses

خضع

To submit / To humble oneself

Allah says: 'Do not be soft (lâ takhda'na) in speech' (Al-Ahzâb: 32). Al-khudû': submission, softness in voice. The verse forbids the Prophet's ﷺ wive...

2 verses

خطب

Speech / Sermon

Al-khatb, al-mukhâtaba, al-takhâtub: exchange of words. Al-khitâb: discourse addressed to someone. Al-khutba: marriage proposal. Allah says: 'What is ...

12 verses

خطف

To snatch / To seize

Al-khatf and al-ikhtitâf: snatching rapidly. One says 'khatifa yakhtifu'. Allah says: 'Except one who snatches (khatifa) something' (As-Sâffât: 10). D...

6 verses

خطو

Step / Stride

Khatawtu akhtu khatwa: I took a step. Al-khatwa: the interval between two steps. Allah says: 'Do not follow the footsteps (khutuwât) of the devil' (Al...

4 verses

خفت

To speak softly

Allah says: 'They speak in whispers (yatakhâfatûn) among themselves' (Tâ-Hâ: 103). And: 'Do not speak too loudly nor too softly (lâ tukhâfit)' (Al-Isr...

3 verses

خلف

Successor / Behind

Khalf: the opposite of quddâm (in front). Allah says: 'He knows what is before them and what is behind (khalfahum) them' (Al-Baqara: 255). Al-khalîfa ...

30 verses

خنق

To strangle

Allah says: 'And the strangled animal (al-munkhaniqat)' (Al-Mâ'ida: 3). That is: one that dies by strangulation. Its meat is forbidden because it was ...

1 verse

دحا

To spread / To flatten

Allah says: 'And the earth, after that, He spread it out (dahâhâ)' (An-Nâzi'ât: 30). Dahâ: to spread, flatten. Allah spread the earth to make it habit...

1 verse

دخن

Smoke

Al-dukhân is like vapor accompanied by flame. Allah says: 'Then He turned to the sky while it was smoke (dukhân)' (Fussilat: 11). The primordial sky w...

2 verses