What does « Vinegar / Friend » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word Vinegar / Friend (خل) in the Quran, with 1 verse in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

خل

Vinegar / Friend

Root: خ - ل

Quranic language 1 verse

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 2 min read

Definition of Vinegar / Friend

Al-khalal: the space between two things.

Plural: 'khilâl', like inside the house.

Allah says: 'They passed through (khilâl) the dwellings' (Al-Isrâ': 5).

Al-khalîl is the intimate friend whose friendship penetrates all folds of the soul.

Vinegar / Friend in the Quran (1)

Meccan: 0 Medinan: 1

Surah At-Tawba : 5 Medinan

﴿فَإِذَا ٱنسَلَخَ ٱلْأَشْهُرُ ٱلْحُرُمُ فَٱقْتُلُوا۟ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ حَيْثُ وَجَدتُّمُوهُمْ وَخُذُوهُمْ وَٱحْصُرُوهُمْ وَٱقْعُدُوا۟ لَهُمْ كُلَّ مَرْصَدٍۢ ۚ فَإِن تَابُوا۟ وَأَقَامُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَوُا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ فَخَلُّوا۟ سَبِيلَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ﴾

And when the sacred months have passed, then kill the polytheists wherever you find them and capture them and besiege them and sit in wait for them at every place of ambush. But if they should repent, establish prayer, and give zakah, let them [go] on their way. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.