Discover the meaning of the term Al-asm (اسم) in Islamic vocabulary.
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Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 3 min readWhat indicates a meaning in itself without being joined to one of the three tenses; it divides into ism 'ayn (concrete noun), indicating a meaning subsisting by itself, such as Zayd and 'Amr, and ism ma'na (abstract noun), which does not subsist by itself, whether its meaning be existential, like knowledge, or non-existential, like ignorance.
According to the grammarians: a word indicating a meaning in itself, not joined by its assignment (wad') to one of the three tenses. It is of two kinds: ism 'ayn, indicating a determinate thing subsisting by itself, like Zayd and 'Amr; and ism ma'na, which does not subsist by itself, whether its meaning is existential, like knowledge, or non-existential, like ignorance. In Sharh al-Maqasid: the ism is the single word assigned to a meaning; in this sense it comprehends all word types. In al-Anwar, under the Most High's saying: 'wa-'allama Adama l-asma'a kullah' (and He taught Adam all the names): the ism, with respect to derivation, is what serves as a mark of the thing if it is of the wasma kind, and the guide raising it to the mind if of the sumwa kind, whether an absolute word, an attribute, or a verb, its customary use being the utterance assigned to a meaning, compound or simple, informing of it or informed, or a connector. As a technical term: the single word indicating a meaning in itself, not joined to one of the three tenses; end of quote. This shows that the restriction to the single word, in absolute terms, does not hold in any of the acceptations. Understand.
What by itself can serve for information, and whose form and pattern indicate no particular one of the three tenses.
What indicates a meaning in itself without being joined to one of the three tenses; if it indicates a meaning subsisting by itself it is ism 'ayn, otherwise ism ma'na, whether its meaning be existential like knowledge or non-existential like ignorance (At-Ta'rifat, p. 24).
﴿وَعَلَّمَ ءَادَمَ ٱلْأَسْمَآءَ كُلَّهَا ثُمَّ عَرَضَهُمْ عَلَى ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ فَقَالَ أَنۢبِـُٔونِى بِأَسْمَآءِ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـٰدِقِينَ﴾
« And He taught Adam the names - all of them. Then He showed them to the angels and said, "Inform Me of the names of these, if you are truthful." »
Surah البقرة : 31
﴿وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن مَّنَعَ مَسَـٰجِدَ ٱللَّهِ أَن يُذْكَرَ فِيهَا ٱسْمُهُۥ وَسَعَىٰ فِى خَرَابِهَآ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ مَا كَانَ لَهُمْ أَن يَدْخُلُوهَآ إِلَّا خَآئِفِينَ ۚ لَهُمْ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا خِزْىٌۭ وَلَهُمْ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌۭ﴾
« And who are more unjust than those who prevent the name of Allah from being mentioned in His mosques and strive toward their destruction. It is not for them to enter them except in fear. For them in this world is disgrace, and they will have in the Hereafter a great punishment. »
Surah البقرة : 114
﴿إِذْ قَالَتِ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ يَـٰمَرْيَمُ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكِ بِكَلِمَةٍۢ مِّنْهُ ٱسْمُهُ ٱلْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ وَجِيهًۭا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ وَمِنَ ٱلْمُقَرَّبِينَ﴾
« [And mention] when the angels said, "O Mary, indeed Allah gives you good tidings of a word from Him, whose name will be the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary - distinguished in this world and the Hereafter and among those brought near [to Allah]. »
Surah آل عمران : 45
﴿يَسْـَٔلُونَكَ مَاذَآ أُحِلَّ لَهُمْ ۖ قُلْ أُحِلَّ لَكُمُ ٱلطَّيِّبَـٰتُ ۙ وَمَا عَلَّمْتُم مِّنَ ٱلْجَوَارِحِ مُكَلِّبِينَ تُعَلِّمُونَهُنَّ مِمَّا عَلَّمَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ ۖ فَكُلُوا۟ مِمَّآ أَمْسَكْنَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَٱذْكُرُوا۟ ٱسْمَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ ۖ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَرِيعُ ٱلْحِسَابِ﴾
« They ask you, [O Muhammad], what has been made lawful for them. Say, "Lawful for you are [all] good foods and [game caught by] what you have trained of hunting animals which you train as Allah has taught you. So eat of what they catch for you, and mention the name of Allah upon it, and fear Allah." Indeed, Allah is swift in account. »
Surah المائدة : 4
﴿فَكُلُوا۟ مِمَّا ذُكِرَ ٱسْمُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ إِن كُنتُم بِـَٔايَـٰتِهِۦ مُؤْمِنِينَ﴾
« So eat of that [meat] upon which the name of Allah has been mentioned, if you are believers in His verses. »
Surah الأنعام : 118
﴿وَمَا لَكُمْ أَلَّا تَأْكُلُوا۟ مِمَّا ذُكِرَ ٱسْمُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ وَقَدْ فَصَّلَ لَكُم مَّا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِلَّا مَا ٱضْطُرِرْتُمْ إِلَيْهِ ۗ وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًۭا لَّيُضِلُّونَ بِأَهْوَآئِهِم بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ ۗ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِٱلْمُعْتَدِينَ﴾
« And why should you not eat of that upon which the name of Allah has been mentioned while He has explained in detail to you what He has forbidden you, excepting that to which you are compelled. And indeed do many lead [others] astray through their [own] inclinations without knowledge. Indeed, your Lord - He is most knowing of the transgressors. »
Surah الأنعام : 119
This term appears in 32 verses of the Quran.