Discover the meaning of the term Al-frq (فرق) in Islamic vocabulary.
Contents :
Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 3 min readIt is the separation (tafriqa).
'Farraqa bayna al-shay'ayn farqan wa furqanan': he separated the two things. : Between disputants: he judged and decided. : The thing: he divided it. 'Farraqa Allahu al-Kitab': He detailed it and distinguished its parts. Of an animal: 'faraqa farqan': it panicked; it is then fariq. : Among a people: he occasioned division among them. : Between things: he distinguished some from others. One says: 'the judge separated the spouses': he ruled for their separation. In the noble Quran: 'we make no distinction between any one of His messengers' (al-Baqara, 285). : The things: he divided them. : The thing: he scattered and distributed it. Al-tafriq: the masdar.
Of the head: the parting between two rows of hair. (Plural): furuq. : Between two matters: that which distinguishes one from the other. : A measure of Medina holding sixteen ratls; it may also be vowelled, being then read 'faraq', the more eloquent form according to al-Azhari, al-Qadi 'Iyad and al-Nawawi. (Plural): furqan. Al-furqan: the Book of Allah, the Most High; in the noble revelation: 'Blessed is He who sent down the Furqan upon His servant, that he may be a warner to the worlds' (al-Furqan, 1). : The proof and the argument. : Everything that separates truth from falsehood.
Making the asl's determination a cause ('illa) or the branch a preventer (mani').
What afflicts a thing so as to harm it.
Exclusiveness of an opinion, of the orientation of the one with whom it is right to link oneself and be; thus mentioned al-Harali.
With vowelling: a measure holding sixteen ratls.
﴿وَإِذْ فَرَقْنَا بِكُمُ ٱلْبَحْرَ فَأَنجَيْنَـٰكُمْ وَأَغْرَقْنَآ ءَالَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَأَنتُمْ تَنظُرُونَ﴾
« And [recall] when We parted the sea for you and saved you and drowned the people of Pharaoh while you were looking on. »
Surah البقرة : 50
﴿وَإِذْ ءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَى ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلْفُرْقَانَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ﴾
« And [recall] when We gave Moses the Scripture and criterion that perhaps you would be guided. »
Surah البقرة : 53
﴿شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أُنزِلَ فِيهِ ٱلْقُرْءَانُ هُدًۭى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَـٰتٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْهُدَىٰ وَٱلْفُرْقَانِ ۚ فَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ ٱلشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ ۖ وَمَن كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍۢ فَعِدَّةٌۭ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ ۗ يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ بِكُمُ ٱلْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ ٱلْعُسْرَ وَلِتُكْمِلُوا۟ ٱلْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَىٰكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ﴾
« The month of Ramadhan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey - then an equal number of other days. Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and [wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful. »
Surah البقرة : 185
﴿مِن قَبْلُ هُدًۭى لِّلنَّاسِ وَأَنزَلَ ٱلْفُرْقَانَ ۗ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌۭ شَدِيدٌۭ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَزِيزٌۭ ذُو ٱنتِقَامٍ﴾
« Before, as guidance for the people. And He revealed the Qur'an. Indeed, those who disbelieve in the verses of Allah will have a severe punishment, and Allah is exalted in Might, the Owner of Retribution. »
Surah آل عمران : 4
﴿إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ فَرَّقُوا۟ دِينَهُمْ وَكَانُوا۟ شِيَعًۭا لَّسْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِى شَىْءٍ ۚ إِنَّمَآ أَمْرُهُمْ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَفْعَلُونَ﴾
« Indeed, those who have divided their religion and become sects - you, [O Muhammad], are not [associated] with them in anything. Their affair is only [left] to Allah; then He will inform them about what they used to do. »
Surah الأنعام : 159
﴿يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِن تَتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّكُمْ فُرْقَانًۭا وَيُكَفِّرْ عَنكُمْ سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ ذُو ٱلْفَضْلِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ﴾
« O you who have believed, if you fear Allah, He will grant you a criterion and will remove from you your misdeeds and forgive you. And Allah is the possessor of great bounty. »
Surah الأنفال : 29
This term appears in 12 verses of the Quran.