Discover the meaning of the term Al-fṣl (فصل) in Islamic vocabulary.
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Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 4 min readA universal applying to the thing in answer to the question 'what is it in its essence?', such as the speaking (natiq) and the sensing (hassis). The universal is the genus embracing all categories; our phrase 'in answer to any question: what is it' excludes the species (naw'), the genus, and the general accident: for species and genus are said in answer to 'what is it', not to 'whatever it is'; and the general accident is not said in that answer at all. Our phrase 'in its essence' excludes the property (khassa): for though distinctive it is not in its essence and self; it is near if it distinguishes the thing from its counterparts in the near genus, as the speaking for man, and far if it distinguishes it from its counterparts in the far genus, as the sensing for man. In the usage of the masters of semantics (ma'ani): fasl is the refraining from joining one sentence to another by its particles. Fasl: a segment of the chapter, independent in itself, set apart from what surrounds it.
In language: 'to separate'. It often occurs in books, borrowed for words and ornamental scripts, to mark the difference between what follows and what precedes; originally it is a masdar in the sense of agent or patient; it may stand on sukun because it occurs uncompounded, or in the raf' as predicate of an implied subject, that is: 'this is a fasl parting from the preceding speech'; it may also be subject and constructed upon what follows, as the context allows.
It is the interposition between two things; hence the fasl of spring, which falls between winter and summer; likewise in books of learning, for it interposes.
The grape, fusulan: its berries came out small. The people left the town: they departed. To cut the thing faslan: sever it. To set out from a side fusulan: go forth. To wean the suckling fisalan or faslan: wean him. The speech, tafsilan: explain it. To distinguish the thing: make it into distinct segments. Al-fasl: masdar. The branch; plural fusul. One says: relations have origins and fasl, that is, branches. The right. Al-fasil: the camel's or cow's young after weaning, or separated from its mother; plural fisalan and fisal; the female is fasila. The green growth before grain and ears appear. Al-fasila: the female of the fasil; plural fasa'il. A man's fasila: his folk, his nearer kin; one says: they came with their fasila, that is, all together. Al-faysal: the judge. The decision between truth and falsehood. Al-mafsil: every joint of two bones; plural mafasil. One says: the matter will come from its mafsil, that is, its utmost point. Al-mifsal: the tongue.
It is a universal applying to the thing in answer to: 'what is it in its essence?'
The latter half of the first hemistich of the verse.
The separation of one of two things from the other where no gap lies between them.
The judgment between truth and falsehood.
﴿فَلَمَّا فَصَلَ طَالُوتُ بِٱلْجُنُودِ قَالَ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مُبْتَلِيكُم بِنَهَرٍۢ فَمَن شَرِبَ مِنْهُ فَلَيْسَ مِنِّى وَمَن لَّمْ يَطْعَمْهُ فَإِنَّهُۥ مِنِّىٓ إِلَّا مَنِ ٱغْتَرَفَ غُرْفَةًۢ بِيَدِهِۦ ۚ فَشَرِبُوا۟ مِنْهُ إِلَّا قَلِيلًۭا مِّنْهُمْ ۚ فَلَمَّا جَاوَزَهُۥ هُوَ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَعَهُۥ قَالُوا۟ لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا ٱلْيَوْمَ بِجَالُوتَ وَجُنُودِهِۦ ۚ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَظُنُّونَ أَنَّهُم مُّلَـٰقُوا۟ ٱللَّهِ كَم مِّن فِئَةٍۢ قَلِيلَةٍ غَلَبَتْ فِئَةًۭ كَثِيرَةًۢ بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ مَعَ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ﴾
« And when Saul went forth with the soldiers, he said, "Indeed, Allah will be testing you with a river. So whoever drinks from it is not of me, and whoever does not taste it is indeed of me, excepting one who takes [from it] in the hollow of his hand." But they drank from it, except a [very] few of them. Then when he had crossed it along with those who believed with him, they said, "There is no power for us today against Goliath and his soldiers." But those who were certain that they would meet Allah said, "How many a small company has overcome a large company by permission of Allah. And Allah is with the patient." »
Surah البقرة : 249
﴿قُلْ إِنِّى عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَةٍۢ مِّن رَّبِّى وَكَذَّبْتُم بِهِۦ ۚ مَا عِندِى مَا تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ بِهِۦٓ ۚ إِنِ ٱلْحُكْمُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ ۖ يَقُصُّ ٱلْحَقَّ ۖ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ ٱلْفَـٰصِلِينَ﴾
« Say, "Indeed, I am on clear evidence from my Lord, and you have denied it. I do not have that for which you are impatient. The decision is only for Allah. He relates the truth, and He is the best of deciders." »
Surah الأنعام : 57
﴿وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلنُّجُومَ لِتَهْتَدُوا۟ بِهَا فِى ظُلُمَـٰتِ ٱلْبَرِّ وَٱلْبَحْرِ ۗ قَدْ فَصَّلْنَا ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لِقَوْمٍۢ يَعْلَمُونَ﴾
« And it is He who placed for you the stars that you may be guided by them through the darknesses of the land and sea. We have detailed the signs for a people who know. »
Surah الأنعام : 97
﴿وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنشَأَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍۢ وَٰحِدَةٍۢ فَمُسْتَقَرٌّۭ وَمُسْتَوْدَعٌۭ ۗ قَدْ فَصَّلْنَا ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لِقَوْمٍۢ يَفْقَهُونَ﴾
« And it is He who produced you from one soul and [gave you] a place of dwelling and of storage. We have detailed the signs for a people who understand. »
Surah الأنعام : 98
﴿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
﴿وَهَـٰذَا صِرَٰطُ رَبِّكَ مُسْتَقِيمًۭا ۗ قَدْ فَصَّلْنَا ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لِقَوْمٍۢ يَذَّكَّرُونَ﴾
« And this is the path of your Lord, [leading] straight. We have detailed the verses for a people who remember. »
Surah الأنعام : 126
This term appears in 19 verses of the Quran.