Discover the meaning of the term Al-ḥlm (حلم) in Islamic vocabulary.
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Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 2 min readIt is composure at the blaze of anger; it has also been said: deferring the requital of the wrongdoer.
With kasra and sukun of the lam: it is composure at the blaze of anger; it has also been said: deferring the requital of the wrongdoer. With damma: the child's reaching puberty; with doubled damma: the dream and the vision.
With hulman and hilm: he saw in his sleep a vision. The boy: he attained and reached the stature of men. The thing, and by him: he saw it in his sleep. With hulman: to bear patiently, anger or the disliked withdrawing from him though he has power and strength: he is thus halim. To pardon. To obey. Ihtalama: he matured. The boy: he attained and reached the stature of men, and is then halim and muhtalim.
Composure at the blaze of anger.
Bearing the higher harm from the lower; or lifting the blame from him deserving it despite outrage against his right; it is the mastery of self and temperament at anger's surge. Some expressed it (as al-Jurjani in the Ta'rifat, p. 98) as: composure at the blaze of anger.
With kasra: it is composure at the blaze of anger; with damma: what the sleeper sees in his sleep; it is also applied to the child's attaining puberty.
﴿يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لِيَسْتَـْٔذِنكُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـٰنُكُمْ وَٱلَّذِينَ لَمْ يَبْلُغُوا۟ ٱلْحُلُمَ مِنكُمْ ثَلَـٰثَ مَرَّٰتٍۢ ۚ مِّن قَبْلِ صَلَوٰةِ ٱلْفَجْرِ وَحِينَ تَضَعُونَ ثِيَابَكُم مِّنَ ٱلظَّهِيرَةِ وَمِنۢ بَعْدِ صَلَوٰةِ ٱلْعِشَآءِ ۚ ثَلَـٰثُ عَوْرَٰتٍۢ لَّكُمْ ۚ لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَلَا عَلَيْهِمْ جُنَاحٌۢ بَعْدَهُنَّ ۚ طَوَّٰفُونَ عَلَيْكُم بَعْضُكُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍۢ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌۭ﴾
« O you who have believed, let those whom your right hands possess and those who have not [yet] reached puberty among you ask permission of you [before entering] at three times: before the dawn prayer and when you put aside your clothing [for rest] at noon and after the night prayer. [These are] three times of privacy for you. There is no blame upon you nor upon them beyond these [periods], for they continually circulate among you - some of you, among others. Thus does Allah make clear to you the verses; and Allah is Knowing and Wise. »
Surah النور : 58
﴿وَإِذَا بَلَغَ ٱلْأَطْفَـٰلُ مِنكُمُ ٱلْحُلُمَ فَلْيَسْتَـْٔذِنُوا۟ كَمَا ٱسْتَـْٔذَنَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌۭ﴾
« And when the children among you reach puberty, let them ask permission [at all times] as those before them have done. Thus does Allah make clear to you His verses; and Allah is Knowing and Wise. »
Surah النور : 59