Discover the meaning of the term Al-ḥzn (حزن) in Islamic vocabulary.
Contents :
Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 3 min readIt is what arises from contraction, at the occurrence of a disliked thing, or the loss of a beloved in the past.
What arises from contraction, at the occurrence of a disliked thing or the loss of a beloved in the past.
The matter to someone, with hazanan: to grieve him. And in the Quran: 'O Messenger, let not those grieve you who vie in disbelief, of those who say with their mouths: we believe, while their hearts believed not' (Al-Ma'ida, 41). The place, with hazanan: rough and coarse. The man, with hazana and hazana: to grieve; and in the Quran: 'And grieve not over them' (Al-Hijr, 88). And this is not a prohibition of sorrow, for it does not enter by man's choice; the prohibition is in truth of practicing what breeds sorrow and acquiring it. The place, with huzuna: sadness; he is thus hazin. The reciter, in his recitation, softens his voice; and he reads with tahzin (softening). The matter to someone: to sadden him.
The soul's restraint, barring it from rising in joy.
With fatha: what is thick and rough of the earth. With damma: the affliction arising at the occurrence of a disliked thing or the loss of a beloved in the past; joy is opposed to it.
It is what arises at the occurrence of a disliked thing or the loss of a beloved in the past.
﴿وَلَا عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا مَآ أَتَوْكَ لِتَحْمِلَهُمْ قُلْتَ لَآ أَجِدُ مَآ أَحْمِلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ تَوَلَّوا۟ وَّأَعْيُنُهُمْ تَفِيضُ مِنَ ٱلدَّمْعِ حَزَنًا أَلَّا يَجِدُوا۟ مَا يُنفِقُونَ﴾
« Nor [is there blame] upon those who, when they came to you that you might give them mounts, you said, "I can find nothing for you to ride upon." They turned back while their eyes overflowed with tears out of grief that they could not find something to spend [for the cause of Allah]. »
Surah التوبة : 92
﴿وَتَوَلَّىٰ عَنْهُمْ وَقَالَ يَـٰٓأَسَفَىٰ عَلَىٰ يُوسُفَ وَٱبْيَضَّتْ عَيْنَاهُ مِنَ ٱلْحُزْنِ فَهُوَ كَظِيمٌۭ﴾
« And he turned away from them and said, "Oh, my sorrow over Joseph," and his eyes became white from grief, for he was [of that] a suppressor. »
Surah يوسف : 84
﴿قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أَشْكُوا۟ بَثِّى وَحُزْنِىٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَأَعْلَمُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ﴾
« He said, "I only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allah, and I know from Allah that which you do not know. »
Surah يوسف : 86
﴿فَٱلْتَقَطَهُۥٓ ءَالُ فِرْعَوْنَ لِيَكُونَ لَهُمْ عَدُوًّۭا وَحَزَنًا ۗ إِنَّ فِرْعَوْنَ وَهَـٰمَـٰنَ وَجُنُودَهُمَا كَانُوا۟ خَـٰطِـِٔينَ﴾
« And the family of Pharaoh picked him up [out of the river] so that he would become to them an enemy and a [cause of] grief. Indeed, Pharaoh and Haman and their soldiers were deliberate sinners. »
Surah القصص : 8
﴿وَقَالُوا۟ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَذْهَبَ عَنَّا ٱلْحَزَنَ ۖ إِنَّ رَبَّنَا لَغَفُورٌۭ شَكُورٌ﴾
« And they will say, "Praise to Allah, who has removed from us [all] sorrow. Indeed, our Lord is Forgiving and Appreciative - »
Surah فاطر : 34