Discover the meaning of the term Al-jd (جد) in Islamic vocabulary.
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Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 6 min readIt is that the term be meant in its proper or figurative sense; it is the opposite of jest (hazl).
With kasra: striving, toil, and meaning by the term its proper or figurative sense; in this sense it is the opposite of jest, though it also has the sense of jest. With fatha: grandeur, whence 'ta jadduka' (your grandfather's grandeur). 'Abu al-Ab' and 'Abu al-Umm', however high. 'Al-jidd' with kasra, which had the sense of jest, also has the sense of its opposite, as in the Prophet's saying (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): 'Three of their earnest matters are earnest, and three of their jests are earnest: marriage, divorce, and the oath'. 'Al-jadd' with fatha, in inheritance, is sound or corrupt: the sound jadd is one whose line to the deceased includes no woman, like the father's father however high; the corrupt jadd is one whose line to the deceased includes a woman, like the mother's father however high.
With fatha: it is the father's father or the mother's father; it divides into two: the sound jadd, whose line to the deceased includes no woman, like the father's father however high; and the corrupt jadd, the opposite, like the mother's father however high. Likewise: the sound jadda, whose line to the deceased includes no corrupt jadd, like the mother's mother and the father's mother however high; and the corrupt jadda, the opposite, like the mother of the mother's father however high. 'Al-jadd': grandeur, fortune, cutting, credit, the great man, the bank of the river and the well. The meaning of 'no profit does the possessor of jadd gain from you by jadd' [al-Bukhari, al-Adhan 155] is, as the profit of fatherhood was denied... it is said: its meaning is 'the rich man does not profit you by his wealth, but by acting in obedience to you'. 'Al-jidd' in a matter: exertion, a verbal noun; the noun: 'al-jidd' with kasra, whence 'so-and-so does good in an excellent manner (ihsanan jiddan)': to the utmost and exceedingly.
The level plain; from it 'jadda' in his journey, and so in his matter; the image comes from 'jaddata l-ard': to level the plain, for 'jaddata l-thawb': to cut it straight; and 'a new garment' has as its origin 'the cutting', then was applied to everything newly created; whence the saying: 'but they are in a new creation' (Qaf 15); the new was opposed to creation because what was meant by the new was the recent cutting of the garment; hence night and day were called 'al-jadidan' and 'al-ajdan' for their constant renewal. 'Al-jadd': the divine overflow; from it the saying: 'and that the majesty of our Lord, exalted be He' (al-Jinn 3), that is, His overflow; it is said: His greatness; it is said: it returns to the first sense. 'Al-jadd': wealth, what Allah grants the servant of worldly enjoyments, and it is fortune; the saying 'no profit does the possessor of jadd gain from you by jadd' (al-Mughira wrote to Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to say at the end of every prayer, or at the end of his prayer, after the salutation: 'There is no god but Allah alone, without partner; to Him belongs the sovereignty and to Him praise; He is powerful over all things; O Allah, none withholds what You give, nor gives what You withhold, and no fortune (jadd) profits a possessor of fortune against You') means: one does not reach Allah's reward in the hereafter by wealth (jadd), but by jadd in obedience; and that is what is announced in 'whoever desires the near life, We hasten for him therein what We will' (al-Isra 18). 'Al-jadd' is the father's father and the mother's father; it is said: the meaning of 'no profit does the possessor of jadd gain from you by jadd' is that lineage and fatherhood profit no one, as the profit of sons was denied in denying the profit of fatherhood (al-Mufradat pp. 88-89); it is said: its meaning is 'the rich man does not profit you by his wealth, but by acting in obedience to you'. 'Al-jidd' in a matter: exertion; it is a verbal noun, and the noun is 'al-jidd' with kasra, whence 'so-and-so does good in an excellent manner (ihsanan jiddan)': to the utmost; that the term be meant in its proper or figurative sense, and it is the opposite of jest (al-Ta'rifat p. 78).
The father of fathers and the father of mothers, and the father of grandfathers however high.
﴿فَتَقَبَّلَهَا رَبُّهَا بِقَبُولٍ حَسَنٍۢ وَأَنۢبَتَهَا نَبَاتًا حَسَنًۭا وَكَفَّلَهَا زَكَرِيَّا ۖ كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا زَكَرِيَّا ٱلْمِحْرَابَ وَجَدَ عِندَهَا رِزْقًۭا ۖ قَالَ يَـٰمَرْيَمُ أَنَّىٰ لَكِ هَـٰذَا ۖ قَالَتْ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَرْزُقُ مَن يَشَآءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ﴾
« So her Lord accepted her with good acceptance and caused her to grow in a good manner and put her in the care of Zechariah. Every time Zechariah entered upon her in the prayer chamber, he found with her provision. He said, "O Mary, from where is this [coming] to you?" She said, "It is from Allah. Indeed, Allah provides for whom He wills without account." »
Surah آل عمران : 37
﴿وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْا۟ إِلَىٰ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ وَإِلَى ٱلرَّسُولِ قَالُوا۟ حَسْبُنَا مَا وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ ءَابَآءَنَآ ۚ أَوَلَوْ كَانَ ءَابَآؤُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ شَيْـًۭٔا وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ﴾
« And when it is said to them, "Come to what Allah has revealed and to the Messenger," they say, "Sufficient for us is that upon which we found our fathers." Even though their fathers knew nothing, nor were they guided? »
Surah المائدة : 104
﴿وَإِذَا فَعَلُوا۟ فَـٰحِشَةًۭ قَالُوا۟ وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهَآ ءَابَآءَنَا وَٱللَّهُ أَمَرَنَا بِهَا ۗ قُلْ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَأْمُرُ بِٱلْفَحْشَآءِ ۖ أَتَقُولُونَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ﴾
« And when they commit an immorality, they say, "We found our fathers doing it, and Allah has ordered us to do it." Say, "Indeed, Allah does not order immorality. Do you say about Allah that which you do not know?" »
Surah الأعراف : 28
﴿وَنَادَىٰٓ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْجَنَّةِ أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلنَّارِ أَن قَدْ وَجَدْنَا مَا وَعَدَنَا رَبُّنَا حَقًّۭا فَهَلْ وَجَدتُّم مَّا وَعَدَ رَبُّكُمْ حَقًّۭا ۖ قَالُوا۟ نَعَمْ ۚ فَأَذَّنَ مُؤَذِّنٌۢ بَيْنَهُمْ أَن لَّعْنَةُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَى ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ﴾
« And the companions of Paradise will call out to the companions of the Fire, "We have already found what our Lord promised us to be true. Have you found what your Lord promised to be true?" They will say, "Yes." Then an announcer will announce among them, "The curse of Allah shall be upon the wrongdoers." »
Surah الأعراف : 44
﴿وَمَا وَجَدْنَا لِأَكْثَرِهِم مِّنْ عَهْدٍۢ ۖ وَإِن وَجَدْنَآ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَفَـٰسِقِينَ﴾
« And We did not find for most of them any covenant; but indeed, We found most of them defiantly disobedient. »
Surah الأعراف : 102
﴿قَالُوٓا۟ أَجِئْتَنَا لِتَلْفِتَنَا عَمَّا وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ ءَابَآءَنَا وَتَكُونَ لَكُمَا ٱلْكِبْرِيَآءُ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا نَحْنُ لَكُمَا بِمُؤْمِنِينَ﴾
« They said, "Have you come to us to turn us away from that upon which we found our fathers and so that you two may have grandeur in the land? And we are not believers in you." »
Surah يونس : 78
This term appears in 21 verses of the Quran.