Discover the meaning of the term Al-km (كم) in Islamic vocabulary.
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Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 5 min readIt is the accident requiring division by essence; it is either continuous or discrete; for its parts either share limits each of which is the end of one part and the beginning of another, and that is the continuous, or not, and that is the discrete. The continuous is either self-subsistent, its parts gathered in existence, which is the magnitude divided into line, surface and thickness, that is, the didactic body; or not self-subsistent, which is time; the discrete is the number alone, such as twenty and thirty.
A singular noun coined for multitude, by which every counted thing is expressed, whether much or little, the masculine and feminine being alike in that; it has thus come to have a meaning and a wording and runs the course of 'kull', 'ayy', 'man' and 'ma', in that each of them has a wording and a meaning; its wording is masculine and singular, and in meaning it applies to the feminine, the dual and the plural.
It is the accident admitting division by essence; it is of two kinds: continuous kamm and discrete kamm. As for the continuous kamm, it is that between whose assumed parts is a shared limit; the shared limit is that whose relation to the two parts is one relation, as the point in relation to the two parts of the line; and the discrete kamm is that between whose assumed parts is no shared limit, and it is the number, naught else. It is said: the discrete kamm's confinement to number, 'naught else', without a proof for it; how so? The body with its surface, and the surface with its line, have no shared limit between them and are not number. The answer: they argued for the confinement in that the kamm
(Al-Matla', p. 167; Tahrir al-Tanbih, p. 108; al-Kawakib al-Darriyya, 2/10).
Of the thing: 'kammama-hu kamma'an': he covered and veiled it. : Of the camel: he bound its mouth with the muzzle.
That which admits division by essence.
With fatha: the accident requiring division by essence; it is either continuous or discrete, for its parts either share limits each of which is the end of a part and the beginning of another, and that is the continuous, or not, and that is the discrete. The continuous is either self-subsistent, its parts gathered in existence, which is the magnitude divided into line, surface and thickness, that is, the didactic body; or self-subsistent, which is time. The discrete is the number alone, such as twenty and thirty. With damma: what covers the hand of the garment, and what covers the fruit; al-kumma (with damma): what covers the head, like the hood.
With fatha and doubling: the magnitude of measure, weight or number. Quantity. With damma and doubling; (plural) akmam: the covering, hence 'dhat al-akmam'; and the hand's entry and exit from the garment. Sleeve. Al-kamal: with fatha, the masdar of kamula with doubled mim: perfection. Perfection. The perfection of a thing: bringing its pillars without which it is not valid, and its courtesies.
An accident admitting division by essence; it is either discrete, like number, or continuous, like time; with damma it is the hand's entry and exit from the garment.
﴿وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ ءَامِنُوا۟ كَمَآ ءَامَنَ ٱلنَّاسُ قَالُوٓا۟ أَنُؤْمِنُ كَمَآ ءَامَنَ ٱلسُّفَهَآءُ ۗ أَلَآ إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ ٱلسُّفَهَآءُ وَلَـٰكِن لَّا يَعْلَمُونَ﴾
« And when it is said to them, "Believe as the people have believed," they say, "Should we believe as the foolish have believed?" Unquestionably, it is they who are the foolish, but they know [it] not. »
Surah البقرة : 13
﴿صُمٌّۢ بُكْمٌ عُمْىٌۭ فَهُمْ لَا يَرْجِعُونَ﴾
« Deaf, dumb and blind - so they will not return [to the right path]. »
Surah البقرة : 18
﴿ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلْأَرْضَ فِرَٰشًۭا وَٱلسَّمَآءَ بِنَآءًۭ وَأَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءًۭ فَأَخْرَجَ بِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ رِزْقًۭا لَّكُمْ ۖ فَلَا تَجْعَلُوا۟ لِلَّهِ أَندَادًۭا وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ﴾
« [He] who made for you the earth a bed [spread out] and the sky a ceiling and sent down from the sky, rain and brought forth thereby fruits as provision for you. So do not attribute to Allah equals while you know [that there is nothing similar to Him]. »
Surah البقرة : 22
﴿هُوَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ لَكُم مَّا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًۭا ثُمَّ ٱسْتَوَىٰٓ إِلَى ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَسَوَّىٰهُنَّ سَبْعَ سَمَـٰوَٰتٍۢ ۚ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌۭ﴾
« It is He who created for you all of that which is on the earth. Then He directed Himself to the heaven, [His being above all creation], and made them seven heavens, and He is Knowing of all things. »
Surah البقرة : 29
﴿قَالَ يَـٰٓـَٔادَمُ أَنۢبِئْهُم بِأَسْمَآئِهِمْ ۖ فَلَمَّآ أَنۢبَأَهُم بِأَسْمَآئِهِمْ قَالَ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكُمْ إِنِّىٓ أَعْلَمُ غَيْبَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَأَعْلَمُ مَا تُبْدُونَ وَمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْتُمُونَ﴾
« He said, "O Adam, inform them of their names." And when he had informed them of their names, He said, "Did I not tell you that I know the unseen [aspects] of the heavens and the earth? And I know what you reveal and what you have concealed." »
Surah البقرة : 33
﴿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
This term appears in 396 verses of the Quran.