Discover the meaning of the term Al-sfh (سفه) in Islamic vocabulary.
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Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 6 min readA lightness befalling a man from joy or anger, driving him to act, contrary to the state of reason and the requirement of the law.
Weakness of mind and poor management; its origin: lightness, agitation, and wantonness; one says: 'the wind bent the tree (safahat)': it tilted it. The philologists said: 'the safih' is the ignorant one of weak mind; plural: sufaha'. 'Safiha', with kasra of the fa, 'yasfah', with fatha: the verbal noun is 'al-safaha' and 'al-safah'; the safih is called 'safih' for the weakness of his mind; hence Allah, exalted be He, called women and children 'sufaha'' in His saying: 'do not give the prodigals (sufaha') your property'.
'His soul, and the one behind it: safaha, safahan, or safahatan': to drive it to lightness. 'To ascribe lightness to it'. 'To destroy it'. 'Safiha: safahan, safahan, or safahatan': to be light. 'To run wild'. 'To be ignorant'. In the noble hadith: 'injustice is only the ignorance of right (safh al-haqq)', that is, its ignorance. 'So-and-so: safahan or safahatan': lightness. One says: 'safha 'alayna': ignorance. 'Saffahahu': to make him a safih. One says: 'folly destroyed his forbearance (saffaha l-jahl hilmahu)': made him light and foolish. 'So-and-so': to ascribe him to lightness. 'Al-safih': the fool; plurals: sufaha' and safah; she is 'safiha'; plurals: safai and sufah. 'Al-safah': lightness of mind. 'Lightness of body'. 'Ignorance'. 'Reviling'. 'Disbelief': from it Allah's saying, exalted be He: 'The frivolous among the people will say: what has turned them from their qibla which they used to face? Say: to Allah belong the East and the West; He guides whom He wills to a straight path' (al-Baqara 142), that is: the disbelievers. In the jurists' terminology: a lightness that impels a man to dispose of his property contrary to the requirement of reason and law (Ibn 'Abidin). Among the Malikis: prodigality (tabdhir) and mismanagement of property; and the adult, rational person's incapacity to manage property well. Among the Hanafis: a lightness befalling a man from joy or anger, driving him to act contrary to the state of reason and the requirement of the law. Among the Zaydis: spending property in immorality, or in what has no benefit, religious or worldly, like buying for a dirham what is worth a hundred; likewise spending on lawful food, fine clothing, and spending in acts of obedience. Among the Ibadis: everything that diminishes its doer in religion, property, or honor; and heedlessness in safeguarding property, wasting it, and incapacity to develop it. 'Al-safih': the ignorant; plurals: sufaha' and safah; she is 'safiha'; plurals: safai and sufah. 'One who squanders his property in what is unseemly'; in the Quran: 'do not give the prodigals your property which Allah has appointed for you a means of support; provide for them out of it and clothe them, and speak to them a kind word' (al-Nisa 5). Among the Hanafis: the prodigal, the wasteful. Among the Hanbalis: weak of mind and poor in management. Among the Ja'faris: the prodigal, the feeble minor, and the senile elder; and he who spends his wealth outside sound purposes. According to al-Zamakhshari: he who squanders his wealth, spending it in what is unseemly, without its reform, development, or management guiding him. In the Majalla (art. 946): he who spends his property out of place, squanders his expenditures, wastes his wealth, and destroys it by excess; those who never cease being careless in their takings and givings, ignorant of the way of their trade and enjoyment according to their folly and the emptiness of their hearts, are also counted among the safih.
A lightness befalling a man from joy or anger, driving him to act contrary to the state of reason and the requirement of the law (see al-Ta'rifat of al-Jurjani p. 125). Al-Raghib said (al-Mufradat p. 234): 'al-safh is a lightness in the body, from which...'
Denoting the mover: a lightness befalling a man from joy or anger, driving him to act contrary to the state of reason and the requirement of the law.
﴿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
﴿وَمَن يَرْغَبُ عَن مِّلَّةِ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ إِلَّا مَن سَفِهَ نَفْسَهُۥ ۚ وَلَقَدِ ٱصْطَفَيْنَـٰهُ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَإِنَّهُۥ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ لَمِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ﴾
« And who would be averse to the religion of Abraham except one who makes a fool of himself. And We had chosen him in this world, and indeed he, in the Hereafter, will be among the righteous. »
Surah البقرة : 130
﴿۞ سَيَقُولُ ٱلسُّفَهَآءُ مِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَا وَلَّىٰهُمْ عَن قِبْلَتِهِمُ ٱلَّتِى كَانُوا۟ عَلَيْهَا ۚ قُل لِّلَّهِ ٱلْمَشْرِقُ وَٱلْمَغْرِبُ ۚ يَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍۢ مُّسْتَقِيمٍۢ﴾
« The foolish among the people will say, "What has turned them away from their qiblah, which they used to face?" Say, "To Allah belongs the east and the west. He guides whom He wills to a straight path." »
Surah البقرة : 142
﴿وَلَا تُؤْتُوا۟ ٱلسُّفَهَآءَ أَمْوَٰلَكُمُ ٱلَّتِى جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ قِيَـٰمًۭا وَٱرْزُقُوهُمْ فِيهَا وَٱكْسُوهُمْ وَقُولُوا۟ لَهُمْ قَوْلًۭا مَّعْرُوفًۭا﴾
« And do not give the weak-minded your property, which Allah has made a means of sustenance for you, but provide for them with it and clothe them and speak to them words of appropriate kindness. »
Surah النساء : 5
﴿قَدْ خَسِرَ ٱلَّذِينَ قَتَلُوٓا۟ أَوْلَـٰدَهُمْ سَفَهًۢا بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍۢ وَحَرَّمُوا۟ مَا رَزَقَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ٱفْتِرَآءً عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ قَدْ ضَلُّوا۟ وَمَا كَانُوا۟ مُهْتَدِينَ﴾
« Those will have lost who killed their children in foolishness without knowledge and prohibited what Allah had provided for them, inventing untruth about Allah. They have gone astray and were not [rightly] guided. »
Surah الأنعام : 140
﴿وَٱخْتَارَ مُوسَىٰ قَوْمَهُۥ سَبْعِينَ رَجُلًۭا لِّمِيقَـٰتِنَا ۖ فَلَمَّآ أَخَذَتْهُمُ ٱلرَّجْفَةُ قَالَ رَبِّ لَوْ شِئْتَ أَهْلَكْتَهُم مِّن قَبْلُ وَإِيَّـٰىَ ۖ أَتُهْلِكُنَا بِمَا فَعَلَ ٱلسُّفَهَآءُ مِنَّآ ۖ إِنْ هِىَ إِلَّا فِتْنَتُكَ تُضِلُّ بِهَا مَن تَشَآءُ وَتَهْدِى مَن تَشَآءُ ۖ أَنتَ وَلِيُّنَا فَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا وَٱرْحَمْنَا ۖ وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ ٱلْغَـٰفِرِينَ﴾
« And Moses chose from his people seventy men for Our appointment. And when the earthquake seized them, he said, "My Lord, if You had willed, You could have destroyed them before and me [as well]. Would You destroy us for what the foolish among us have done? This is not but Your trial by which You send astray whom You will and guide whom You will. You are our Protector, so forgive us and have mercy upon us; and You are the best of forgivers. »
Surah الأعراف : 155