Discover the meaning of the term Al-whm (وهم) in Islamic vocabulary.
Contents :
Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 4 min readIt is a bodily power of man, its seat the far end of the middle ventricle of the brain, apt to grasp the particular meanings attached to the sensibles, as Zayd's courage and his generosity; and this power is that by which it judges in the ewe that the wolf has fled from her, and that the child has turned to her; and this power governs all the bodily powers, employing them as the intellect employs all the intellectual powers.
It is the grasping of the particular meaning attached to the sensed meaning.
With fatha of the first and second: error. With sukun of the second: the preponderant side... the likelier of the proposition's two sides. And a power ranked in the whole brain, but what is specifically assigned it is the far end of the middle ventricle of the brain, grasping the particular meanings present in the sensibles, as the governing power in the ewe that the wolf has fled from her, or that the child has turned to her; and by meanings is meant what is not grasped by the outward senses.
In a thing, with wahman: to think it came to him while aiming at another. Of a thing: it fell into his dream. In prayer: to slip. In reckoning, with wahman: to err; and a man made one fall into wahm: cast him into it. At-tuhma: what one is accused with (plural tuhum and tuhmat). With the Ibadis: it is thinking the unlawful, or the disapproved; or what the soul dislikes in another.
Its opposite side: the soul's submission to welcoming the effect of what comes to it and strikes it, in what it does not admit.
A bodily power of man, its seat the far end of the middle ventricle of the brain, apt to grasp the particular meanings attached to the sensibles, as Zayd's courage; and this power is that which judges in the ewe that the wolf has fled from her, and that the child has turned to her; and this power governs all the bodily powers, employing them as the intellect employs all the intellectual powers (al-Ta'rifat, p. 276).
It is the grasping of the particular meaning attached to the sensed meaning; it is also applied to the preponderant conviction.
﴿وَبَشِّرِ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ جَنَّـٰتٍۢ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ ۖ كُلَّمَا رُزِقُوا۟ مِنْهَا مِن ثَمَرَةٍۢ رِّزْقًۭا ۙ قَالُوا۟ هَـٰذَا ٱلَّذِى رُزِقْنَا مِن قَبْلُ ۖ وَأُتُوا۟ بِهِۦ مُتَشَـٰبِهًۭا ۖ وَلَهُمْ فِيهَآ أَزْوَٰجٌۭ مُّطَهَّرَةٌۭ ۖ وَهُمْ فِيهَا خَـٰلِدُونَ﴾
« And give good tidings to those who believe and do righteous deeds that they will have gardens [in Paradise] beneath which rivers flow. Whenever they are provided with a provision of fruit therefrom, they will say, "This is what we were provided with before." And it is given to them in likeness. And they will have therein purified spouses, and they will abide therein eternally. »
Surah البقرة : 25
﴿۞ أَفَتَطْمَعُونَ أَن يُؤْمِنُوا۟ لَكُمْ وَقَدْ كَانَ فَرِيقٌۭ مِّنْهُمْ يَسْمَعُونَ كَلَـٰمَ ٱللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُحَرِّفُونَهُۥ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا عَقَلُوهُ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ﴾
« Do you covet [the hope, O believers], that they would believe for you while a party of them used to hear the words of Allah and then distort the Torah after they had understood it while they were knowing? »
Surah البقرة : 75
﴿وَقَالَتِ ٱلْيَهُودُ لَيْسَتِ ٱلنَّصَـٰرَىٰ عَلَىٰ شَىْءٍۢ وَقَالَتِ ٱلنَّصَـٰرَىٰ لَيْسَتِ ٱلْيَهُودُ عَلَىٰ شَىْءٍۢ وَهُمْ يَتْلُونَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ مِثْلَ قَوْلِهِمْ ۚ فَٱللَّهُ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ فِيمَا كَانُوا۟ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ﴾
« The Jews say "The Christians have nothing [true] to stand on," and the Christians say, "The Jews have nothing to stand on," although they [both] recite the Scripture. Thus the polytheists speak the same as their words. But Allah will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that over which they used to differ. »
Surah البقرة : 113
﴿ٱلَّذِينَ ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ يَعْرِفُونَهُۥ كَمَا يَعْرِفُونَ أَبْنَآءَهُمْ ۖ وَإِنَّ فَرِيقًۭا مِّنْهُمْ لَيَكْتُمُونَ ٱلْحَقَّ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ﴾
« Those to whom We gave the Scripture know him as they know their own sons. But indeed, a party of them conceal the truth while they know [it]. »
Surah البقرة : 146
﴿إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَمَاتُوا۟ وَهُمْ كُفَّارٌ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ لَعْنَةُ ٱللَّهِ وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ وَٱلنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ﴾
« Indeed, those who disbelieve and die while they are disbelievers - upon them will be the curse of Allah and of the angels and the people, all together, »
Surah البقرة : 161
﴿۞ أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ خَرَجُوا۟ مِن دِيَـٰرِهِمْ وَهُمْ أُلُوفٌ حَذَرَ ٱلْمَوْتِ فَقَالَ لَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ مُوتُوا۟ ثُمَّ أَحْيَـٰهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَشْكُرُونَ﴾
« Have you not considered those who left their homes in many thousands, fearing death? Allah said to them, "Die"; then He restored them to life. And Allah is full of bounty to the people, but most of the people do not show gratitude. »
Surah البقرة : 243
This term appears in 138 verses of the Quran.