Discover the meaning of the term Kall (كَلُّ) in Islamic vocabulary.
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Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 4 min readThe orphan and he with dependants; hence the hadith: « whoever leaves a kall, it is for me and to me ». And the establishment in al-Firdaws by Abou Hourayra’s version: the meaning is that who leaves a child with none to suffice him, his charge is delegated to us: we mend his circumstances from the public treasury.
Lexically: the collective determinate. As a term: what is composed of parts. Koul is also a name of the Truth in consideration of the unitary divine presence embracing the names; hence said: Ahad by essence, koul by the names.
Lexically: a collective name of one sense and one form. As a term: name of a phrase composed of parts; koul is a name of the Truth in consideration of the unitary divine presence embracing the names; hence said: Ahad by essence, koul by the names. Said: koul is a name of a phrase composed of bounded parts, the word koul demanding generality of names, embracing by way of singling, and the word koullama demanding generality of acts.
Kalloula and kallala: weakness. One says: the sword is kalla: it cuts no more, blunted. So-and-so is kalla: wearied. Kalla and kallala: he who has neither parents nor inheriting child. The kallala heir: neither child nor parent of the deceased. Al-iklil: the band encircling the head; plural akalil. The crown. All surrounding the thing. Al-kalala: the verbal noun: a person’s death without father or inheriting child, kin inheriting; in the noble Quran: « they ask you a fatwa: say: Allah gives you fatwa on the kalala » (an-Nisa 176), and « if it is a man inheriting a kalala or a woman having a brother or sister: to each of the two the sixth; if more than that, they are partners in the third » (an-Nisa 12). The far-off of science’s branches; the Arabs say: he is the kalala’s cousin, and cousin of kalala: not attached by kinship, a man of the clan, the word of Ibn al-A’rabi. The inheritance. The heir among kin other than father and child; al-Azhari said: the deceased without father or child was named kalala, the heir kalala, the inheritance kalala. By consensus: heir of brothers or two brothers, germane, consanguine or uterine, without child or male child’s daughter though fallen, without father or paternal grandfather though raised: he is kalala, his inheritance kalala, said Ibn Hazm. In the school, the scholars of all cities: name of heirs other than child and parent, said Ibn Kathir. Among the Ja’farites: he without child, though having a father. By ’Ata: the wealth; and many other views exist.
A name established for the absorption of the individuals of the defined and collective undefined, employed also for multitude and exaggeration.
﴿يَكَادُ ٱلْبَرْقُ يَخْطَفُ أَبْصَـٰرَهُمْ ۖ كُلَّمَآ أَضَآءَ لَهُم مَّشَوْا۟ فِيهِ وَإِذَآ أَظْلَمَ عَلَيْهِمْ قَامُوا۟ ۚ وَلَوْ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَذَهَبَ بِسَمْعِهِمْ وَأَبْصَـٰرِهِمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدِيرٌۭ﴾
« The lightning almost snatches away their sight. Every time it lights [the way] for them, they walk therein; but when darkness comes over them, they stand [still]. And if Allah had willed, He could have taken away their hearing and their sight. Indeed, Allah is over all things competent. »
Surah البقرة : 20
﴿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
﴿وَعَلَّمَ ءَادَمَ ٱلْأَسْمَآءَ كُلَّهَا ثُمَّ عَرَضَهُمْ عَلَى ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ فَقَالَ أَنۢبِـُٔونِى بِأَسْمَآءِ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـٰدِقِينَ﴾
« And He taught Adam the names - all of them. Then He showed them to the angels and said, "Inform Me of the names of these, if you are truthful." »
Surah البقرة : 31
﴿وَقُلْنَا يَـٰٓـَٔادَمُ ٱسْكُنْ أَنتَ وَزَوْجُكَ ٱلْجَنَّةَ وَكُلَا مِنْهَا رَغَدًا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمَا وَلَا تَقْرَبَا هَـٰذِهِ ٱلشَّجَرَةَ فَتَكُونَا مِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ﴾
« And We said, "O Adam, dwell, you and your wife, in Paradise and eat therefrom in [ease and] abundance from wherever you will. But do not approach this tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers." »
Surah البقرة : 35
﴿وَظَلَّلْنَا عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْغَمَامَ وَأَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْمَنَّ وَٱلسَّلْوَىٰ ۖ كُلُوا۟ مِن طَيِّبَـٰتِ مَا رَزَقْنَـٰكُمْ ۖ وَمَا ظَلَمُونَا وَلَـٰكِن كَانُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ﴾
« And We shaded you with clouds and sent down to you manna and quails, [saying], "Eat from the good things with which We have provided you." And they wronged Us not - but they were [only] wronging themselves. »
Surah البقرة : 57
﴿وَإِذْ قُلْنَا ٱدْخُلُوا۟ هَـٰذِهِ ٱلْقَرْيَةَ فَكُلُوا۟ مِنْهَا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمْ رَغَدًۭا وَٱدْخُلُوا۟ ٱلْبَابَ سُجَّدًۭا وَقُولُوا۟ حِطَّةٌۭ نَّغْفِرْ لَكُمْ خَطَـٰيَـٰكُمْ ۚ وَسَنَزِيدُ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ﴾
« And [recall] when We said, "Enter this city and eat from it wherever you will in [ease and] abundance, and enter the gate bowing humbly and say, 'Relieve us of our burdens.' We will [then] forgive your sins for you, and We will increase the doers of good [in goodness and reward]." »
Surah البقرة : 58
This term appears in 399 verses of the Quran.