What does Lafz mean?

Islam > Glossary > Lafz

Discover the meaning of the term Lafz (لفظ) in Islamic vocabulary.

Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM

📖 2 min read

Definition Lafz

Lafz according to Kitab at-Ta'rifat (Al-Jurjani)

What man utters, or what stands in its stead, mute or used.

Lafz according to Dustur al-'Ulama (Al-Ahmadnagari)

Lexically: throwing absolutely, and casting something from the mouth, the cast letter or other. As a term: what man utters, literal or judged, mute or established, single or compound; its verification without addition in our book Jami’ al-Ghoumouz.

Lafz according to Mu'jam al-Mustalahat al-Fiqhiyya

Lexically: casting at another something of oneself; lafaza: speaking of a thing; a sound holding some letters, explicit, allusive, or indirect-allusive; said: a genre holding Arabic wordings and others, of revealed books or not. Said: established for the outer mental sense, per the choice, every sense not demanding a wording, each sense needing wording. Hence lafz of another, and what derives as « I ordered Zayd so »; and the Companion’s word: « we were ordered, or the Messenger of Allah ordered us », literal in the speech signifying establishing on the act’s demand. Hence lafz of the oathed: « what the oath-letter entered upon, condition it be Allah’s names or an attribute of His ».

Lafz according to Maqalid al-'Ulum (As-Suyuti)

What man utters, or stands in its stead; mute or used.

Lafz according to At-Tawqif (Al-Munawi)

What man utters or stands in its stead, mute or used.

Related terms: Lafz

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