Discover the meaning of the term Nahy (نهي) in Islamic vocabulary.
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Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 2 min readThe order’s contrary: the speaker’s word to his inferior: do it not.
It is the demand of leaving the act; their word: the speaker’s word to his inferior « do it not », the order’s contrary. Know the reward in leaving the forbidden exceeds performing the ordered: the Prophet said: « leaving a morsel of what Allah forbade is better than the worship of the two worlds ». The secret: leaving the forbidden harder than performing the ordered: the order-charged leaves his charge by one performance; the forbid-charged leaves not his charge till abstaining his life’s span; hence Adam’s sin pardoned, of the forbidden kind, and Iblis’ not, of the order kind.
The word demanding the act’s leaving from the inferior, a formula by which he is asked abstaining, by its letter’s entering upon him.
The demanding abstaining an act by a word as: abstain.
It is a speaker’s word to his inferior « do it not »: the order’s contrary.
﴿كُلُوا۟ وَٱرْعَوْا۟ أَنْعَـٰمَكُمْ ۗ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍۢ لِّأُو۟لِى ٱلنُّهَىٰ﴾
« Eat [therefrom] and pasture your livestock. Indeed, in that are signs for those of intelligence. »
Surah طه : 54
﴿أَفَلَمْ يَهْدِ لَهُمْ كَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا قَبْلَهُم مِّنَ ٱلْقُرُونِ يَمْشُونَ فِى مَسَـٰكِنِهِمْ ۗ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍۢ لِّأُو۟لِى ٱلنُّهَىٰ﴾
« Then, has it not become clear to them how many generations We destroyed before them as they walk among their dwellings? Indeed in that are signs for those of intelligence. »
Surah طه : 128
﴿مَّآ أَفَآءَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِۦ مِنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْقُرَىٰ فَلِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ وَلِذِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَٱلْيَتَـٰمَىٰ وَٱلْمَسَـٰكِينِ وَٱبْنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ كَىْ لَا يَكُونَ دُولَةًۢ بَيْنَ ٱلْأَغْنِيَآءِ مِنكُمْ ۚ وَمَآ ءَاتَىٰكُمُ ٱلرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَىٰكُمْ عَنْهُ فَٱنتَهُوا۟ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَدِيدُ ٱلْعِقَابِ﴾
« And what Allah restored to His Messenger from the people of the towns - it is for Allah and for the Messenger and for [his] near relatives and orphans and the [stranded] traveler - so that it will not be a perpetual distribution among the rich from among you. And whatever the Messenger has given you - take; and what he has forbidden you - refrain from. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is severe in penalty. »
Surah الحشر : 7
﴿وَأَمَّا مَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِۦ وَنَهَى ٱلنَّفْسَ عَنِ ٱلْهَوَىٰ﴾
« But as for he who feared the position of his Lord and prevented the soul from [unlawful] inclination, »
Surah النازعات : 40