These are the Arabic words in the Qur’an that require deeper understanding, discussions, and context as well as contemporary meaning and relevance. Classical commentators from the seventh century onward have given meanings, some of which have taken over the meaning that perhaps was not the original meaning (based on a root word, for example, since every Arabic word goes back to a root with three consonants), but derived as the meaning of a word tends to shift based on usage and nuances in every generation, thanks to our constant journey to evolve languages and expressions in our societies around the globe.
Surah Al Anfal (The Spoils from Battle)
119. Anfaal (Spoils from battle) (8:1)
Anfaal is the plural of nafl, which in its elementary form means an act performed voluntarily (e.g., nafl prayer, over and above the obligatory prayers, called fard). Therefore, Anfaal implies something is excess of what is required or warranted, a free or voluntary gift, an addition of what is due otherwise. Therefore, some classical commentators have interpreted this to mean voluntary contributions that the Prophet has asked of his followers to contribute during times of conflicts, in terms of money, goods, and personal effort and participation, since all battles that were fought by the Prophet were with voluntary forces (he had no standing army) who came voluntarily and contributed resources, transportation, and armaments for themselves and for others. But the more accepted meaning has been “spoils of battle or war,” whereas a formal term used for spoils is Ghanama, introduced in verse 41 with more formal specification about the allocation and distribution of such spoils. This word and first verse lay out the foundation that wars and any material benefits derived from war were not for individuals but for the welfare of the entire community who have been wronged and had to engage in self-defense.
120. Nu’as (slumber, inner calm, and tranquility) (8:11)
Nu’as means slumber or sleepiness that sometimes overcome us when we are exhausted from hard physical exertion and overcome by anxiety and fear. Such was the condition that Muslims faced, especially the first two battles, Badr and Ohud. This instance is related to Badr, and verse 3:154 relates to Ohud. In the case of Badr, it was the first encounter where three hundred Muslims, ill-equipped, faced one thousand enemies, well-armed and full of vain glory and confidence. Prior to the battle, some say the night before as they camped, they were full of anxiety and uncertainly what tomorrow will bring; the rain came as a gift from God that provided them with water for drinking and purification for prayers, calmed their minds, and made them sleepy, which removed their physical fatigues and made them less weary since they saw this as a blessing from God in a time of need. The rain also made the sand more stable for them to march forward, while the same rain made the opposite effect on the enemy, because of localized flooding and retention of water. This is also another example of where God accomplishes varying effects from the same rain (phenomena, events) depending on the condition of the people who are affected by it and what He intends to accomplish.
Every night that we go to sleep, if we are blessed with a good sleep, we rise in the morning refreshed; this itself is a daily blessing from God that we need to be mindful of and be thankful for. God says in the Qur’an that each night our souls rise to God, and for those whose death is ordained, angels retain those souls, and for those of us who are gifted with another day in our lives, our souls come back to us. This daily ritual that happens between us and God is another reminder that God is ever closer to us than we realize, and His mercy and grace is essential for our life and our living.
121. Ghanama (spoils of war) (8:41)
Ghanama means acquiring a thing with or without effort or difficulty. The original meaning of the word ghanimah is acquisition or achievement, and ghanimah has become a technical term in Sunni jurisprudence to relate to such property, spoils, and booty acquired from battle and war. Verse 41, where this word occurs, provides detailed guidance on the allocation of such spoils among the participants (voluntary) and the general members of the community, especially those who are poor, vulnerable, and enslaved, while verse 1, using the word anfaal, laid the foundation that no one can claim such spoils without regard to the rest of the community as an act of generosity and goodwill and based on certain principles that empower the weak and minimize the need for conflicts and rise of oppression. This is in sharp contrast to the prevailing norm, as throughout history, war had been ignited by greed and hatred of one group by another group, and typically the leaders (kings, emperor, warlords) and their chiefs were the primary beneficiaries from such conflicts, while the foot soldiers who did the most sacrifice got very little, and the vast populations were left uncared for.
Surah At-Tawbah (Repentance)
122. Ashurul hurum (sacred months: Muharram, Rajab, Dhul Qadah, and Dhul Hajjah) (9:5)
Traditions in Arabia were to consider four months in the year (the seventh and tenth through twelfth months) as sacred, where hostilities, retributions, and any act that violates peace, safety, and etiquette are forbidden. Verse 36 testifies that Islamic faith also accepts these months as sacred. It is not clear if this verse refers to these months or four months from the announcement of the message. This verse conveys a warning and a period of respite before full-scale proactive self-defense is put in place to remove all remaining hostilities that created an uneasy and debilitating shadow on the affairs of the Muslims as well as the well-being of the societies involved.
123. Zunudh (hosts, forces, or spirits invisible to humans) (9:26)
Zunduh is classically interpreted as invisible or spiritual forces that are invisible to human beings under ordinary circumstances but can become visible. For example, angels have appeared before prophets (Abraham, Zacharia, Mohammad) and Mary as mentioned in the Qur’an, and the Jinn that are mentioned in the Qur’an as another creation of God invisible to the human eye. The devil is considered an invisible spirit like the Jinn but achieved the ranks of angels before his fall before Adam and Eve. The context of such spirits are mentioned three times as related to battlefields where the follower of the Prophet had enormous difficulty but eventually prevailed with God’s promise of help, such as 8:9 in the Badr, the very first battle in the year 612, and 3:123–124 in the second battle (Ohud) in the year 613. In both of these instances, the Qur’an use the word “angels,” whereas in the current instance, “hosts” or “spirits” is used, as if it was a combination of angels and other spirits in a manner similar to verse 97:4, where angels and spirits appear on earth to distribute human affairs as God ordains and to establish peace for that night of power (Laitatul Qadr), which traditionally occurs during the last ten days of the month of Ramadan.
The notions of spirit (God’s ruh breathed into us) and our soul (ruh), which is considered a spirit of God that resides within us and will continue to exist even after our physical body disappears with death, are matters of belief. At the same time, our own conscience and experience also tell us that we as human beings are bigger than our physical selves in the form of knowledge we can acquire, the imagination that we possess to think of things that may not exist (96:4–5), our ability to connect with another human being or nature at an emotional and spiritual level, our constant desire to know and understand God, our innate like for goodness and our innate dislike for evils, the mystery around our brain functions, our sleep and slumber, the connection between physical health and mental health—all of these point to our spiritual dimensions that manifest within us and in nature, some of which are mentioned in the Qur’an and other books of revelations.
124. Najas (unclean) (9:28)
Najas has been used in several senses in the Qur’an: (1) with regard to ritual ablution, which purifies the body by washing your face, your hands, your feet, and your head to remove any dirt and dust and achieve mental and spiritual purity, so that you are able to perform worship of God (salat); other times a formal shower (gusl) is required and recommended to achieve such physical purity, (2) any animal meat that is not slaughtered with God’s name, acknowledging God’s bounty in making such animals and such meats available for consumptions, (3) other animals or substances that are forbidden (haram) for consumption in Islam such as pork, wine, intoxicants, et cetera, (4) acts that are considered superstitious, harmful, favoring one over other by design, and belief in sorcery, using arrows or stars to decide courses of action, sacrificing animals on altars set up for gods, et cetera, and finally (4) acts or beliefs that go contrary to faith in One God and faith in our common humanity, human goodness, and human purpose. It is this last act that is referred in this verse by announcing that the idol worshippers who are polytheists are considered unclean in a spiritual sense and are forbidden to come to the Sacred Mosque and was formally announced to the Arabs at the time after the conquest of Makkah.
This verse is the formal legal prohibition that is used to restrict entry to the sacred space in and around the Kabah for Muslims only. Some Muslims have attempted to extend this to any mosque, which is unacceptable to the majority of Muslims and to the majority of scholars who deal with such understanding and insights.
125. Jizyah (9:29; debt, indemnity)
This is the only time the word Jizyah is used in the context of conflicts that result in Muslims gaining an upper hand against people of other faiths (in this case, the people of the book have been specified), while the unbelieving Arabs had all but accepted Islam by that time. The option of a treaty and the accompanying indemnity pay was extended only to Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians, who were the primary non-Muslims in the area but claimed some forms of faith in God.
Jizyah comes from the word Jaza, meaning the rendering of a thing owned or giving satisfaction (to an agreement or understanding), and in legal terms has come to represent a payment of indemnity by non-Muslims in exchange for protection, no requirement for military services, and no imposition of Islamic charity such as Zakat on them. Such an arrangement provided a mechanism for a peaceful coexistence and ensure a way to gauze the sentiment of those people and be an early indication of any potential conflicts since nonpayment of such indemnity was a clear indication of betrayal and hostility.
Throughout history certain patterns have emerged as to how this was instituted, and the amounts collected. In the early days of this arrangement, the Prophet, and the first four Muslim rulers, this was collected from communities and tribes and not from individuals who were within the domain of Muslim rule. Subsequently as Muslim rule expanded and many territories were brought under such rule, many dominions were allowed to operate as separate entities under their own rule, but payment of this indemnity was stipulated based on negotiation and the wealth of those dominions and rulers. Individual subjects were left alone, and no interference was ever made in regard to their religious beliefs, practices, houses of worship, or their internal rules agreed among themselves, unless acts of injustice were committed and complaints were lodged by those who were affected.
In the postcolonial world, the nation states have evolved to allow citizens’ rights based on being part of a nation as opposed to a part of a faith, though many nations have a dominant faith and/or ethnic group, and the notion of such indemnity is all but no longer relevant. Here is an example of the Qur’anic injunction that was contextual, temporary, and evolved with time and with agreement from jurists and scholars and eventually no longer necessary or relevant in our contemporary world.
126. Nasi’u (arbitrary tempering with sacred month with postponement or intercalation) (9:37)
As already discussed in footnote 431, Nasi’u is primarily the means of postponement arbitrarily by the Arab of one of the months considered sacred to a different month to temper with the sacred months when all forms of hostilities were forbidden. This could also mean intercalation, as was practiced by the Arab to introduce a thirteenth month in the third, sixth, and eighth years in an eight-year cycle to keep the lunar months more aligned with the solar year for trading purposes, as major trade was driven by the annual pilgrimage and in an attempt to keep the Hajj season linked to a favorable part of the year from a trading perspective while ignoring the spiritual reasoning of the Hajj as it rotated through the seasons over a thirty-year cycle. Verse 2:189 clearly establishes that the moon’s rotation around the earth is the real basis for calculations of the months from which the Islamic calendar is derived, whereas 2:217 clearly states the sanctity of these months for peaceful conducts and resolution of conflicts. See note 431 for further expansion of its significance.
127. rizsun (unworthy, unclean, defile) (9:95)
Verse 9:28 prohibits idolaters and polytheists from visiting the Kabah, as if it will defile the sanctity of the Kabah, and this verse uses the same root word to refer to the hypocrites as unworthy of attention from believers and to be avoided, as one would consider them bad company. The Tabuk expedition that the prophet undertook in the heat of the summer was one of the longest marches he and his followers participated in voluntarily to face the advancement of the Byzantine army, and many hypocrites were unwilling to join, making false excuses to avoid joining and sowing doubts in the mind of Muslims that they were marching to face definite death. On his return, the Prophet took no action against them except as instructed by God, to avoid these people as if they are unclean and unworthy of friendship of the believers. Such characterization is also used in 7:71 regarding those who worship false deities.
128. taba (to relent, to repent) (9:117)
Taba implies to repent but also to relent (to accept repentance): relent in mercy and forgiveness, as God does to believers and to His creation in general. This verse refers to God’s mercy for the Prophet and his close followers from those who immigrated to Madinah and those of the Prophet’s helpers in Madinah who undertook a difficult and long expedition to protect the safety and security of the nascent community of Muslims who were in a formative stage of securing their faith in Arabia and were getting ready to propagate the message of God to the rest of humanity.
This mercy and forgiveness of God was also made in reference to three of his followers who did not participate in the expedition and did not offer up credible reasons for their participation so that when the prophet returned, their community refused to interact with them as regular members of the society. But their genuine remorse was accepted by God as they realized that there is no refuge from God except in Him.
Because of the importance of this verse and the aspect of the human condition that this verse makes references to, some of the associates of the prophets call this surah At-Tawbah, or Repentance.
129. a’rshil a’zim—grand seat, throne of power (9:129)
A’rsh symbolizes God’s absolute power (throne in human term where a king sits), and there has been a lot of discussion among theologians, religious scholars, and Sufis regarding the spiritual understanding of the word and how it can be described in physical and human terms so that we comprehend its essence. In verse 2:255, the use of words such as Kursi (chair, pedestal) is used to symbolize God as sitting on top of the heaven and the earth implying His full control and supremacy over the created world, the universe. In the Qur’an God describes heaven (Jannah) as more expansive than the earth and the heaven as we know it, and taking that analogy, one assumes that His seat of power (A’rsh) encompasses all of the universe of which the earth, the heaven, and the Jannah are all part of and contained within His A’rsh.
The notion of a multiverse, which comprises many universes, are also being floated by scientists and philosophers and by the notion of A’rshal a’zim, a’zim being a superlative, figuratively implies a larger universe that contains our known universe.
Again, these are matters of unknowns, and God will inform us in due time, either to humanity as we live out our existence on this planet or after our resurrection when God so wills. As we all say, God knows best, and God speaks the truth.
Surah Yunus (Jonah)
130. ayat (sign, narratives, verses, etc.) (10:1, 6)
The traditional meaning of ayat is a verse of the Qur’an similar to a verse in the Bible or other religious books. The word ayat is used extensively in the Qur’an, such as in verse 10:6, to indicate a sign or God’s presence in the natural world, or as narrative providing historical context and incidents to advance our understanding of human conditions, the nature of societies, and human behavior. In that sense, the entire Qur’an is a sign from and of God, and the entire universe as we experience it is a sign from and of God. Every law of physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, the advancement of science and technology, expanding nature of our understanding, our own nature as human beings, and the understanding of other creations are all individually and collectively part of the signs (ayat) that God continues to gift us with in an attempt to make us mindful of ourselves and our purpose in life (see also term 30 in Volume 1).
131. Qadama-sidqin: Stepping forward with truth, advancing the cause of truth and justice (10:2)
Qadam means foot or step or firmness of one’s position or advancement in degree, whereas Sidq refers to truth, goodness, justice, and true alignment of intention and action. This phrase has been interpreted in different ways in different translations and commentaries, from having a status of excellence with God to a position of sincerity with regard to their belief to exceeding others in faith in God. I tend to favor meaning that implies action, as opposed to results, since actions are within human control, whereas results are determined by God, recognizing that results are also a reflection of our action as a law of nature. God sent Prophet Mohammad, like prophets before, not only to warn people but also to inspire the believers that by advancing truth and justice, they will earn the true blessings and secure position with God.
132. Ayyamin: days, period, stages of creation and evolution (10:3)
Ayyamin is the plural of Yaum—the common meaning of which is a day, but in this instance, it implies a period or stages of earth coming into its hospitable and sustainable condition for humanity to survive and thrive. Both the Bible and the Qur’an confirm that earth was made ready in six stages; each stages is said to correspond to a cosmic day, the measure of which, according to one verse of the Qur’an, is fifty thousand of our earth days. Various verses affirm such process for the earth as in 7:54, 41:9–12, 32:4–11, while chapter 41 goes in to further detail about these stages, and chapter 32 goes into the fact that man is made from dust and God breathed His essence (ruh—spirit) into man to make him a conscious being. For earth’s formation, one recent book, How the Earth Works, by Michael Wysession (chapter 7: “Creating Earth—The Recipe for a Planet”) is very informational to read.
133. Innahu yabdaul khalqa summa yu’eduhu—a phrases repeated in the Qur’an: He creates first and then let them reproduce (evolve) on their own (10:4).
There are many verses in the Qur’an (e.g., 27:64) that repeats this sequence of the creative process, of first creation (khalqa) and then evolution aided by reproductive capacities (yu’eduhu) built into living beings. Death brings that process to an end for individuals, but for species, this cycle of life and death provides the engine to continuously and rapidly evolve, as God says in another chapter: “(God) Who creates and evolves, Who measure and guides” (87:2–3).
134. Diyan and Nuran: Source and reflection of light (10:5)
There are many verses in the Qur’an related to the natural world and in particular the sun and the moon, as these two were the celestial objects most known to mankind and have the most direct impact. The sun, being the source of light that supports all life on earth, is hence called Diyan, a radiance, the source of light, light that is generated from within, whereas the moon is called a Nuran, a light or a reflected light, a light that is borrowed from some other source. Verses 36:38–40, for example, relate the movement of the sun and the moon, the moon giving us the measurement of twelve months and lights at nighttime when the sun is on the other side of the earth and causing the tides that affect so much of the coastal area in the world.
With each of these natural wonders that God has put in place and that profoundly affects the life cycle of mankind and all creatures, vegetation, flowers and fruits, harvests, et cetera—all these have purpose as we can see and are not in vain, as people might wonder about the purpose of life.
135. Ajal: doom, consequences, term, the course of actions and reaction (10:11)
The ajal refers to the notion of doom or consequences that result from evil; it could also mean death, as it could be the ultimate doom in one’s life. To people who do not believe that God exists or that we will go back to God, only death can bring to that reality, whereas for people who do evil and think they are doing good or challenge good people to show the consequences of their evils, God provides the answer here that if God were to hasten their doom as they hasten for the pleasure of life, such doom would have occurred right away.
But by deferring such consequences, God accomplishes two things: (1) He shows His infinite mercy to allow people to correct themselves, and (2) He builds evidence for their evils so that once the consequences come, there is no argument about God being unfair or unjust (see also term 114 in Volume 3).
136. Musrifin: extravagant, prodigal (10:12)
An extravagant or prodigal person. In the context of this verse, one who is complacent or does not fully explore the potential of their actions commits excess in evils and wastes their life in pursuit of the trivial, what is vain, and gross pleasures in life and, at worst, takes pleasure in doing evil to others. It is a matter of degree, but every one of us has one time or another exhibits such attributes as well that we need to be mindful of so that we do not become such people.
137. Yabghuna: rebellion, causing mischief, acts of evil against any deference to truth (10:23)
Tyranny or rebellion against truth and God with total disregard of truth and justice, especially after deliverance from God from a difficult situation, such as a natural calamity, disaster, or precarious condition, that people had no way to get out of except by God’s grace and mercy, which they fail to appreciate or realize. Such failing is only, as God says in the next verse, a luxury of this world that He extends to mankind as part of His commitment to allow free will for mankind. The fallacy of such thinking will become exposed on the Day of Judgment when we go back to God. This is even made clearer in 5:105 and 30:41.
138. Ta’wil: final sequel, true and inner meaning of things (10:39)
Ta’wil refers to a sequel, either in terms of revelations that are yet to come so that one could say that the Qur’an is the next or final sequel to the Torah and the Bible and exposes deeper meanings about life and the realities of this universe, or as mentioned in 7:53, it refers to resurrection and the unfolding of the events of the Day of Judgment, when all that we questioned about life and death and our contentions about the purpose and meaning of life will come to its final sequel so that we have clarity on such matters that God reserves such matter through revelations and resurrection.
139. Ajalun: terms of life and existence (10:49)
This term has been used in different parts of the Qu’ran (see also, 7:34, 16:61, 71:4) with respect to individual life as well as the life of a community, a nation, and certainly the continuity of our planet and our human race. Each human being is endowed with life for a span of time that we do not control, nor do we know ahead of time. A similar cycle of existence applies to communities and nations that we see from historical records and is a matter of great discourse when we are in the middle of it, as every generation faces slow or dramatic existential threats that come from our own doing or natural calamities of mighty proportion, which forces us to think of such terms of existence. As chapter 99 refers to the end of this earth, signifying the end of all nations and end of humanity as we know it, when its term, as defined by God, comes to fruition. In the larger universe of stars, which see similar beginnings and ends as being observed by the Hubble Space Telescope but on a scale that is much larger than our individual lives and our planet (see also 135 earlier).
140. Mawyizatun: admonition, exhortation (10:57)
This is an attribute of the Qur’an that contains calls to believe, exhortations for truth and justice, and admonitions for those who deny truth and justice and indulge in injustice and corruption.
141. Shifaaun: comfort, healing, solace, grace (10:57)
Similarly, another attribute of the Qur’an repeated several times (see also 17:82 and 41:44) is its ability to heal, especially the hearts of human beings, which get overburdened with a lack of faith and uncertainty of conviction in the hereafter. The Qur’an provides the remembrance of God that brings comfort to the soul and reminds people of the grace and mercy of God, without which human being cannot find real contentment and optimism in life and its pursuits.
142. Miskala jarratin: something small like an atom (10:61)
This phrase is repeated in many places in the Qur’an (e.g., 99:7–8) making references to the smallest of things, a mote or an atom, as we know it today—a thing that is the smallest conceivable for each generation, and then God follows with statement that anything even smaller than that is not hidden from God. There was a time when atoms were thought to be the smallest unit of elements until we found other sub-particles and quarks to comprise larger protons and neutron in the core of an atom.
143. Kitabim mubin: open or transparent book, document that is visible to God and eventually to all of us (10:61)
The entire record of each and every human being and similarly the record of the universe is spoken of in various places in the Qur’an as part of a record or writing (book) that is complete and transparent or available for inspection by God himself and as relevant to each human being on the Day of Judgment and on resurrection.
144. Zanna: conjecture, uninformed guesses (10:66)
This word is used with reference to deities and partners that polytheists ascribe to God without any justification but based on false theology or conjectures. Similarly, the current wave of atheistic dogma is also based on conjectures and unwillingness to explore the truth or to misuse or solely rely on science to deny the presence of God. Most denial of God is not based on any scientific truth but rather reflects a set of conjectures and speculations that in themselves lack scientific rigor.
145. Mata’un: temporary existence, brief enjoyment of life (10:70)
The life on this planet, especially for those who deny God and reject an afterlife, is termed as a temporary enjoyment or a brief existence in the longer scheme for life and the universe. For those who believe in God and accept the permanency of afterlife, this life becomes a proving ground to explore life and build a relationship with God based on human equality and dignity, while for those who deny God and the existence of an afterlife, this life becomes a despairing race to enjoy and indulge as the only opportunity for self-gratification or exploitation of others to maximize their intake from this life—a quench or thirst for life that can never be fulfilled.
Surah Hud (Hud)
146. Farat tannur (11:40): water boiling over the face of the earth; floodgate from sky was opened, implying heavy downpour
This phrase has two different interpretations and could have occurred concurrently—one in which the earth pushed up water and steam from underground wells and springs like a geyser, and a heavy downpour in the valley and on the mountaintop so that water rushed down the valley with full force to cause widespread flooding with rapidly rising water to the point that even the mountaintops were covered with water.
147. Saihat (11:67): cry—the event is described in multiple ways; 7:78 (rajfah - earthquake); 51:44 (sai’qah - severe torment); and 69:5 (taghiyah – deafening blast)
This word, similar to other words such as 51:44 and 69:5, shows the enormity of the natural calamities that brought about the consequences of their rebellion against God and His messengers. There were earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and fiery storms that overwhelmed people, and they had no escape and died in their own homes, where they felt they were secure before such calamities descended on them. In our contemporary history, we have faced similar calamities like tsunamis, wildfires, violent storms, and flooding just to name a few and the current COVID-19 pandemic. Man-made air and water pollution and global warming will have even wider consequences if we don’t become mindful of our role and responsibilities for ourselves and our planet.