Ibn Rashiq al-Qayrawanee received a letter from Ibn al-Aghlab, the ruler of Majorca, asking him to come to visit him by sea. Ibn Rashiq, afraid of what the sea may bring did not want to set out on such a voyage, so he replied with two lines of poetry:



You ordered me to take my efforts to the sea,
But I disobeyed you, so select another means:
You are not Nooh that your ship can protect me,
nor am I 'Eesa that I can walk on water.

The one who said that there are no synonyms in the Arabic language spoke truthfully. Although two words may have the same meaning in general, there are subtle differences between them that add a whole new light to their meaning. An example is found in the words لعلّ and ليت.

Both of these words generally mean “if only,” “perhaps,” alluding to wishing and hoping for something or something to happen. But more specifically, لعل refers to hoping or wishing for something that can actually happen, something that is possible to achieve. Conversely, ليت refers to wishing or hoping for something that can never happen, can never be achieved.

Some examples from the Qur’an:

فأجاءها المخاض إلى جذع النخلة قالت يا ليتني مت قبل هذا و كنت نسيا منسيا

And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm-tree: She cried (in her anguish): “Ah! would that I had died before this! would that I had been a thing forgotten and out of sight!”

[19:23]

وأما من أوتي كتابه بشماله فيقول يا ليتني لم أوت كتابيه

And he that will be given his Record in his left hand, will say: “Ah! Would that my Record had not been given to me!

[69:25]

إنا أنذرناكم عذابا قريبا يوم ينظر المرء ما قدمت يداه و يقول الكافر يا ليتني كنت ترابا

Verily, We have warned you of a Penalty near, the Day when man will see (the deeds) which his hands have sent forth, and the Unbeliever will say, “Woe unto me! Would that I were (metre) dust!”

[79:40]

يا أيها الناس اعبدوا ربكم الذي خلقكم والذين من قبلكم لعلكم تتقون

O ye people! Adore your Guardian-Lord, who created you and those who came before you, that ye may have the chance to learn righteousness

[2:21]

وما كان المؤمنون لينفروا كافة فلولا نفر من كل فرقة منهم طائفة ليتفقهوا في الدين ولينذروا قومهم إذا رجعوا إليهم لعلهم يحذرون

Nor should the Believers all go forth together: if a contingent from every expedition remained behind, they could devote themselves to studies in religion, and admonish the people when they return to them,- that thus they (may learn) to guard themselves (against evil).

[9:122]

يوسف أيها الصديق أفتنا في سبع بقرات سمان يأكلهن سبع عجاف وسبع سنبلات خضر وأخر يابسات لعلي أرجع إلى الناس لعلهم يعلمون

“O Joseph!” (he said) “O man of truth! Expound to us (the dream) of seven fat kine whom seven lean ones devour, and of seven green ears of corn and (seven) others withered: that I may return to the people, and that they may understand.”

[12:46]

وقال فرعون يا أيها الملأ ما علمت لكم من إله غيري فأوقد لي يا هامان على الطين فاجعل لي صرحا لعلي أطلع إلى إله موسى وإني لأظنه من الكاذبين

Pharaoh said: “O Chiefs! no god do I know for you but myself: therefore, O Haman! light me a (kiln to bake bricks) out of clay, and build me a lofty palace, that I may mount up to the god of Moses: but as far as I am concerned, I think (Moses) is a liar!”
[28:38]

[حب] ‘Hub’ is love
[عشق] ‘ishq’ is love that entwines two people together
[شغف] ‘shaghaf’ is love that nests in the chambers of the heart
[هيام] ‘hayam’ is love that wanders the earth
[تيه] ‘teeh’ is love in which you lose yourself
[ولع] ‘walah’ is love that carries sorrow with it
[صبابة] ‘sababah’ is love that exudes from your pores
[هوى] ‘hawa’ is love that shares its name with ‘air’ and ‘falling’
[غرم] ‘gharam’ is love that is willing to pay the price

Strong words.


The scholars of Arabic agreed that words derived from the same [usually triliteral] root share a common meaning among them.

A number of great classical scholars of Arabic such as al-Khalil ibn Ahmad al-Faraaheedee, Abu ‘Ali al-Faarisi, and his student Ibn Jinni, understood this idea even further and suggested the notion of al-Ishtiqaaq al-Kabeer [1] (‘the Greater Derivation’) wherein they noticed that three letters within a root - regardless of the order in which the letters are arranged - can also be said to share in a common meaning.[2]

For example, the roots ب-ر-ج and ب-ج-ر and ج-ب-ر and ج-ر-ب and ر-ج-ب and ر-ب-ج, along with all their derivations, would all share in one central theme or meaning, due to their being composed of the same three letters.

In his book al-Khasaa’is, Ibn Jinni elucidated on this phenomenon, providing detailed descrptions and examples. To continue with the same root mentioned above, Ibn Jinni says that these three letters combined connote the meaning of strength and power, as in:


1. From the root ج-ب-ر:

• jabartu al-faqeer جبرت الفقير to mean ‘I restored a man from a state of poverty to wealth.’
• A King is referred to as the jabar جبر due to the strength and power he holds.

2. From the root ج-ر-ب:

• One says about a man that he is mujarrab مُجَرَّب if he has gone through a trial, and strengthened by his experiences.
• A jiraab جِراب refers to a case that protects something else (e.g. travelling provisions, or a sword) because when something is protected it is strengthened.

3. From the root ب-ج-ر:

• A bujr بحر affair is one which is extremely terrible or momentous.
• The adjective bajeer بجير is used to refer to something in abundant, copious amounts.

4. From the root ب-ر-ج:

• A burj بُرج refers to a tower or fortress, due to being self-sufficient in its provisions, and power to protect those inside and within.
• Baraj بَرَج is used to describe an eye in which the black and white parts are extremely strong and pure in their colour.

5. From the root ر-ج-ب:

• One says rajibtu al-rajula رجِبتُ الرجلَ if they revere a man, honour him, venerate him, and regard him with awe.
• The seventh month of the Islamic calendar is known as Rajab رجب because the Arabs held this month in such strong esteem that they forbade fighting in this month.

6. From the root ر-ب-ج:

• The rubaajee رُباجيُّ is a man who is proud and boastful of his actions more than they deserve.

[1] While Ibn Jinni referred to this phenomenon as al-Ishtiqaaq al-Akbar (in the superlative form), it is usually known as al-Ishtiqaaq al-Kabeer (in the elative form).
[2] Note that they acknowledged it could not and would not apply to every root, just as the regular ishtiqaaq
would not apply to every root

The first light of the day is known as the subh الصُبح
The first dark of the night is known as the ghasaq الغَسق
The first drizzle of the rain is known as the wasmiyy الوسميّ
The first milk from the udder is known as the libaa' اللِّباء
The first juice extracted from a fruit is known as the sulaaf السلاف
The first faction of the army is known as the talee'ah الطليعة
The first signs of sleep is known as the nu'aas النُّعاس
The first hours of the night are known as the zulaf الزُّلَف
The first signs of water in a well once it has been dug is known as the nabat النَّبَط
The first garment worn by an infant is known as the 'ilqah العِلقة
The first cry of the baby when he is born is known as the istihlaal الاستهلال
The first waste to come out of the child's body is known as the 'iqyu الِعقيُ

what an awesome thread! im gna save these...please keep then coming ...
what "connection (if any) do the words "showq" and "mushtaaq" have with Ishq. are they from the same root? cos showq means longing and mushtaaq means that your missing someone, right?
pls do!

Yeah keep them coming!

Wonderful thread, baarakAllaahu feeki.

I find Arabic proverbs quite interesting. Here's one of my favourites:

Thanks, Please share if you have any nice ones too

I asked my sister to help me out with the thread, hopefully she'll have the answer inshallah

shukran

Jazakillah khair, I think that one was one of the first verses of a poem by Imam Ash-Shafi3y?? I could be wrong though

Please share if you have any nice Gems

And in responce to the reps and posts, I'm not really that great in Arabic. Alhamdulillah i'm stil learning and there's a long way for me to go...

Allaahu A'lam, I've never heard it referenced before and couldn't find anything on the matter either. I'd be interested to know too.

This thread is AWESOME!!
Jazakillah for the proverbs! I loooooove proverbs, especially Urdu and Arabic ones..they're aces.

yh inshallah...ive got words in english that have arabic roots, is that still ok to post...

Great thread!

I should have some saved somewhere that I can share once I find them Insha'Allaah. In the meanwhile, the latest addition to my Arabic proverbs collection:

حياة بلا زوجة كمطبخ بلا سكين

Life without a wife, is like a kitchen without a knife.