سورة الضحى — دليل التدبر

الضُّحَى Al-Duḥā Ayah 1 — "By the morning brightness."

Light Definition

انبساطُ الشمس وامتدادُ النهار The spreading and expansion of sunlight and daytime brightness

Al-Rāghib — Arabic

[ضحى]
الضُّحَى: انبساطُ الشمس وامتداد النهار، وسمّي الوقت به. قال الله عزّ وجل: وَالشَّمْسِ وَضُحاها [الشمس/ ١]، إِلَّا عَشِيَّةً أَوْ ضُحاها [النازعات/ ٤٦]، وَالضُّحى وَاللَّيْلِ [الضحى/ ١-٢]، وَأَخْرَجَ ضُحاها [النازعات/ ٢٩]، وَأَنْ يُحْشَرَ النَّاسُ ضُحًى [طه/ ٥٩].

وضَحَى يَضْحَى: تَعَرَّضَ للشمس. قال: وَأَنَّكَ لا تَظْمَؤُا فِيها وَلا تَضْحى [طه/ ١١٩]، أي: لك أن تتصوّن من حرّ الشمس.

وتَضَحَّى: أَكَلَ ضُحًى، كقولك: تغدّى. والضَّحَاءُ والغداءُ لطعامهما. وضَاحِيَةُ كلِّ شيءٍ: ناحيتُهُ البارزةُ، وقيل للسماء: الضَّوَاحِي. وليلة إِضْحِيَانَةٌ، وضَحْيَاءُ: مُضيئةٌ إضاءةَ الضُّحَى.

والأُضْحِيَّةُ جمعُها أَضَاحِي، وقيل: ضَحِيَّةٌ وضَحَايَا، وأَضْحَاةٌ وأَضْحًى. وتسميتُها بذلك في الشّرع لقوله عليه السلام: «مَن ذبح قبل صلاتنا هذه فليُعِدْ».

Al-Rāghib — English

[Root: ḍ-ḥ-w/y]

Al-Duḥā: the spreading and expansiveness of the sun and the lengthening of the day — time itself is named after it. Allah says: "By the sun and its Duḥā" [Al-Shams/1], "except for an evening or its Duḥā" [Al-Nāzi'āt/46], "By the Duḥā and by the night" [Al-Duḥā/1-2], "and He brought out its Duḥā" [Al-Nāzi'āt/29], "and that the people be gathered at the time of Duḥā" [Ṭā-Hā/59].

Ḍaḥā yaḍḥā means to be exposed to the sun. He says: "and that you will neither thirst therein nor be exposed to the sun (lā taḍḥā)" [Ṭā-Hā/119] — meaning: you are shielded from the heat of the sun.

Taḍaḥḥā means to eat at the time of Duḥā, like tataghaddā (to eat lunch). Al-ḍaḥā' and al-ghadā' are the names of those two meals. The ḍāḥiyah of anything is its exposed, visible side; the sky is called al-ḍawāḥī (the exposed ones). A brightly lit night is called iḍḥiyānah or ḍaḥyā' — lit with the light of Duḥā.

The Uḍḥiyyah (sacrificial offering) is pluralised as aḍāḥī, ḍaḥiyyah/ḍaḥāyā, or aḍḥāh/aḍḥā. It is named thus in Islamic law based on the Prophet's ﷺ saying: "Whoever slaughters before our prayer, let them repeat it."

سَجَى Sajā Ayah 2 — "And by the night when it becomes still."

Light Definition

سكونُ الليل وثبوته The stillness and settling of the night

Al-Rāghib — Arabic

[سجى]
قال تعالى: وَاللَّيْلِ إِذا سَجى [الضحى/ ٢]، أي: سكن — وهذا إشارة إلى ما قيل: هدأت الأرجل.

وعينٌ سَاجِيَةٌ: فاترة الطّرف. وسَجَى البحر سَجْواً: سكنت أمواجه. ومنه استُعير: تَسْجِيَةُ الميّت، أي: تغطيته بالثوب — كأن الميّت سكن وهدأ.

Al-Rāghib — English

[Root: s-j-w]

Allah says: "By the night when it becomes still (sajā)" [Al-Duḥā/2] — meaning: it became calm. This alludes to the expression: "the footsteps have gone quiet."

A sājiyah eye is one with a soft, still gaze. Sajā al-baḥr means the sea's waves became tranquil. From this is borrowed the expression tasjiyat al-mayyit — covering the deceased with a cloth — as if the body too has become still and at peace.

وَدَّعَ Wadda'a Ayah 3 — "Your Lord has not abandoned you."

Light Definition

التركُ مع تخليةٍ وإعراض To leave or abandon with turning away

Al-Rāghib — Arabic

[ودع]
الدّعة: الخفض. يقال: ودعتُ كذا أدعه وَدْعاً — نحو: تركته. وقال بعض العلماء: لا يستعمل ماضيه واسم فاعله، وإنّما يقال: يَدَعُ ودَعْ. وقد قُرئ: مَا وَدَعَكَ رَبُّكَ [الضحى/ ٣].

وقال الشاعر: «ليتَ شعري عن خليلي ما الذي ... غاله في الحبّ حتى ودعه».

والتوديعُ أصله من الدَّعة — وهو أن تدعو للمسافر بأن يتحمّل الله عنه كآبة السّفر وأن يبلّغه الدَّعة، كما أنّ التّسليم دعاءٌ له بالسّلامة. فصار ذلك متعارفاً في تشييع المسافر وتركه. وعُبِّر عن التّرك به في قوله: مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ [الضحى/ ٣]، كقولك: ودّعتُ فلاناً — أي: خلّيته.

ويُكنَّى بالمودَّع عن الميّت، ومنه قيل: استودعتُك غير مودَّع.

Al-Rāghib — English

[Root: w-d-']

Al-da'ah means ease and lowness. One says: wada'tu kadhā — I left it. Some scholars note that the past tense and active participle of this verb are rarely used; only yada' (he leaves) and da' (leave!) are said. The reading "Your Lord has not forsaken you (mā wada'aka)" [Al-Duḥā/3] appears in this form.

A poet said: "Would that I knew what afflicted my dear friend in love, until he left him."

Al-tawdī' (farewell) is rooted in al-da'ah (ease): it means to pray that Allah relieve the traveller of the hardship of the journey and bring him to ease — just as al-taslīm (the greeting of peace) is a prayer for safety. It became the customary act of seeing someone off and leaving them. Allah uses it to mean leaving in: "Your Lord has not abandoned you (mā wadda'aka)" [Al-Duḥā/3] — like saying: I bade farewell to so-and-so, meaning: I left him.

The word is also used as a euphemism for the deceased; hence the expression: "I entrust you to One who is not departing."

📝 الوداع والقلَى هما نقيض المحبة والوصل — Farewell (wadā') and hatred (qalā) are both opposites of love and connection.

قَلَى Qalā Ayah 3 — "Nor has He hated you."

Light Definition

شدةُ البغض Intense hatred or deep aversion

Al-Rāghib — Arabic

[قلى]
القِلَى: شدّة البغض. يقال: قَلَاهُ يَقْلِيهِ ويَقْلُوهُ. قال تعالى: مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلى [الضحى/ ٣]، وقال: إِنِّي لِعَمَلِكُمْ مِنَ الْقالِينَ [الشعراء/ ١٦٨].

فمن جعله من الواو فهو من القَلْو، أي: الرّمي — من قولهم: قلتِ الناقةُ براكبها قَلواً — فكأنّ المقلوَّ هو الذي يقذفه القلبُ من بغضه فلا يقبله. ومن جعله من الياء فمن: قَلَيْتُ البُسرَ والسّويقَ على المِقْلاة.

Al-Rāghib — English

[Root: q-l-y/w]

Al-qilā means intense hatred. One says qalāhu yaqlihi or yaqlūhu. Allah says: "Your Lord has not forsaken you, nor has He hated (qalā)" [Al-Duḥā/3], and: "Indeed I am among those who detest (al-qālīn) your deeds" [Al-Shu'arā/168].

Those who derive it from the wāw root link it to al-qalw (throwing) — from the expression: "the she-camel threw her rider off" — as if the one who is hated is flung away by the heart in rejection, which refuses to receive them. Those who derive it from the yā' root link it to qalayt al-busr — to roast dates or flour on a griddle (al-miqlāh).

الْآخِرَة Al-Ākhirah Ayah 4 — "The Hereafter is better for you than the first."

Light Definition

الدارُ الباقية بعد فناء الدنيا The lasting abode after the end of this world

Al-Rāghib — Arabic

[أخر]
آخِر يقابل الأوّل. ويعبَّر بالدار الآخرة عن النشأة الثانية — أي: الحياة التي تأتي بعد الدنيا.

والتأخيرُ مقابلُ التقديم. قال تعالى: بِمَا قَدَّمَ وَأَخَّرَ [القيامة/ ١٣]، مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِكَ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ [الفتح/ ٢]، إِنَّمَا يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ لِيَوْمٍ تَشْخَصُ فِيهِ الْأَبْصَارُ [إبراهيم/ ٤٢]، رَبَّنَا أَخِّرْنَا إِلَى أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍ [إبراهيم/ ٤٤].

وبعتُه بِأَخِرَةٍ: أي بتأخير أجل. وقولهم: أبعدَ الله الأَخِرَ — أي: المتأخر عن الفضيلة وعن تحرّي الحق.

Al-Rāghib — English

[Root: '-kh-r]

Al-ākhir is the opposite of al-awwal (the first). The term "al-dār al-ākhirah" refers to the second existence — the life that comes after this world.

Al-ta'khīr (delaying) is the opposite of al-taqdīm (advancing). Allah says: "what he sent forth and what he left behind" [Al-Qiyāmah/13], "what has come before of your sins and what will come after" [Al-Fatḥ/2], "He only delays them for a Day when eyes will stare in horror" [Ibrāhīm/42], "Our Lord, delay us for a short while" [Ibrāhīm/44].

"I sold it bi-akhirah" means: with a delayed term of payment. The expression "may Allah distance al-akhir" refers to one who lags behind in virtue and in seeking truth.

رَضِيَ Raḍiya Ayah 5 — "And your Lord will give you, and you will be satisfied."

Light Definition

سرورُ النفس بزوال السخط The joy of the soul when anger and displeasure depart

Al-Rāghib — Arabic

[رضي]
يقال: رَضِيَ يَرْضَى رِضاً، فهو مَرْضِيٌّ ومَرْضُوٌّ. ورِضَا العبد عن الله: أن لا يكره ما يجري به قضاؤه. ورِضَا الله عن العبد: أن يراه مؤتمراً لأمره، ومنتهياً عن نهيه.

قال الله تعالى: رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ [المائدة/ ١١٩]، وقال: لَقَدْ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ [الفتح/ ١٨]، وقال: وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلامَ دِيناً [المائدة/ ٣]، وقال: أَرَضِيتُمْ بِالْحَياةِ الدُّنْيا مِنَ الْآخِرَةِ [التوبة/ ٣٨].

والرِّضْوَانُ: الرّضا الكثير. ولمّا كان أعظم الرّضا رضا الله تعالى، خُصَّ لفظ الرِّضوان في القرآن بما كان من الله. قال: إِلَّا ابْتِغَاءَ رِضْوَانِ اللَّهِ [الحديد/ ٢٧]، وقال: يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلاً مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَاناً [الفتح/ ٢٩]، وقال: يُبَشِّرُهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ بِرَحْمَةٍ مِنْهُ وَرِضْوَانٍ [التوبة/ ٢١]، وقوله: إِذا تَراضَوْا بَيْنَهُمْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ [البقرة/ ٢٣٢]، أي: أظهر كلٌّ منهم الرّضا بصاحبه.

Al-Rāghib — English

[Root: r-ḍ-w/y]

One says: raḍiya yarḍā riḍan — he is marḍīy or marḍūw. The servant's riḍā toward Allah means not resenting what His decree brings. Allah's riḍā toward the servant means He sees the servant following His commands and refraining from His prohibitions.

Allah says: "Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him" [Al-Māidah/119], "Allah was certainly pleased with the believers" [Al-Fatḥ/18], "and I have approved Islam as your religion" [Al-Māidah/3], "Are you satisfied with the life of this world rather than the Hereafter?" [Al-Tawbah/38].

Al-Riḍwān is an abundant, overflowing degree of riḍā. Because the greatest riḍā is Allah's, the word riḍwān in the Qur'an is reserved for what comes from Allah. He says: "seeking only the pleasure (riḍwān) of Allah" [Al-Ḥadīd/27], "seeking bounty from Allah and His pleasure (riḍwānan)" [Al-Fatḥ/29], "their Lord gives them glad tidings of mercy and pleasure (riḍwān) from Him" [Al-Tawbah/21], and: "when they mutually agree with each other in kindness" [Al-Baqarah/232] — meaning each one has shown riḍā toward the other.

يَتِيم Yatīm Ayah 6 — "Did He not find you an orphan and give shelter?"

Light Definition

من فقد أباه قبل البلوغ One who lost their father before reaching maturity

Al-Rāghib — Arabic

[يتم]
اليُتْمُ: انقطاع الصَّبيِّ عن أبيه قبل بلوغه، وفي سائر الحيوانات من قِبَلِ أمّه.

قال تعالى: أَلَمْ يَجِدْكَ يَتِيماً فَآوى [الضحى/ ٦]، وَيَتِيماً وَأَسِيراً [الإنسان/ ٨].

وجمعه: يَتَامَى. قال تعالى: وَآتُوا الْيَتَامَى أَمْوَالَهُمْ [النساء/ ٢]، إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ أَمْوَالَ الْيَتَامَى [النساء/ ١٠]، وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْيَتَامَى [البقرة/ ٢٢٠].

وكلُّ منفردٍ يتيمٌ — يقال: دُرَّةٌ يتيمةٌ، تنبيهاً على أنّها انقطعت عن مادّتها التي خرجت منها. وقيل: بيتٌ يتيمٌ — تشبيهاً بالدّرّة اليتيمة.

Al-Rāghib — English

[Root: y-t-m]

Al-yutm is the severing of a child from their father before reaching maturity. In other animals, yutm comes through the loss of the mother.

Allah says: "Did He not find you an orphan (yatīman) and give shelter?" [Al-Duḥā/6], "and an orphan (yatīman) and a captive" [Al-Insān/8].

Its plural is yatāmā. Allah says: "Give the orphans their wealth" [Al-Nisā'/2], "Indeed those who consume the wealth of orphans" [Al-Nisā'/10], "They ask you about the orphans" [Al-Baqarah/220].

Everything that stands alone is called yatīm — a lone pearl is called yatīmah, signifying it has been severed from its source. A line of poetry with no match is called bayt yatīm, by analogy to the lone pearl.

ضَالّ Ḍāll Ayah 7 — "And He found you unaware and guided you."

Light Definition

العدول عن الطريق، والجهل بالشيء Deviation from the path; also used for lack of knowledge

Al-Rāghib — Arabic

[ضلل]
الضَّلَالُ: العدولُ عن الطّريق المستقيم، ويضادّه الهداية. قال تعالى: فَمَنِ اهْتَدَى فَإِنَّمَا يَهْتَدِي لِنَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ ضَلَّ فَإِنَّمَا يَضِلُّ عَلَيْهَا.

وإذا كان الضَّلَالُ تركَ الطّريق المستقيم — عمداً أو سهواً، قليلاً أو كثيراً — صحّ أن يُستعمل ممّن يكون منه خطأٌ ما. ولذلك نُسب الضَّلَالُ إلى الأنبياء وإلى الكفّار، وإن كان بين الضَّلالَيْن بونٌ بعيد.

قال في النّبيّ ﷺ: وَوَجَدَكَ ضَالًّا فَهَدَى [الضحى/ ٧]، أي: غير مهتدٍ لما سيُسَاق إليك من النبوّة.

وقال في يعقوب: إِنَّكَ لَفِي ضَلَالِكَ الْقَدِيمِ [يوسف/ ٩٥]، وقال أولاده: إِنَّ أَبَانَا لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ [يوسف/ ٨] — إشارةً إلى شغفه بيوسف وشوقه إليه.

وقال عن موسى عليه السلام: فَعَلْتُهَا إِذاً وَأَنَا مِنَ الضَّالِّينَ [الشعراء/ ٢٠] — تنبيهٌ أنّ ذلك منه سهو.

وقوله: أَنْ تَضِلَّ إِحْدَاهُمَا [البقرة/ ٢٨٢]، أي: تنسى — وذلك من النّسيان الموضوع عن الإنسان.

والضَّلَالُ ضربان: ضلالٌ في العلوم النظريّة كمعرفة الله ووحدانيّته، وضلالٌ في العلوم العمليّة كمعرفة الأحكام الشرعيّة. والضَّلَالُ البعيدُ إشارةٌ إلى الكفر: وَمَنْ يَكْفُرْ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلالاً بَعِيداً. وقوله: وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ [الفاتحة/ ٧] — قيل: عُنِيَ بهم النّصارى.

وقوله: أَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ كَيْدَهُمْ فِي تَضْلِيلٍ [الفيل/ ٢] — أي: في باطل وإضلالٍ لأنفسهم.

Al-Rāghib — English

[Root: ḍ-l-l]

Al-ḍalāl is deviation from the straight path — its opposite is al-hidāyah (guidance). Allah says: "Whoever is guided is only guided for his own soul, and whoever goes astray only goes astray against it."

Since ḍalāl means leaving the straight path — whether intentional or accidental, slight or great — the word applies to anyone who makes a mistake. This is why ḍalāl is attributed both to prophets and to disbelievers, even though there is a vast difference between the two.

Regarding the Prophet ﷺ: "And He found you unaware (ḍāllan) and guided you" [Al-Duḥā/7] — meaning: not yet aware of the prophethood that was about to come to you.

Regarding Ya'qūb: "You are still in your old delusion (ḍalāl)" [Yūsuf/95], and his sons said: "Our father is clearly in error (ḍalāl mubīn)" [Yūsuf/8] — referring to his intense longing for Yūsuf.

Regarding Mūsā: "I did it then while I was among the unaware (al-ḍāllīn)" [Al-Shu'arā/20] — indicating it was an unintentional act.

"lest one of the two forgets (taḍilla)" [Al-Baqarah/282] — meaning: lest she forgets, which is a natural human lapse.

Ḍalāl has two types: in theoretical knowledge (knowing Allah, His oneness, prophethood) and in practical matters (religious rulings). The "distant ḍalāl" refers to disbelief: "whoever disbelieves in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day has gone far astray." "nor those who have gone astray (al-ḍāllīn)" [Al-Fātiḥah/7] — some say this refers to the Christians. "Did He not make their plot go into taḍlīl?" [Al-Fīl/2] — into falsehood and self-destruction.

📝 ضدّه: الهداية · Its opposite is Guidance (al-hidāyah)

عَائِل 'Ā'il Ayah 8 — "And He found you poor and made you self-sufficient."

Light Definition

الفقر والحاجة Poverty and neediness

Al-Rāghib — Arabic

[عيل]
قال تعالى: وَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ عَيْلَةً [التوبة/ ٢٨]، أي: فقراً.

يقال: عَالَ الرّجلُ إذا افتقر يَعِيلُ عَيْلَةً فهو عَائِلٌ. وأمّا أَعَالَ إذا كثر عِيَالُهُ فمن بنات الواو.

وقوله: وَوَجَدَكَ عَائِلاً فَأَغْنَى، أي: أزال عنك فقر النّفس وجعل لك الغنى الأكبر — المعنيَّ بقوله ﷺ: «الغنى غنى النّفس».

وقيل: «ما عَالَ مُقتصِد». وقيل: ووجدك فقيراً إلى رحمة الله وعفوه، فأغناك بمغفرته لك ما تقدّم من ذنبك وما تأخّر.

Al-Rāghib — English

[Root: '-y-l]

Allah says: "And if you fear poverty ('aylah)" [Al-Tawbah/28] — meaning: destitution.

One says: 'āla al-rajul — the man became poor; he is 'ā'il. As for a'āla — to have many dependants — that is from a different root (wāw).

His words: "And He found you poor ('ā'ilan) and made you self-sufficient" — meaning: He removed from you the poverty of the soul and granted you the greatest richness — what the Prophet ﷺ meant by: "True wealth is richness of the soul."

It is said: "The moderate person never becomes poor." It is also interpreted as: He found you in need of Allah's mercy and forgiveness, and He enriched you through His pardon of all that came before and all that would come after.

قَهَر Qahara Ayah 9 — "So as for the orphan, do not oppress."

Light Definition

الغلبة مع إذلال To overpower along with humiliation

Al-Rāghib — Arabic

[قهر]
القَهْرُ: الغلبة والتّذليل معاً — ويستعمل في كلّ واحد منهما.

قال تعالى: وَهُوَ الْقَاهِرُ فَوْقَ عِبَادِهِ [الأنعام/ ١٨]، وقال: وَهُوَ الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ [الرعد/ ١٦]، فَوْقَهُمْ قَاهِرُونَ [الأعراف/ ١٢٧]، فَأَمَّا الْيَتِيمَ فَلَا تَقْهَرْ [الضحى/ ٩] — أي: لا تُذِلَّه.

وأَقْهَرَهُ: سلَّط عليه من يقهره. والقَهْقَرَى: المشي إلى الخلف.

Al-Rāghib — English

[Root: q-h-r]

Al-qahr combines two meanings: overpowering and humiliation — and each can be used independently.

Allah says: "And He is the Subjugator (al-Qāhir) above His servants" [Al-An'ām/18], "He is the One, the All-Subduer (al-Qahhār)" [Al-Ra'd/16], "and they are dominant (qāhirūn) over them" [Al-A'rāf/127], "As for the orphan, do not oppress (lā taqhar)" [Al-Duḥā/9] — meaning: do not humiliate or belittle them.

Aqharahu means to set against someone a person who overpowers them. Al-qahqarā means walking backwards.

نَهَر Nahara Ayah 10 — "And as for the one who asks, do not repel."

Light Definition

الزجر بانتهار وشدة To rebuke harshly and with force

Al-Rāghib — Arabic

[نهر]
النَّهْرُ والانتهارُ: الزّجر بمغالظة. يقال: نَهَرَهُ وانتهره.

قال: فَلَا تَقُلْ لَهُمَا أُفٍّ وَلَا تَنْهَرْهُمَا [الإسراء/ ٢٣]، وَأَمَّا السَّائِلَ فَلَا تَنْهَرْ [الضحى/ ١٠].

Al-Rāghib — English

[Root: n-h-r]

Al-nahr and al-intihār both mean to rebuke with harshness and severity. One says naharahu or intaharahu.

Allah says: "Do not say to them even uff, and do not rebuke them (lā tanharhuma)" [Al-Isrā'/23] — speaking of parents. And: "As for the one who asks, do not repel them (lā tanhar)" [Al-Duḥā/10].

نِعْمَة Ni'mah Ayah 11 — "And as for the blessing of your Lord, proclaim it."

Light Definition

الحالة الحسنة التي يُستحسن بها حال الإنسان A good and blessed state that elevates a person's condition

Al-Rāghib — Arabic

[نعم]
النِّعْمَةُ: الحالةُ الحسنةُ. والنَّعْمَةُ: التَّنَعُّمُ نفسه. والنِّعْمةُ للجنس تقال للقليل والكثير.

قال تعالى: وَإِنْ تَعُدُّوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَا [النحل/ ١٨]، اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتِيَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ [البقرة/ ٤٠]، وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي [المائدة/ ٣]، فَانْقَلَبُوا بِنِعْمَةٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ [آل عمران/ ١٧٤].

والإِنْعَامُ: إيصالُ الإحسانِ إلى الغير — ولا يقال إلّا إذا كان المُوصَلُ إليه من جنس الناطقين؛ لا يقال: أنعم فلانٌ على فرسه. قال تعالى: أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ [الفاتحة/ ٧].

والنَّعْمَاءُ بإزاء الضَّرَّاء. قال: وَلَئِنْ أَذَقْنَاهُ نَعْمَاءَ بَعْدَ ضَرَّاءَ مَسَّتْهُ [هود/ ١٠]. والنَّعِيمُ: النِّعمةُ الكثيرة. قال: فِي جَنَّاتِ النَّعِيمِ [يونس/ ٩].

وقال: نِعْمَ الْعَبْدُ إِنَّهُ أَوَّابٌ [ص/ ٤٤]، نِعْمَ الْمَوْلَى وَنِعْمَ النَّصِيرُ [الأنفال/ ٤٠]، فَنِعْمَ أَجْرُ الْعامِلِينَ [الزمر/ ٧٤].

Al-Rāghib — English

[Root: n-'-m]

Al-ni'mah is a good state or condition. Al-na'mah refers to the actual experience of luxury and ease. The word ni'mah as a generic noun applies to both small and large amounts.

Allah says: "And if you tried to count the blessings of Allah, you could never enumerate them" [Al-Naḥl/18], "Remember My blessing which I bestowed upon you" [Al-Baqarah/40], "and I have completed My blessing upon you" [Al-Māidah/3], "they returned with a blessing from Allah" [Āl 'Imrān/174].

Al-in'ām means delivering goodness and kindness to another — this term is only used when the recipient is a rational, speaking being; one does not say "he bestowed in'ām on his horse." Allah says: "those upon whom You have bestowed Your blessing" [Al-Fātiḥah/7].

Al-na'mā' is the opposite of al-ḍarrā' (affliction). He says: "And if We let him taste ease (na'māʾ) after hardship had touched him" [Hūd/10]. Al-na'īm is an abundant ni'mah. He says: "in the Gardens of Bliss (al-na'īm)" [Yūnus/9].

And: "What an excellent servant (ni'ma al-'abd)! Indeed he was ever turning back" [Ṣād/44], "What an excellent Protector (ni'ma al-mawlā) and what an excellent Helper" [Al-Anfāl/40], "How excellent is the reward of those who work!" [Al-Zumar/74].