Ihya ʿUlum al-Din · words

Words learned from the Ihya

5 words so far, five new each session. Tap a word to open it.

  1. العلم knowledge al-ʿilm · root ع ل م

    العلم · al-ʿilm · knowledge

    • Met in: V1 p2 ¶5: «وصدرت الجملة بكتاب العلم لأنه غاية المهم»
    • Dictionary form: عِلْم (corpus lemma, 105 times in the Quran)
    • Pattern: فِعْل (fiʿl), a verbal noun of عَلِمَ, "he knew". The same root gives عَالِم (one who knows; fāʿil pattern), عُلَمَاء (scholars; the plural in ¶1), عَلِيم (All-Knowing), تَعْلِيم (teaching) and مُعَلِّم (teacher).
    • Meaning here: Knowledge in general, and above all the knowledge of the road to the Hereafter, which is the book's subject.

    Ibn Faris, Maqāyīs al-Lugha, root علم, vol 4, p 109

    العين واللام والميم أصل صحيح واحد، يدل على أثر بالشيء يتميز به عن غيره

    One sound origin: a mark on a thing that distinguishes it from others. (So ʿalam, a sign or flag, is from the same root.)

    Urdu bridge

    علم, عالم, علماء and تعلیم are all everyday Urdu with the same meanings. (to be confirmed)

    Quran

    854 words from this root (Quranic Arabic Corpus). Most common: عَلِمَ (knew) ×382, عَلِيم (All-Knowing) ×163, عِلْم (knowledge) ×105.

    فَتَعَٰلَى ٱللَّهُ ٱلْمَلِكُ ٱلْحَقُّ وَلَا تَعْجَلْ بِٱلْقُرْءَانِ مِن قَبْلِ أَن يُقْضَىٰٓ إِلَيْكَ وَحْيُهُۥ وَقُل رَّبِّ زِدْنِى عِلْمًا

    So high [above all] is Allah, the Sovereign, the Truth. And, [O Muhammad], do not hasten with [recitation of] the Qur'an before its revelation is completed to you, and say, "My Lord, increase me in knowledge."

    Surah Taa-Haa (20), ayah 114 · Saheeh International

    Why this ayah: The Prophet ﷺ is told to ask for more knowledge.

    In the Ihya

    العلم: 1,983 times in the Ihya, one of its most frequent words.

    Full page → Where it was met: Vol 1 · p 2 →

  2. الدنيا this world, this present life al-dunyā · root د ن و

    الدنيا · al-dunyā · this world, this present life

    • Met in: V1 p2 ¶1: «والآخرة مقبلة والدنيا مدبرة»
    • Dictionary form: دُنْيَا (corpus lemma, 115 times in the Quran)
    • Pattern: فُعْلَى (fuʿlā), the feminine of أَدْنَى, "nearer, lower" (in the Quran 12 times). So الدنيا is literally "the nearer (life)", set against الآخرة, "the last (life)".
    • Meaning here: This world, which is "turning its back" and leaving.

    Ibn Faris, Maqāyīs al-Lugha, root دنو, vol 2, p 302

    الدال والنون والحرف المعتل أصل واحد يقاس بعضه على بعض، وهو المقاربة

    One origin, consistent throughout: nearness.

    Urdu bridge

    دنیا is everyday Urdu for "the world". The Arabic keeps the root sense "the near one", which Urdu has lost. (to be confirmed)

    Quran

    133 words from this root (Quranic Arabic Corpus). Most common: دُنْيَا ×115, أَدْنَى ×12.

    بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا

    But you prefer the worldly life,

    Surah Al-A'laa (87), ayah 16 · Saheeh International

    Why this ayah: Preferring the life of this world: the problem the Ihya attacks. (The next ayah, 87:17, says the Hereafter is better and more lasting.)

    In the Ihya

    الدنيا: 2,377 times, the most frequent content word in the Ihya. Book 26 is the Condemnation of the World.

    Full page → Where it was met: Vol 1 · p 2 →

  3. إحياء reviving, bringing back to life iḥyāʾ · root ح ي ي

    إحياء · iḥyāʾ · reviving, bringing back to life

    • Met in: V1 p1 ¶2: «...من تحرير كتاب في إحياء علوم الدين...»
    • Dictionary form: إِحْيَاء, the verbal noun (maṣdar) of the verb أَحْيَا, "he gave life, revived" (corpus lemma أَحْيَا, 51 times in the Quran)
    • Pattern: إِفْعَال (ifʿāl), the verbal noun of Form IV (أَفْعَلَ). Form IV often means "to make something so": حَيِيَ, to live, becomes أَحْيَا, to make live.
    • Meaning here: The reviving of the sciences of the religion: bringing back to life a knowledge that has died among people (p2).

    Ibn Faris, Maqāyīs al-Lugha, root حيي, vol 2, p 121

    الحاء والياء والحرف المعتل أصلان: أحدهما خلاف الموت، والآخر الاستحياء الذي [هو] ضد الوقاحة

    Two origins: one is the opposite of death (life); the other is shyness (istiḥyāʾ), the opposite of shamelessness. So ḥayāʾ, modesty, is from the same root as ḥayāt, life.

    Urdu bridge

    احیاء is used in Urdu (احیائے دین, reviving the religion), and حیات (life) and حیا (modesty) are everyday Urdu. (to be confirmed)

    Quran

    184 words from this root (Quranic Arabic Corpus). Most common: حَيَوٰة (life) ×76, أَحْيَا (gave life) ×51, حَيّ (living) ×24.

    فَٱنظُرْ إِلَىٰٓ ءَاثَٰرِ رَحْمَتِ ٱللَّهِ كَيْفَ يُحْىِ ٱلْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَآ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ لَمُحْىِ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

    So observe the effects of the mercy of Allah - how He gives life to the earth after its lifelessness. Indeed, that [same one] will give life to the dead, and He is over all things competent.

    Surah Ar-Room (30), ayah 50 · Saheeh International

    Why this ayah: Allah reviving the earth after its death: the picture behind the book's title.

    In the Ihya

    إحياء: 105 times in the Ihya.

    Full page → Where it was met: Vol 1 · p 1 →

  4. الخالص pure, purely for al-khāliṣ · root خ ل ص

    الخالص · al-khāliṣ · pure, purely for

    Ibn Faris, Maqāyīs al-Lugha, root خلص, vol 2, p 207

    الخاء واللام والصاد أصل واحد مطرد، وهو تنقية الشيء وتهذيبه

    One origin running through all its words: cleansing a thing and refining it.

    Urdu bridge

    خالص (pure, unmixed: خالص دودھ) and اخلاص (sincerity) are everyday Urdu. (to be confirmed)

    Quran

    31 words from this root (Quranic Arabic Corpus). Most common: مُخْلِص ×11, مُخْلَص ×9, خَالِصَة ×5.

    أَلَا لِلَّهِ ٱلدِّينُ ٱلْخَالِصُ وَٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ مَا نَعْبُدُهُمْ إِلَّا لِيُقَرِّبُونَآ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ زُلْفَىٰٓ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ فِى مَا هُمْ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِى مَنْ هُوَ كَٰذِبٌ كَفَّارٌ

    Unquestionably, for Allah is the pure religion. And those who take protectors besides Him [say], "We only worship them that they may bring us nearer to Allah in position." Indeed, Allah will judge between them concerning that over which they differ. Indeed, Allah does not guide he who is a liar and [confirmed] disbeliever.

    Surah Az-Zumar (39), ayah 3 · Saheeh International

    Why this ayah: The very word الخالص: pure religion belongs to Allah.

    In the Ihya

    الخالص: 33 times; الإخلاص: 171 times. The Book of Intention, Sincerity and Truthfulness (Book 37) is devoted to it.

    Full page → Where it was met: Vol 1 · p 2 →

  5. طريق road, path, way ṭarīq · root ط ر ق

    طريق · ṭarīq · road, path, way

    Ibn Faris, Maqāyīs al-Lugha, root طرق, vol 3, p 449

    الطاء والراء والقاف أربعة أصول، أحدها: الإتيان مساء، والثاني: الضرب، والثالث: جنس من استرخاء الشيء، والرابع: خصف شيء على شيء

    Four origins: coming by night; striking; a kind of slackness; and laying one thing over another. He places الطريق under the root only tentatively, saying himself «والله أعلم» (Allah knows best), so we do not claim an etymology.

    Urdu bridge

    Watch the shift: Urdu طریقہ means method, way of doing; Arabic طريق means road, and طريقة means way, manner. The Ihya uses both. (to be confirmed)

    Quran

    11 words from this root (Quranic Arabic Corpus): طَرِيقَة ×5, طَرِيق ×4, طَارِق ×2.

    قَالُوا۟ يَٰقَوْمَنَآ إِنَّا سَمِعْنَا كِتَٰبًا أُنزِلَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مُوسَىٰ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ يَهْدِىٓ إِلَى ٱلْحَقِّ وَإِلَىٰ طَرِيقٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ

    They said, "O our people, indeed we have heard a [recited] Book revealed after Moses confirming what was before it which guides to the truth and to a straight path.

    Surah Al-Ahqaf (46), ayah 30 · Saheeh International

    Why this ayah: The jinn describe the Quran as guiding "to a straight path" (طريق مستقيم).

    In the Ihya

    طريق: 627 times in the Ihya.

    Full page → Where it was met: Vol 1 · p 2 →