Tarawih Top Five, Ramadan 2026🌙

Juz 18 (Al-Muminun Verse 1 Through Al Furqan Verse 20)

Here are 5 fruits 🍐 from the language of Quran:

1.) The root (ل - و - م) gives the primary meaning of blaming and rebuking someone. From this root, we obtain the verb لَامَ - يَلُومُ (“to blame/criticize someone”), and its masdar/verbal noun of لَومٌ (“blame”). We also obtain the adjective مُلِيم, which is used to describe a blameworthy person. And when we say someone is مَلُومٌ, this means they themselves are being blamed. We see this word used in its plural form in verse 23:6 of Surah Al-Mu’minun: إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزْوَٰجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـٰنُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ *مَلُومِينَ* (“except with their wives or those ˹bondwomen˺ in their possession, for then they are free from *_blame_*”).  Also from this root, we derive the Form VI verb تَلَاوَمَ, which means “to blame one another” (Verb Form VI often involves mutuality). Also from this root, we obtain the noun of hyperbole لَوَّام, which refers to an intensely critical entity. We see this used to describe one of the types of souls: النَّفْسُ اللَّوَّامَة (“the intensely critical soul”). This soul is called this because it strives to do good, but succumbs to bad deeds as well, but is quite critical of itself because of these bad deeds. This soul is mentioned in verse 75:2 of Surah Al-Qiyaamah: *وَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِٱلنَّفْسِ *ٱللَّوَّامَةِ (“And I do swear by the *_self-reproaching soul_*!”). 

2.) The root (ب - غ - ي) has two root meanings: the first is the seeking of something, and the second is corruption. From the first root meaning, we obtain the word بَغَى - يَبْغِي, which means “to desire/crave/seek something.” This verb is also used in some Arab dialects with the meaning of wanting something. Also from this root, we obtain the word البُغْيَة, which refers to a person’s need. Regarding the second root meaning, we obtain the word بَغِيّ, which refers to an adulterous person. The word بَغْيٌ can also refer to darkness (ظلام) itself. We also have the Form VIII verb اِبْتَغَى (“to desire, seek”), which we see in verse 23:7 of Surah Al-Mu’minun: فَمَنِ *ٱبْتَغَىٰ* وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْعَادُونَ (“but whoever *_seeks_* beyond that are the transgressors”). 

3.) The root (ر - ع - ى) has two primary root meanings: the first is observance, care, and guardianship, and the second is about returning to something. From the first root meaning, we obtain the verb رَعَى - يَرْعَى, which has several meanings, including “to graze” (for livestock”, “to take care of” (as a guardian), and “to observe.” Also from this root, we obtain the word الرَّاعِي, which refers to a shepherd, so called because a shepherd takes care of his flock of sheep. Also from this root, we obtain the word الرَّعْيُ, which refers to taking care of one’s herd, whether that be through nourishing them or through dispelling dangers from their path. The word مَرْعَى refers to a pasture-ground for livestock to graze. We also see the doer pattern word رَاعُون in its plural form used in verse 23:8 of Surah Al-Mu’minoon: وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَـٰنَـٰتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ *رَٰعُونَ* (“˹the believers are also˺ those who are true [*_observant and fulfilling of_*] to their trusts and covenants”). 

4.) The root (و - ر - ث) means to inherit something. From this root, we obtain the verb وَرَثَ - يَرِثُ, which means “to inherit”, such as inheritance, wealth, etc.  The verbal noun/masdar version of this is وِرْث (and also إِرْث), which mean “inheritance.”  Another similar word for “inheritance” is مِيرَاث. We see the doer pattern (اسم الفاعل) in its masculine plural form (الوَارِثُونَ) as well as its present-tense masculine plural form used in verses 23:10-11 of Surah Al-Mu’minun: أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ *ٱلْوَٰرِثُونَ* | ٱلَّذِينَ *يَرِثُونَ* ٱلْفِرْدَوْسَ هُمْ فِيهَا خَـٰلِدُونَ (“These are the ones *_who will be awarded | The ones who will be awarded_* Al-Firdaws as their own. They will be there forever”). In this ayah, the word is being used figuratively to refer to reward rather than literal inheritance.

5.) The root (ء - خ - ذ) means to take something. From this root, we obtain the verb أَخَذَ , which means “to take.” Also from this root, we obtain the Form VIII verb اِتَّخَذَ, which means “to adopt,” as adopting a child is a form of taking. This verb is also used in a more figurative sense to mean “to adopt an idea.” We see this form VIII verb used in ayah 25:2 of Surah Al Furqan: ٱلَّذِى لَهُۥ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَمْ *يَتَّخِذْ وَلَدًا* وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ شَرِيكٌۭ فِى ٱلْمُلْكِ وَخَلَقَ كُلَّ شَىْءٍۢ فَقَدَّرَهُۥ تَقْدِيرًۭا (“˹Allah is˺ the One to Whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, Who has never *_had ˹any˺ offspring_*, nor does He have a partner in ˹governing˺ the kingdom. He has created everything, ordaining it precisely”). This ayah is negating any possibility of God taking a son or “adopting” one.