Tarāwīh Top 🔟, Ramadan 2026🌙

Juz 5 (An-Nisa Verse 24-147)

Here are 10 fruits 🍐 from the language of Quran:

1.) The root (م - ي - ل) refers to _inclining_ towards something. From this root, we derive the past-tense verb مَالَ and present-tense verb يَمِيلُ. When used with the حَرْفُ الجَرّ of إِلَى, i.e., مَالَ إِلَى, it means “to incline _towards_.” However, when used with the حَرْفُ الجَـرّ of عَنْ, i.e., مَالَ عَنْ, it means “to incline _away from_.”  The verbal noun (masdar) version is مَـيْـل (“inclination”). This verb is seen in ayah 4:27 of Surah An Nisa as such: وَٱللَّهُ يُرِيدُ أَن يَتُوبَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَيُرِيدُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ ٱلشَّهَوَٰتِ أَن *تَمِيلُوا۟ مَيْلًا عَظِيمًا* (“And it is Allah’s Will to turn to you in grace, but those who follow their desires wish to see *_you deviate entirely_* ˹from Allah’s Way˺”). In this verse, this verb is used to indicate that those who follow their desires wish to see those who believe incline _away_ from the Truth.

2.) The root (ع - د - و) refers to the concept of going past the limit and transgressing. From this root, we obtain the past-tense verb عَدَا and the present-tense verb يَعْدُو, meaning “to oppress and transgress all bounds.” The verbal noun (masdar) version is عُدْوَانٌ (“oppression | transgression”), which is seen in ayah 4:30 in Surah An-Nisa as such: وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ *عُدْوَٰنًا* وَظُلْمًۭا فَسَوْفَ نُصْلِيهِ نَارًۭا ۚ وَكَانَ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ يَسِيرًا (“And whoever does this [in a] *_transgressive manner_* and unjustly, We will burn them in the Fire. That is easy for Allah”).  The word عُدْوَانًا here is used to refer to doing something in an oppressive manner that transgresses the bounds. 

3.) The root (م - ن - ي) refers to the fulfillment of decree and the actualization of a plan. From this root, we obtain the word مَـنِـيَّـة (“death”), so called because every living thing is decreed with death ⚰️. Also from this root is the word اُمْـنِـيَـة (“wish”) in that a wish is that which is hoped to be decreed.  Also from this root, we obtain the Form V verb تَـمَـنَّـى (“to have wishful thinking”). This verb is used specifically for wishing for something that is _unrealistic, improbable, or impossible_. We see this verb in ayah 4:32 of Surah An Nisa: *وَلَا تَتَمَنَّوْا۟* مَا فَضَّلَ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦ بَعْضَكُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍۢ ۚ لِّلرِّجَالِ نَصِيبٌۭ مِّمَّا ٱكْتَسَبُوا۟ ۖ وَلِلنِّسَآءِ نَصِيبٌۭ مِّمَّا ٱكْتَسَبْنَ ۚ وَسْـَٔلُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مِن فَضْلِهِۦٓ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمًۭا (“*_And do not wish for_* what Allah has given some of you over others. Men will be rewarded according to their deeds and women ˹equally˺ according to theirs. Rather, ask Allah for His bounties. Surely Allah has ˹perfect˺ knowledge of all things”). The context of this verse is that some of the women wanted to have equal partaking of inheritance and participation in battle. This ayah was then revealed that the women ought to not wish for that which was for the men, as the women have their portion, and men have their portion, as determined by the Shariah. Here, the verb تَـتَـمَـنَّوا is apt because the women wished for something that is not according to the Sharia, which is similar to wishing for something unrealistic or improbable. 

4.) The root (ن - ص - ب) refers to the raising of and establishment of something and reaching equality or an equitable state. From this root, we obtain the word نَصَب, which means “fatigue,” so called because man is always remaining established on his two feet until he tires out. Also from this root, we obtain the word نَصِيب, which refers to the _lot_ or _share_ of a person in their life, so called because one’s نَصِيب is that which is raised and established for a person in their life, and that which they aim for in their life. We see this word used in ayah 4:32 of Surah An Nisa: وَلَا تَتَمَنَّوْا۟ مَا فَضَّلَ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦ بَعْضَكُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍۢ ۚ لِّلرِّجَالِ *نَصِيبٌۭ* مِّمَّا ٱكْتَسَبُوا۟ ۖ وَلِلنِّسَآءِ نَصِيبٌۭ* مِّمَّا ٱكْتَسَبْنَ ۚ وَسْـَٔلُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مِن فَضْلِهِۦٓ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمًۭا* (“And do not wish for what Allah has given some of you over others. For men is a *_share_* of that which they have earned, and for women is a *_share_* of that which they have earned. And ask Allah for His bounties. Surely Allah has ˹perfect˺ knowledge of all things”).

5.) The root (ق - ر - ن) has two primary root meanings: the gathering of something into something else, and the protrusion of something with force and intensity. From this root, we obtain the word قَرِين, which is a close companion or peer, so called because a companion or peer is close in “intensity” to someone else. We see this word used in ayah 4:38 of Surah An Nisa as such: وَٱلَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَٰلَهُمْ رِئَآءَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَلَا بِٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ ۗ وَمَن يَكُنِ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ لَهُۥ *قَرِينًا* فَسَآءَ قَرِينًۭا (“Likewise for those who spend their wealth to show off and do not believe in Allah or the Last Day. And whoever takes Satan as an associate—what an evil *_associate_* they have!”). 

6.) The root (ج - ن - ب) has two primary root meanings: the first indicates the _aspect_ of something, and the second indicates a meaning of _distance_.  As for the first root meaning, we obtain the word نَاحِيَة (“angle/aspect/point of view”). As for the second root meaning, we obtain the word جُنُب, which refers to an impure state which removes one from طَهَارَة (purity), so called because جُنُب distances oneself from benign able to perform acts of worship that require طَهَارَة (purity). We see this word جُنُب used in ayah 4:43 in Surah An-Nisa as such: يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَقْرَبُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَأَنتُمْ سُكَـٰرَىٰ حَتَّىٰ تَعْلَمُوا۟ مَا تَقُولُونَ وَلَا *جُنُبًا* إِلَّا عَابِرِى سَبِيلٍ حَتَّىٰ تَغْتَسِلُوا۟ ۚ (“O believers! Do not approach prayer while intoxicated until you are aware of what you say, nor in a state of ˹full˺ *_impurity_*, unless you merely pass through, until you have bathed”).  

7.) The root (ح - ر - ف) has several root meanings: 1.) the limit of something and 2.) deviation away from something. As for the first root meaning, this is where we obtain the word حَرْف, which can mean the limit of something. The word حَرْف can also refer to the aspect (وَجْه) of something. As for the second meaning, we obtain the Form VII verb اِنْحَرَفَ (“to be deviated from”) as well as the Form II verb حَـرَّفَ (“to deviate away from”). This Form II verb is seen in its present-tense masculine plural form in ayah 4:46 of Surah An-Nisa as follows: مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ هَادُوا۟ *يُحَرِّفُونَ* ٱلْكَلِمَ عَن مَّوَاضِعِهِۦ وَيَقُولُونَ سَمِعْنَا وَعَصَيْنَا وَٱسْمَعْ غَيْرَ مُسْمَعٍۢ وَرَٰعِنَا لَيًّۢا بِأَلْسِنَتِهِمْ وَطَعْنًۭا فِى ٱلدِّينِ ۚ وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا۟ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا وَٱسْمَعْ وَٱنظُرْنَا لَكَانَ خَيْرًۭا لَّهُمْ وَأَقْوَمَ وَلَـٰكِن لَّعَنَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِكُفْرِهِمْ فَلَا يُؤْمِنُونَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًۭا (“Some Jews *_distort_* the words and say, “We listen and we disobey,” “Hear! May you never hear,” and Herd us, playing with words and discrediting the faith. Had they said ˹courteously˺, “We hear and obey,” “Listen to us,” and Tend to us, it would have been better for them and more proper. Allah has condemned them for their disbelief, so they do not believe except for a few”).

8.) The root (ط - م - س) refers to the erasure or effacement of something, as if to say its trace effect is removed, as if it were not there. From this root, we obtain the verb طَمَسَ, which means “to efface or erase.”  We see this verb used in ayah 4:47 in Surah An-Nisa, as such: يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ ءَامِنُوا۟ بِمَا نَزَّلْنَا مُصَدِّقًۭا لِّمَا مَعَكُم مِّن قَبْلِ أَن *نَّطْمِسَ* وُجُوهًۭا فَنَرُدَّهَا عَلَىٰٓ أَدْبَارِهَآ أَوْ نَلْعَنَهُمْ كَمَا لَعَنَّآ أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلسَّبْتِ ۚ وَكَانَ أَمْرُ ٱللَّهِ مَفْعُولًا (“O you who were given the Book! Believe in what We have revealed—confirming your own Scriptures—before *_We wipe out_* ˹your˺ faces, turning them backwards, or We condemn the defiant as We did to the Sabbath-breakers. And Allah’s command is always executed!”). Here, the ayah is referring to the effacement and/or erasure of those who do not believe in the Message of the Prophet ﷺ

9.) The root (ف - ت - ل) refers to bending, twisting, or curving something. From this root, we obtain the word فَتِيل, which refers to the thin strand that is found in the pit of a date. It is called فَتِيل because it is easy to bend and twist in one’s hands. However, in the Arabic language, the word فَتِيل can be used to refer to any thin strand of any material that can be twisted or bent in one’s hand. We see the word فَتِيل used in ayah 4:49 in Surah An-Nisa as such: أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ يُزَكُّونَ أَنفُسَهُم ۚ بَلِ ٱللَّهُ يُزَكِّى مَن يَشَآءُ وَلَا يُظْلَمُونَ *فَتِيلًا* (“Have you ˹O Prophet ﷺ˺ not seen those who ˹falsely˺ elevate themselves? It is Allah who elevates whoever He wills. And none will be wronged ˹even by the width of˺ *_the thread of a date stone_*”). In this ayah, it is stated quite clearly that God does not reduce anyone’s reward by even the length of the thread of a date pit. 

10.) The root (ن - ق - ر) refers to the striking of something until it is destroyed and/or until a hole is made, then spreading it out. From this root, we obtain the word مِنْقَار, referring to the beak of a bird 🐦, so called because a bird’s beak strikes on wood and seeds until a hole is formed in them.  Also from this root, we obtain the word نَقِير, which refers to a small “speck” on a date pit, as is seen in ayah 4:53 in Surah An-Nisa: أَمْ لَهُمْ نَصِيبٌۭ مِّنَ ٱلْمُلْكِ فَإِذًۭا لَّا يُؤْتُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ *نَقِيرًا* (“Do they have control over shares of the kingdom? If so, they would not have given anyone [so much as] *_the speck on a date stone_*”). The context of this ayah is that if humanity were left in charge of the shares of kingdom, their greed and stinginess would have prevented them from giving any of it to anyone else, even something so small as a speck on a date pit.