Taraweeh Top 🔟 :

Juz 11 (Surah At-Tawbah and Surah Hud).

Here are 10 fruits 🍐 from the language of Quran:

1.) The word غَنِيٌّ means “rich, 💰” and its plural is أَغْنِياءُ (“rich people”), as occurs in this verse: إِنَّمَا ٱلسَّبِيلُ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ يَسْتَـْٔذِنُونَكَ وَهُمْ أَغْنِيَآءُ ۚ رَضُوا۟ بِأَن يَكُونُوا۟ مَعَ ٱلْخَوَالِفِ وَطَبَعَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ فَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ (“Blame is only on those who seek exemption from you although they are wealthy. They preferred to stay behind with the helpless, and Allah has sealed their hearts so they do not realize the consequences” (9:93)]. This word comes from the root (غ - ن - ي), which means “to be sufficient.” A غَنِيٌّ is someone who is sufficient, but not just in terms of wealth. A person can be rich in their soul as well. The Prophet ﷺ mentions in a hadith: ليسَ الغِنَى عن كَثْرَةِ العَرَضِ، ولَكِنَّ الغِنَى غِنَى النَّفْسِ (“Wealth is not in having many possessions, rather true wealth is the richness of the soul”). God is also described as الغَنِيُّ in the Quran, as He states: يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ أَنتُمُ ٱلْفُقَرَآءُ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ هُوَ ٱلْغَنِىُّ ٱلْحَمِيدُ [“O humanity! It is you who stand in need of Allah, but Allah ˹alone˺ is the Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy” (35:15)].

2.) The word مَأوَى means “place of refuge 🏡,” as occurs in the following verse: وَمَأْوَىٰهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ جَزَآءًۢ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْسِبُونَ [“Hell will be their refuge as a reward for what they have committed” (9:95)]. The root of this word is (أ - و - ي), which has two primary meanings: “gathering” and “compassion.” The relationship between this word and its root meaning is that a مَأْوَى is a place of refuge wherein the person feels at home 🏡 and can return to for safety. However, its usage of the Quran can be this meaning, but it has a different meaning in verse 9:95, in which the place of refuge of the disbelievers will be Hellfire 🔥. Perhaps this could be a means of ridiculing the disbelievers and criminals, in that their place of refuge is Hell.

3.) The root (ن - ف - ق) has two primary meanings: 1.) the interruption of something and its subsequent removal, and 2.) the hiding and obscuring of something. The word نِفَاقٌ (“hypocrisy”) comes from this root, as occurs in this verse: ٱلْأَعْرَابُ أَشَدُّ كُفْرًۭا وَنِفَاقًۭا وَأَجْدَرُ أَلَّا يَعْلَمُوا۟ حُدُودَ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِۦ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌۭ [“The nomadic Arabs are far worse in disbelief and hypocrisy, and less likely to know the laws revealed by Allah to His Messenger. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise” (9:97). Its relationship to the root meaning is that a مُنَافِق (“hypocrite”) is someone who hides his/her true nature, as they show that they are a believer in front of others, but when they are to themselves, their true colors show.

4.) The word سَابِقٌ means “precedent, foremost,” and its plural is سَابِقُونَ (“forerunners”), as appears in this verse: وَٱلسَّـٰبِقُونَ ٱلْأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ ٱلْمُهَـٰجِرِينَ وَٱلْأَنصَارِ وَٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّبَعُوهُم بِإِحْسَـٰنٍۢ رَّضِىَ ٱللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا۟ عَنْهُ (“As for the foremost, the first of the Emigrants and the Helpers, and those who follow them in goodness, Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him” (9:100)]. Its root is (س - ب - ق), which means “to precede,” and in verse 9:100, the سَابِقُونَ are the مُهَاجِرُون (emigrants from Mecca 🕋 to Madinah 🕌) and the أَنْصَارٌ (Helpers of Madina) who precede others in good actions, meaning that they do not hesitate in helping out their fellow brethren.

5.) The word فَوزٌ means “victory 🏆,” as occurs in the following verse: أَبَدًۭا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ (“That is the ultimate victory” (9:100)]. Its root (ف - و - ز), and according to classical sources, has two antagonistic meanings (which does occur in the Arabic language): 1.) victory, and 2.) destruction . The former meaning is more common, and is how فَوزٌ appears in verse 9:100 (and in most contexts). The male name فَوزِيّ and female name فَوزِيَّة also comes from this root meaning, literally meaning “victorious one.” As for the latter meaning of destruction, this is apparent in the verb فَوَّزَ , which means "to destroy." However, this latter meaning is not found in the Quran. The meaning found in the Quran is that of victory. Additionally, the word مَفَازَةٌ is اِسمُ مَكَانٍ (noun of place) (can also be considered a verbal noun or مَصْدَرٌ) from this same root, meaning the place of victory.

6.) The root (ز - ك - ي) indicates a meaning of increase and growth 📈. We get the word تَزْكِيَةٌ (“spiritual cleansing”) from this root, in that spiritual development is a means of human growth. We also get the word زَكَاةٌ (“alms-giving”) from this root, in that zakat actually increases one’s wealth 💵 in the long run. In verse 9:103, the Quran mentions the ability of their صَدَقَة to purify them and bless them, as God states: خُذْ مِنْ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ صَدَقَةًۭ تُطَهِّرُهُمْ وَتُزَكِّيهِم بِهَا وَصَلِّ عَلَيْهِمْ ۖ إِنَّ صَلَوٰتَكَ سَكَنٌۭ لَّهُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ [“Take from their wealth charity to purify and bless them, and pray for them—surely your prayer is a source of comfort for them. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing” (9:103)]. The verb in question is زَكَّى - يُزَكِّي, which means “to cause an increase in and to purify.”

7.) The word تَوبَةٌ means “repentance,” as occurs in the following verse: أَلَمْ يَعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ يَقْبَلُ ٱلتَّوْبَةَ عَنْ عِبَادِهِۦ وَيَأْخُذُ ٱلصَّدَقَـٰتِ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ (“Do they not know that God alone accepts the repentance of His servants and receives their charity, and that God alone is the Accepter of Repentance, Most Merciful?” (9:104)]. Its root is (ت - و - ب), which revolves around the idea of returning to something. This is because تَوبَةٌ means returning from a state of sin to a state of righteousness and uprightness. The verb تَابَ means “to repent,” but the placement of a preposition also makes a difference in meaning here. If followed by عَلَى, it then means “to forgive,” such as in تَابَ اللهُ عَلَينَا (“God forgave us.”) However, if this verb is followed by إِلَى, it then means “to repent,” such as in تَابَ المُسْلِمُ إِلَى اللهِ (“The Muslim repented to God”). This meaning is also seen in verse 9:106, in which God states: وَءَاخَرُونَ مُرْجَوْنَ لِأَمْرِ ٱللَّهِ إِمَّا يُعَذِّبُهُمْ وَإِمَّا يَتُوبُ عَلَيْهِمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌۭ (“And some others are left for God’s decision, either to punish them or turn to them in mercy. And God is All-Knowing, All-Wise”). Notice here that it is يَتُوبُ عَلَى, referring to God forgiving them. In the same verse, the word التَّوَّابُ is used to refer to God as the Repeatedly Forgiving of His servants, as it is the Noun of Intensity/Hyperbole (اِسْمُ المُبَالَغَة).

8.) The word الغَيْبُ literally means “absence,” but refers to the World of the Unseen, and usually occurs in the expression عَالِمِ الغَيْبِ (“World of the Unseen”) as occurs in verse 9:105, in which the Quran states: وَقُلِ ٱعْمَلُوا۟ فَسَيَرَى ٱللَّهُ عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُولُهُۥ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۖ وَسَتُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَـٰلِمِ ٱلْغَيْبِ وَٱلشَّهَـٰدَةِ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ("Tell them, ‘Do as you will. Your deeds will be observed by Allah, His Messenger ﷺ, and the believers’. And you will be returned to the Knower of the seen and unseen, then He will inform you of what you used to do”). The root is (غ - ي - ب), which means to hide something from plain sight, which aptly fits the meaning of الغَيْبُ. The World of the Unseen if often contrasted in the Quran with the World of the Seen (عَالِمُ الشَّهَادَةِ), as also occurs in the above verse.

9.) The root (ح - ف - ظ) means to safeguard or preserve. From this, we get the verb حَفِظَ, which means to preserve. A حَافِظٌ is someone who preserves something. This word has now come to take the commonly-known meaning of someone who has memorized the Quran, and they are called as such because a حَافِظٌ is someone who preserves the Quran by memorizing it. This word (in its plural form of حَافِظُونَ) also comes in verse 9:112, in particular, with the context of those who preserve and safeguard the Limits set by God, as the Quran states: ٱلتَّـٰٓئِبُونَ ٱلْعَـٰبِدُونَ ٱلْحَـٰمِدُونَ ٱلسَّـٰٓئِحُونَ ٱلرَّٰكِعُونَ ٱلسَّـٰجِدُونَ ٱلْـَٔامِرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَٱلنَّاهُونَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَٱلْحَـٰفِظُونَ لِحُدُودِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ (“˹It is the believers˺ who repent, who are devoted to worship, who praise ˹their Lord˺, who fast, who bow down and prostrate themselves, who encourage good and forbid evil, and who observe the limits set by God. And give good news to the believers”). Additionally, in verse 2:238, the Quran talks about الصلاة الوُسْطَى ("the Middle Prayer"), referring to صَلَاةُ العَصْرِ (Asr Prayer, the Mid-Afternoon Prayer), and enjoins believers to preserve and safeguard this prayer by ensuring that they observe this prayer on time, as the Quran states: حَـٰفِظُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلصَّلَوَٰتِ وَٱلصَّلَوٰةِ ٱلْوُسْطَىٰ وَقُومُوا۟ لِلَّهِ قَـٰنِتِينَ (“Observe the ˹five obligatory˺ prayers, especially the middle prayer, and stand in true devotion to Allah” (2:238)].

10.) The root (م - ل - ك) indicates the power and status of something. The verb مَلَكَ means “to own.” From this root, we get the word مُلْكٌ, which means “dominion, kingdom 👑,” as occurs in verse 9:116, in which God states: إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَهُۥ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ يُحْىِۦ وَيُمِيتُ ۚ وَمَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مِن وَلِىٍّۢ وَلَا نَصِيرٍۢ (“Indeed, to God Alone belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He gives life and causes death. And besides God, you have no guardian or helper”). If we change the dammah on the م to a kasrah, it then become مِلْكٌ, which means “possession or ownership.” If we change it such that it becomes مَلَكٌ, it then means “angel.” And the word مَلَكَةٌ refers to a naturally-endowed talent, called as such because the person “owns” that talent. Additionally, in the قِرَاءَة of حَفْصٌ عَنْ عَاصِمٍ (the most common recitation in the world), in Surah Al Fathiha, it is recited مَالِكِ يَومِ الدِّينِ ("Master of the Day of Judgment"). However, in the recitation of وَرْشٌ (commonly recited in West Africa), they recite it as مَلِكِ يَومِ الدِّينِ ("King of the Day of Judgment"). This slight difference in recitation affects the meaning, as it changes from "Master" to "King".