Taraweeh Top 🔟

Juz 12 (Surah Hud and Surah Yusuf).

Here are 10 fruits 🍐 from the language of the Quran:

1.) The word سِحْرٌ means “magic 🪄,” and occurs in the following verse: وَلَئِن قُلْتَ إِنَّكُم مَّبْعُوثُونَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ ٱلْمَوْتِ لَيَقُولَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ إِنْ هَـٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحْرٌۭ مُّبِينٌۭ [“And if you say, ‘Surely you will be raised up after death,’ the disbelievers will certainly say, ‘That is nothing but pure magic!’”) (11:7)]. The root (س - ح - ر) has three distinct meanings: 1.) the lungs 🫁, 2.) treachery, deceit, and doubt, and 3.) time 🕣. As for the first meaning, the word سَحْرٌ (not the fathah on the س) is one way of saying “lungs.” As for the second meaning, this is where the word سِحْرٌ (“magic”, with kasrah under the س) comes in, in that magic is considered as the exposition of falsehood in the guise of truth, which is a form of deception. And as for the third meaning, we derive the word سَحَرٌ, which refers to the last part of the night immediately before the start of the Fajr prayer.

2.) The root (ه - ز - أ) means to ridicule or scorn. The verb يَسْتَهْزِئُ means to mock or ridicule. This verb comes frequently in the Quran, either in the form of the disbelievers ridiculing the Truth, as appears in the following verse: وَلَئِنْ أَخَّرْنَا عَنْهُمُ ٱلْعَذَابَ إِلَىٰٓ أُمَّةٍۢ مَّعْدُودَةٍۢ لَّيَقُولُنَّ مَا يَحْبِسُهُۥٓ ۗ أَلَا يَوْمَ يَأْتِيهِمْ لَيْسَ مَصْرُوفًا عَنْهُمْ وَحَاقَ بِهِم مَّا كَانُوا۟ بِهِۦ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ (“And if We delay their punishment until an appointed time, they will definitely say, ‘What is holding it back?’ Indeed, on the Day it overtakes them, it will not be averted from them, and they will be overwhelmed by what they used to ridicule” (11:8)]. This word also appears in the Quran as a mention of the mockery of those who do not believe.

3.) The root (ض - ي - ق) indicates a meaning of restriction 🧱. From this root, we obtain the word ضَائِقٌ means “constricted, restricted.” It can be used to describe a constricted chest, as occurs in this verse: فَلَعَلَّكَ تَارِكٌۢ بَعْضَ مَا يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَيْكَ وَضَآئِقٌۢ بِهِۦ صَدْرُكَ أَن يَقُولُوا۟ لَوْلَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ كَنزٌ أَوْ جَآءَ مَعَهُۥ مَلَكٌ ۚ (“Perhaps you may wish to give up some of what is revealed to you and may be distressed by it because they say, ‘If only a treasure had been sent down to him, or an angel had come with him!’ (11:12)], which indicates a meaning of distress in a person. In this verse, God is consoling the Prophet ﷺ by assuring him that he does not have to be distressed by the words of the disbelievers. In addition, God mentions: فَمَن يُرِدِ ٱللَّهُ أَن يَهْدِيَهُۥ يَشْرَحْ صَدْرَهُۥ لِلْإِسْلَـٰمِ ۖ وَمَن يُرِدْ أَن يُضِلَّهُۥ يَجْعَلْ صَدْرَهُۥ ضَيِّقًا حَرَجًۭا كَأَنَّمَا يَصَّعَّدُ فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ ۚ (“Whoever God wills to guide, He opens their heart to Islam. But whoever He wills to leave astray, He makes their chest tight and constricted as if they were climbing up into the sky” (6:125)]. Therefore, this verse connects this root meaning with ascension into the sky.

4.) The word كَنْزٌ means “treasure 💎.” Its root is (ك - ن - ز), which means to gather and accumulate,” as treasure is accumulated wealth 💰. This word is mentioned in the following verse: فَلَعَلَّكَ تَارِكٌۢ بَعْضَ مَا يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَيْكَ وَضَآئِقٌۢ بِهِۦ صَدْرُكَ أَن يَقُولُوا۟ لَوْلَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ كَنزٌ أَوْ جَآءَ مَعَهُۥ مَلَكٌ ۚ إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ نَذِيرٌۭ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ وَكِيلٌ (“Perhaps you may wish to give up some of what is revealed to you and may be distressed by it because they say, “If only a treasure had been sent down to him, or an angel had come with him!” You are only a warner, and God is the Trustee of All Affairs” (11:12)]. Here, the disbelievers mock the Prophet ﷺ by wondering why he did not come with treasure, claiming they would have believed in his message if he had come down with treasure.

5.) The word الدُنْيَا is often translated as “this worldly life,” but linguistically, الدُنْيَا actually means “nearer/nearest,” as it is the feminine version of أَدْنَى (which is used for comparison), and as such, this root is often seen with the word الحَيَاة, ie الحَيَاة الدُّنْيَا, “the nearest life,” called as such because this world is nearer to us now than the Hereafter, for the time being. Its root is (د - ن - و), which means “to be near.” We see this word frequently in the Quran, such as in this verse: مَن كَانَ يُرِيدُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَزِينَتَهَا نُوَفِّ إِلَيْهِمْ أَعْمَـٰلَهُمْ فِيهَا وَهُمْ فِيهَا لَا يُبْخَسُونَ [“Whoever desires ˹only˺ this worldly life and its luxuries, We will pay them in full for their deeds in this life—nothing will be left out” (11:15)]. From this root, we also get the common male name الدَّانِي, meaning “the one who is near.” This root also gives the idea that things will be easily accessible and close by in Jannah, as God states in verse 69:23: قُطُوفُها دَانِيَةٌ (its fruits will be near by")

6.) The word حَبِطَ means “to be nullified.” It appears with this meaning in verse 11:16, in which the Quran states: أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُمْ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ إِلَّا ٱلنَّارُ ۖ وَحَبِطَ مَا صَنَعُوا۟ فِيهَا وَبَـٰطِلٌۭ مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ (“It is they who will have nothing in the Hereafter except the Fire. Their efforts in this life will be fruitless and their deeds will be useless”). Its root is (ح - ب - ط), with the meaning of nullification and pain. Its Form II verb is أَحْبَطَ, which means “to nullify something else”. In the above verse, the Quran mentions that the actions of the disbelievers will be nullified and fruitless on account of their disbelief.

7.) The word لَعْنَةٌ means “curse,” as appears in this verse: أَلَا لَعْنَةُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَى ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ [“Surely God’s Curse is upon the wrongdoers” (11:18)]. Its root is (ل - ع - ن), which means distancing or expelling. The word لَعْنَةٌ relates to this root meaning in that when the disbelievers are cursed, they are distanced from God’s Blessings.

8.) The word أَعْمَى means “the blind one.” Its root is (ع - م - ي) indicates the meaning of covering and hiding, which is apt for this word, as the أَعْمَى is someone who is covered up in terms of eyesight. This word is seen a few times in the Quran, such as in verse 11:24, in which is stated: مَثَلُ ٱلْفَرِيقَيْنِ كَٱلْأَعْمَىٰ وَٱلْأَصَمِّ وَٱلْبَصِيرِ وَٱلسَّمِيعِ ۚ هَلْ يَسْتَوِيَانِ مَثَلًا ۚ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ (“The example of these two parties is that of the blind and the deaf, compared to the seeing and the hearing. Can the two be equal? Will you not then be mindful?”). This word can also be used to describe someone who is physically blind as well as spiritually blind from the Truth. The feminine version of this word is عَمْيَاءُ, and its plural is عُمْيٌ.

9.) The word نَذِيرٌ means “warner,” and the prophets are often referred to as warners, such as in verse 11:25, in which Prophet Noah (نُوحٌ عليه السلام) is referred to as a warner of his people, as the verse states: وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا نُوحًا إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِۦٓ إِنِّى لَكُمْ نَذِيرٌۭ مُّبِينٌ (“Surely We sent Noah to his people [saying:] ‘Indeed, I am sent to you with a clear warning’” (11:25)]. Its root is (ن - ذ - ر), which gives the meaning of intimidating and fear, which is aptly suited. Another word that is nearly synonymous with نَذِير is مُنْذِرٌ, such as what appears in verse 13:7.

10.) The word طَمَعٌ generally means “hope/aspiration.” Its root is (ط - م - ع), which indicates the meaning of strong hope in one’s heart for something. This is how this word appears in the following verse: هُوَ ٱلَّذِى يُرِيكُمُ ٱلْبَرْقَ خَوْفًۭا وَطَمَعًۭا وَيُنشِئُ ٱلسَّحَابَ ٱلثِّقَالَ [“He is the One Who shows you lightning, inspiring ˹you with˺ hope and fear, and produces heavy clouds” (13:12)]. This word can also have a negative meaning of “greed” in some contexts, such as in Imam Ghazali’s famous work إِحْيَاءُ عُلُومِ الدِّينِ, “Revival of the Sciences of the Faith”), in which Imam Ghazali رَحِمَهُ الله explains the dangers of gluttony and greed.