Core sense — some, somewhat, or some one; a part, or portion, of a thinggenerated
1[some kinds of evil are easier to bear than some]—بَعْضُ الشَّرِّ أَهْوَنُ مِنْ بَعْضٍ
Some, somewhat, or some one (literally, a thing) of things, or of a thing. Th says that it means this according to all the grammarians, except Hishám, as will be seen below: or a part, or portion, of a thing, or of anything, whether little or much. On both explanations it may denote the greater part, as eight of ten. [Thus it means some one or more; and it relates to persons and to other things.] Plural أَبْعَاضٌ, but ISd doubts whether IJ had any authority for this.
[a very beautiful girl, parts of whom resemble other parts]—جَارِيَةٌ حُسَّانَةٌ يُشْبِهُ بَعْضُهَا بَعْضًا
[some of them beat some; that is, they beat one another]—ضَرَبَ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا
[we have tarried a day, or part of a day]—لَبِثْنَا يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ
[some one of us]—أَحَدُنَا
Qur'ān 18:18.
Said when one asks a man of a company of men, "Who did this?" and he answers, meaning himself; also بَعْضُنَا.
The article ال should not be prefixed to it, because it is originally a prefixed noun, and as such determinate either literally or virtually, so that it does not admit another cause of being determinate. IDrst and Ez-Zejjájee hold otherwise, for they said البَعْضُ and الكُلُّ, which, properly, as ISd says, is not allowable; and it is said in the O that IDrst, in this matter, was at variance with all the people of his age.
AHát says that the Arabs did not say الكُلُّ nor البَعْضُ, but that people used these expressions, even Sb and Akh in their two books, because of their little knowledge in this way — a remark which MF calls extraordinary, and needing no comment.
AHát also relates that he told As he had seen in the book of Ibn-El-Mukaffa' العِلْمُ الكَثِيرٌ وَ لٰكِنَّ أَخْذَ البَعْضِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ تَرْكِ الكُلِّ [Science is large; but the acquiring of part is better than the neglecting of the whole]; and that As disapproved of it most strongly, saying that the article ال is not prefixed to بَعْضٌ and كُلٌّ, because they are determinate without it.
Az, however, says that the grammarians allow its being prefixed to these two words, though As disallows it, because they are meant to be understood as prefixed nouns; or because the article is meant as a substitute for the noun to which they should be prefixed; or, in the case of بَعْضٌ, because this word is equivalent to جُزْءٌ, which takes the article ال.
It is related of AO that he assigned to بَعْضٌ also the opposite meaning of all, or the whole, adducing as proof the words of the Qur'ān 40:29, يُصِبْكُمْ بَعْضُ ٱلَّذِى يَعِدُكُمْ, as meaning: All of that with which he threatens you will befall you.
And the saying of Lebeed:
shāhidأَوْ يَعْتَلِقْ بَعْضَ النُّفُوسِ حِمَامُهَا
[as meaning: Or their death shall cling to all living creatures; or, according to another relation, او يَرْتَبِطْ, which means the same as او يعتلق].
AHeyth explains the verse of the Qur'ān just cited in the same way, and Hishám explains the saying of Lebeed so, wrongly asserting that بعض is here a plural.
But in the former instance the Prophet had threatened them with two things, the punishment of the present world and that of the world to come; so he says, "This punishment will befall you in the present world" — which is part of the two threats, without denying the punishment of the world to come. Or, as Aboo-Is-hák says, he mentions the part to show the necessary consequence of the whole.
And in the saying of Lebeed, by بعض النفوس he means himself.
Qur’ān 18:20 approximate — somewhere between 18:1 and 18:42 Lane cites “Kur xviii. 18”
Qur’ān 18:19 located by this root inside the range Lane’s citation allows
وَكَذَٰلِكَ بَعَثْنَـٰهُمْ لِيَتَسَآءَلُوا۟ بَيْنَهُمْ ۚ قَالَ قَآئِلٌ مِّنْهُمْ كَمْ لَبِثْتُمْ ۖ قَالُوا۟ لَبِثْنَا يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ ۚ قَالُوا۟ رَبُّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا لَبِثْتُمْ فَٱبْعَثُوٓا۟ أَحَدَكُم بِوَرِقِكُمْ هَـٰذِهِۦٓ إِلَى ٱلْمَدِينَةِ فَلْيَنظُرْ أَيُّهَآ أَزْكَىٰ طَعَامًا فَلْيَأْتِكُم بِرِزْقٍ مِّنْهُ وَلْيَتَلَطَّفْ وَلَا يُشْعِرَنَّ بِكُمْ أَحَدًاSuch (being their state), we raised them up (from sleep), that they might question each other. Said one of them, "How long have ye stayed (here)?" They said, "We have stayed (perhaps) a day, or part of a day." (At length) they (all) said, "Allah (alone) knows best how long ye have stayed here.... Now send ye then one of you with this money of yours to the town: let him find out which is the best food (to be had) and bring some to you, that (ye may) satisfy your hunger therewith: And let him behave with care and courtesy, and let him not inform any one about you.Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur’ān (1934)
Qur’ānic occurrences بَعْض 1 shown of 86
69:44
وَلَوْ تَقَوَّلَ عَلَيْنَا بَعْضَ ٱلْأَقَاوِيلِAnd if the messenger were to invent any sayings in Our name,
Occurrences of this form in the Qur’ān, not Lane’s choice of verse. They show the word in use; they do not say which sense above applies. Where more occur than are shown, the shortest āyāt are chosen.
Show Lane's original text
Some, or somewhat or some one, (lit. a thing,) of things, or of a thing: Th says that it signifies thus accord. to all the grammarians; (Msb, TA;) except Hishám, as will be seen hereafter: (TA:) or a part, or portion, (A, Msb, K,) of a thing, (Msb,) or of anything; (A, K;) whether little or much: (TA:) accord. to both these explanations, it may denote the greater part; as eight of ten: (Msb:) [thus it signifies some one or more; and it relates to persons and to other things:] pl. أَبْعَاضٌ ; (S, IJ, K;) but ISd doubts whether IJ had an authority for this. (TA.) You say, بَعْضُ الشَّرِّ أَهْوَنُ مِنْ بَعْضٍ [Some kinds of evil are easier to be borne than some]. (A.) And جَارِيَةٌ حُسَّانَةٌ يُشْبِهُ بَعْضُهَا بَعْضًا [A very beautiful girl, parts of whom resemble other parts]. (A.) [And ضَرَبَ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا Some of them beat some; i. e. they beat one another.] And لَبِثْنَا يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ [We have tarried a day or part of a day]. (Kur xviii. 18.) And one says to a man of a company of men, “ Who did this? ” and he answers, أَحَدُنَا or بَعْضُنَا [Some one of us]; meaning himself. (A.) The article ال should not be prefixed to it, (K, * TA,) because it is originally a prefixed n., and as such determinate either literally or virtually, so that it does not admit another cause of being determinate; (TA;) contr. to what is said by IDrst (K, TA) and Ez-Zejjájee; for they said البَعْضُ and الكُلُّ ; which, properly, as ISd says, is not allowable; and it is said in the O that IDrst, in this matter, was at variance with all the people of his age: (TA:) AHát says that the Arabs did not say الكُلُّ nor البَعْضُ , but that people used these expressions, even Sb and Akh in their two books, by reason of their little knowledge in this way: (K, * TA:) a remark, says MF, which is extr., and needs no comment: (TA:) [for who surpassed Sb and Akh in knowledge respecting matters of this kind?] AHát also relates his having told As that he had seen in the book of [that celebrated and chaste author] Ibn-ElMukaffa', العِلْمُ الكَثِيرٌ وَ لٰكِنَّ أَخْذَ البَعْضِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ تَرْكِ الكُلِّ [Science is large; but the acquiring of part is better than the neglecting of the whole]; and that As disapproved of it most strongly, saying that the article ال is not prefixed to بَعْضٌ and كُلٌّ because they are determinate without it: (TA:) Az, however, says that the grammarians allow its being prefixed to these two words, (Msb, TA,) though As disallows it, (TA,) because they are meant to be understood as prefixed ns.; (Msb;) or because the article is meant to be a substitute for the noun to which they should be prefixed; or, in the case of بَعْضٌ , because this word is equivalent to جُزْءٌ , which receives the article ال . (MF.) It is related of AO, that he assigned also to بَعْضٌ the contr. meaning of All; or the whole: adducing as a proof thereof the words of the Kur [xl. 29], يُصِبْكُمْ بَعْضُ ٱلَّذِى يَعِدُكُمْ as meaning All of that with which he threateneth you will befall you: and the saying of Lebeed. 1 [as meaning Or their death shall cling to all living creatures: or, accord. to another relation, او يَرْتَبِطْ , which means the same as او يعتلق ]: thus also AHeyth explains the above-cited verse of the Kur; and thus Hishám explains the saying of Lebeed, erroneously asserting that بعض is here a pl.: (TA:) but with respect to the former instance, the Prophet had threatened them with two things, the punishment of the present world and that of the world to come; so he says, “ This punishment will befall you in the present world; ” which is part ( بعض ] of the two threats; without denying the punishment of the world to come: or, as Aboo-Is-hák says, he mentions the part to indicate the necessary consequence of the whole: and as to the saying of Lebeed, by بعض النفوس he means himself. (TA [app. from ISd].) أَوْ يَعْتَلِقْ بَعْضَ النُّفُوسِ حِمَامُهَا