maṣdarبَالَةٌ
Core sense — a state, condition, or case; the heart, or mind; a whalegenerated
1I cared nothing for such a thing—مَا بَالَيْتُ بِكَذَا
A state, condition, or case; synonymous with حَالٌ and شَأْنٌ. Or a state, condition, or case that one cares about.
.
Or a thing, or things, that one cares about.
البَالُ also signifies بَالُ النَّفْسِ, that is, care, or concern; and from this بَالَيْتُ is said to be derived, with the.
what is your state, or condition, or case?—مَا بَالُكَ
[See the Kur 12:50 and 20:53; and see an example in a verse cited in this Lexicon under إِيهِ.]
with good fortune: may God make good your state, or condition—بِخَيْرٍ أَصْلَحَ ٱللّٰهُ بَالَكُمْ
and He will make good their state, or condition, in the present world—وَ يُصْلِحُ بَالَهُمْ
he is in ample and easy circumstances of life—هُوَ رَخِىُّ البَالِ
When a man was asked in former times, “How have you entered upon the morning?” he used to give this reply.
In the Kur 47:6. (I'Ab) Or: their means of subsistence in this world, together with their reward in the world to come.
He is not straitened in circumstances, nor troubled; or he is in an easy, pleasant state or condition. See the article رخو. Or: he is easy, unstraitened, in mind.
البَالُ or رَخَآءُ البَالِ signifies ampleness and easiness of life; or البال signifies an easy, unstraitened state of the mind.
he is in an evil state, or condition—هُوَ كَاسِفُ البَالِ
Or: he is straitened in his hope, or expectation, since البال is said to signify hope, or expectation. So says El-Hawaázinee.
this is not one of the things I care about—لَيْسَ هٰذَا مِنْ بَالِى
every honourable affair, one cared about and causing concern—كُلُّ أَمْرٍ ذِى بَالٍ لَمْ يُبْدَأْ فِيهِ بِحَمْدِ ٱللّٰهِ فَهُوَ أَبْتَرُ
In a tradition: [in which a beginning is not made by praising God, is cut off from good, or prosperity]. Or: every affair of importance, or moment.
Qur’ān 12:50 approximate — somewhere between 12:42 and 12:61 Lane cites “Kur xii. 50”
Qur’ān 12:50 the verse Lane’s citation points to, and it uses this root
وَقَالَ ٱلْمَلِكُ ٱئْتُونِى بِهِۦ ۖ فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُ ٱلرَّسُولُ قَالَ ٱرْجِعْ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ فَسْـَٔلْهُ مَا بَالُ ٱلنِّسْوَةِ ٱلَّـٰتِى قَطَّعْنَ أَيْدِيَهُنَّ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّى بِكَيْدِهِنَّ عَلِيمٌSo the king said: "Bring ye him unto me." But when the messenger came to him, (Joseph) said: "Go thou back to thy lord, and ask him, 'What is the state of mind of the ladies who cut their hands'? For my Lord is certainly well aware of their snare."Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur’ān (1934)
1.1it (an affair, or a thing) occurred to, or moved, my heart or mind—خَطَرَ بِبَالِى
Also the heart, or mind; synonymous with قَلْبٌ, خَلَدٌ, نَفْسٌ and خَاطِرٌ.
it occurred to, or stirred in, my heart or mind—عَلَى بَالِى
that affair did not occur to me, it did not move or distress me—لَمْ يَخْطُرْ بِبَالِى ذٰلِكَ الأَمْرُ
such a one does not occur to, or move, my heart or mind—مَا يَخْطُرُ فُلَانٌ بِبَالِى
1.2give me your mind, or attention—أَعْطِنِى بَالَكَ
I do not give, or pay, any attention to him, or it—لَا أُلْقِى إِلَيْهِ بَالًا
And hence, mind, or attention.
See the article بلو.
2
The whale; a great fish, one of the fish of the بَحْر [here meaning sea]; a bulky fish called جَمَلُ البَحْرُ, fifty cubits long.
[Kzw describes it as being from four hundred to five hundred cubits long, and says that it sometimes shows the end of its fin, like a great sail, and its head as well, and blows out water rising higher into the air than an arrow can be shot; he gives these and other exaggerated details in his account of the Sea of the Zenj, and in a later place says that it eats ambergris and dies as a result, and that a great quantity of oil is got from its brain and used for lamps.]
The word in this sense is not Arabic; in the O it is said to be arabicized, from the Persian وَالْ.
3a spade with which one works in land of seed-produce—مَرّ
[In the CK written by mistake مُرّ.]
4
See also بَالَةٌ, in three places.
Qur’ānic occurrences بَال
12:50
وَقَالَ ٱلْمَلِكُ ٱئْتُونِى بِهِۦ ۖ فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُ ٱلرَّسُولُ قَالَ ٱرْجِعْ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ فَسْـَٔلْهُ مَا بَالُ ٱلنِّسْوَةِ ٱلَّـٰتِى قَطَّعْنَ أَيْدِيَهُنَّ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّى بِكَيْدِهِنَّ عَلِيمٌSo the king said: "Bring ye him unto me." But when the messenger came to him, (Joseph) said: "Go thou back to thy lord, and ask him, 'What is the state of mind of the ladies who cut their hands'? For my Lord is certainly well aware of their snare."
20:51
قَالَ فَمَا بَالُ ٱلْقُرُونِ ٱلْأُولَىٰ(Pharaoh) said: "What then is the condition of previous generations?"
47:2
وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ وَءَامَنُوا۟ بِمَا نُزِّلَ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَهُوَ ٱلْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ ۙ كَفَّرَ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّـَٔاتِهِمْ وَأَصْلَحَ بَالَهُمْBut those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, and believe in the (Revelation) sent down to Muhammad - for it is the Truth from their Lord,- He will remove from them their ills and improve their condition.
47:5
سَيَهْدِيهِمْ وَيُصْلِحُ بَالَهُمْSoon will He guide them and improve their condition,
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
A state, condition, or case; syn. حَالٌ (T, S, Msb, K) and شَأْنٌ : (T:) or a state, condition, or case, for which one cares; wherefore one says, مَا بَالَيْتُ بِكَذَا , inf. n. بَالَةٌ , meaning “ I cared not for such a thing: ” (TA:) or a thing [or things] for which one cares: (Har p. 94:) and البَالُ signifies also بَالُ النَّفْسِ , i. e. care, or concern; and hence is [said to be] derived بَالَيْتُ , having for its inf. n. بَالَةٌ . (T.) One says, مَا بَالُكَ What is thy state, or condition, or case? (S.) [See the Kur xii. 50 and xx. 53: and see an ex. in a verse cited in this Lex. voce إِيهِ .] When it was said to a man, in former times, “ How hast thou entered upon the morning? ” he used to reply, بِخَيْرٍ أَصْلَحَ ٱللّٰهُ بَالَكُمْ [With good fortune: may God make good your state, or condition]. (Ham p. 77.) وَ يُصْلِحُ بَالَهُمْ , in the Kur [xlvii. 6], means And He will make good their state, or condition, in the present world: (I'Ab, T:) or their means of subsistence in the present world, together with their recompense in the world to come. (M.) One says also, هُوَ رَخِىُّ البَالِ He is in ample and easy circumstances (T, Msb) of life; (T;) he is not straitened in circumstances, nor troubled: (T:) or he is in an easy, or a pleasant, state or condition: (TA in art. رخو :) or he is easy, or unstraitened, in mind: (S:) [for] البَالُ , (T, M, K,) or رَخَآءُ البَالِ , (TA,) signifies ampleness and easiness of life: (T, M, K, TA:) or البال signifies an easy, or unstraitened, state of the mind. (S.) And هُوَ كَاسِفُ البَالِ He is in an evil state or condition: (TA:) or he is straitened in his hope, or expectation: for البال is said to signify hope, or expectation: (T:) so says El-Hawaázinee. (TA.) And لَيْسَ هٰذَا مِنْ بَالِى This is not of the things for which I care. (S.) And it is said in a trad., كُلُّ أَمْرٍ ذِى بَالٍ لَمْ يُبْدَأْ فِيهِ بِحَمْدِ ٱللّٰهِ فَهُوَ أَبْتَرُ , i. e., Every honourable affair, for which one cares, and by which one is rendered solicitous, [in which a beginning is not made by praising God, is cut off from good, or prosperity:] or every affair of importance, or moment. (TA in two places in this art.) Also The heart, or mind; syn. قَلْبٌ , (T, S, Msb, K,) and خَلَدٌ , (Ham pp. 76 and 77,) and نَفْسٌ , (AZ, T,) and خَاطِرٌ . (M, K, Kull p. 179.) You say, خَطَرَ بِبَالِى , (Msb, Kull ubi suprà,) and عَلَى بَالِى , (Kull ibid.,) i. e., [It (an affair, or a thing, Kull) occurred to, or bestirred itself in, or moved,] my heart, or mind. (Msb, Kull.) And لَمْ يَخْطُرْ بِبَالِى ذٰلِكَ الأَمْرُ , i. e., [That affair did not occur to, or] did not move me, or distress me. (T.) And مَا يَخْطُرُ فُلَانٌ بِبَالِى , i. e. [Such a one does not occur to, or move,] my heart, or mind. (S.) [And hence, Mind, or attention. You say, أَعْطِنِى بَالَكَ Give me thy mind, or attention. And] لَا أُلْقِى إِلَيْهِ بَالًا [I will not, or I do not, give, or pay, any attention to him, or it]. (Z, TA in art. بلو .) [The whale;] a great fish, (S, K,) of the fish of the بَحْر [here meaning sea]; (S;) a certain bulky fish, called جَمَلُ البَحْرُ ; (M;) it is a fish fifty cubits long: (MF:) [Kzw describes it as being from four hundred to five hundred cubits in length, and says that it sometimes shows the extremity of its fin, like a great sail, and its head also, and blows forth water rising into the air higher than an arrow can be shot: these and other exaggerated particulars he mentions in his account of the Sea of the Zenj: and in a later place he says, that it eats ambergris, and dies in consequence; and a great quantity of oil is procured from its brain, and used for lamps:] the word [in this sense] is not Arabic: (S:) in the O it is said to be arabicized, from [the Persian] وَالْ . (TA.) The spade ( مَرّ [in the CK erroneously written مُرّ ]) with which one works in land of seed-produce. (M, K.) See also بَالَةٌ , in three places.