Core sense — a want, a need; a thing wanted, an object of needgenerated
1one who is constantly in want, or need—اِبْنُ حَاجَةً
This word and حَائِجَةٌ, of which the former is a contraction (Kh in the 'Eyn); or else the latter word is not used [except as an adjective, as will be seen below]. It and حَوْجَآءُ are synonyms whose meaning is well known.
Want; need; necessity; exigency.
حَاجَةٌ is a more general term than فَقْرٌ; or each of the two is more general than the other in some respects, and more particular in others.
It also means: a thing wanted, needed, or required; an object of want, of need, or of exigence; a want; a needful, or requisite, thing, affair, or business [and a thing to be done, an affair, or a business].
Plural حَاجٌ [or rather this is a collective noun, of which حَاجَةٌ is the ism waḥda], and حَاجَاتٌ, which occurs more often, and حِوَجٌ, which is rare, and حَوَائِجُ, which is irregular and was disapproved by As.
As pronounced it post-classical, but he disapproved it only because it is irregular, and he is said to have retracted the claim that it is post-classical, since it occurs often in the [classical] language of the Arabs, in their verses and in the traditions.
It seems as though formed from the singular حَائِجَةٌ, which some say was never used; or, according to some, it may be the plural of حَوْجَآءُ, changed from the regular form حَوَاجٍ [originally حَوَاجِىُ], like صَحَارٍ, by putting the [elided] ى before the ج, as is often done in the language of the Arabs.
[he accomplished his want]—قَضَى حَاجَتَهُ
[take what you want, or require, of the food]—خُذْ حَاجَتَكَ مِنَ الطَّعَامِ
[in my mind is a want]—فِى نَفْسِى حَاجَةٌ
[in my mind is a want]—حَائِجَةٌ
[in my mind is a want]—حَوْجَآءُ
[I want a thing of such a one]—لِى عِنْدَ فُلَانٍ حَاجَةٌ
This phrase also means: he did his business; that is, he eased nature.
[When the thing wanted, or not wanted, is mentioned, or referred to by a pronoun, the noun denoting it, or the pronoun referring to it, is preceded by إِلَى, as in the sayings لِى حَاجَةٌ إِلَى كَذَا I have a want of such a thing, مَا لِى إِلَيْهِ حَاجَةٌ I have not any want of it, and مَا حَاجَتُكَ إِلَيْهِ What is the reason of your wanting it?]
there remained not in his bosom a want but he accomplished it—مَا بَقِىَ فِى حَوْجَآءُ وَلَا لَوْجَآءُ إِلَّا قَضَاهَا
I have no want, [nor any little want,] with respect to him, or it—حَوْجَآءُ مَا لِى فِيهِ وَلَا لُوَيْجَآءُ حُوَيْجَآءُ وَلَا لَوْجَآءُ وَلَا
The diminutive of حَوْجَآءُ is حُوَيْجَآءُ.
See also حَوْجَآءُ below.
[seek the little thing that you want]—حُجْ حُجَيَّاكَ
It seems that the second and third radical letters of the latter word [originally حُوَيْجَآءَكَ] have been transposed [and that حُجَيْوَآءَكَ has then been changed into حُجَيَّاكَ].
1.1I left not any act of disobedience to which I was enticed—مَا تَرَكْتُ مِنْ حَاجَةٍ وَلَا دَاجَةٍ
From a tradition. [But see دَاجَةٌ in art. دوج.]
Qur’ānic occurrences حَاجَة 2 shown of 3
12:68
وَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا۟ مِنْ حَيْثُ أَمَرَهُمْ أَبُوهُم مَّا كَانَ يُغْنِى عَنْهُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ مِن شَىْءٍ إِلَّا حَاجَةً فِى نَفْسِ يَعْقُوبَ قَضَىٰهَا ۚ وَإِنَّهُۥ لَذُو عِلْمٍ لِّمَا عَلَّمْنَـٰهُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَAnd when they entered in the manner their father had enjoined, it did not profit them in the least against (the plan of) Allah: It was but a necessity of Jacob's soul, which he discharged. For he was, by our instruction, full of knowledge (and experience): but most men know not.
40:80
وَلَكُمْ فِيهَا مَنَـٰفِعُ وَلِتَبْلُغُوا۟ عَلَيْهَا حَاجَةً فِى صُدُورِكُمْ وَعَلَيْهَا وَعَلَى ٱلْفُلْكِ تُحْمَلُونَAnd there are (other) advantages in them for you (besides); that ye may through them attain to any need (there may be) in your hearts; and on them and on ships ye are carried.
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
(S, K, &c.) and حَائِجَةٌ , (AA, IDrd, &c.,) of which latter the former is a contraction, (Kh in the 'Eyn, TA,) or the latter word is unused [except as an epithet, as will be seen below], and حَوْجَآءُ , (S, K, &c.,) are syn. words, of which the meaning is well known: (S, K, TA:) Want; need; necessity, or necessitude; exigency: (TA:) [whence,] اِبْنُ حَاجَةً one who is constantly in want, or need: (Har p. 143:) حَاجَةٌ is a more general term than فَقْرٌ ; or each of these terms is more general than the other in some respects, and more particular in others: (TA:) and the former signifies also a thing wanted, needed, or required; an object of want, of need, or of exigence; a want; a needful, or requisite, thing, affair, or business: (A, TA:) [and a thing to be done, an affair, or a business:] pl. حَاجٌ , [or rather this is a coll. gen. n., of which حَاجَةٌ is the n. un.,] and حَاجَاتٌ , [which is of more frequent occurrence,] (S, Msb, K,) and حِوَجٌ , [which is of rare occurrence,] (S, K,) and حَوَائِجُ , (S, Msb, K,) which is anomalous, (S, K,) and was disapproved by As, and pronounced by him to be post-classical, but he disapproved it only because of its being anomalous, (S,) and he is said to have retracted his assertion of its being post-classical, (TA,) for it is of frequent occurrence in the [classical] language of the Arabs, (S,) in their verses and in the traditions: (IB, TA:) it seems as though formed from the sing. حَائِجَةٌ , (S, K,) which some assert to have been not used; or, accord. to some, it may be pl. of حَوْجَآءُ , changed from the regular form of حَوَاجٍ , [originally حَوَاجِىُ ,] like صَحَارٍ , by putting the [elided] ى before the ج , agreeably with what is often done in the language of the Arabs. (TA.) You say, قَضَى حَاجَتَهُ [He accomplished his want]: (TA:) a phrase which signifies [also] he did his business; meaning he eased nature. (ISk, TA.) And خُذْ حَاجَتَكَ مِنَ الطَّعَامِ [Take what thou wantest, or requirest, of the food]. (A.) And فِى نَفْسِى حَاجَةٌ and حَائِجَةٌ and حَوْجَآءُ [In my mind is a want]. (AA, TA.) And لِى عِنْدَ فُلَانٍ حَاجَةٌ [I want a thing of such a one]. (TA.) [When the thing wanted, or not wanted, is mentioned, or referred to by a pronoun, the subst. denoting it, or the pronoun referring to it, is preceded by إِلَى , as in the sayings لِى حَاجَةٌ إِلَى كَذَا I have a want of such a thing, and مَا لِى إِلَيْهِ حَاجَةٌ I have not any want of it, and مَا حَاجَتُكَ إِلَيْهِ What is the reason of thy want of it, or thy wanting it?] You say also, مَا بَقِىَ فِى حَوْجَآءُ وَلَا لَوْجَآءُ إِلَّا قَضَاهَا There remained not in his bosom a want but he accomplished it. (TA.) [The dim. of حَوْجَآءُ is حُوَيْجَآءُ : whence the saying,] حَوْجَآءُ مَا لِى فِيهِ وَلَا لُوَيْجَآءُ حُوَيْجَآءُ وَلَا لَوْجَآءُ وَلَا I have no want, [nor any little want,] with respect to him, or it. (Lh, S, K.) [See also حَوْجَآءُ , below.] In the phrase حُجْ حُجَيَّاكَ [Seek the little thing that thou wantest], it seems that the second and third radical letters of the latter word [originally حُوَيْجَآءَكَ ] have been transposed [and that حُجَيْوَآءَكَ has been then changed into حُجَيَّاكَ ]. (IDrd, AAF, TA.) مَا تَرَكْتُ مِنْ حَاجَةٍ وَلَا دَاجَةٍ I left not any act of disobedience to which I was enticed. (TA from a trad. [But see دَاجَةٌ in art. دوج .])