muḍāriʿـَيَفْعَلُmaṣdarزَرْعٌ
Core sense — he sowed, or cast seed; he tilled the land; God made it growgenerated
1.1figurative · مجاز[He who sows reaps]—مَنْ زَرَعَ حَصَدَ
He sowed, or cast seed.; maṣdar زَرْعٌ and زِرَاعَةٌ.
Also اِزْدَرَعَ, originally اِزْتَرَعَ, the ت being changed into د so that it may agree with the ز: د and ز are pronounced with the voice as well as the breath, whereas ت is pronounced with the breath only. [Or the latter verb, as appears from an explanation of it given below, may mean he sowed for himself.]
[I sowed wheat and barley]—زَرَعْتُ البُرَّ وَالشَّعِيرَ
They use the verb transitively.
[I sowed the trees; or sowed the seeds that should produce the trees]—زَرَعْتُ الشَّجَرَ
Or it may mean I planted the trees. Ibn-Abi-l-Hadeed.
[Your generosity and the goodness of your disposition have sown love for you in the hearts]—زَرَعَ الحُبَّ لَكَ فِى القُلُوبِ كَرَمُكَ وَحُسْنُ خُلُقِكَ
[Whoever has land,] let him sow it [or let him lend it, or give it, to his brother; and if he refuses, let him keep his land]—مَنْ كَانَتْ لَهُ أَرْضٌ فَلِيَزْرَعْهَا أَوْ لِيَمْنَحْهَا أَخَاهُ فَإِنْ أَبَى فَلِيُمْسِكْ أَرْضَهُ
From a tradition.
1.1.1figurative · مجازhe ploughed up, tilled, or cultivated the land for sowing—زَرَعَ الأَرْضَ
.
When this nation gives itself entirely to agriculture and the affairs of the present world—إِذَا زَرَعَتْ هٰذِهِ الأُمَّةُ نُزِعَ مِنْهَا النَّصْرُ
The rest of the saying: and turns away from warring against unbelievers and the like, aid will be withdrawn from it. From a tradition.
1.1.2figurative · مجازGod caused it to grow, or germinate, and to increase—زَرَعَهُ ٱللّٰهُ
Namely, الحَرْثَ [the seed-produce].
Now think: what you sow, do you cause it to grow, or are We the causers of growth?—أَفَرَأَيْتُمْ مَا تَحْرُثُونَ أَأَنْتُمْ تَزْرَعُونَهُ أَمْ نَحْنُ الزَّارِعُونَ
Er-Rāghib: the verb is properly used in this way of divine acts, not of human ones.
From the Qur'ān 56:63-4. Er-Rāghib.
Or, as some say: do you cause it to increase, or are We the causers of its increase? The حَرْث [or sowing] is ascribed to them, and the زَرْع [or causing to grow] to God alone.
I was a means of causing such a thing to grow—أَنْبَتُّ كَذَا
When the causing to grow is ascribed to a man, it is because he acts as a means of making something grow. Er-Rāghib.
[He raised seed-produce, i.e. was a means of causing it to grow,] for himself, in particular—اِزْدَرَعَ زَرْعًا
1.1.3figurative · مجازMay God make him sound and strong—زَرَعَهُ ٱللّٰهُ
Said with respect to a child. The same as جَبَرَهُ, as one says أَنْبَتَهُ ٱللّٰهُ.
[May God make your offspring sound and strong, or rather, cause your offspring to grow up for the doing, or enjoyment, of what is good]—زَرَعَ ٱللّٰهُ وَلَدَكَ لِلْخَيْرِ
1.1.4figurative · مجاز[An increase was made for him after adversity; or] he obtained property after want—زُرِعَ لَهُ بَعْدُ شَقَاوَةٍ
The verb here is like عُنِىَ. Ibn-'Abbād.
Qur’ānic occurrences Form 1
12:47
قَالَ تَزْرَعُونَ سَبْعَ سِنِينَ دَأَبًا فَمَا حَصَدتُّمْ فَذَرُوهُ فِى سُنۢبُلِهِۦٓ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِّمَّا تَأْكُلُونَ(Joseph) said: "For seven years shall ye diligently sow as is your wont: and the harvests that ye reap, ye shall leave them in the ear,- except a little, of which ye shall eat.
56:64
ءَأَنتُمْ تَزْرَعُونَهُۥٓ أَمْ نَحْنُ ٱلزَّٰرِعُونَIs it ye that cause it to grow, or are We the Cause?
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
, aor. زَرَعَ , (K,) inf. n. زَرْعٌ (S, TA) and زِرَاعَةٌ , (TA,) He sowed, or cast seed; (S, K, TA;) as also اِزْدَرَعَ , (S, Msb, K,) originally اِزْتَرَعَ , the ت being changed into د in order that it may agree with the ز , (S, K,) for د and ز are pronounced with the voice as well as the breath, whereas ت is pronounced with the breath only: (S, TA:) [or the latter verb, as appears from an explanation of it to be found below, may signify he sowed for himself.] They say, مَنْ زَرَعَ حَصَدَ [He who sows reaps]. (TA.) And [they use this verb transitively, saying,] زَرَعْتُ البُرَّ وَالشَّعِيرَ [I sowed wheat and barley]: and in like manner, زَرَعْتُ الشَّجَرَ [I sowed the trees; or sowed the seeds which should produce the trees: or it may signify I planted the trees]. (Ibn-Abi-l-Hadeed.) And زَرَعَ الحُبَّ لَكَ فِى القُلُوبِ كَرَمُكَ وَحُسْنُ خُلُقِكَ [Thy generosity and the goodness of thy disposition have sown love for thee in the hearts]. (TA.) And it is said in a trad., مَنْ كَانَتْ لَهُ أَرْضٌ فَلِيَزْرَعْهَا أَوْ لِيَمْنَحْهَا أَخَاهُ فَإِنْ أَبَى فَلِيُمْسِكْ أَرْضَهُ [Whoso hath land,] let him sow it [or let him lend it, or give it, to his brother; and if he refuse, let him retain his land]. (TA.) زَرَعَ الأَرْضَ , (Mgh, Msb,) inf. n. زَرْعٌ , (Msb,) signifies [also] He ploughed up, or tilled, or cultivated, the land, or ground, for sowing. (Mgh, Msb.) Hence [the saying in a trad.], إِذَا زَرَعَتْ هٰذِهِ الأُمَّةُ نُزِعَ مِنْهَا النَّصْرُ When this nation shall employ itself altogether with agriculture and the affairs of the present world, and turn away from warring against unbelievers and the like, aid shall be withdrawn from it. (Mgh.) زَرَعَهُ ٱللّٰهُ signifies God caused it, or made it, to grow, vegetate, or germinate; (S, Mgh, Msb, K;) and, to increase; (Mgh;) namely, الحَرْثَ [the seed-produce]. (Mgh, Msb;) The verb is properly thus used of divine affairs, exclusively of human: (Er-Rághib:) and hence the saying in the Kur [lvi. 63-4], أَفَرَأَيْتُمْ مَا تَحْرُثُونَ أَأَنْتُمْ تَزْرَعُونَهُ أَمْ نَحْنُ الزَّارِعُونَ (S, * Er-Rághib) Now think ye, what ye sow, do ye cause it to grow, or are We the causers of growth? (Bd:) or, as some say, do ye cause it to increase, or are We the causers of its increase? the حَرْث [or sowing] being ascribed to them, and the زَرْع [or causing to grow] exclusively to God: when the latter is ascribed to a man, it is because he is an agent as a means of making to grow; as when you say, أَنْبَتُّ كَذَا I was a means of causing such a thing to grow. (Er-Rághib.) [In like manner,] you say, اِزْدَرَعَ زَرْعًا , meaning [He raised seed-produce, i. e., was a means of causing it to grow,] for himself, in particular. (TA.) [Hence,] one says, with respect to a child, زَرَعَهُ ٱللّٰهُ May God render him sound and strong; syn. جَبَرَهُ : (S, K, TA:) like as one says أَنْبَتَهُ ٱللّٰهُ : and in like manner, زَرَعَ ٱللّٰهُ وَلَدَكَ لِلْخَيْرِ [May God render thine offspring sound and strong, or rather, cause thine offspring to grow up, for the doing, or enjoyment, of what is good]. (TA.) [Hence also,] زُرِعَ لَهُ بَعْدُ شَقَاوَةٍ [An increase was made for him after adversity; or] he obtained property after want; for the verb in this instance is like عُنِىَ . (Ibn-'Abbád, K.)