maṣdarسَوْءٌ مَسَآءَةٌmuḍāriʿيَسُوْءُ يَسُوْؤُهُ أَسُوْؤُهُ
Core sense — it was, or became, evil, bad, foul; he did evil to him, he grieved himgenerated
1.1[Evil, &c., is it as a way of acting]—سَآءَ سَبِيلًا
maṣdar سَوْءٌ or سَوَآءٌ, like سَحَابٌ [but the former is the one commonly known]. It (a thing) was, or became, evil, bad, abominable, foul, unseemly, or ugly.
Used in this sense, or rather like بِئْسَ, in the Qur 17:34.
[Evil, &c., is this as a way of acting or believing, &c.]—سَآءَ هٰذَا مَذْهَبًا
The noun is in the accusative as a specificative.
[Evil, &c., as an action, is that which such a one has done]—سَآءَ مَا فَعَلَ فُلَانٌ صَنِيعًا
1.1.1I held an evil opinion about him, or about it—سُؤْتُ بِهِ ظَنًّا
I formed an evil opinion about him, or about it—أَسَأْتُ بِهِ الظَّنَّ
The noun is determinate, taking the article ال, where the verb takes it as an object, the verb being transitive; and it is indeterminate where it stands in the accusative as a specificative. Some allow it to be indeterminate after أَسَأْتُ, which here is the opposite of أَحْسَنْتُ.
1.2he did evil to him; he did to him what he disliked; he displeased, grieved, or vexed him—سَآءَهُ
It is also transitive.; maṣdar سَوْءٌ and سُوْءٌ, also with damm [said to be a maṣdar in the Ksh and by Bd on 2:46, but as it is not mentioned as a maṣdar in the S, the M or the K, and is expressly called a substantive in all of them, I think it should be rejected, or else regarded as a quasi-maṣdar like كَلَامٌ and ثَوَابٌ, &c.]; and سَوَآةٌ, and سَوَآءَةٌ, and سَوَاىءِيَةٌ, of the measure فَعَالِيَةٌ, like عَلَانِيَةٌ, and سَوَايَةٌ, which is a contraction of the word before it, and مَسَآءٌ, and مَسَآءَةٌ, originally مَسْوَأَةٌ, and مَسَائِيَةٌ, which is originally مَسَاوِئَةٌ, and مَسَايَةٌ, which is a contraction of the word before it, and مَسَائِيَّةٌ, this last written in the L with two ى s, [that is, مَسَاييَِةٌ].
The opposite of سَرَّهُ.
I displeased, grieved, or vexed the man by what he saw from me—سُؤْتُ الرَّجُلَ
I desired to displease, grieve, or vex you—أَرَدْتُ مَسَآءَتَكَ
I desired to displease, grieve, or vex you—مَسَائِيَتَكَ
[The night is long, and may its state not displease, grieve, or vex me]—إِنَّ اللَّيْلَ طَوِيلٌ وَلَا يَسُؤْ بَالُهُ
Meaning لَا يَسُؤْنِى بَالُهُ, and expressing a prayer. Lh, M. [In the TA, in place of بَالُهُ, ما له is put, as though meaning مَا لَهُ مِنَ الحَوَادِثِ or the like, that is, its events or accidents, &c.]
I have, belonging to him, what grieved him and oppressed him by its weight—لَهُ عِنْدِي مَا سَآءَهُ وَنَآءَهُ
what does, or will, grieve him, &c.—مَا يَسُوْؤُهُ وَيَنُوْؤُهُ
he has left what will grieve him and oppress him by its weight on the day of judgment, by the responsibility it has laid on him—تَرَكَ مَا يَسُوْؤُهُ وَيَنُوْؤُهُ
A proverb, said of one who has left his property to his heirs. Meyd. It is said that El-Mahboobee was a rich man; when death came to him he wanted to make a testament, and was asked, "What will you write?" He answered: "Write, 'Such a one'" — meaning himself — "'has left what will grieve him and oppress him by its weight'": that is, property which his heirs will devour, while the burden of it stays on him. Meyd.
on this sense See also form 4.
Lane cites “Bd in ii. 46” — a commentary, not the verse; no modern number is given
1.2.1I said, May God remove the person (literally the face) of such a one far from good, or prosperity, &c.—سُؤْتُ وَجْهَ فُلَانٍ
maṣdar مَسَآءَةٌ and مَسَائِيَةٌ. The same as قَبَحْتُهُ.
[It is said in a copy of the M that سُؤْتُ لَهُ وَجْهَهُ means قَبَّحْتُهُ, but I think the right explanation is قَبَحْتُهُ, without teshdeed, meaning I said to him, قَبَحَ ٱللّٰهُ وَجْهَكَ; see art. قبح.]
Qur’ānic occurrences Form 1 4 shown of 30
20:101
خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهِ ۖ وَسَآءَ لَهُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ حِمْلًاThey will abide in this (state): and grievous will the burden be to them on that Day,-
25:66
إِنَّهَا سَآءَتْ مُسْتَقَرًّا وَمُقَامًا"Evil indeed is it as an abode, and as a place to rest in";
26:173
وَأَمْطَرْنَا عَلَيْهِم مَّطَرًا ۖ فَسَآءَ مَطَرُ ٱلْمُنذَرِينَWe rained down on them a shower (of brimstone): and evil was the shower on those who were admonished (but heeded not)!
37:177
فَإِذَا نَزَلَ بِسَاحَتِهِمْ فَسَآءَ صَبَاحُ ٱلْمُنذَرِينَBut when it descends into the open space before them, evil will be the morning for those who were warned (and heeded not)!
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
, (Lth, M, Msb, K,) aor. يَسُوْءُ , (Lth, Msb,) inf. n. سَوْءٌ , (Lth, M,) or سَوَآءٌ , like سَحَابٌ , (K,) [but the former is that which is commonly known,] It (a thing, Lth, M) was, or became, evil, bad, abominable, foul, unseemly, unsightly, or ugly. (Lth, M, Msb, K.) It is used in this sense, (IKt, TA,) or [rather] is like بِئْسَ , (Bd, Jel,) in the Kur [xvii. 34], where it is said, سَآءَ سَبِيلًا [Evil, &c., is it as a way of acting]: (IKt, Bd, Jel, TA:) which is like the saying, سَآءَ هٰذَا مَذْهَبًا [Evil, &c., is this as a way of acting or believing, &c.]: the noun being in the accus. case as a specificative. (IKt, TA.) And so in the saying, سَآءَ مَا فَعَلَ فُلَانٌ صَنِيعًا [Evil, &c., as an action, is that which such a one has done]. (TA.) One says also, سُؤْتُ بِهِ ظَنًّا , and أَسَأْتُ بِهِ الظَّنَّ , [lit. I was evil in opinion respecting him, or it, and I made the opinion respecting him, or it, to be evil, each virtually meaning I held, or formed, an evil opinion respecting him, or it,] the noun being determinate, with the article ال , in the latter case, (ISk, S, Msb, TA,) because it is an objective complement, for the verb is trans., (IB, TA,) and the noun being indeterminate in the former case, (IB, Msb, TA,) because it is in the accus. case as a specificative; (IB, TA;) but some allow it to be indeterminate after أَسَأْتُ , which is here the contr. of أَحْسَنْتُ . (Msb.) It is also trans.: (Lth, TA:) you say, سَآءَهُ , (S, M, K,) aor. يَسُوْؤُهُ , (S,) inf. n. سَوْءٌ (S, M, K) and سُوْءٌ , with damm also, (TA, [and said to be an inf. n. in the Ksh and by Bd in ii. 46, but as it is not mentioned as an inf. n. in the S nor in the M nor in the K, but is expressly said in all these to be a subst., I think that is should be rejected, or regarded as a quasi-inf. n. like كَلَامٌ and ثَوَابٌ &c.,]) سَوَآةٌ (K) and سَوَآءَةٌ (AZ, M, K) and سَوَاىءِيَةٌ (S, M, K,) of the measure فَعَالِيَةٌ , like عَلَانِيَةٌ (Kh, S, M,) and سَوَايَةٌ , (S, M, K,) which is a contraction of that next preceding, (Kh, S, M,) and مَسَآءٌ (M, K) and مَسَآءَةٌ , (S, M, K,) originally مَسْوَأَةٌ , (Har p. 81,) and مَسَائِيَةٌ , which is originally مَسَاوِئَةٌ , (Kh, S, M, K,) and مَسَايَةٌ , (S, M, K,) which is a contraction of that next preceding, (Kh, S,) and مَسَائِيَّةٌ , (M, K,) this last written in the L with two ى s, [i. e. مَسَاييَِةٌ ,] (TA,) [He did evil to him;] he did to him that which he disliked, or hated; (M, K;) he displeased, grieved, or vexed, him; contr. of سَرَّهُ . (S.) One says, سُؤْتُ الرَّجُلَ , meaning I displeased, grieved, or vexed, the man by what he saw [or experienced] from me. (S.) And أَرَدْتُ مَسَآءَتَكَ and مَسَائِيَتَكَ [I desired to displease, grieve, or vex, thee]. (Lth, TA.) And إِنَّ اللَّيْلَ طَوِيلٌ وَلَا يَسُؤْ بَالُهُ [Verily the night is long, and may the state thereof not displease, grieve, or vex, me]: meaning لَا يَسُؤْنِى بَالُهُ ; and expressing a prayer. (Lh, M. [In the TA, in the place of بَالُهُ is put ما له ; as though meaning مَا لَهُ مِنَ الحَوَادِثِ or the like, i. e. its events, or accidents, &c.]) And لَهُ عِنْدِي مَا سَآءَهُ وَنَآءَهُ [I have, belonging to him, or I owe him, what grieved him, and oppressed him by its weight], and مَا يَسُوْؤُهُ وَيَنُوْؤُهُ [what does, or will, grieve him, &c.]. (S.) تَرَكَ مَا يَسُوْؤُهُ وَيَنُوْؤُهُ [He left, or has left, what will grieve him, and oppress him by its weight, on the day of judgment, by the responsibility that it has imposed upon him,] is a prov., said of him who has left his property to his heirs. (Meyd, TA.) It is said that El-Mahboobee was possessed of riches; and when death visited him, he desired to make a testament; so it was said to him, “ What wilt thou write? ” and he answered, “ Write ye, 'Such a one,' meaning himself, 'has left what will grieve him, and oppress him by its weight:' ” i. e., property which his heirs will devour, while the burden thereof will remain upon him. (Meyd, TA.) [See also 4.] One says also, سُؤْتُ وَجْهَ فُلَانٍ , aor. أَسُوْؤُهُ , inf. n. مَسَآءَةٌ and مَسَائِيَةٌ , (Lth, TA,) i. q. قَبَحْتُهُ [i. e. I said, May God remove the person (lit. the face) of such a one far from good, or prosperity, &c.]. (TA. [It is said in a copy of the M, that سُؤْتُ لَهُ وَجْهَهُ means قَبَّحْتُهُ : but I think that the right explanation is قَبَحْتُهُ , without tesh-deed, meaning I said to him, قَبَحَ ٱللّٰهُ وَجْهَكَ : see art. قبح .])