muḍāriʿـَيَفْعَلُmaṣdarشَفْعٌ شَفَاعَةٌ
Core sense — he made it one of a pair, or couple; he interceded for himgenerated
1.1it was a single thing, and I made it one of a pair with another—كَانَ وِتْرًا فَشَفَعْتُهُ
. He made it to be a شَفْع, that is, he made it (a single thing) to be a زَوْج [i. e. he made it to be one of a pair or couple, and sometimes, he made it to be a pair or couple together]; or he adjoined it to, or coupled it with, what was a single thing.
Er-Rāghib: الشَّفْعُ means the adjoining of a thing to its like.
Also said as كَانَ وِتْرًا فَشَفَعْتُهُ بِآخَرَ.
In Har p. 194 I find the phrase كان وترا فشفّعه بآخر explained in the same way; but شفّعه so used I do not find in any lexicon. It may, however, be correct, for تشفّع, which has the form, apparently has also the meaning, of its quasi-passive.
the possession was coupled by purchase with another possession—شُفِعَ المِلْكُ بِمِلْكٍ آخَرَ
See شُفْعَةٌ.
it had a possession coupled with it by purchase—شُفِعَ بِهِ مِلْكٌ
I made the ركعة to be two—شَفَعْتُ الرَّكْعَةَ
on this sense And a poet says: [How clear was my sight in the heedless days of youth! but today, objects have become doubled to me]
shāhidمَا كَانَ أَبْصَرَنِى بِغِرَّاتِ الصِّبَىفَٱلْيَوْمَ قَدْ شُفِعَتْ لِىَ ٱلْأَشْبَاحُ
— that is, I see the one object as two, because my sight is weak and scattered.
1.1.1she became such as is termed شَافِعٌ [q. v.]—شَفَعَتْ
Said of a she-camel, and of a ewe or she-goat.
She is called لِأَنَّ وَلَدَهَا شَفَعَهَا أَوْ شَفَعَتْهُ [because her young one has made her to be one of a pair with itself, or because she has made it to be one of a pair with another that is in her belly], or in this case the maṣdar is شِفْعٌ, with kesr.
1.1.2figurative · مجازhe aids another against me, and acts injuriously to me—إِنَّهُ لَيَشْفَعُ عَلَىَّ بِالعَدَاوَةِ
Also said as لِى.
The aiding is his becoming one of a pair with the other in enmity, and the injury is done together with him.
Er-Rāghib: يَشْفَعُ means he joins himself to another and aids him, becoming to him one of a pair, or a شَفِيع [i. e. an intercessor], in doing good or evil, so that he aids him, or shares with him, in the benefit or the harm that comes of it; and this is its meaning in the Qur'ān 4:87, مَنْ يَشْفَعْ شَفَاعَةً حَسَنَةً [and in what follows the same]. Or these words mean: whoever adds a good deed to a good deed. Or, as some say, the شفاعة here is a man's prescribing to another a way of good or evil, so that the other imitates him and so becomes as though he were one of a pair with him.
[But according to the expositors in general, and according to the general usage of the as distinguished from شَفْعٌ, what is meant here is intercession.]
1.1.3he made petition, or intercession, for him—شَفَعَ لَهُ إِلَى فُلَانٍ
Also said as الى الأَمِيرِ, maṣdar شَفَاعَةٌ and تشفّع لَهُ, or تشفّع فِيهِ. [The petition being made to such a one, or to the prince or the like, the petitioner thus joining himself to him as an aider.]
he interceded between the people—شَفَعَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ
.
I pleaded, or interceded, in the affair, for some means of access, or some right or due—شَفَعْتُ فِى الأَمْرِ
Maṣdars شَفَاعَةٌ and شَفْعٌ, though the latter is scarcely to be found used in this way elsewhere.
شَفَاعَةٌ is mentioned in the K, but not explained.
Er-Rāghib: as distinguished from شَفْعٌ in the sense explained above, it means the joining of oneself to another as an aider to him, or as a petitioner for him; and in most cases the first person is of higher station than the second.
Or it is the speaking of the شَفِيع [or intercessor] to the king, or to some other person, about something the speaker asks for another person. It is also explained as the asking that sins, crimes, or misdeeds be passed over without punishment, or forgiven, [the word طَلَبُ having probably been left out by the copyist at the beginning of the explanation, and needing to be supplied].
[Intercede: your intercession will be accepted.]—اِشْفَعْ تُشَفَّعْ
[nor shall intercession profit it]—وَلَا تَنْفَعُهَا شَفَاعَةٌ
That is, it shall have no شَافِع [or intercessor] whose شَفَاعَة [or intercession] might profit it; the شَافِع itself is denied. So Ibn-'Arafeh; and the same holds in the Qur'ān 74:49, according to Ibn-'Arafeh, and in 20:108.
he prayed, or supplicated—شَفَعَ
.
[Who is he that shall pray in His presence, except by His permission?]—مَنْ ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَشْفَعُ عِنْدَهُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ
Thus Mbr and Th explain the words of the Qur'ān 2:256.
Qur’ān 74:46 approximate — somewhere between 74:38 and 74:56 Lane cites “Kur lxxiv. 49”
Lane cites “Jel in iv. 87” — a commentary, not the verse; no modern number is given
Qur’ān 74:48 located by this root inside the range Lane’s citation allows
فَمَا تَنفَعُهُمْ شَفَـٰعَةُ ٱلشَّـٰفِعِينَThen will no intercession of (any) intercessors profit them.Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur’ān (1934)
1.1.4he made a demand to him respecting what he sold [for the right of pre-emption]—شَفَعَ إِلَيْهِ فِى مَا بَاعَ
According to El-Kutabee, i. e. El-Kuteybee, this is said of the neighbour of a man who wants to sell a dwelling or land.
and he pronounced him to have a better right, or claim, as a purchaser, to what was sold—فَشَفَّعَهُ
Said of the seller, who admitted the neighbour's right of pre-emption, in preference to one whose connection was more remote.
1.2he, or it, was, or became, tall, or high—شَفَعَ
.
1.3he (a man) was smitten by the [evil] eye—شُفِعَ
Like عُنِىَ.
So IKtt. [But see شُفْعَةٌ, last sentence.]
Qur’ānic occurrences Form 1
2:255
ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْحَىُّ ٱلْقَيُّومُ ۚ لَا تَأْخُذُهُۥ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ ۚ لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُۥٓ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِۦ ۚ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَىْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِۦٓ إِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَ ۚ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ ۖ وَلَا يَـُٔودُهُۥ حِفْظُهُمَا ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَلِىُّ ٱلْعَظِيمُAllah! There is no god but He,-the Living, the Self-subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep. His are all things in the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede in His presence except as He permitteth? He knoweth what (appeareth to His creatures as) before or after or behind them. Nor shall they compass aught of His knowledge except as He willeth. His Throne doth extend over the heavens and the earth, and He feeleth no fatigue in guarding and preserving them for He is the Most High, the Supreme (in glory).
4:85
مَّن يَشْفَعْ شَفَـٰعَةً حَسَنَةً يَكُن لَّهُۥ نَصِيبٌ مِّنْهَا ۖ وَمَن يَشْفَعْ شَفَـٰعَةً سَيِّئَةً يَكُن لَّهُۥ كِفْلٌ مِّنْهَا ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ مُّقِيتًاWhoever recommends and helps a good cause becomes a partner therein: And whoever recommends and helps an evil cause, shares in its burden: And Allah hath power over all things.
7:53
هَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّا تَأْوِيلَهُۥ ۚ يَوْمَ يَأْتِى تَأْوِيلُهُۥ يَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ نَسُوهُ مِن قَبْلُ قَدْ جَآءَتْ رُسُلُ رَبِّنَا بِٱلْحَقِّ فَهَل لَّنَا مِن شُفَعَآءَ فَيَشْفَعُوا۟ لَنَآ أَوْ نُرَدُّ فَنَعْمَلَ غَيْرَ ٱلَّذِى كُنَّا نَعْمَلُ ۚ قَدْ خَسِرُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَضَلَّ عَنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَفْتَرُونَDo they just wait for the final fulfilment of the event? On the day the event is finally fulfilled, those who disregarded it before will say: "The messengers of our Lord did indeed bring true (tidings). Have we no intercessors now to intercede on our behalf? Or could we be sent back? then should we behave differently from our behaviour in the past." In fact they will have lost their souls, and the things they invented will leave them in the lurch.
21:28
يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ وَلَا يَشْفَعُونَ إِلَّا لِمَنِ ٱرْتَضَىٰ وَهُم مِّنْ خَشْيَتِهِۦ مُشْفِقُونَHe knows what is before them, and what is behind them, and they offer no intercession except for those who are acceptable, and they stand in awe and reverence of His (Glory).
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, Mgh, Msb, K,) aor. شَفَعَ , (Msb, K,) inf. n. شَفْعٌ , (S, Msb,) He made it to be a شَفْع ; (S, K, TA;) meaning (TA) he made it (a single thing) to be a زَوْج [i. e. he made it to be one of a pair or couple; and sometimes, he made it to be a pair or couple together]: (Mgh, TA:) or he adjoined it to, or coupled it with, that which was a single thing: (Msb:) accord. to Er-Rághib, الشَّفْعُ signifies the adjoining a thing to its like. (TA.) You say, كَانَ وِتْرًا فَشَفَعْتُهُ , (S,) or كَانَ وِتْرًا فَشَفَعْتُهُ بِآخَرَ i. e. [It was a single thing, and] I made it to be one of a pair, or couple, with another. (Mgh. [In Har p. 194, I find the phrase كان وترا فشفّعه بآخر , expl. in like manner; but شفّعه thus used I do not find in any lexicon: it may, however, be correctly thus used; for تشفّع , which has the form, app. has also the signification, of its quasi-pass.]) [And شُفِعَ المِلْكُ بِمِلْكٍ آخَرَ The possession (here meaning house, or piece of land,) was coupled by purchase with another possession: and شُفِعَ بِهِ مِلْكٌ It had a possession coupled with it by purchase: see شُفْعَةٌ .] You say also, شَفَعْتُ الرَّكْعَةَ I made the ركعة to be two. (Msb.) And a poet says, 1 [How clear was my sight with the inadvertencies of youth! but to-day, objects have become doubled to me]: i. e., I see the object [as] two objects, by reason of the weakness and dispersedness of my sight. (O, K. *) مَا كَانَ أَبْصَرَنِى بِغِرَّاتِ الصِّبَى | فَٱلْيَوْمَ قَدْ شُفِعَتْ لِىَ ٱلْأَشْبَاحُ [Hence,] one says of a she-camel, (S, O,) and of a ewe, or she-goat, (O,) شَفَعَتْ , (S, O,) inf. n. شَفْعٌ , (S,) meaning She became such as is termed شَافِعٌ [q. v.]: (S, O:) she is thus termed لِأَنَّ وَلَدَهَا شَفَعَهَا أَوْ شَفَعَتْهُ [because her young one has made her to be one of a pair, or couple, with itself, or because she has made it to be one of a pair or couple, with another that is in her belly], (S, O, K,) inf. n. شَفْعٌ , or the inf. n. in this case is شِفْعٌ , with kesr. (O, K.) One says also, إِنَّهُ لَيَشْفَعُ عَلَىَّ بِالعَدَاوَةِ , (K,) or لِى , (O,) i. e. Verily he aids [another, becoming to him one of a pair, by enmity] against me, and acts injuriously to me [conjointly with another]. (O, K, TA.) Accord. to Er-Rághib, يَشْفَعُ means He joins himself to another, and aids him, becoming to him one of a pair, or a شَفِيع [i. e. an intercessor], in doing good or evil, so that he aids him, or partakes with him, in [procuring] the benefit or the harm thereof; and thus it means in the saying in the Kur [iv. 87], مَنْ يَشْفَعْ شَفَاعَةً حَسَنَةً [and in what follows the same]: (TA:) or these words mean Whoso adds a [good] deed to a [good] deed: (O, K:) or, as some say, the شفاعة here is a man's instituting, or prescribing, to another, a way of good or evil, so that he [the latter] imitates him, and thus becomes as though he were to him one of a pair. (TA.) [But accord. to the expositors in general, and accord. to the general usage of the inf. n. شَفَاعَةٌ as distinguished from شَفْعٌ , what is here meant is Intercession.] [Hence also,] شَفَعَ لَهُ إِلَى فُلَانٍ , (S, * K, * TA,) or الى الأَمِيرِ , (MA,) aor. شَفَعَ , (K, TA,) inf. n. شَفَاعَةٌ ; (MA, K, TA;) and تشفّع لَهُ , (MA,) or تشفّع فِيهِ ; (S, TA;) He made petition, or intercession, for him [to such a one, or to the prince or the like; thus adjoining himself to him as an aider]: (MA, TA:) and شَفَعَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ [He interceded between the people], inf. n. شَفَاعَةٌ : (Jel in iv. 87:) and شَفَعْتُ فِى الأَمْرِ , (Msb,) inf. n. شَفَاعَةٌ (IKtt, Msb, TA) and شَفْعٌ , (Msb, [but the latter is scarcely to be found elsewhere thus used,]) I pleaded, [or interceded,] in the affair, or case, [in favour of another,] for some means of access or ingratiation, or some right or due: (IKtt, * Msb, TA: *) شَفَاعَةٌ is mentioned, but not explained, in the K: (TA:) as distinguished from شَفْعٌ meaning as expl. above, it signifies the joining oneself to another as an aider to him or a petitioner respecting him [or for him]; and in most instances the former person is one of higher station than the latter: (Er-Rághib, TA:) or the speaking of the شَفِيع [or intercessor] to the king [or some other person] respecting some object of want which the speaker asks for another person: it is also expl. as signifying the passing over without punishment, or the forgiving, [or rather the asking, or requesting, the passing over &c., (for the word طَلَبُ , probably accidentally omitted by the transcriber at the commencement of the explanation, should doubtless be supplied,)] of sins, crimes, or misdeeds. (TA.) Hence, in a trad., اِشْفَعْ تُشَفَّعْ [Intercede thou: thou shalt have thine intercession accepted]. (TA.) The saying in the Kur [ii. 117], وَلَا تَنْفَعُهَا شَفَاعَةٌ [Nor shall intercession profit it] means that it shall have no شَافِع [or intercessor] for his شَفَاعَة [or intercession] to profit it; being a denial of the شَافِع ; (Ibn- 'Arafeh, O, K;) and the same is the case in the Kur lxxiv. 49, (Ibn-'Arafeh, O, TA,) and xx. 108. (TA.) شَفَعَ , inf. n. شَفْعٌ and شَفَاعَةٌ , also signifies He prayed, or supplicated: and thus Mbr and Th explain the words of the Kur [ii. 256], مَنْ ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَشْفَعُ عِنْدَهُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ [Who is he that shall pray, or supplicate, in his presence, except by his permission?]. (TA.) Accord. to El-Kutabee, (Mgh,) [i. e.] El-Kuteybee, (TA,) one says also, of a neighbour of one who desires to sell a dwelling [or land] شَفَعَ إِلَيْهِ فِى مَا بَاعَ , meaning He made a demand to him, i. e. to the latter, respecting that which he sold [for the right of pre-emption]: and of the latter person, فَشَفَّعَهُ [and he admitted his right of pre-emption, i. e.] and he pronounced him to have a better right, or title, or claim, [as a purchaser,] to that which was sold, that he whose connexion was more remote. (Mgh, TA. *) شَفَعَ , inf. n. شَفْعٌ , signifies also He, or it, was, or became, tall, or high. (TA.) And شُفِعَ , like عُنِىَ , He (a man) was smitten by the [evil] eye. (IKtt, TA. [But see شُفْعَةٌ , last sentence.])