Core sense — relationship by marriage; a relation by marriage; a gravegenerated
1relationship; nearness with respect to kindred—قَرَابَةٌ
Fr makes the first of these words feminine.
Also [affinity, or] the sacred, or inviolable, tie of relationship consisting in being a father or brother or other kinsman of a man's wife.
the sacred, or inviolable, tie of relationship by marriage—صُهُورَةٌ
1.1a relation, or kinsman, or kinswoman, of a man's wife, or of a woman's husband—حَمْءٌ
Or the father or brother or other kinsman of a woman's husband; also حَمٌ and the like.
Or the father or brother or other kinsman of a man's wife, according to some of the Arabs; As says that no one says otherwise, and IAar says the like.
Or any relation of a man's wife or of a woman's husband whom it is unlawful to marry: the father, the brother, the son, the paternal uncle, and the maternal uncle.
Or a man's relation by marriage; and a kinsman of a man's relation by marriage; or a man who has married among a people; and the husband of a man's daughter; and the husband of a man's sister.
Fr says that in the Qur 25:56 it means a relation whom it is lawful to marry, such as the daughter of a paternal uncle or of a maternal uncle, while نَسَب in the same place means a relation whom it is unlawful to marry.
Zj says that the first means a relation whom it is unlawful to marry, and the second such as is not a صِهْر of those mentioned in the Qur 4:27, from the words “your mothers are forbidden to you” to the words “and your combining [as your wives] two sisters.”
I'Ab explains نسب and صهر in the former passage of the Qur differently from Fr altogether, and partly differently from Zj, saying that the first applies to the seven relations mentioned first in the Qur 4:27, and صهر to the remaining six mentioned there and the one mentioned in the verse before it. [So it includes a man's foster-mother, who has suckled him; his foster-sister, who has been suckled with him; his wife's mother; his step-daughter under his guardianship, born of his wife with whom he has gone in; his son's wife; his wife's sister combined with that wife; and his father's wife.] Az says that this is correct.
In the Qur 25:56 it means ذُو صِهْرٍ, whether male or female; or ذَوَاتُ صِهْرٍ.
Plural أَصْهَارٌ, and also صُهْرَآءُ, which last is irregular. [صِهْرَةٌ, applied to a female, plural ضِهَرَاتٌ, is apparently postclassical.]
Lane cites “Kur xxv. 56” — Flügel numbering, not yet mapped
Lane cites “Kur xxv. 56” — Flügel numbering, not yet mapped
1.2figurative · مجاز[An excellent son-in-law is the grave]—نِعْمَ الصِّهْرُ القَبْرُ
A grave, or sepulchre: they used to bury their daughters alive and say, “We have married them to the grave.” Then, in the time of El-Islám, this expression was used.
Or, correctly, it means that which takes the place of the صهر.
Qur’ānic occurrences صِهْر
25:54
وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ مِنَ ٱلْمَآءِ بَشَرًا فَجَعَلَهُۥ نَسَبًا وَصِهْرًا ۗ وَكَانَ رَبُّكَ قَدِيرًاIt is He Who has created man from water: then has He established relationships of lineage and marriage: for thy Lord has power (over all things).
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
Relationship; nearness with respect to kindred; syn. قَرَابَةٌ : (A, K:) and [affinity; or] the sacred, or inviolable, tie ( حُرْمَة ) of relationship consisting in being a father or brother or other kinsman of a man's wife: (Mgh, K:) and صُهُورَةٌ the sacred, or inviolable, tie ( حُرْمَة ) of relationship by marriage: (A:) Fr makes the former word of the fem. gender. (Sgh, TA.) And A relation, or kinsman, or kinswoman, of a man's wife: (Kh, S, A, Msb:) and of a woman's husband: (A:) or the father or brother or other kinsman of a woman's husband; syn. حَمْءٌ [and حَمٌ &c. (see art. حمو )]: (Kh, As, ISk, Msb:) and the father or brother or other kinsman of a man's wife: (Kh, As, ISk, S, Msb, K:) so accord. to some of the Arabs: (Kh, As, S, Msb:) or none says otherwise, accord. to As, and IAar says the like: (Mgh:) or any relation of a man's wife or of a woman's husband whom it is unlawful to marry; as the father, and brother, and son, and paternal uncle, and maternal uncle: (Az, Msb:) or a man's relation by marriage: and a kinsman of a man's relation by marriage: (A:) or a man who has married among a people: (Lth, Mgh:) and the husband of a man's daughter: and the husband of a man's sister: (IAar, K:) Fr says that, in the Kur xxv. 56, it signifies, a relation whom it is lawful to marry; as the daughter of a paternal uncle, and of a maternal uncle, and the like: and نَسَب in the same, a relation whom it is unlawful to marry: Zj, that the former signifies a relation whom it is unlawful to marry: and the latter, such as is not a صِهْر , of those mentioned in the Kur [iv. 27], from the words “ your mothers are forbidden unto you ” to the words “ and your combining [as your wives] two sisters: ” I'Ab explains نسب and صهر in the former passage of the Kur differently from Fr [altogether], and differently in part from Zj; saying that the former applies to the seven relations first mentioned in iv. 27 in the Kur, and صهر to the remaining six there mentioned and that mentioned in the next preceding verse; [so that it includes a man's foster-mother, who has suckled him; his fostersister, who has been suckled with him; his wife's mother; his step-daughter under his guardianship, born of his wife unto whom he has gone in; his son's wife; his wife's sister combined with that wife; and his father's wife;] and this, says Az, is correct: (Mgh:) in the Kur xxv. 56, it means ذُو صِهْرٍ , whether male or female: (Jel:) or ذَوَاتُ صِهْرٍ : (Bd:) pl. أَصْهَارٌ (S, A, Msb, K, &c.) and صُهْرَآءُ ; (K;) which latter is extr. (TA.) [ صِهْرَةٌ , applied to a female, pl. ضِهَرَاتٌ , is app. postclassical.] And A grave, or sepulchre: (ISd, K:) for they used to bury their daughters alive, and say, “ We have married them to the grave: ” then, in the time of El-Islám, this expression was used, and it was said, نِعْمَ الصِّهْرُ القَبْرُ [An excel-lent son-in-law is the grave]: or it means, correctly, that which supplies the place of the صهر . (ISd.)