muḍāriʿـِيَفْعِلُmaṣdarظَلْمٌ ظُلْمٌ
Core sense — he did wrong, he wronged him; he put a thing in a wrong placegenerated
1.1[he did wrong, he acted wrongfully or unjustly; and, transitively, he wronged him, or misused him]—ظَلَمَ
or both, or the latter is a simple noun put in the place of the maṣdar, [and the T and K indicate the same by saying that the proper maṣdar is with fet-h,] and مَظْلِمَةٌ, or this too is a simple noun, and مَظْلَمَةٌ [or this also is a simple noun,] and ظِلَامٌ is also said to be a maṣdar like ظُلْمٌ, these two being like لِبَاسٌ and لُبْسٌ [or it is a simple noun, as ظُلْمٌ is said to be, or it is a maṣdar of Form 3, occurring as such in the middle of this paragraph], or, according to Kr, it is the plural of ظُلْمٌ [as رِمَاحٌ is the plural of رُمْحٌ].
putting a thing in a place not its own; misplacing it—الظُّلْمُ
[making to suffer loss, or detriment]—النَّقْص
So most of the lexicologists say, according to Er-Rāghib; As gives the same.
Er-Rāghib: it is by going beyond the proper limit, or by falling short, or by departing from the proper time and place.
El-Munáwee: acting however one pleases in disposing of another's property; and going beyond the proper limit. Er-Rāghib: going beyond the proper limit, whether much or little.
Some say this is its primary meaning.
Er-Rāghib: it is said to be of three kinds, between man and God, between man and man, and between a man and himself; and every one of the three is really لِلنَّفْسِ [that is, a wrongdoing to oneself].
[When used as a simple noun,] the plural of ظُلْمٌ according to Kr is ظِلَامٌ, as mentioned above; and ظُلَامٌ, with damm, is said to be synonymous with ظُلْمٌ, or a plural of it, [of an irregular form, commonly treated as an ism jamʿ,] like رُخَالٌ.
[he who asks the wolf to keep guard surely does wrong, or puts a thing in a wrong place]—مَنِ ٱسْتَرْعَى الذِّئْبَ فَقَدْ ظَلَمَ
[whoever resembles his father in a quality] has not put the likeness in a wrong place—مَنْ أَشْبَهَ أَبَاهُ فَمَا ظَلَمَ
A proverb.
A proverb, according to As. [See art. شبه.]
and made nothing of it suffer loss, or detriment—وَلَمْ تَظْلِمْ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا
In the Qur'ān 18:31, explained as وَلَمْ تَنْقُصْ.
and they did not make us suffer loss, or detriment, by what they did, but themselves they made to suffer loss—وَمَا ظَلَمُونَا وَلٰكِنْ كَانُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ
Fr explains the saying in the Qur'ān 2:54 and 7:160 in this way.
The A seems to indicate that the verb is figurative in this sense.
1.1.1and they disbelieved in them—فَظَلَمُوا بِهَا
The verb is also made transitive by means of بِ, as in this phrase in the Qur'ān 7:101 and 17:61.
The meaning is كَفَرُوا, referring to the آيَات [or signs]; the verb has this sense figuratively or by implication, or it is made transitive in this way because it implies the meaning of التَّكْذِيب.
Or the meaning is: and they wronged themselves, or the people, because of them; for, as some say, the ب is causative and the object, أَنْفُسَهُمْ or النَّاسَ, is left out.
1.1.2he made him suffer loss of his right, or due; he defrauded or deprived him of it—ظَلَمَهُ حَقَّهُ
he deprived him of his right, or due—تظلّمهُ حَقَّهُ
such a one made me suffer loss of my property—تَظَلَّمَنِى فُلَانٌ
The verb is doubly transitive by itself.
As well as تظلّمنى مَالِى, which occurs in a verse cited in the M; meaning ظَلَمَنِى مَالِى.
God will not deprive them of the weight of one of the smallest of ants, or of a grub of an ant—إِنَّ ٱللّٰهَ لَا يَظْلِمُ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ
In the Qur'ān 4:44, for لَا يَظْلِمُهُمْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةِ; the verb is made doubly transitive because the meaning is لَا يَسْلُبُهُمْ.
Or مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ may stand in the place of the maṣdar, for ظَلْمًا حَقِيرًا كَمِثْقَالِ ذَرَّةٍ [that is, with a paltry spoliation or deprivation, such as the weight of one of the smallest of ants].
1.1.3he desired the wronging of him—أَرَادَ ظِلَامَهُ
he desired the wronging of him—مُظَالَمَتَهُ
These two nouns are maṣdars of ظَالَمَهُ; or the former, as mentioned above, is according to some a maṣdar of ظَلَمَ.
Explained as ظُلْمَهُ or ظَلْمَهُ.
1.1.4he imposed on him a thing that was above his power, or ability—ظَلَمَهُ
[or ظَلْمٌ?].
he is asked for a thing that is above his power, or ability—يُظْلَمُ
1.1.5figurative · مجازhe slaughtered the camel though it had no disease—ظَلَمَ البَعِيرَ
the she-camel was slaughtered though she had no disease—ظُلِمَتِ النَّاقَةُ
Or she was covered without desiring the stallion.
the he-ass leaped the she-ass before her time—ظَلَمَ الحِمَارُ الأَتَانَ
Or when she was pregnant; so in the A.
1.1.6figurative · مجاز — inferredhe gave to drink of the milk of his skin before it became thick and its butter came out—ظَلَمَ الوَطْبَ
[or ظَلْمٌ?].
he gave the people, or party, milk to drink before it had reached maturity—ظَلَمَ القَوْمَ
So on the authority of A ʿObeyd; or the milk termed ظَلِيمَة, but this is a mistake.
I drank what was in the skin before it reached maturity and its butter was taken out—ظَلَمْتُ السِّقَآءَ
I gave to drink the milk before it reached maturity and its butter was taken out—اللَّبَنَ
I gave to drink the contents of my milk-skin before it thickened—ظَلَمْتُ وَطْبِىَ القَوْمَ
Related on the authority of Ahmad Ibn-Yahyà [that is, Th] and AHeyth.
So ISk; but I think it is correctly ظَلَمْتُ وَطْبِى لِلْقَومِ, agreeing with a verse cited in the T and M.
I did it hastily, before its proper time or season—ظَلَمْتُهُ
Said of anything.
1.1.7figurative · مجازI made the watering-trough in a place where watering-troughs should not be made—ظَلَمْتُ الحَوْضَ
he dug the ground where it was not the place for digging—ظَلَمَ الأَرْضَ
it reached the wide water-courses, not having reached them before—ظَلَمَ البِطَاحَ
Or: when it had not been dug before. And, said of a torrent: it furrowed the earth in a place that had not been furrowed.
Said of a torrent; بطاح means the wide water-courses containing fine, or broken, pebbles.
the water of the valley reached a place it had not reached before—ظَلَمَ الوَادِى
1.1.8figurative · مجازdo not go beyond the proper limit—لَا تَظْلِمُوا
Said to men when they have added to a grave earth other than its own.
1.1.9figurative · مجاز — inferreddo not turn from the main part, or the beaten track, of the road—لَا تَظْلِمْ وَضَحَ الطَّرِيقِ
do not turn from it at all—لَا تَظْلِمْ عَنْهُ شَيْئَا
[he kept to the road, and] did not turn from it to the right or the left—لَزِمَ الطَّرِيقَ فَلَمْ يَظْلِمْهُ
1.1.10figurative · مجاز — inferredwhat has prevented your doing such a thing?—مَا ظَلَمَكَ أَنْ تَفْعَلَ
[what has prevented your vomiting?]—مَا ظَلَمَكَ أَنْ تَقِىْءَ
what has prevented you from such a thing?—مَا ظَلَمَكَ عَنْ كَذَا
A man complained to Abu-l-Jarráh of the indigestion he was suffering from food he had eaten, and he said this to him.
On the saying
shāhid 1قَالَ بَلَى يَا مَىَّ وَاليَوْمُ ظَلَمْ
[addressed by a man to a woman who had invited him to visit her], Fr says they hold the meaning to be حَقًّا [truly, or in truth; that is, he said, Yes, Meiya, truly I will visit you]; and it is a proverb; or اليَوْمُ ظَلَمَ, or بَلَى وَاليَوْمُ ظَلَمَ, is the proverb, as Meyd says.
such a one came truly, or in truth—قَدِمَ فُلَانٌ وَاليَوْمُ ظَلَمَ
IAar explained it in the same way, as used in the manner of an oath; but Fr says that in his opinion the meaning is: and a day in which there is a cause of prevention shall not prevent me. [So the words of the hemistich above may be rendered: he said, Yes, Meiya, though the day present an obstacle, for I will overcome every obstacle.]
So Kr; or it may be rendered: such a one came, though the day presented an obstacle.
But in the saying
shāhid 2إِنَّ الفِرَاقَ اليَوْمَ وَاليَوْمُ ظَلَمْ
the meaning is said by some to be وَاليَوْمُ ظَلَمَنَا [that is, separation is today, and the day has wronged us]; or, as some say, ظلم here means it has put the thing in a wrong place.
ISk: the phrase وَاليَوْمُ ظَلَم means: and, or but, or though, the day has put the affair in a wrong place. [See also Freytag's Arab. Prov. ii. 911.]
1.2
ظَلِمَ, said of the night: see Form 4.
Qur’ānic occurrences Form 1 5 shown of 94
27:11
إِلَّا مَن ظَلَمَ ثُمَّ بَدَّلَ حُسْنًۢا بَعْدَ سُوٓءٍ فَإِنِّى غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ"But if any have done wrong and have thereafter substituted good to take the place of evil, truly, I am Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
27:85
وَوَقَعَ ٱلْقَوْلُ عَلَيْهِم بِمَا ظَلَمُوا۟ فَهُمْ لَا يَنطِقُونَAnd the Word will be fulfilled against them, because of their wrong-doing, and they will be unable to speak (in plea).
37:22
ٱحْشُرُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ وَأَزْوَٰجَهُمْ وَمَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْبُدُونَ"Bring ye up", it shall be said, "The wrong-doers and their wives, and the things they worshipped-
43:39
وَلَن يَنفَعَكُمُ ٱلْيَوْمَ إِذ ظَّلَمْتُمْ أَنَّكُمْ فِى ٱلْعَذَابِ مُشْتَرِكُونَWhen ye have done wrong, it will avail you nothing, that Day, that ye shall be partners in Punishment!
43:76
وَمَا ظَلَمْنَـٰهُمْ وَلَـٰكِن كَانُوا۟ هُمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَNowise shall We be unjust to them: but it is they who have been unjust themselves.
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. ظَلِمَ , has for its inf. n. ظَلْمٌ , (M, Msb, K, and so in some copies of the S,) or ظُلْمٌ , (so in other copies of the S,) or both, (T,) or the latter is a simple subst., (T, M, Msb, TA,) which is put in the place of the inf. n., (TA, [and the same is indicated in the T and K by the saying that the proper inf. n. is with fet-h,]) and مَظْلِمَةٌ , (S, TA,) or this is likewise a simple subst., (Msb,) and مَظْلَمَةٌ , [or this also is a simple subst.,] and ظِلَامٌ also is said to be an inf. n. like ظُلْمٌ , these two being like لِبَاسٌ and لُبْسٌ , [or it is a simple subst. like as ظُلْمٌ is said to be, or it is an inf. n. of 3, as such occurring in the middle of this paragraph,] or, accord. to Kr, it is pl. of ظُلْمٌ [like as رِمَاحٌ is pl. of رُمْحٌ ]: (TA:) [ ظَلَمَ when intrans. generally means He did wrong; or acted wrongfully, unjustly, injuriously, or tyrannically: and when trans., he wronged; or treated, or used, wrongfully, unjustly, injuriously, or tyrannically; or he misused:] accord. to most of the lexicologists, (Er-Rághib, TA,) primarily, (As, T, S, Msb,) الظُّلْمُ signifies the putting a thing in a place not its own; putting it in a wrong place; misplacing it: (As, T, S, M, Er-Rághib, Msb, K:) and it is by exceeding or by falling short, or by deviating from the proper time and place: (Er-Rághib, TA:) or the acting in whatsoever way one pleases in the disposal of the property of another: and the transgressing the proper limit: (El-Munáwee, TA:) [i. e.] the transgressing the proper limit much or little: (Er-Rághib, TA:) or, accord. to some, it primarily signifies النَّقْص [as meaning the making to suffer loss, or detriment]: (MF, TA:) and it is said to be of three kinds, between man and God, and between man and man, and between a man and himself; every one of which three is really لِلنَّفْسِ [i. e. a wrongdoing to oneself]: (Er-Rághib, TA:) [when it is used as a simple subst.,] the pl. of ظُلْمٌ , accord. to Kr. is ظِلَامٌ , as mentioned above, and ظُلَامٌ , with damm, is said to be syn. with ظُلْمٌ , or a pl. thereof, [of an extr. form, commonly regarded as that of a quasi-pl. n.,] like رُخَالٌ . (TA.) One says, مَنِ ٱسْتَرْعَى الذِّئْبَ فَقَدْ ظَلَمَ [He who asks, or desires, the wolf to keep guard surely does wrong, or puts a thing in a wrong place]: a prov. (S, Msb.) And مَنْ أَشْبَهَ أَبَاهُ فَمَا ظَلَمَ , (As, T, S,) a prov., meaning [Whoso resembles his father in a quality, or an attribute,] he has not put the likeness in a wrong place. (As, T. [See art. شبه .]) وَلَمْ تَظْلِمْ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا , in the Kur [xviii. 31], means وَلَمْ تَنْقُصْ [i. e. And made not aught thereof to suffer loss, or detriment]: (M, K:) and in like manner Fr explains the saying in the Kur [ii. 54 and vii. 160], وَمَا ظَلَمُونَا وَلٰكِنْ كَانُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ And they made not us to suffer loss, or detriment, by that which they did, but themselves they made to suffer loss, or detriment: (T, TA:) in which sense it seems to be indicated in the A that the verb is tropical. (TA.) It is also trans. by means of بِ ; as in the phrase in the Kur [vii. 101 and xvii. 61] فَظَلَمُوا بِهَا , because the meaning is كَفَرُوا [i. e. And they disbelieved in them], referring to the آيَات [or signs]; (M, TA; *) the verb having this meaning tropically or by implication; or being thus made trans. because implying the meaning of التَّكْذِيب : or [the meaning is, and they wronged themselves, or the people, because of them; for], as some say, the ب is causative, and the objective complement, i. e. أَنْفُسَهُمْ , or النَّاسَ , is suppressed. (TA.) And it is doubly trans. by itself: (TA:) one says, ظَلَمَهُ حَقَّهُ [He made him to suffer loss, or detriment, of his right, or due; or defrauded, or despoiled, or deprived, him of it]; and تظلّمهُ حَقَّهُ : (M, K:) [and] you say, تَظَلَّمَنِى فُلَانٌ , [as well as تظلّمنى مَالِى , occurring in a verse cited in the M,] meaning ظَلَمَنِى مَالِى [i. e. Such a one caused me to suffer loss, &c., of my property]. (S.) It is said in the Kur [iv. 44], إِنَّ ٱللّٰهَ لَا يَظْلِمُ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ , for لَا يَظْلِمُهُمْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةِ , and the verb is made doubly trans. because the meaning is لَا يَسْلُبُهُمْ [i. e. Verily God will not despoil them, or deprive them, of the weight of one of the smallest of ants, or a grub of an ant, &c.]: or مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ , may be put in the place of the inf. n., for ظَلْمًا حَقِيرًا كَمِثْقَالِ ذَرَّةٍ [i. e. with a paltry spoliation or deprivation, such as the weight of one of the smallest of ants, &c.]. (M.) One says also, أَرَادَ ظِلَامَهُ and مُظَالَمَتَهُ , [these two nouns being inf. ns. of ظَالَمَهُ , or the former, as mentioned above, is, accord. to some, an inf. n. of ظَلَمَ ,] meaning ظُلْمَهُ or ظَلْمَهُ [i. e. He desired the wronging, &c., of him]. (M, K.) ظَلَمَهُ , inf. n. ظُلْمٌ [or ظَلْمٌ ?], also means He imposed upon him a thing that was above his power, or ability. (TA.) And يُظْلَمُ He is asked for a thing that is above his power, or ability. (S.) And one says, ظَلَمَ البَعِيرَ He slaughtered the camel without disease. (S, K, TA.) And ظُلِمَتِ النَّاقَةُ The she-camel was slaughtered without disease: or was covered without her desiring the stallion. (M.) And ظَلَمَ الحِمَارُ الأَتَانَ The he-ass leaped the she-ass (K, TA) before her time: (TA:) or when she was pregnant: (K, TA:) so in the A. (TA.) And ظَلَمَ الوَطْبَ , (S, K,) inf. n. ظُلْمٌ [or ظَلْمٌ ?], (S,) He gave to drink of the milk of his skin before its becoming thick (S, K, TA) and its butter's coming forth. (TA. [And the like is said in the T and M.]) And ظَلَمَ القَوْمَ He gave to drink to the people, or party, (T, M, K,) milk before it had attained to maturity, (T, K,) as related on the authority of A 'Obeyd, (T,) or [milk such as is termed] ظَلِيمَة : (M:) but this is a mistake: it is related on the authority of Ahmad Ibn-Yahyà [i. e. Th] and AHeyth that one says, ظَلَمْتُ السِّقَآءَ , and اللَّبَنَ , meaning I drank, or gave to drink, what was in the skin, and the milk, before its attaining to maturity and the extracting of its butter: accord. to ISk, one says, ظَلَمْتُ وَطْبِىَ القَوْمَ , [but I think that it is correctly ظَلَمْتُ وَطْبِى لِلْقَومِ , agreeably with a verse cited in the T and M,] meaning I gave to drink [to the people, or party,] the contents of my milk-skin before the thickening thereof. (T.) And ظَلَمْتُهُ is said of anything as meaning I did it hastily, or hurriedly, before its proper time, or season. (M, TA.) ظَلَمْتُ الحَوْضَ means I made the watering-trough in a place in which watering-troughs should not be made. (ISk, T.) And ظَلَمَ الأَرْضَ means He dug the ground in what was not the place of digging: (M, K, TA:) or when it had not been dug before. (M.) And, said of a torrent, It furrowed the earth in a place that was not furrowed. (T.) And ظَلَمَ البِطَاحَ , said of a torrent, It reached the بطاح [or wide water-courses containing fine, or broken, pebbles, &c.], not having reached them before. (A, TA.) And ظَلَمَ الوَادِى The water of the valley reached a place that it had not reached before. (Fr, T, S, K, TA.) When men have added upon the grave other than its own earth, لَا تَظْلِمُوا [Transgress not ye the proper limit] is said to them. (TA.) And one says, لَا تَظْلِمْ وَضَحَ الطَّرِيقِ Turn not thou from the main part, or the beaten track, of the road. (M.) And لَا تَظْلِمْ عَنْهُ شَيْئَا Turn not thou from it at all. (T.) And لَزِمَ الطَّرِيقَ فَلَمْ يَظْلِمْهُ [He kept to the road, and] did not turn from it to the right and left. (TA.) And مَا ظَلَمَكَ أَنْ تَفْعَلَ (T, K, TA) What has prevented thy doing (K, TA) such a thing? (TA.) A man complained to Abu-l-Jarráh of his suffering indigestion from food that he had eaten, and he said to him, مَا ظَلَمَكَ أَنْ تَقِىْءَ [What has prevented thy vomiting?]. (Fr, T.) And one says, مَا ظَلَمَكَ عَنْ كَذَا What has prevented thee from such a thing? (T.) Respecting the saying 1 [addressed by a man to a woman who had invited him to visit her], Fr says, they say that the meaning is حَقًّا [Truly, or in truth; i. e. He said, Yes, O Meiya, truly, or in truth, I will visit thee]; and it is a prov.; (T;) or اليَوْمُ ظَلَمَ , or بَلَى وَاليَوْمُ ظَلَمَ , is a prov.; (Meyd;) and thus it was expl. by IAar, as used in the manner of an oath: but Fr says, in my opinion the meaning is, and a day in which is a cause of prevention shall not prevent me: [so that the words of the hemistich above may be rendered, he said, Yes, O Meiya, though the day present an obstacle, for I will overcome every obstacle]: (T:) accord. to Kr, قَدِمَ فُلَانٌ وَاليَوْمُ ظَلَمَ means Such a one came truly, or in truth: [or it may be rendered such a one came though the day presented an obstacle:] but in the saying 2 the meaning is said by some to be وَاليَوْمُ ظَلَمَنَا [i. e. Verily separation is to-day, and the day has wronged (us)]: or, as some say, ظلم here means, has put the thing in a wrong place: (M:) accord. to ISk, the phrase وَاليَوْمُ ظَلَم means [And, or but, or though,] the day has put the affair in a wrong place. (T.) [See also Freytag's Arab. Prov. ii. 911.] قَالَ بَلَى يَا مَىَّ وَاليَوْمُ ظَلَمْ إِنَّ الفِرَاقَ اليَوْمَ وَاليَوْمُ ظَلَمْ ظَلِمَ , said of the night: see 4.