maṣdarعَفَآءٌ عَفْوٌ عَفَىٌmuḍāriʿيَعْفُو تعْفُو أَعْفُوهُ
Core sense — it was effaced; he forgave him; it became abundant; he gavegenerated
1.1it was, or became, effaced, erased, or obliterated; it, or he, perished, came to an end, or died—تعفّى
maṣdar عَفَآءٌ, عُفُوٌّ, and عَفْوٌ.
the trace, vestige, or footprint was effaced—عَفَا الأَثَرُ
he perished, or died—عَفَا أَثَرُهُ
.
the place of alighting, or abode, was effaced—عَفَا المَنْزِلُ
the house, or dwelling, was effaced—عَفَت الدَّارُ
The muḍāriʿ is as above, and the maṣdars are as in the first sentence.
maṣdar عَفَآءٌ and عُفُوٌّ [and عَفْوٌ]. تَعَفَّت and عَفَّت are used in the same sense.
A'Obeyd cites, as an example of العَفَآءُ meaning being effaced and perishing, the saying of Zuheyr about a dwelling:
shāhidتَحَمَّلُ أَهُلَهَا عَنْهَا فَبَانُواعَلَى آثَارِ مَا ذَهَبَ العَفَآءُ
[Its occupants departed from it, and separated, or removed far away; may the state of that which is effaced rest upon the traces of what has gone away; or the meaning may be, dust is upon the traces (see عَفَآءٌ as a noun, below); but A'Obeyd does not take it so, for] he says this is like their saying عَلَيْهِ الدَّبَارُ, an imprecation against someone who prays that he may go away and not come back.
MF says that عَفَا is one of the verbs that have opposite meanings, for it means it was, or became, unapparent, or imperceptible, and also it was, or became, apparent, or perceptible; and it has two other opposite meanings, mentioned below.
1.1.1the effacing, erasing, or obliterating of a thing—عَفْوٌ
the wind effaced the trace, footprint, or place of alighting—عَفَتِ الرِّيحُ الأَثَرَ
Also المَنْزِلَ.
the wind effaced the house, or dwelling—الدَّارَ
In عَفَّتِ الرِّيحُ الدَّارَ, maṣdar تَعْفِيَةٌ, the verb is doubled to give an intensive sense: the wind effaced the house utterly.
it, or he, effaced its, or his, trace, vestige, or footprint—عَفَّى عَلَى أَثَرِهِ
1.1.2may God efface your sin, may God absolve you—عَفَا ٱللّٰهُ عَنْكَ
may he be absolved, forgiven, or pardoned—عُفِىَ عَنْهُ
ask God for the effacement of sin, for absolution or pardon—سَلُوا ٱللّٰهَ العَفْوَ
From a tradition.
المُعَافَاةَ and العَافِيَةَ have a similar meaning; see form 3.
I left him and did not punish him—عَفَوْتُ عَنْ ذَنْبِهِ
I turned away from him, or from his crime, sin, fault, or offence—عَفَوْتُ عَنْهُ
Also عَفَوْتُ عَنْ ذَنْبِهِ and عَفَوْتُ لَهُ عَنْ ذَنْبِهِ, synonymous with صَفَحْتُ عَنْهُ; and it means I turned away from punishing him.
the turning away from the committer of a crime, and the giving up of the punishment of one who deserves it—العَفْوُ
The turning away is الصَّفْحُ.
he turned away from him, or from his crime, and did not inflict the punishment he deserved, that is, he forgave him—عَفَا عَنْهُ
Also عَفَا لَهُ ذَنْبَهُ and عَنْ ذَنْبِهِ; or عَفَا عَنْهُ ذَنْبَهُ and عَفَا لَهُ ذَنْبَهُ and عَنْ ذَنْبِهِ.
According to MF the primary meaning of العَفْوُ is التَّرْكُ, but this is not the case. And الصَّفْحُ, by which it is explained in the K, implies the giving up of blame, or of severe or angry blame, and this is more than العَفْوُ means, for the latter is sometimes without the former. The primary meaning of العَفْوُ, when it is transitive, is said to be the purposing to take a thing; and Er-Rāghib says that عَفَوْتُ عَنْكَ is as though it meant I have purposed to remove your crime. [But I think that the primary meaning of العَفْوُ, when its object is a crime or the like, is that of effacement: and hence also what follows.]
1.1.3figurative · مجاز — inferredthe withdrawing from a right, or due, and from demanding it—العَفْوُ
This is a figurative use; the verb is used in this way in the Qur'ān 2:238.
we have remitted to you the poor-rate on horses and on slaves—عَفَوْنَا لَكُمْ عَنْ صَدَقَةِ الخَيْلِ وَالرَّقِيقِ
From a saying of the Prophet.
I have annulled, or remitted, the right, or due—عَفَوْتُ عَنِ الحَقِّ
As though I erased it from the account of the one who owed it.
I have remitted to him what was due to me from him—عَفَوْتُ لَهُ عَنْ مَا لِى عَلَيْهِ
Qur’ān 2:238 approximate — somewhere between 2:223 and 2:246 Lane cites “Kur ii. 238”
Qur’ān 2:237 located by this root inside the range Lane’s citation allows
وَإِن طَلَّقْتُمُوهُنَّ مِن قَبْلِ أَن تَمَسُّوهُنَّ وَقَدْ فَرَضْتُمْ لَهُنَّ فَرِيضَةً فَنِصْفُ مَا فَرَضْتُمْ إِلَّآ أَن يَعْفُونَ أَوْ يَعْفُوَا۟ ٱلَّذِى بِيَدِهِۦ عُقْدَةُ ٱلنِّكَاحِ ۚ وَأَن تَعْفُوٓا۟ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَىٰ ۚ وَلَا تَنسَوُا۟ ٱلْفَضْلَ بَيْنَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌAnd if ye divorce them before consummation, but after the fixation of a dower for them, then the half of the dower (Is due to them), unless they remit it or (the man's half) is remitted by him in whose hands is the marriage tie; and the remission (of the man's half) is the nearest to righteousness. And do not forget Liberality between yourselves. For Allah sees well all that ye do.Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur’ān (1934)
1.2it was, or became, much in quantity, or many in number—عَفَا
they became many, or numerous—عَفَوْا
the land became covered with herbage—عَفَتِ الأَرْضُ
It also has the opposite meaning: it was, or became, little in quantity, or few in number.
It is used in the first sense of hair and of herbage; said of hair, it became long and abundant; said of the hair of a camel, or of the hair of a camel's back, it became abundant and long and covered his rump; said of herbage, it became abundant and tall.
In the Qur'ān 7:93.
In the CK, والارضَ is wrongly put for وَالأَرْضُ.
Qur’ān 7:95 approximate — somewhere between 7:88 and 7:139 Lane cites “Kur vii. 93”
Qur’ān 7:95 the verse Lane’s citation points to, and it uses this root
ثُمَّ بَدَّلْنَا مَكَانَ ٱلسَّيِّئَةِ ٱلْحَسَنَةَ حَتَّىٰ عَفَوا۟ وَّقَالُوا۟ قَدْ مَسَّ ءَابَآءَنَا ٱلضَّرَّآءُ وَٱلسَّرَّآءُ فَأَخَذْنَـٰهُم بَغْتَةً وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَThen We changed their suffering into prosperity, until they grew and multiplied, and began to say: "Our fathers (too) were touched by suffering and affluence"... Behold! We called them to account of a sudden, while they realised not (their peril).Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur’ān (1934)
1.2.1I made it much in quantity, or many in number—عَفَوْتُهُ
Also أَعْفَيْتُهُ and عَفَّيْتُهُ.
I left the hair to become abundant and long—عَفَوْتُ الشَّعَرَ
According to Es-Sarakustee.
I left the hair to become abundant and long—عَفَيْتُهُ
Muḍāriʿ أَعْفِيهِ.
he left the beard to become abundant and long, ceasing to cut it—اعفى اللِّحْيَةَ
he commanded that the mustaches be clipped closely, and the beards left to become abundant and long—أَمَرَ أَنْ تُحْفَى الشَّوَارِبُ وَتُعْفَى اللُّحَى
From a tradition; or the reading is أَحْفُوا الشَّوَارِبَ وَأَعْفُوا اللِّحَى, clip closely; and the unaugmented verb may also be used, saying وَٱعْفُوا, from عَفَا.
I left the hair of the camel, or of the camel's back, to become abundant and long—أَعْفَيْتُ شَعَرَ البَعِيرِ
Also شَعَرَ ظَهْرِ البَعِيرِ, and عَفَّيْتُهُ, this last with teshdeed. In the CK, عَفَيْتُهُ.
he left the wool to become abundant and long, and then shore it—عَفَا الصُّوفَ
Explained in the K as meaning he shore, or sheared, the wool.
1.3the exceeding, or being superfluous; the remaining over and above—عَفْوٌ
The same as فَضَلَ.
take what has exceeded, or become redundant, and has come easily—خُذْ مَا صَفَا وَعَفَا
Correctly مَا عَفَا وَصَفَا; that is, فَضَلَ وَتَسَهَّلَ.
1.3.1he exceeded him in knowledge—عَفَا عَلَيْهِ فِى العِلْمِ
[And he exceeded.]
Synonym زَادَ.
he exceeds, in giving, the wish of the wisher and the request of the petitioner—هُوَ يَعْفُو عَلَى مُنْيَةِ المُتَمَنِّى وَسُؤَالِ السَّائِلِ
I went beyond what was incumbent on me with my property, and gave to him—عَفَوْتُ لَهُ بِمَالِى
1.3.2he gave—عَفَا
.
he gave to him—اعفاهُ
Said of one seeking, or asking for, his generosity.
he gave him his right, or due, in full—اعفاهُ بِحَقِّهِ
1.3.3I ladled out for him first, and gave him some of the broth in preference—عَفَوْتُ لَهُ مِنَ المَرَقِ
See عِفَاوَةٌ.
1.3.4I left in the bottom of the cooking-pot the last of the broth—عَفَوْتُ القِدْرَ
Left as a gratuity for the one who lent the pot; this remainder is called the عُفَاوَة.
1.4I asked, or petitioned, the man—عَفَوْتُ الرَّجُلَ
I came to him seeking his generosity—عَفَوْتُهُ
Also اِعْتَفَيْتُهُ.
such a one — guests come to him seeking his hospitality—فُلَانٌ تَعْفُوهُ الأَضْيَافُ
Also تَعْتَفِيهِ.
1.4.1the camels cropped the pasture near by—عَفَتِ الإِبِلُ المَرْعَى
Muḍāriʿ تَعْفُوهُ.
1.5the water was untrodden by anything that would make it turbid—عَفَا المَآءُ
Qur’ānic occurrences Form 1 5 shown of 25
2:52
ثُمَّ عَفَوْنَا عَنكُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَEven then We did forgive you; there was a chance for you to be grateful.
4:99
فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ عَسَى ٱللَّهُ أَن يَعْفُوَ عَنْهُمْ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَفُوًّا غَفُورًاFor these, there is hope that Allah will forgive: For Allah doth blot out (sins) and forgive again and again.
4:149
إِن تُبْدُوا۟ خَيْرًا أَوْ تُخْفُوهُ أَوْ تَعْفُوا۟ عَن سُوٓءٍ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَفُوًّا قَدِيرًاWhether ye publish a good deed or conceal it or cover evil with pardon, verily Allah doth blot out (sins) and hath power (in the judgment of values).
42:30
وَمَآ أَصَـٰبَكُم مِّن مُّصِيبَةٍ فَبِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَيَعْفُوا۟ عَن كَثِيرٍWhatever misfortune happens to you, is because on the things your hands have wrought, and for many (of them) He grants forgiveness.
42:34
أَوْ يُوبِقْهُنَّ بِمَا كَسَبُوا۟ وَيَعْفُ عَن كَثِيرٍOr He can cause them to perish because of the (evil) which (the men) have earned; but much doth He forgive.
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. يَعْفُو , (S, Msb,) inf. n. عَفَآءٌ (S, Msb, K) and عُفُوٌّ and عَفْوٌ , (Msb, K,) It was, or became, effaced, erased, rased, or obliterated; (S, Msb, K;) as also تعفّى : (K:) and it, or he, perished, came to nought or to an end, or died. (S, TA.) One says, عَفَا الأَثَرُ The trace, vestige, or footprint, was, or became, effaced, &c. (TA.) And [hence,] عَفَا أَثَرُهُ , inf. n. عَفَآءٌ , He perished, or died. (K.) And عَفَا المَنْزِلُ , aor. as above. (S, Msb,) and so the inf. ns. as in the first sentence, (Msb,) the place of alighting, or abode, was, or became effaced, &c., (S, Msb:) and عَفَت الدَّارُ . aor. تعْفُو , inf. a عَفَآءٌ and عُفُوٌّ [and عَفْوٌ ]: (TA;) and تَعَفَّت , (S, TA.) and عَفَّت also; (TA;) The house, or dwelling, or abode, was, or became, effaced, &c. (S, TA) A'Obeyd cites, as an ex. of العَفَآءُ signifying the being, or becoming, effaced, &c., and the perishing, &c., the saying of Zuheyr, (S, TA.) mentioning a dwelling, or an abode, (TA.) 1 [Its occupants departed from it, and separated themselves, or removed far away; may the state of that which is effaced, &c., be or rest, upon the traces of what has gone away; or the meaning may be, dust is upon the traces &c., (see عَفَآءٌ as a subst., below;) but it is not thus accord to A 'Obeyd; for] he says, This is like their saying عَلَيْهِ الدَّبَارُ as an imprecation against one expressing a prayer that he may go away and not return. (S, TA.) MF says that عَفَا is one of those verbs that have contr. significations, for at signifies It was, or became, unapparent, or imperceptible and also It was, or became, apparent, or perceptible: and it has two other contr. significations, which will be mentioned in what follows (TA.) تَحَمَّلُ أَهُلَهَا عَنْهَا فَبَانُوا | عَلَى آثَارِ مَا ذَهَبَ العَفَآءُ And عَفْوٌ signifies also The act of effacing, erasing, rasing, or obliterating. (K, TA.) One says, عَفَتِ الرِّيحُ الأَثَرَ , (TA,) or المَنْزِلَ , (S, Msb,) and الدَّارَ , (TA,) the wind effaced, &c, (S, Msb, TA,) the trace, vestige, or footprint, (TA,) or the place of alighting, or abode, (S, Msb,) and the house, or dwelling, or abode: (TA:) and in like manner, عَفَّتِ الرِّيحُ الدَّارَ , (S, TA,) inf. n. تَعْفِيَةٌ , (TA,) in which the verb is with teshdeed to denote intensiveness [of the signification, i. e. the wind effaced, &c., mightily, or utterly, the house, or dwelling, or abode]: (S, TA:) and عَفَّى عَلَى أَثَرِهِ It, or he, effaced its, or his, trace, vestige, or footprint. (MA.) Hence, as some say, عَفَا ٱللّٰهُ عَنْكَ i. e. May God efface [from thee thy sin, &c.; meaning may God absolve thee]; (TA;) or may God efface thy sins: (Msb:) [and عُفِىَ عَنْهُ May he be absolved, or forgiven, or pardoned:] and hence the saying in a trad., سَلُوا ٱللّٰهَ العَفْوَ i. e. [Ask ye of God] the effacement of sin; [or ask ye of God absolution, or forgiveness, or pardon;] and المُعَافَاةَ , and العَافِيَةَ [which have a similar meaning: see 3]: (TA:) and one says, عَفَوْتُ عَنْ ذَنْبِهِ , meaning I left him, and did not punish him: (S:) or عَفَوْتُ عَنْهُ and عَفَوْتُ عَنْ ذَنْبِهِ and عَفَوْتُ لَهُ عَنْ ذَنْبِهِ i. e. I turned away from him, or from his crime, sin, fault, or offence; syn. صَفَحْتُ عَنْهُ ; and I turned away ( أَعْرَضْتُ ) from punishing him: (Mgh:) or العَفْوُ signifies the turning away ( الصَّفْحُ , K, TA) from the committer of a crime or the like; (TA;) and the relinquishing the punishment of the deserving [thereof]: and one says, عَفَا عَنْهُ and عَفَا لَهُ ذَنْبَهُ and عَنْ ذَنْبِهِ [he turned away from him, or from his crime, &c; and relinquished the infliction of his merited punishment, i. e. forgave him, or pardoned him]: (K, TA:) or عَفَا عَنْهُ ذَنْبَهُ and عَفَا لَهُ ذَنْبَهُ and عَنْ ذَنْبِهِ : (so accord. to the CK:) accord. to MF, the primary signification of العَفْوُ is التَّرْكُ : but this is not the case: and الصَّفْحُ [by which it is expl. in the K] is [or rather implies] the relinquishing of blame, or reproof, or of severe, or angry, blame or reproof; and this is more than [is signified by] العَفْوُ , for the latter is sometimes without the former: the primary signification of العَفْوُ [when trans.] is [said to be] the purposing to take a thing; and Er-Rághib says that عَفَوْتُ عَنْكَ is as though it meant I have purposed to remove [or to take away] thy crime or the like: (TA:) [but I think that the primary signification of العَفْوُ when its object is a crime or the like is that of effacement: and hence likewise what next follows:] العَفْوُ is also metaphorically used as meaning The withdrawing from a right, or due, and from seeking, or demanding, it: and thus the verb is used in the Kur ii. 238 [q. v.]: and in the saying of the Prophet, عَفَوْنَا لَكُمْ عَنْ صَدَقَةِ الخَيْلِ وَالرَّقِيقِ [i. e. We have remitted to you the poor-rate of horses and of the slave or slaves]: (Mgh:) [and hence] عَفَوْتُ عَنِ الحَقِّ means I have annulled [or remitted] the right, or due; as though I erased it from [the account of] him who owed it: (Msb:) and عَفَوْتُ لَهُ عَنْ مَا لِى عَلَيْهِ I have relinquished [or remitted] to him what was due to me on his part. (TA.) عَفَا signifies also It was, or became, much in quantity, or many in number: (Msb, MF, TA:) and also the contr., i. e. It was, or became, little in quantity, or few in number. (MF, TA.) It is said in the former sense of hair, and of herbage, &c.: (S:) or, said of hair, It was, or became, long, and much in quantity; (TA;) and said of the hair of a camel, (K,) or of the hair of a camel's back, (TA,) it became abundant and long, and covered his rump; (K, TA;) and said of herbage, it was, or became, much in quantity, and tall. (TA.) And عَفَوْا in the Kur vii. 93 means They became many, or numerous. (S, Msb.) And عَفَتِ الأَرْضُ The land became covered with herbage. (K and TK. [In the CK, والارضَ is erroneously put for وَالأَرْضُ .]) And عَفَوْتُهُ I made it to become much in quantity, or many in number; as also أَعْفَيْتُهُ ; (S, * Msb, TA; *) and so عَفَّيْتُهُ . (TA.) Accord. to Es-Sarakustee, one says, عَفَوْتُ الشَّعَرَ , aor. أَعْفُوهُ , inf. n. عَفْوٌ ; and عَفَيْتُهُ , aor. أَعْفِيهِ , inf. n. عَفَىٌ ; meaning I left the hair to become abundant and long. (Msb.) And one says, اعفى اللِّحْيَةَ He left the beard to become abundant and long, (Mgh, K, TA,) having ceased from cutting it: (Mgh:) whence, (TA,) it is said in a trad., أَمَرَ أَنْ تُحْفَى الشَّوَارِبُ وَتُعْفَى اللُّحَى [He commanded that the mustaches should be clipped closely, or much, and that the beards should be left to become abundant and long]: (S, TA:) or أَحْفُوا الشَّوَارِبَ وَأَعْفُوا اللِّحَى [Clip ye &c.], and one may also use the unaugmented verb [saying وَٱعْفُوا , from عَفَا ]. (Msb, TA.) And أَعْفَيْتُ شَعَرَ البَعِيرِ , (K,) or شَعَرَ ظَهْرِ البَعِيرِ , (TA,) I left the hair of the camel, or the hair of the back of the camel, to become abundant and long; as also عَفَّيْتُهُ ; (K, TA;) this latter with teshdeed. (TA. [In the CK, عَفَيْتُهُ .]) عَفَا الصُّوفَ , expl. in the K as signifying He shore, or sheared, the wool, signifies he left the wool to become abundant and long, then shore, or sheared, it. (TA.) Also, inf. n. عَفْوٌ , i. q. فَضَلَ or superfluous; or it remained over and above]. (Msb.) You say, خُذْ مَا صَفَا وَعَفَا , [correctly, مَا عَفَا وَصَفَا ,] meaning فَضَلَ وَتَسَهَّلَ [i. e. Take thou what has exceeded, or become redundant, and has become facilitated]. (Mgh.) [And He exceeded.] You say, عَفَا عَلَيْهِ فِى العِلْمِ He exceeded him in knowledge; syn. زَادَ . (K.) And هُوَ يَعْفُو عَلَى مُنْيَةِ المُتَمَنِّى وَسُؤَالِ السَّائِلِ He exceeds, in giving, the wish of the wisher and the petition of the petitioner. (TA.) And عَفَوْتُ لَهُ بِمَالِى I exceeded to him [what was incumbent on me] with my property, and gave him. (TA.) And عَفَا , aor. يَعْفُو , signifies also [simply] He gave. (TA.) And اعفاهُ He gave to him, namely, one seeking, or demanding, his beneficence. (Ham pp. 377 and 723.) And اعفاهُ بِحَقِّهِ He gave to him fully, or wholly, his right, or due. (Har p. 117.) And عَفَوْتُ لَهُ مِنَ المَرَقِ I laded out for him first, and gave to him in preference, some of the broth. (S. [See عِفَاوَةٌ .]) And عَفَوْتُ القِدْرَ I left in the bottom of the cooking-pot [as a gratuity for the lender thereof] the last of the broth, which is termed the عُفَاوَة . (S.) And عَفَوْتُ الرَّجُلَ I asked, or petitioned, the man. (Msb.) And عَفَوْتُهُ and اِعْتَفَيْتُهُ I came to him seeking, or demanding, his beneficence: you say, فُلَانٌ تَعْفُوهُ الأَضْيَافُ and تَعْتَفِيهِ [Such a one, guests come to him seeking, or demanding, his hospitality]. (S.) And عَفَتِ الإِبِلُ المَرْعَى , (K, TA,) aor. تَعْفُوهُ , inf. n. عَفْوٌ , (TA,) The camels took [or cropped] the pasture near by. (K, TA.) عَفَا المَآءُ The water was untrodden by what would render it turbid. (S, K.)