muḍāriʿـُيَفْعُلُ·ـِيَفْعِلُmaṣdarعَكْفٌ
Core sense — he kept constantly to it; he went round it; he withheld himgenerated
1.1a people keeping constantly to the worship of idols belonging to them—يَعْكُفُونَ عَلَى أَصْنَامٍ لَهُمْ
Muḍāriʿ عَكُفَ and عَكِفَ, the first only being mentioned in the Mgh and only the second in the CK; maṣdar عُكُوفٌ and عَكْفٌ, or the latter belongs to the transitive verb.
He kept, or clave, to it constantly and perseveringly, not turning his face from it; said of a thing. Some say: he continued intent upon it.
According to Er-Rázee, اعتكف عَلَيْهِ would agree with analogy in the sense of عَكَفَ عليه, but it has not been heard.
In the Kur 7:134; other readers read يَعْكِفُونَ. Or: continuing intent upon the worship of idols belonging to them.
1.1.1keeping, or cleaving, to a place—عُكُوفٌ
Also written عُكُوفٌ فِى مَكَانٍ.
See also form 8.
1.1.2the horses, or horsemen, advanced towards their leader, or kept close to him—عَكَفَتِ الخَيْلُ بِقَائِدِهَا
That is, أَقْبَلَتْ عَلَيْهِ. The horsemen may be meant even though the pronoun is feminine.
1.1.3they went round it, said of a thing—عَكَفُوا حَوْلَهُ
El-'Ajjáj says: [like the going round of the Nabathæans playing the game called فَنْزضج] عَكْفَ النَّبِيطِ يَلْعَبُونَ الفَنْزَجَا
In it عَكْفَ is probably used by poetic licence for عُكُوفَ.
the birds went round the slain man—عَكَفَتِ الطَّيْرُ عَلَى القَتِيلِ
Also said as حَوْلَ القَتِيلِ; maṣdar عُكُوفٌ.
the gems went round among the strung beads—عَكَفَ الجَوْهَرُ فِى النَّظْمِ
1.1.4he went back, or backwards; or he remained behind—عَكَفَ
That is, تَأَخَّرَ.
1.2he, or it, made him, or it, still, or motionless; and he detained, withheld, or debarred him, or it—عَكَفَهُ
Muḍāriʿ عَكُفَ and عَكِفَ, the first only being mentioned in the Mgh and only the second in the CK.
Also عكّفهُ, maṣdar تَعْكِيفٌ, and likewise عَكَفَ بِهِ.
I withheld him from the object of his want—عَكَفْتُهُ عَنْ حَاجَتِهِ
Muḍāriʿ and maṣdar as above. Or: I turned him away, or back, from it.
what has withheld you, or turned you away, from such a thing?—مَا عَكَفَكَ عَنْ كَذَا
1.2.2he tended, or pastured, cattle—عَكَفَ
the sense given is رَعَى, apparently as a transitive verb.
1.2.3he put it into a good, sound, or proper, state—أَصْلَحَ
The verb has the same meaning as this.
Qur’ānic occurrences Form 1
7:138
وَجَـٰوَزْنَا بِبَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ ٱلْبَحْرَ فَأَتَوْا۟ عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍ يَعْكُفُونَ عَلَىٰٓ أَصْنَامٍ لَّهُمْ ۚ قَالُوا۟ يَـٰمُوسَى ٱجْعَل لَّنَآ إِلَـٰهًا كَمَا لَهُمْ ءَالِهَةٌ ۚ قَالَ إِنَّكُمْ قَوْمٌ تَجْهَلُونَWe took the Children of Israel (with safety) across the sea. They came upon a people devoted entirely to some idols they had. They said: "O Moses! fashion for us a god like unto the gods they have." He said: "Surely ye are a people without knowledge.
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. عَكُفَ and عَكِفَ , [the former, only, mentioned in the Mgh, and only the latter in the CK,] inf. n. عُكُوفٌ (S, O, Msb, K) and عَكْفٌ , (Msb, TA,) or the latter is of the trans. verb, (T, TA,) He kept, or clave, to it constantly, or perseveringly; (S, Mgh, * O, Msb, K, TA;) namely, a thing; (S, O, Msb;) not turning his face from it: or, as some say, he continued intent upon it: (TA:) and, accord. to Er-Rázee, اعتكف عَلَيْهِ would be agreeable with analogy, in the sense of عَكَفَ عليه , but has not been heard. (Har p. 682.) Hence, in the Kur [vii. 134], يَعْكُفُونَ عَلَى أَصْنَامٍ لَهُمْ , (S, * O, TA,) or يَعْكِفُونَ , accord. to different readers, (O, TA,) i. e. A people keeping, or cleaving, constantly, or perseveringly, to the worship of idols belonging to them; (Ksh;) or continuing intent upon the worship of idols belonging to them. (Bd, Jel.) And عُكُوفٌ [or عُكُوفٌ فِى مَكَانٍ ] signifies The keeping, or cleaving, to a place. (TA.) See also 8. And one says, عَكَفَتِ الخَيْلُ بِقَائِدِهَا meaning أَقْبَلَتْ عَلَيْهِ [i. e. The horses, or horsemen, (for the latter may be meant notwithstanding the fem. pronoun, agreeably with an ex. in De Sacy's Gram., sec. ed., ii. 265,) advanced, or approached, towards their leader; or kept, or clave, to him]. (TA.) And عَكَفُوا حَوْلَهُ They went round it; (S, O, K;) namely, a thing. (S, O.) El-'Ajjáj says, * عَكْفَ النَّبِيطِ يَلْعَبُونَ الفَنْزَجَا [Like the going round of the Nabathæans playing the game called فَنْزضج : in which عَكْفَ is probably used by poetic license for عُكُوفَ ]. (S, O.) And in like manner one says, عَكَفَتِ الطَّيْرُ عَلَى القَتِيلِ , (O,) or حَوْلَ القَتِيلِ , (K,) [The birds went round the slain person], inf. n. عُكُوفٌ . (TA.) And عَكَفَ الجَوْهَرُ فِى النَّظْمِ (S, O, K) i. e. [The gems] went round [among the strung beads]. (O, K.) And عَكَفَ signifies also تَأَخَّرَ [He went back or backwards, &c.; or became, or remained, behind; &c.]. (O, K.) عَكَفَهُ , aor. عَكُفَ and عَكِفَ , [the former, only, mentioned in the Mgh, and only the latter in the CK,] inf. n. عَكْفٌ , (S, O, Msb, K,) He, or it, made him, or it, still, or motionless: (S, O:) and he, or it, detained, withheld, or debarred, him, or it; (S, Mgh, O, Msb, K;) as also عكّفهُ , (O, * TA,) inf. n. تَعْكِيفٌ ; (TA;) and so عَكَفَ بِهِ . (Har p. 293.) One says, عَكَفْتُهُ عَنْ حَاجَتِهِ , (Msb,) aor. and inf. n. as above, (TA,) I withheld him from the object of his want: (Msb:) or I turned him away, or back, therefrom. (TA.) And مَا عَكَفَكَ عَنْ كَذَا [What has withheld thee, or turned thee away or back, from such a thing?]. (S, O.) See also 2. عَكَفَ , (O, K,) inf. n. عَكْفٌ , (O,) also signifies رَعَى [app. as trans., meaning He tended, or pastured, cattle; &c.]. (O, K.) And i. q. أَصْلَحَ [He put into a good, sound, right, or proper, state; &c.]. (O, K.)