maṣdarمَسٌّ مُمَاسَّةٌmuḍāriʿيَمَسُّهُ يَمُسُّهُ يَمَسُّهَا
Core sense — he touched it, or felt it; it struck him; it befell himgenerated
1.1he touched it, or felt it—مَسَّهُ
First person مَسِسْتُهُ, for which they sometimes say مِسْتُهُ, dropping the first س and moving its kesreh to the م, against the general rule; some do not move the kesreh but leave the م with its fetḥah, [saying مَسْتُهُ], like ظِلْتُمْ and ظَلْتُمْ for ظَلِلْتُمْ, an irregular contraction. [and يَمْسَسْهُ when mejzoom, by rule]; maṣdar مَسٌّ and مَسِيسٌ, or the latter is a simple noun, and مِسِّيسَى.
First person مَسَسْتُهُ; of the two verbs the first is the more chaste.
Generally touching rather than feeling; the same as لَمَسَهُ, with the hand: or he put his hand to it with nothing in between.
Or مَسٌّ is like لَمْسٌ, except that the latter is sometimes used of seeking, or feeling, for a thing even if it is not found, while the former is said only of an act in which there is perception by the sense of لمس. Er-Rāghib. [See also لَمَسَهُ.]
the thing met, or touched, the thing with its substance—مَاسَّ الشَّىْءُ الشَّىْءَ
Maṣdar مُمَاسَّةٌ and مِسَاسٌ.
1.1.1figurative · مجازhe had sexual intercourse with her—مَسَّهَا
First person مَسِسْتُهَا, maṣdar مَسٌّ and مَسِيسٌ.
he had sexual intercourse with her—مَاسَّهَا
Maṣdar مُمَاسَّةٌ and مِسَاسٌ. The first of the two verbs is used in this sense in several places in the Qur'ān, and some say it is preferable to the second.
تَمَاسٌّ is also used metonymically for [the coming together, in the sense of] مُبَاضَعَةٌ, as is مُمَاسَّةٌ.
1.1.2figurative · مجازthe water wetted the body—مَسَّ المَآءُ الجَسَدَ
.
1.1.3figurative · مجازhe, or it, struck, or smote—مَسَّ
Because striking, like touching, is done with the hand.
he struck him with the whip—مَسَّهُ بِالسَّوْطِ
1.1.4figurative · مجازthe fire of hell will not smite us—لَنْ تَمَسَّنَا النَّارُ
distress, or misfortune, smote, or afflicted, or befell, them—مَسَّتْهُمُ البَأْسَآءُ
It is said of anything annoying or hurtful that happens to a man.
Qur'ān 2:74 and 3:23; here it may also be rendered "touch us".
Qur'ān 2:210.
So in other instances, all of them like the saying in the same book, ذُوقُوا مَسَّ سَقَرَ. [See مَسٌّ below.]
sickness smote him, or befell him—مَسَّهُ المَرَضُ
punishment befell him—مَسَّهُ العَذَابُ
old age came upon him—مَسَّهُ الكِبَرُ
the jinn, or genii, touched him—مَسَّتْهُ الجِنُّ
he was, or became, mad, or insane—مُسَّ
Literally; meaning, they affected him with madness, or insanity.
Touched with madness, or insanity, as though the jinn had touched him.
In the TA, مُسَّ بِهِ, apparently meaning, from what comes just before it, مُسَّ بِالجُنُونِ.
he punished him—مَسَّهُ بِعَذَابٍ
1.1.5figurative · مجاز — inferredthe want of him, or it, was hard to satisfy, or distressing—مَسَّتْ إِلَيْهِ الحَاجَةُ
Maṣdar [مَسٌّ and] مَسِيسٌ.
Or: the want was hard to satisfy, or distressing, to him. In both lexicons the meaning is left to be gathered only from the fact that this phrase follows immediately after the explanation of حَاجَةٌ مَاسَّةٌ.
1.1.6figurative · مجازthe haps of good fortune, and of evil, happened to him—مَسَّتْهُ مَوَاسُّ الخَيْرِ وَالشَّرِّ
مَسَّ is said of what is good as well as of what is evil.
1.1.7figurative · مجازthe relationship of such a one is near to you—مَسَّتْ بِكَ رَحِمُ فُلَانٍ
Since touching implies nearness.
1.1.8figurative · مجازhe took a thing—مَسَّ
Since it originally means "he touched, or felt, with the hand", it is used figuratively in this way; as, in a tradition, of water taken from a مِيضَأَة.
1.2
مَسَّ is made doubly transitive by prefixing the preposition بِ to the second object. See form 4, in two places.
Qur’ānic occurrences Form 1 5 shown of 52
15:48
لَا يَمَسُّهُمْ فِيهَا نَصَبٌ وَمَا هُم مِّنْهَا بِمُخْرَجِينَThere no sense of fatigue shall touch them, nor shall they (ever) be asked to leave.
26:156
وَلَا تَمَسُّوهَا بِسُوٓءٍ فَيَأْخُذَكُمْ عَذَابُ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ"Touch her not with harm, lest the Penalty of a Great Day seize you."
56:79
لَّا يَمَسُّهُۥٓ إِلَّا ٱلْمُطَهَّرُونَWhich none shall touch but those who are clean:
70:20
إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعًاFretful when evil touches him;
70:21
وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلْخَيْرُ مَنُوعًاAnd niggardly when good reaches him;-
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
, (A, Mgh,) first pers. مَسِسْتُهُ , (S, M, Msb, K,) for which they sometimes say مِسْتُهُ , rejecting the first س , (Sb, * S, M, * K,) and transferring the kesreh thereof to the م (Sb, * S, M, *) contr. to general rule, (Sb, M,) and some do not transfer the kesreh, but leave the م with its fethah, [saying مَسْتُهُ ,] like ظِلْتُمْ and ظَلْتُمْ for ظَلِلْتُمْ , an irregular contraction, (S,) aor. يَمَسُّهُ , (S, Msb, K,) [and يَمْسَسْهُ when mejzoom, accord. to rule,] inf. n. مَسٌّ (S, M, A, Msb, K) and مَسِيسٌ , (S, * M, A, K,) or the latter is a simple subst., (Msb,) and مِسِّيسَى ; (S, * K;) and [ مَسَّهُ ,] first pers. مَسَسْتُهُ ; aor. يَمُسُّهُ , (AO, S, M, Msb, K,) inf. n. مَسٌّ ; (Msb;) the former of which two verbs is the more chaste; (S, TA;) He touched it, or felt it, [generally the former,] syn. لَمَسَهُ , (M, A, K,) with his hand: (TA: as from the K [but wanting in a MS copy of the K and in the CK:]) or he put his hand to it without the intervention of anything: (Msb:) or مَسٌّ is like لَمْسٌ ; excepting that the latter is [sometimes] used to signify the seeking for [or feeling for] a thing, even though it be not found; whereas the former is [only] said of that [action] with which is perception by the sense of لمس : (Er-Rághib, TA:) [see also لَمَسَهُ :] and [in like manner you say,] مَاسَّ الشَّىْءُ الشَّىْءَ , inf. n. مُمَاسَّةٌ and مِسَاسٌ , (M, A, *) meaning, the thing met [or touched] the thing with its substance. (M.) [Hence,] مَسَّهَا , (M, A, Msb,) first pers. مَسِسْتُهَا , aor. يَمَسُّهَا , (Msb,) inf. n. مَسٌّ and مَسِيسٌ , (Mgh, Msb,) Inivit eam; scil. mulierem; (M, A, Msb;) as also مَاسَّهَا , (M, A, Msb,) inf. n. مُمَاسَّةٌ (S, Msb) and مِسَاسٌ : (Msb:) the former is used in this sense in several places in the Kur, and is said by some to be preferable to the latter: (TA:) and تَمَاسٌّ is also used metonymically for [the coming together, in the sense of] مُبَاضَعَةٌ , as well as مُمَاسَّةٌ . (S.) مَسَّ المَآءُ الجَسَدَ , inf. n. مَسٌّ , The water wetted the body. (Msb.) مَسَّ also signifies He, or it, struck, or smote; because striking, or smiting, like touching, is with the hand. (TA.) You say, مَسَّهُ بِالسَّوْطِ He struck him with the whip]. (A.) And it is said of anything annoying or hurtful that befals a man. Thus in the Kur, [ii. 74, and iii. 23,] لَنْ تَمَسَّنَا النَّارُ [The fire of hell will not smite us; or here it may be rendered touch us]. And [ii. 210,] مَسَّتْهُمُ البَأْسَآءُ [Distress, or misfortune, smote, or afflicted, or befell, them]. And in other instances; all which are similar to the saying in the same, ذُوقُوا مَسَّ سَقَرَ . (TA.) [See مَسٌّ below.] You say also, مَسَّهُ المَرَضُ [Sickness smote him, or befell him]: and مَسَّهُ العَذَابُ [Punishment befell him]: and مَسَّهُ الكِبَرُ [Old age came upon him]. (A.) And مَسَّتْهُ الجِنُّ [lit. The jinn, or genii touched him; meaning, affected him with madness, or insanity]: (TA:) [whence,] مُسَّ , [in the TA, مُسَّ بِهِ , app. meaning, from what immediately precedes, مُسَّ بِالجُنُونِ , inf. n. مَسٌّ ,] He was, or became, [touched with madness, or insanity: or] mad, or insane: (K:) as though the jinn had touched him. (TA.) And مَسَّهُ بِعَذَابٍ He punished him. (TA, from a trad.) [Hence, app.,] مَسَّتْ إِلَيْهِ الحَاجَةُ , (S, K,) inf. n. [ مَسٌّ and] مَسِيسٌ , (TA,) [which seems to signify either The want of him, or it, was difficult of accomplishment, or distressing; or the want was difficult of accomplishment, or distressing, to him]. (S, K,. [In both these lexicons, the meaning is left to be inferred only from the fact that this phrase immediately follows the explanation of حَاجَةٌ مَاسَّةٌ , q. v.]) [ مَسَّ is also said of what is good, as well as of what is evil; as in the following instance:] مَسَّتْهُ مَوَاسُّ الخَيْرِ وَالشَّرِّ [The haps of good fortune, and of evil,] happened to him, or betided him. (TA.) [As touching implies proximity,] مَسَّتْ بِكَ رَحِمُ فُلَانٍ signifies The relationship of such a one is near to you. (S, K, * TA.) And as مَسَّ originally signifies “ he touched or felt with the hand, ” it is used metaphorically as meaning He took a thing; as, for instance, (in a trad.,) water from a مِيضَأَة . (TA.) مَسَّ is made doubly trans. by means of the prep. بِ prefixed to the second objective complement. (Msb.) See 4, in two places.