Quranic root
أصر
ʾ · ṣ · r
The root centers on binding or holding fast, extending to physical restraints, fastening devices, binding obligations, and ties that incline one toward another.
The semantic range develops from physical confinement and fastening to covenants, burdensome obligations, kinship bonds, barriers, and forms of neighboring through shared tent fastenings.
- Maqāyīs · row 103
- Mufradāt · row 40
- Lane · entry 6826
- 1
- Quran-attested forms
- 3
- Quran senses
- 3
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
إِصْرٌ
ʾiṣrun
- Part of speech
- Noun
- Quran occurrences
- 3 occurrences
Selected examples are shown with the sense they illustrate — chosen to teach that sense, not the complete list of this form’s Quran occurrences.
A binding covenant, compact, or solemn obligation.
In Quranic usage, it denotes an affirmed covenant or obligation whose binding force bears on the one who undertakes or breaks it.
- Lane · entry 6826
- Mufradāt · row 40
Selected Quran examples
Quran 3:81word 25
“My Covenant”
A burdensome obligation, restriction, or load that holds a person back.
Used of obligations or burdens that restrain people from ease, good works, or attainment of reward, including burdens associated with earlier communities.
- Lane · entry 6826
- Mufradāt · row 40
Selected Quran examples
Quran 2:286word 24
“a burden”
Quran 7:157word 26
“their burden”
A sin or offense; in one interpretation, the grievous punishment associated with sin.
This is an explicitly reported Quranic interpretation of إِصْرٌ in 2:286, especially in connection with the offense of breaking a covenant or its resulting punishment.
- Lane · entry 6826
Selected Quran examples
Quran 2:286word 24
“a burden”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
View all 3 occurrencesBroader Classical Arabic meanings
Recorded for this root in the Classical lexicons beyond its Quran usage. These are secondary to the Quran senses above.
Show 20 Classical meanings
أَصَرَ
To confine, restrict, detain, withhold, hinder, or prevent.
It may take a person or thing as object; أَصَرَهُ عَلَى denotes restricting someone to an affair, while أَصَرَهُ عَنْ denotes withholding or debarring him from a desired thing.
- Lane · entry 6821
- Mufradāt · row 40
أَصَرَ
To fasten a tent with an إِصَارٌ.
A specialized construction referring to putting the tent’s lower fastening rope or peg in place.
- Lane · entry 6821
أَصَرَ
To break something.
- Lane · entry 6821
أَصَرَ
To bend or incline something, or to cause someone to incline toward another.
The construction can describe physical bending or an inclination toward a person.
- Lane · entry 6821
آصَرَ
To be a neighbor, with one tent’s fastening beside another’s.
The sense describes neighboring through adjacent tent fastenings.
- Lane · entry 6822
تَآصَرَ
To be neighbors or dwell near one another.
- Lane · entry 6823
إِصْرٌ
A bond or tie that inclines one toward another.
The tie may arise from a relationship, covenant, compact, contract, or similar bond; this classical relational use is distinct from the Quranic covenantal and burdensome uses.
- Lane · entry 6826
إِصْرٌ
An oath carrying an inescapable obligation to divorce, emancipate, or fulfill a vow.
A specialized expression for an exceptionally binding oath for which no ordinary expiation is available.
- Lane · entry 6826
إِصْرٌ
The hole of the ear.
A distinct anatomical usage, with a plural form reported as آصَارٌ or إِصْرَانٌ.
- Lane · entry 6826
إِصَارٌ
A short rope, peg, or thong used to fasten or bind.
Especially the rope or peg securing the lower part of a tent; it may also denote a thong of untanned hide binding parts of a camel’s saddle.
- Lane · entry 6827
- Mufradāt · row 40
إِصَارٌ
A cloth containing and tied around dry herbage or fodder; also the gathered dry fodder itself.
Some descriptions restrict the term to fodder enclosed in a cloth or otherwise collected together.
- Lane · entry 6827
إِصَارٌ
A basket in which goods or commodities are carried.
- Lane · entry 6827
كَلَأٌ آصِرٌ
Pasturage so abundant that it detains those who are upon it or draws people toward it.
The adjective describes abundance as causing people to remain at or go to the pasture.
- Lane · entry 6829
آصِرَةٌ
A tether or tie to which a beast is fastened.
A term for the fastening point or tie used to secure an animal.
- Lane · entry 6830
آصِرَةٌ
A tie of kinship, affinity, favor, or benefit that inclines one toward someone.
The term can denote the relationship or favor itself; a poetic interpretation also understands female relatives metonymically as such ties.
- Lane · entry 6830
- Lane · entry 6827
أَيْصَرٌ
A cloth bundle tied with dry grass or fodder and folded over a camel’s hump to facilitate riding.
- Mufradāt · row 40
مَأْصِرٌ
A place in which a person or thing is confined, shut up, or imprisoned.
Variant vocalization مَأْصَرٌ is also reported.
- Lane · entry 6832
مَأْصِرٌ
A barrier between two things that prevents passage; specifically, a rope stretched across a road or waterway to stop travelers or boats.
The road or waterway barrier is described in connection with collecting tithes.
- Lane · entry 6832
مُؤَاصِرٌ
A neighbor, especially one living close by.
The expression evokes adjoining tent fastenings as the basis of the neighborhood.
- Lane · entry 6833
مُتَآصِرُونَ
A tribe or group dwelling or abiding near together.
- Lane · entry 6834
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
The Quranic occurrence at 2:286 carries variant lexical interpretations in the evidence: a burdensome obligation, a sin or offense, and a grievous punishment; the contextual rendering supplied is “a burden.”