Quranic root
حطب
ḥ · ṭ · b
The root centers on firewood or fuel, with related meanings extended by resemblance to what is gathered, carried, kindled, or made into a burden.
From the concrete sense of firewood, the lexical tradition develops figurative uses for assistance, burden-bearing, mixed or harmful speech, and tale-bearing, alongside specialized references to branches and their cutting.
- Maqāyīs · row 1393
- Lane · entry 14877
- 1
- Quran-attested forms
- 3
- Quran senses
- 2
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
حَطَبٌ
ḥaṭabun
- Part of speech
- Noun
- Quran occurrences
- 2 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.
Firewood: wood prepared or used as fuel.
The basic concrete meaning of the Quranic noun; it occurs explicitly in the description of fuel for Hell.
- Lane · entry 14881
- Mufradāt · row 337
Selected Quran examples
Quran 72:15word 5
“firewood”
Quran 111:4word 3
“(of) firewood”
Tale-bearing, calumny, or slander, figuratively conceived as carrying firewood among people.
A figurative interpretation of حَمَّالَةَ الْحَطَبِ in 111:4, where carrying firewood is explained as spreading malicious reports or enmity.
- Lane · entry 14881
- Mufradāt · row 337
Selected Quran examples
Quran 111:4word 3
“(of) firewood”
Thorns carried or scattered as an obstruction.
An alternative interpretation of حَمَّالَةَ الْحَطَبِ in 111:4, referring to thorns reportedly carried or thrown in the way.
- Lane · entry 14881
Selected Quran examples
Quran 111:4word 3
“(of) firewood”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
View all 2 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 24 Classical meanings
حَطَبَ
To collect firewood; with a benefactive object or لِـ, to collect or bring firewood for someone.
The object may be actual firewood or a thing collected as firewood; the benefactive construction identifies the recipient.
- Lane · entry 14877
حَطَبَ فِي حَبْلِهِ
To aid or assist someone, or side with his wishes.
An idiomatic figurative construction, literally describing collecting firewood in another person's rope.
- Lane · entry 14877
حَطَبَ عَلَيْهِ بِخَيْرٍ
To bring someone wealth or property.
A conventional construction with بِخَيْرٍ, where خير is explained as wealth or property.
- Lane · entry 14877
حَطَبَ عَلَيْهِ
To incite, urge, or instigate others against someone.
A figurative construction used of provoking opposition against a person.
- Lane · entry 14877
حَطَبَ بِهِ
To calumniate or slander someone.
A figurative verbal construction distinct from the noun's Quranic phrase-level use.
- Lane · entry 14877
حَطَبَ
To cut off the dry or useless portions of a grapevine.
Used of pruning portions of the vine that are suitable only for firewood.
- Lane · entry 14877
حَطَبَ
To abound in firewood.
Applied to a place and, in the cited usage, also to a person.
- Lane · entry 14877
حَطُبَ
To become lean or meagre.
An adjectival or stative development distinct from the noun حَطَبٌ ‘firewood.’
- Lane · entry 14877
أَحْطَبَ
Of a grapevine, to reach the time when its dry portions must be cut off.
The usage may also refer to reaching the time of bearing grapes together with the required cutting of upper portions.
- Lane · entry 14878
اِحْتَطَبَ
Of rain, to tear up the roots or stems of trees as though making firewood of them.
A figurative use describing destructive action toward trees.
- Lane · entry 14879
اِحْتَطَبَ
Of a camel, to feed on the small, dry parts of branches.
The cited description associates this feeding behavior with a sound and exceptionally strong camel.
- Lane · entry 14879
اِحْتَطَبَ عَلَيْهِ فِي الأَمْرِ
To take upon oneself a burden or responsibility in an affair.
An idiom understood as binding the matter onto oneself like a bundle of firewood.
- Lane · entry 14879
حَطَبٌ
The dry prunings of a grapevine.
This specialized nominal use refers to portions cut from the vine, especially annual cuttings from its upper parts, rather than firewood in general.
- Lane · entry 14881
حَطِبٌ
Very lean or meagre.
Used as an adjective, especially of a person and apparently also of cattle.
- Lane · entry 14882
حَطِبٌ
Unlucky or unfortunate.
A separately reported adjectival usage of the same headword.
- Lane · entry 14882
حِطَابٌ
The pruning of a grapevine down to the part in which its sap runs.
A specialized term for severe or thorough vine pruning.
- Lane · entry 14883
حَطِيبٌ
A place or land abounding in firewood.
Used as a descriptive noun or adjective of a place.
- Lane · entry 14884
حَطُوبَةٌ
A handful or bundle of firewood.
A measure or gathered quantity of firewood.
- Lane · entry 14885
حَاطِبٌ
A collector of firewood; in an intensive usage, one who collects and sells it.
The intensive sense is associated with حَطَّابٌ, while حَاطِبٌ denotes the ordinary collector.
- Lane · entry 14887
حَاطِبُ لَيْلٍ
A confused speaker or actor who mixes good and bad in speech or affairs.
An idiom comparing such a person to one who gathers firewood by night without seeing what he collects; it may also describe harmful, unrestrained speech.
- Lane · entry 14887
حَطَّابٌ
A camel that feeds on the small, dry parts of branches.
A specialized animal description, distinct from the ordinary noun for a firewood collector.
- Lane · entry 14886
مِحْطَبٌ
A pruning knife.
A tool used for cutting vine portions or branches.
- Lane · entry 14889
مُحَاطِبَةٌ
A she-camel that eats dry thorns.
A specialized description of feeding on dry thorny vegetation.
- Lane · entry 14890
مُحْتَطِبٌ
A small creeping creature that moves along with pieces of wood or sticks clinging to it.
A specialized zoological description.
- Lane · entry 14891
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
The expression حَمَّالَةَ الْحَطَبِ in 111:4 has more than one reported interpretation: figurative tale-bearing or calumny, and an alternative account involving carrying or scattering thorns. The contextual English rendering alone does not resolve between them.