Quranic root
حدد
ḥ · d · d
The root centers on setting apart, restraining, or preventing passage between things, extending to limits, edges, sharpness, and resistance.
A separating barrier becomes a marked boundary or prescribed limit; the notion of an edge develops into sharpness and into iron, named for its resistance, while prevention extends to opposition and legal restraint.
- Mufradāt · row 300
- 5
- Quran-attested forms
- 7
- Quran senses
- 25
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
حَدَّ
ḥadda
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form I
- Form
- I
- 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.
To prevent, restrain, or oppose; in the Quranic construction, to resist or set oneself against God and His Messenger.
Quranically attested in the imperfect form يُحَادُّونَ, with active opposition or resistance expressed through the root’s basic sense of prevention.
- Lane · entry 13687
- Mufradāt · row 300
Selected Quran examples
Quran 58:5word 3
“oppose”
Quran 58:20word 3
“oppose”
حَادَّ
ḥādda
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form III
- Form
- III
- 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.
To oppose, contend with, or act toward another in reciprocal enmity.
The Quranic construction presents opposition to God and His Messenger; the Form III pattern emphasizes reciprocal contention or contrariety.
- Lane · entry 13689
- Mufradāt · row 300
Selected Quran examples
Quran 9:63word 5
“opposes”
Quran 58:22word 10
“oppose”
حَدِيد
ḥadīd
- Part of speech
- Noun
- Quran occurrences
- 6 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.
Iron.
The Quranic noun denotes the familiar resistant metal, including iron used in implements, construction, and weaponry.
- Lane · entry 13705
- Mufradāt · row 300
Selected Quran examples
Quran 17:50word 5
“iron”
Quran 57:25word 13
“[the] iron”
Sharp or piercing; of sight, perceptive and penetrating.
In the Quranic usage فَبَصَرُكَ الْيَوْمَ حَدِيدٌ, the adjective describes sight or understanding as penetrating rather than merely denoting a physical edge.
- Lane · entry 13705
- Mufradāt · row 300
Selected Quran examples
Quran 50:22word 12
“(is) sharp”
حِدَاد
ḥidād
- Part of speech
- Verbal noun
- Quran occurrences
- 1 occurrence
Selected examples are shown with the sense they illustrate — chosen to teach that sense, not the complete list of this form’s Quran occurrences.
Sharpness or cutting force, especially sharp, forceful speech.
In أَلْسِنَةٍ حِدَادٍ, the verbal noun functions descriptively of tongues whose speech has a sharp or cutting effect.
- Lane · entry 13700
- Mufradāt · row 300
Selected Quran examples
Quran 33:19word 21
“sharp”
حَدّ
ḥadd
- Part of speech
- Noun
- Quran occurrences
- 14 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 limit or demarcating boundary, especially a limit that must not be crossed.
In the Quranic plural حُدُود, the image of a boundary marks the permitted and forbidden sides of an ordinance and warns against transgression.
- Lane · entry 13697
- Mufradāt · row 300
Selected Quran examples
Quran 2:187word 55
“(are the) limits”
Quran 2:229word 21
“(the) limits”
A divinely prescribed ordinance or legal limit, including rules of lawful and unlawful conduct and appointed penalties.
The Quran applies the plural حُدُودُ اللَّهِ to revealed rulings and their defined limits; the same terminology can include punitive provisions because they restrain recurrence and transgression.
- Lane · entry 13697
- Mufradāt · row 300
Selected Quran examples
Quran 4:14word 6
“His limits”
Quran 9:97word 8
“(the) limits”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
- 2:187حُدُودُ(are the) limits
- 2:229حُدُودَ(the) limits
- 2:229حُدُودَ(the) limits
- 2:229حُدُودُ(are the) limits
- 2:229حُدُودَ(the) limits
Broader Classical Arabic meanings
Recorded for this root in the Classical lexicons beyond its Quran usage. These are secondary to the Quran senses above.
Show 47 Classical meanings
حَدَّ
To inflict the legal punishment called حَدّ upon an offender.
The punishment is understood as restraining the offender from returning to the offense and deterring others.
- Lane · entry 13687
حَدَّ
To distinguish or separate one thing from another by a mark, note, or stated boundary.
Used of marking off a house or other thing from what adjoins it.
- Lane · entry 13687
حَدَّ
To define a word or concept by a restrictive description.
A technical logical extension of marking out the limits of a thing’s meaning.
- Lane · entry 13687
حَدَّ
To edge, sharpen, or point a blade, knife, sword, or similar object.
The object is made capable of cutting or piercing by working its edge or point.
- Lane · entry 13687
حَدَّ بَصَرَهُ
To look sharply, intently, or attentively at something.
A figurative extension of directing a sharp edge toward an object.
- Lane · entry 13687
حَدَّتْ
To mourn for a deceased husband and abstain from adornment, perfume, and similar practices.
A conventional mourning practice during the prescribed waiting period.
- Lane · entry 13687
حَدَّ
To become sharp, edged, or pointed.
Used intransitively of a sword, knife, tooth, or similar object.
- Lane · entry 13687
حِدَّة
Sharpness, vehemence, or penetrating vigor in temperament, speech, intellect, action, or courage.
Includes irascibility and forcefulness as figurative extensions of a sharp edge.
- Lane · entry 13687
- Lane · entry 13700
حَدَّدَ
To repair to or betake oneself to the limits or boundaries of a country, town, person, or thing.
A Form II construction expressing movement toward a boundary or toward the object named.
- Lane · entry 13688
حَدَّدَ
Of seed-produce, to emerge late and then grow pointed without forking into separate stalks.
A specialized intransitive agricultural usage.
- Lane · entry 13688
حَادَّ
To border upon or be conterminous with another territory.
Used of adjoining lands or regions; this is distinct from the Quranic reciprocal-opposition construction.
- Lane · entry 13689
اِنْحَدَّ
To become slender.
A specialized Form VII usage.
- Lane · entry 13693
اِسْتَحَدَّ
To shave the pubic hair with an iron razor or similar implement.
A specialized usage derived from حَدِيد, iron.
- Lane · entry 13695
حَدّ
Prevention, hindrance, restraint, prohibition, or an impediment.
As a noun, it can denote something that blocks or averts an action or harm.
- Lane · entry 13697
حَدّ
A bar, partition, obstruction, or separation between things or places that prevents commixture or encroachment.
The separation may be between objects, locations, or persons.
- Lane · entry 13697
حَدّ
The boundary or limit of a land or territory.
A concrete geographic boundary, distinct from a legal ordinance.
- Lane · entry 13697
حَدّ
A restrictive logical definition specifying what makes a thing what it is.
A technical extension of delimiting a concept from others.
- Lane · entry 13697
حَدّ
The end, extremity, or utmost point of a thing.
Used of the furthest point reached by an object, process, or condition.
- Lane · entry 13697
حَدّ
The point or verge at which an event or condition is nearly reached.
A figurative use of an extremity or threshold.
- Lane · entry 13697
حَدّ
The cutting edge or point of a sword, knife, spearhead, arrow, or similar object.
The part by which the object cuts or pierces.
- Lane · entry 13697
حَدّ
Arms or weapons.
Attested in the expression ذَوُو حَدّ; the same expression is also interpreted figuratively as people of valor.
- Lane · entry 13697
حَدّ
A side, region, quarter, or tract.
A spatial or positional sense that underlies some expressions of opposition or adjacency.
- Lane · entry 13697
حَدّ
A station, standing, rank, or condition.
A figurative extension of a person’s defined position or status.
- Lane · entry 13697
حَدّ
A grammatical case.
A technical grammatical usage, as in being in the category of the nominative case.
- Lane · entry 13697
حَدّ
A class or category.
A technical classificatory usage in grammatical description.
- Lane · entry 13697
حَدّ
A quarter or seasonal division of the year.
Attested in the expression حَدُّ الرَّبِيع, the quarter of spring.
- Lane · entry 13697
حُدَّة
A small quantity of water, milk, or similar liquid remaining in a vessel or skin.
A specialized nominal usage.
- Lane · entry 13699
حِدَّة
Sharpness of a sword, knife, or similar object.
The noun denotes the quality corresponding to a sharpened edge.
- Lane · entry 13700
حِدَّة
Force, strength, pungency, or acrid intensity.
Used of wine and similar substances, and of a quality marked by force or hardness.
- Lane · entry 13700
حَدَد
A way of avoiding or escaping a thing.
Used in the idiom مَا لِي عَنْ هَذَا الأَمْرِ حَدَدٌ and related expressions.
- Lane · entry 13701
حَدَد
Forbidden, prohibited, disallowed, or vain and false.
Applied to an affair, act, or claim characterized as impermissible or invalid.
- Lane · entry 13701
حَدَادِ
A formulaic call or imprecation invoking the averting of a person or harm; also a proper-name form associated with an impediment.
Occurs in expressions such as حَدَادِ حُدِّيهِ and حَدَادِ دُونَ شَرِّهَا.
- Lane · entry 13702
حُدَاد
The utmost of one’s power or ability, and the end of one’s case.
Used in the expression حُدَادُكَ أَنْ تَفْعَلَ كَذَا.
- Lane · entry 13703
حِدَاد
The black garments of mourning worn by a widow.
A nominal usage distinct from the Quranic sense of sharpness in حِدَاد.
- Lane · entry 13704
حَدِيد
Close, next, adjoining, or neighboring.
Used of adjoining houses or lands whose boundaries meet.
- Lane · entry 13705
حَدِيد
Sharp, edged, pointed, penetrating, or pungent.
In Classical Arabic this applies physically to blades and teeth and figuratively to speech, intellect, perception, anger, or odor; the Quranic perceptive use is separately listed above.
- Lane · entry 13705
حَدِيد
Hard like iron.
Applied figuratively to especially solid hoofs or comparable objects.
- Lane · entry 13705
حَدَادَة
A wife.
A specialized lexical usage.
- Lane · entry 13706
حَدَادَة
The office or occupation of a door-keeper.
The sense is associated with preventing entry.
- Lane · entry 13707
حَدَادَة
The craft of a blacksmith or worker in iron, including making coats of mail.
A craft noun derived from work with iron.
- Lane · entry 13707
حَدَّاد
A door-keeper or gatekeeper.
The designation is explained through preventing people from entering.
- Lane · entry 13710
حَدَّاد
A keeper of a prison.
The role prevents persons from leaving and may involve handling iron shackles.
- Lane · entry 13710
حَدَّاد
The person who inflicts the legal punishment called حَدّ.
One reported interpretation of the expression أُجْرَةُ الحَدَّادِ عَلَى السَّارِقِ; another identifies the person as a prison keeper.
- Lane · entry 13710
حَدَّاد
A seller of wine or vintner.
The sense is explained through withholding the wine until receiving a satisfactory price.
- Lane · entry 13710
حَدَّاد
A blacksmith, worker in iron, or maker of coats of mail.
An occupational noun formed from work with iron.
- Lane · entry 13710
حَدْحَد
Short and thick, applied to a man.
A specialized descriptive epithet.
- Lane · entry 13712
مَحْدُود
Deprived or withheld from good fortune, sustenance, or prosperity.
The sense may also extend to being withheld from evil; it is contrasted with مَجْدُود.
- Lane · entry 13717
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
The QAC Form I and Form III opposition groups are retained as separate public forms because their supplied morphology and Lane constructions differ, despite overlapping English glosses.
The Quranic sharpness sense of حَدِيد is restricted here to the supplied perceptive use; broader physical and figurative sharpness is recorded separately under Classical meanings.