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Quranic root

برك

b · r · k

The root centers on remaining firmly established, especially settling or kneeling, and develops toward the idea of good that is firmly established, increasing, and abundant.

The physical image is a camel settling on its breast or remaining at a place. From this come terms for a place where water remains and for enduring or increasing divine good; the Quranic Form VI further applies this development to divine abundance and exaltation.

  • Maqāyīs · row 745
  • Mufradāt · row 116
4
Quran-attested forms
5
Quran senses
32
Quran occurrences

Forms in the Quran

The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.

بَارَكَ

bāraka

Part of speech
Verb · Form III
Form
III
Quran occurrences
8 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.

  1. To bless; to confer or perpetuate enduring, increasing, or abundant good upon someone or something.

    In the Quran this is a transitive Form III use with people, places, things, and natural phenomena as its objects. Related blessing constructions use في, لِ, or عَلَى; in blessing formulas the expression may function as a prayer for such good.

    • Lane · entry 36174
    • Mufradāt · row 116
    Selected Quran examples

    Quran 17:1word 13

    We blessed

    Quran 41:10word 6

    and He blessed

تَبَارَكَ

tabāraka

Part of speech
Verb · Form VI
Form
VI
Quran occurrences
9 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.

  1. To be abundant and enduring in good; to be the source of overflowing blessing.

    In Quranic usage this is an invariable divine predicate, associated with the abundance, continuation, and exclusive bestowal of the good mentioned in the surrounding passage.

    • Lane · entry 36177
    • Mufradāt · row 116
    Selected Quran examples

    Quran 25:1word 1

    Blessed is He

    Quran 67:1word 1

    Blessed is

  2. To be exalted, glorified, hallowed, and far above every imperfection or limitation.

    This is a Quranic divine expression of magnification and exaltation, not an ordinary reciprocal or general-purpose Form VI verb.

    • Lane · entry 36177
    • Mufradāt · row 116
    Selected Quran examples

    Quran 25:1word 1

    Blessed is He

    Quran 67:1word 1

    Blessed is

بَرَكَةٌ

barakahun

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.

  1. Blessing or divinely bestowed good that is firmly established, continues, increases, and abounds; blessings, prosperity, or beneficial abundance.

    The Quranic plural بَرَكَات denotes such continuing or increasing divine good bestowed from or upon a place, people, or thing.

    • Lane · entry 36185
    • Mufradāt · row 116
    Selected Quran examples

    Quran 7:96word 9

    blessings

    Quran 11:73word 8

    and His blessings

مُبَارَك

mubārak

Part of speech
Passive participle (adjective/noun)
Quran occurrences
12 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.

  1. Blessed; possessing, containing, or transmitting firmly established and increasing divine good, benefit, or utility.

    The Quran applies the form adjectivally and substantively to persons, places, times, revelation, water, and other things in which such divine good is present or from which it proceeds. The feminine form is included under this citation form.

    • Lane · entry 36201
    • Mufradāt · row 116
    Selected Quran examples

    Quran 21:50word 3

    blessed

    Quran 24:35word 20

    blessed

Occurrences in the Quran

Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.

  • 3:96مُبَارَكًۭاblessed
  • 6:92مُبَارَكٌۭblessed
  • 6:155مُبَارَكٌۭblessed
  • 7:54تَبَارَكَblessed
  • 7:96بَرَكَـٰتٍۢblessings
View all 32 occurrences

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 38 Classical meanings
  • بَرَكَ

    To kneel or lie down upon the breast; of a camel and, by extension, other beings, to settle in this posture.

    The same physical posture is used of a camel, ostrich, lion, or man; in prayer it refers to descending with the hands before the knees in the camel-like manner.

    • Lane · entry 36172
  • بَرَكَ

    To become firm, settled, steadfast, or fixed; to remain or stay in a place.

    Used of a person or thing that holds its position, including the expression for standing firm for battle.

    • Lane · entry 36172
  • بَرَكَ

    Of the night, to become long or protracted.

    A figurative extension treating the night as though it did not leave its place.

    • Lane · entry 36172
  • بَرَّكَ

    To pray for or invoke blessing on a person, food, or thing.

    Includes formulas meaning “God bless you” or invoking blessing on food.

    • Lane · entry 36173
  • بَارَكَ

    To apply oneself constantly or perseveringly to an affair, commerce, or traffic.

    This is a Classical Form III use distinct from its Quranic blessing sense.

    • Lane · entry 36174
  • أَبْرَكَ

    To make a camel kneel or lie down upon its breast.

    The causative action may be expressed in a sequence where the camel is made to kneel and then kneels.

    • Lane · entry 36175
  • أَبْرَكَ

    In the expression مَا أَبْرَكَهُ, to be extraordinarily blessed: “How blessed is he or it!”

    A conventional verb of wonder with passive meaning and an irregular derivation.

    • Lane · entry 36175
  • تَبَرَّكَ

    To seek or derive blessing through a person, thing, or utterance; to regard it as a means of obtaining blessing or as an auspicious sign.

    Used with بِهِ, بِالشَّيْءِ, and in expressions such as تَبَرَّكْ بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ.

    • Lane · entry 36176
  • اِبْتَرَكَ

    To throw one’s breast upon the ground or upon another thing.

    A bodily action modeled on the camel’s breast-first settling.

    • Lane · entry 36178
  • اِبْتَرَكَ

    To lean or bear upon something; of a horse, to incline to one side while running.

    Used of a person leaning on a polishing instrument and of a horse’s movement.

    • Lane · entry 36178
  • اِبْتَرَكَ

    To hasten, speed, and exert oneself in running; to strive or labour.

    The associated verbal noun may denote strenuous exertion.

    • Lane · entry 36178
  • اِبْتَرَكَ

    Of a cloud or the sky, to rain continually, heavily, or vehemently.

    A figurative extension of forceful settling or bearing down upon the ground.

    • Lane · entry 36178
  • اِبْتَرَكَ

    To detract from someone’s reputation, censure or impugn his character, and revile him.

    Used with فِي or عَلَى in the expression for labouring in vituperation.

    • Lane · entry 36178
  • اِبْتَرَكَ

    In war, to fall upon the knees and fight one another.

    The combatants are described as kneeling in battle.

    • Lane · entry 36178
  • اِبْتَرَكَ

    To prostrate another person, throw him down, and place him beneath one’s breast.

    A transitive physical use derived from the breast-first posture.

    • Lane · entry 36178
  • بَرْكٌ

    A large herd or collective of camels, especially camels lying upon their breasts.

    It may denote the camels of an encampment returning from pasture, whether few or very numerous.

    • Lane · entry 36179
  • بَرْكٌ

    The breast or chest, primarily of a camel; by extension, the corresponding breast area of other animals.

    Classical descriptions distinguish the interior, exterior, middle, or lower skin area of the breast; these are anatomical specifications of the same lexical branch.

    • Lane · entry 36179
  • بَرْكُ الشِّتَاءِ

    The first or main part of winter.

    A figurative temporal extension from remaining or settling in place.

    • Lane · entry 36179
  • البُرُوكُ

    A name for the stars composing the Scorpion constellation, or for a related stellar station associated with the period when camels lie down from cold and rain.

    A traditional astronomical and seasonal term.

    • Lane · entry 36179
  • بُرَكٌ

    Remaining fixed at or beside a thing.

    Attested in an idiomatic description of someone remaining beside a vessel.

    • Lane · entry 36182
  • بُرَكٌ

    An incubus or nightmare.

    A rare figurative or technical use.

    • Lane · entry 36182
  • بُرَكٌ

    A coward.

    A rare figurative use, also applied to a related form.

    • Lane · entry 36182
  • بُرَكٌ

    An ancient name for the month Dhū al-Ḥijjah.

    A historical calendrical term.

    • Lane · entry 36182
  • بُرْكَةٌ

    A certain small white aquatic bird.

    The term has also been applied to a duck in later regional usage; the classical meaning is the bird designation.

    • Lane · entry 36183
  • بِرْكَةٌ

    The manner or mode in which a camel kneels and lies upon its breast.

    A noun of manner corresponding to the act of kneeling or settling.

    • Lane · entry 36184
  • بِرْكَةٌ

    A watering-trough, tank, basin, pool, or other place where water remains, collects, or stagnates.

    Classically it may be dug into the ground without raised sides and may designate constructed cisterns as well as natural or collected water.

    • Lane · entry 36184
  • بَرَاكِ بَرَاكِ

    “Be firm, steady, or steadfast,” especially in battle.

    A fixed battle expression equivalent in force to a command to kneel or hold one’s ground.

    • Lane · entry 36187
  • بَرُوكٌ

    A woman who marries while already having a large son of pubescent age.

    A rare conventional social description.

    • Lane · entry 36188
  • بُرُوكٌ

    Hastening, speeding, striving, or exerting oneself in running.

    A verbal noun associated with the Form VIII running sense.

    • Lane · entry 36189
  • بُرُوكٌ

    Kneeling or lying upon the breast.

    A verbal noun of بَرَكَ in its physical settling sense.

    • Lane · entry 36189
  • بَرَاكَاءُ

    Firmness, steadfastness, and strenuous exertion in battle; kneeling and fighting in combat.

    A noun for the condition or action of combatants who hold their ground or fight from the knees.

    • Lane · entry 36191
  • بَرَاكَاءُ

    The field of battle, especially the place to which valiant men cleave.

    A conventional place-name extension of battle steadfastness.

    • Lane · entry 36191
  • بَرَّكَانٌ

    A well-known woollen cloak or wrap, especially a black garment with ornamental borders.

    The entry records several variant forms and plurals for this garment term.

    • Lane · entry 36193
  • بُورَكٌ

    A substance put into flour or dough.

    A rare food-preparation term, defined by cross-reference to بُورَقٌ.

    • Lane · entry 36197
  • مَبْرَكٌ

    A place where camels lie upon their breasts.

    The plural is مَبَارِكُ; the term may be used idiomatically for possession of a camel or camels.

    • Lane · entry 36200
  • مُبْتَرِكٌ

    Leaning or bearing upon something and applying oneself to it perseveringly, assiduously, or constantly.

    Used especially of a person’s sustained application to an object or task.

    • Lane · entry 36202
  • مُبْتَرِكٌ

    Of a cloud, bearing down upon the earth and forcefully stripping or paring its surface with rain.

    A figurative description of vehement rainfall.

    • Lane · entry 36202
  • مُتَبَارِكٌ

    High or exalted.

    Apparently applied to God and understood through the corresponding divine verb.

    • Lane · entry 36203

Cautions

Points that affect how this root should be read.

  • تَبَارَكَ is a Quranic divine-specific predicate whose translations combine the related ideas of blessing, abundant good, and exaltation; it should not be treated as an ordinary reciprocal Form VI verb.