Quranic root
غفر
gh · f · r
The root's central orientation is covering, concealing, or shielding something from exposure or harm.
From physical covering and concealment, the lexicon develops the sense of covering a sin by pardoning it and thereby protecting the offender from punishment; related branches retain the idea of a covering surface, covering garment, helmet, or protective layer.
- Maqāyīs · row 3438
- Mufradāt · row 1058
- 9
- Quran-attested forms
- 9
- Quran senses
- 234
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
غَفَرَ
ghafara
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form I
- Form
- I
- Quran occurrences
- 65 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 forgive or pardon a sin, offense, or wrong; to cover it by sparing the offender from punishment.
Used for divine forgiveness and for human pardon or forbearance. In the Quranic construction غَفَرَ لَهُ, human forgiveness may describe outwardly letting an offense pass without asserting complete inward pardon. Passive forms express being forgiven.
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Selected Quran examples
Quran 45:14word 4
“(to) forgive”
Quran 7:169word 12
“It will be forgiven”
اِسْتَغْفَرَ
āistaghfara
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form X
- Form
- X
- Quran occurrences
- 40 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 seek or beg forgiveness, especially from God.
The request seeks that a sin or offense be covered and pardoned. The Quran-focused lexical explanation includes both spoken request and corresponding deed, not merely verbal utterance; the verb may occur with direct reference to God or with a sin from which forgiveness is sought.
- Lane · entry 29562
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Selected Quran examples
Quran 11:90word 1
“And ask forgiveness”
Quran 41:6word 14
“and ask His forgiveness”
غَافِر
ghāfir
- Part of speech
- Active participle
- 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.
Forgiving or covering the sins, offenses, and wrongs of servants; one who forgives.
A divine epithet in the Quranic attestations; the plural form in one occurrence functions within an address to the divine forgiver.
- Lane · entry 29580
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Selected Quran examples
Quran 40:3word 1
“(The) Forgiver”
Quran 7:155word 41
“(of) Forgivers”
غَفُور
ghafūr
- Part of speech
- Intensive adjective
- Quran occurrences
- 91 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.
Very or continually forgiving; one who abundantly forgives sins and offenses.
An intensive divine epithet, expressing a high or recurring degree of forgiveness rather than a separate action from غَفِر or غَافِر.
- Lane · entry 29580
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Selected Quran examples
Quran 17:25word 12
“Most Forgiving”
غَفَّار
ghaffār
- Part of speech
- Intensive adjective
- Quran occurrences
- 5 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.
Repeatedly or greatly forgiving; the perpetual or abundant forgiver.
An intensive divine epithet emphasizing repeated or extensive forgiveness.
- Lane · entry 29580
Selected Quran examples
Quran 20:82word 2
“the Perpetual Forgiver”
Quran 71:10word 6
“Oft-Forgiving”
غُفْرَان
ghufrān
- Part of speech
- 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.
Forgiveness or pardon, understood as protection from punishment.
In the Quranic supplication غُفْرَانَكَ, it is requested from God as the covering and pardoning of sins.
- Lane · entry 29556
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Selected Quran examples
Quran 2:285word 24
“(Grant) us Your forgiveness”
مُسْتَغْفِر
mustaghfir
- Part of speech
- Active participle
- 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.
One who seeks or asks for forgiveness.
Active participle of اِسْتَغْفَرَ; the Quranic occurrence is plural and refers to people characterized by seeking forgiveness.
- Lane · entry 29562
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Selected Quran examples
Quran 3:17word 5
“and those who seek forgiveness”
مَغْفِرَة
maghfirah
- Part of speech
- Noun
- Quran occurrences
- 28 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.
Forgiveness or pardon, especially divine forgiveness that protects from punishment.
An abstract noun used for the forgiveness granted or promised by God; it can be associated with repentance, faith, righteous action, or endurance.
- Lane · entry 29556
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Selected Quran examples
Quran 3:133word 3
“forgiveness”
Quran 22:50word 6
“(is) forgiveness”
اِسْتِغْفَار
āistighfār
- 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.
The seeking or asking of forgiveness.
Verbal noun of اِسْتَغْفَرَ; the Quranic lexical explanation includes seeking forgiveness through speech accompanied by corresponding action, not speech alone.
- Lane · entry 29562
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Selected Quran examples
Quran 9:114word 3
“(the) asking of forgiveness”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
- 2:58نَّغْفِرْWe will forgive
- 2:173غَفُورٌۭ(is) Oft-Forgiving
- 2:175بِٱلْمَغْفِرَةِ ۚfor [the] forgiveness
- 2:182غَفُورٌۭ(is) Oft-Forgiving
- 2:192غَفُورٌۭ(is) Oft-Forgiving
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 41 Classical meanings
غَفَرَ
To cover, veil, conceal, or hide something; also to put goods into a receptacle and conceal them.
The basic physical covering sense and its direct concealment construction; this is broader Classical Arabic usage rather than a Quranic use of the Form I verb.
- Lane · entry 29556
غَفَّرَ
To invoke or pronounce a prayer for God's forgiveness for someone.
Attested in the formula غَفَرَ اللهُ لَهُ, ‘may God forgive him.’
- Lane · entry 29557
غَفَرَ
To rectify or put an affair right with what is needed to correct it.
A figurative extension of covering or repairing an affair.
- Lane · entry 29556
غَفِرَ
Of a garment or piece of cloth, to become villous or develop a nap.
A usage distinct from the noun for the nap itself.
- Lane · entry 29556
غَفَرَ
Of a wound or illness, to relapse, become active again, or return to a corrupt state after improvement.
Used of wounds, illness, and by extension a renewed state after apparent recovery.
- Lane · entry 29556
غَفِرَ
Of a wound, to heal.
A separately reported contrary usage of the same lexical form.
- Lane · entry 29556
غَفَرَ
Of an excessive lover, to experience a return of desire after being consoled.
A figurative use describing the recurrence of desire.
- Lane · entry 29556
غَفَرَ
Of goods brought for sale, to make a market cheap or lower its prices.
Used of the effect of merchandise on the market.
- Lane · entry 29556
أَغْفَرَ
Of land or a tree, to produce small herbage or to exude its maghāfīr gum.
A botanical Form IV usage involving either small growth or the exudation of maghāfīr.
- Lane · entry 29558
أَغْفَرَ
Of a female mountain goat, to have a young one or young ones.
A botanical and animal-related Form IV usage.
- Lane · entry 29558
أَغْفَرَ
Of palm trees, to have a bark-like or crust-like covering on their unripe dates.
A specialized Form IV usage concerning unripe dates.
- Lane · entry 29558
تَغَفَّرَ
To gather maghfar or mughfūr, the plant exudate collected from its trees.
A Form V botanical gathering usage.
- Lane · entry 29559
تَغَافَرَ
For two people to pray for the covering, forgiveness, or pardon of each other’s sins.
A reciprocal Form VI construction.
- Lane · entry 29560
غَفْر
The belly.
A nominal lexical branch distinct from the verbal and forgiveness senses.
- Lane · entry 29565
غَفْر
A thing resembling a sack or bag.
A specialized nominal usage.
- Lane · entry 29565
غَفْر
The name of a star or group of small stars associated with Virgo and the fifteenth lunar mansion.
A proper astronomical designation.
- Lane · entry 29565
غُفْر
The young of a mountain goat.
The term may denote one young animal or a plural number; the female is غُفْرَة.
- Lane · entry 29566
غِفْر
The young of a wild cow or bovine antelope.
A zoological noun distinct from غُفْر ‘young of the mountain goat.’
- Lane · entry 29567
غِفْر
A small beast, creeping thing, or insect.
A reported and somewhat uncertain zoological usage.
- Lane · entry 29567
غَفَر
Fine down-like or short hair on the body, including hair on the neck, jaws, nape, forehead, or similar places.
It may describe a person or woman who has this kind of hair.
- Lane · entry 29568
- Lane · entry 29569
غَفَر
Hair growing in the place of the mane of a horse or similar animal.
A specialized anatomical or zoological use.
- Lane · entry 29568
غَفَر
The nap, pile, or villous substance on the surface of a garment or cloth.
Used especially of the fine or soft pile of certain fabrics.
- Lane · entry 29568
غَفَر
Small, sprouting herbage.
A botanical noun for a type of small spring growth.
- Lane · entry 29568
غُفْرَة
A cover or covering; something with which another thing is covered.
A nominal counterpart of the physical covering branch.
- Lane · entry 29570
غِفْرَة
A good manner or quality of covering, forgiving, or pardoning sins.
A conventional nominal expression for a disposition or manner of pardon.
- Lane · entry 29571
غِفَار
A brand or mark made with a hot iron on the cheek, especially of a camel.
A specialized marking term.
- Lane · entry 29573
جَمَّاءُ غَفِير
A helmet that encloses and embraces the whole head.
A fixed phrase describing a type of helmet.
- Lane · entry 29575
جَمَّاءُ غَفِير
All together, with no one left behind; a large multitude.
A fixed expression used of people arriving or being present in great number.
- Lane · entry 29575
غِفَارَة
A piece of cloth worn beneath a woman’s head covering to protect it from hair oil or grease, or to cover parts of the head.
A specialized item of headwear.
- Lane · entry 29576
غِفَارَة
A cloth spread over a camel litter.
A specialized textile usage.
- Lane · entry 29576
غِفَارَة
A patch or piece of skin placed over the notch of a bow where its string runs.
A specialized archery term.
- Lane · entry 29576
غِفَارَة
A cloud appearing as though it were above another cloud.
A figurative or descriptive natural-world usage.
- Lane · entry 29576
غِفَارَة
The head or summit of a mountain.
A specialized topographical usage.
- Lane · entry 29576
غَفِيرَة
A disposition to forgive or excuse a sin, offense, or wrong.
In negative expressions, the term denotes that people have no disposition to forgive.
- Lane · entry 29577
غَفِيرَة
Abundance or increase in family, livestock, or other property.
A conventional nominal usage.
- Lane · entry 29577
غَوْفَر
An autumnal melon or watermelon, or a species of it.
A botanical noun.
- Lane · entry 29581
أَغْفَر
More or most capable of covering or concealing something, especially dirt.
A comparative or superlative adjective derived from the covering sense.
- Lane · entry 29582
مُغْفِر
A female mountain goat having a young one or young ones.
A specialized zoological noun.
- Lane · entry 29584
مِغْفَر
A protective head covering worn beneath or as part of a helmet, especially mail hanging over the neck and shoulders; also the helmet itself.
A military and protective-equipment term with several closely related constructions.
- Lane · entry 29585
مُغْفُور
A sweet or otherwise characteristic gum-like exudate or manna from certain trees and shrubs, especially the ramth and ʿurfut.
The term includes the plant product, its forms, and its plural maghāfīr.
- Lane · entry 29588
مَغْفُورَاء
Land containing trees that produce maghāfīr.
A descriptive adjective or noun phrase for such land.
- Lane · entry 29590
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
The Quranic Form I forgiveness sense is distinct from the literal physical-covering and numerous botanical, anatomical, zoological, and material-noun branches preserved under broader Classical Arabic meanings.
The Quranic active participle مُسْتَغْفِر is normalized from the supplied plural form مُسْتَغْفِرِينَ; غَافِر is likewise normalized from supplied inflectional forms.