Quranic root
محل
m · ḥ · l
The root has two principal semantic orientations: deprivation of beneficial provision, especially through drought, and hostile pursuit or advocacy involving a charge against someone.
The deprivation branch appears in drought, barren land, rainless stars, and spoiled milk. A separate interpersonal branch concerns pursuing someone with an accusation, while also extending to arguing in someone's defense. The Quranic مِحَال is interpreted either through punitive seizure or through power and strategic capacity.
- Maqāyīs · row 4308
- Mufradāt · row 1348
- 1
- Quran-attested forms
- 2
- Quran senses
- 1
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
مِحَالٌ
miḥālun
- 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.
Punitive seizure: taking someone with punishment or intending harm against him.
Used in the Quranic expression شَدِيدُ الْمِحَالِ, where it describes formidable punitive action directed against wrongdoers.
- Mufradāt · row 1348
Selected Quran examples
Quran 13:13word 19
“(in) Strength”
Power, force, or effective capacity to act, including strategic ability.
An alternative interpretation of شَدِيدُ الْمِحَالِ derives the word from حَوْل and حِيلَة; this is an interpretation of the same Quranic occurrence, not a separate occurrence.
- Mufradāt · row 1348
Selected Quran examples
Quran 13:13word 19
“(in) Strength”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
- 13:13ٱلْمِحَالِ(in) Strength
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 7 Classical meanings
مَحْلٌ
Drought; cessation of rain and drying of the earth so that herbage is lacking.
The same deprivation branch describes a barren time, place, or land in related forms such as مَاحِلٌ and أَمْحَلَتِ الْأَرْضُ.
- Lane · entry 5640
- Mufradāt · row 1348
أَمْحَلَتِ النُّجُومُ
Of the stars: to set at dawn without bringing rain.
A conventional construction specifically predicated of the stars.
- Lane · entry 5638
تَمَحَّلَ
To labor and employ skill, craft, or management in seeking to acquire property.
The supplied evidence includes acquisition without paying a price as one formulation, but that circumstance is not required by the broader meaning.
- Lane · entry 5639
مَحَالَةٌ
A vertebra or segment of the backbone.
The plural is reported as المَحَالّ.
- Mufradāt · row 1348
مُمَحَّلٌ
Milk that has spoiled or turned after fresh milk is repeatedly milked onto it.
Used specifically of milk in the supplied lexical expression لَبَنٌ مُمَحَّلٌ.
- Lane · entry 5642
- Mufradāt · row 1348
مَحَلَ بِهِ
To pursue a charge against someone, carry tales against him, or denounce him to an authority.
The attested construction includes directing the accusation to a ruler or other authority.
- Maqāyīs · row 4308
- Mufradāt · row 1348
مَاحَلَ عَنْهُ
To argue or plead in defense of someone.
A distinct oppositional use meaning to dispute or advocate on another's behalf.
- Mufradāt · row 1348
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
The two Quranic senses of مِحَالٌ are alternative interpretations of its single supplied occurrence in 13:13; the contextual gloss “(in) Strength” does not by itself resolve the lexical interpretation.