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Quranic root

مهل

m · h · l

The root has two principal semantic orientations: measured delay, gentleness, and non-hastening; and مُهْل, a viscous molten or oily substance.

The verbal branch develops from treating someone gently or not hastening against him to granting respite and proceeding deliberately. A separate nominal branch denotes oil dregs or molten matter. One reported variant uses التمهّل for advancing or going forward, contrary to the ordinary sense of deliberate slowness.

  • Maqāyīs · row 4477
  • Mufradāt · row 1394
  • Lane · entry 5874
  • Lane · entry 5875
3
Quran-attested forms
3
Quran senses
6
Quran occurrences

Forms in the Quran

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

مَهَّلَ

mahhala

Part of speech
Verb · Form II
Form
II
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.

  1. To bid someone wait; to grant respite or allow time before acting against him.

    In the Quran, used in the imperative for allowing the addressed people respite, including in the construction مَهِّلِ الْكَافِرِينَ.

    • Mufradāt · row 1394
    Selected Quran examples

    Quran 73:11word 5

    “and allow them respite”

    Quran 86:17word 1

    “So give respite”

أَمْهَلَ

ʾamhala

Part of speech
Verb · Form IV
Form
IV
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.

  1. To treat someone gently by granting him delay or respite; to refrain from hastening against him.

    In the Quran, used in the imperative أَمْهِلْهُمْ for granting respite with gentleness or without immediate action.

    • Lane · entry 5874
    • Mufradāt · row 1394
    Selected Quran examples

    Quran 86:17word 3

    “Give respite to them”

مُهْلٌ

muhlun

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. A hot, viscous molten substance, especially the dregs or residue of oil.

    Used in Quranic similes for a substance that boils or appears molten; the supplied lexical evidence gives oil dregs as the primary identification, while the contexts are variously rendered with murky oil or molten metal.

    • Mufradāt · row 1394
    • Maqāyīs · row 4477
    Selected Quran examples

    Quran 44:45word 1

    “Like the murky oil”

    Quran 18:29word 22

    “like molten brass”

    Quran 70:8word 4

    “like molten copper”

Occurrences in the Quran

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

  • 18:29كَٱلْمُهْلِlike molten brass
  • 44:45كَٱلْمُهْلِLike the murky oil
  • 70:8كَٱلْمُهْلِlike molten copper
  • 73:11وَمَهِّلْهُمْand allow them respite
  • 86:17فَمَهِّلِSo give respite
View all 6 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 5 Classical meanings

  • تَمَهَّلَ

    To proceed deliberately or leisurely, without haste, in an affair.

    Describes measured, unhurried conduct or progress.

    • Lane · entry 5875

  • مَهْلٌ

    Gentleness; a calm or leisurely manner of acting or proceeding.

    Also used adverbially or imperatively in مَهْلًا, meaning to act gently, softly, or without haste.

    • Lane · entry 5876

  • مُهْلَةٌ

    A period or allowance of delay; a leisurely interval in which something proceeds gradually.

    In an affair, denotes delay or postponement; in the expression فِي مُهْلَةٍ, can describe proceeding gently or little by little.

    • Lane · entry 5878

  • تَمَهَّلَ

    To advance or go forward.

    A reported variant usage, presented as contrary to the ordinary sense of proceeding deliberately or slowly.

    • Maqāyīs · row 4477

  • غُرْمُولٌ مُتَمَهِلٌّ

    In the expression غُرْمُولٌ مُتَمَهِلٌّ, a hard penis.

    A rare anatomical descriptive expression; it should not be generalized beyond this attested phrase.

    • Lane · entry 5879

Cautions

Points that affect how this root should be read.

  • The three Quranic occurrences of مُهْلٌ share one lexical sense, but the supplied evidence does not establish separate material senses for the oil-dreg and molten-metal renderings.

  • The reported advancement meaning of تَمَهَّلَ is variant and contrary to the ordinary deliberate or unhurried sense.