Quranic root
نصح
n · ṣ · ḥ
The root centers on bringing things into sound relation and repair: sewing joins and mends, while counsel seeks another's good and sincerity excludes deceit.
The lexical development extends from sewing, thread, and mending to sincere counsel, pure or genuine things, well-mended states, and related ideas of satisfying or making complete.
- Maqāyīs · row 4648
- 4
- Quran-attested forms
- 4
- Quran senses
- 13
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
نَصَحَ
naṣaḥa
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form I
- Form
- I
- 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.
To advise or counsel sincerely; to seek another's good and direct that person toward it, whether by speech or sincere action.
The construction نَصَحَ لَهُ is the established and more chaste construction; the direct-object construction نَصَحَهُ is also attested but was regarded as less usual. The Quranic forms express advising, well-wishing, and sincere conduct.
- Lane · entry 43812
- Mufradāt · row 1447
Selected Quran examples
نَاصِحٌ
nāṣiḥun
- Part of speech
- Active participle
- 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.
A sincere adviser or counsellor; one who seeks and promotes another's good, or acts toward another with sincerity and goodwill.
The Quranic occurrences use the active participle for advisers, sincere well-wishers, and those characterized by sincere conduct. Number and definiteness vary by context.
- Lane · entry 43825
- Mufradāt · row 1447
Selected Quran examples
Quran 7:21word 5
“the sincere advisors”
Quran 12:11word 11
“surely well-wishers”
Quran 28:20word 18
“the sincere advisors”
نُصْحٌ
nuṣḥun
- 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.
Sincere advice or counsel, including sincere conduct and the intention to secure what is good for the person addressed.
In the Quranic occurrence it appears in the possessive expression نُصْحِي, “my sincere advice.” The noun can encompass both the counsel expressed in words and the sincerity of the conduct behind it.
- Lane · entry 43812
- Lane · entry 43823
- Mufradāt · row 1447
Selected Quran examples
Quran 11:34word 3
“my advice”
نَصُوحٌ
naṣūḥun
- Part of speech
- Adjective
- 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.
Thoroughly sincere, genuine, and sound; in تَوْبَةٌ نَصُوحٌ, repentance that is genuine and steadfast rather than a return to the abandoned sin.
The Quranic adjective characterizes repentance. The explanation can emphasize either sincerity or the thorough mending and completion of repentance; the form is also discussed alongside the variant verbal-noun reading نُصُوحًا.
- Lane · entry 43821
- Mufradāt · row 1447
Selected Quran examples
Quran 66:8word 8
“sincere”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
- 7:21ٱلنَّـٰصِحِينَthe sincere advisors
- 7:62وَأَنصَحُand [I] advise
- 7:68نَاصِحٌan adviser
- 7:79وَنَصَحْتُand [I] advised
- 7:79ٱلنَّـٰصِحِينَthe advisers
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 26 Classical meanings
نَصَحَ
To be or become pure, unadulterated, or genuine.
A Classical use describing the thing itself rather than advice or counsel.
- Lane · entry 43812
نَصَحَ
To sew a garment or shirt, especially to sew it well.
A specialized sewing use, marked as figurative in the lexical evidence.
- Lane · entry 43812
نَصَحَ
To drink until satisfied; of camels, to drink in earnest.
Used of a person or of camels in descriptions of complete or abundant drinking.
- Lane · entry 43812
نَصَحَ
Of rain, to water a district abundantly so that its herbage becomes dense and closely joined.
A figurative extension describing the completed effect of abundant rain on the land.
- Lane · entry 43812
نَصَحَ
To clarify honey.
A reported but disputed Classical usage; the same lexical discussion records its rejection by another authority.
- Lane · entry 43812
نَاصَحَ
To advise or counsel one another sincerely and faithfully.
Form III expresses reciprocal or mutual advising.
- Lane · entry 43813
أَنْصَحَ
To water camels so as to satisfy them with drink.
Form IV has the specialized watering-camels use in the Classical evidence.
- Lane · entry 43814
تَنَصَّحَ
To be lavish or prodigal in giving sincere advice or counsel.
The form describes an excessive amount of advising, with the associated conventional warning that this may arouse suspicion.
- Lane · entry 43815
تَنَصَّحَ
To affect to be like sincere advisers or to pose as one of them.
This is a separate Form V use describing assumed or imitated advising.
- Lane · entry 43815
تَنَاصَحَ
To advise or counsel one another sincerely.
Form VI marks mutual participation in the act of counselling.
- Lane · entry 43816
اِنْتَصَحَ
To accept sincere advice or counsel.
An intransitive use meaning to receive and accept advice.
- Lane · entry 43817
اِنْتَصَحَ
To take a person as a sincere adviser or counsellor.
A transitive use distinct from accepting advice itself.
- Lane · entry 43817
اِسْتَنْصَحَ
To regard or deem someone a sincere, faithful, or honest adviser or counsellor.
Form X expresses judging or recognizing a person as possessing the quality of a نَصِيح.
- Lane · entry 43818
نِصَاحٌ
Thread used for sewing.
The noun has a plural form نُصُحٌ or نِصَاحَةٌ in the cited lexical discussion.
- Lane · entry 43819
نِصَاحَاتٌ
Skins, in a Classical plural usage.
This meaning is reported in the interpretation of a cited poetic expression.
- Lane · entry 43820
نِصَاحَاتٌ
Snares or cords fitted with loops, set for catching apes.
A specialized plural noun; the lexical evidence records variant explanations of the cited poetic passage.
- Lane · entry 43820
نَصَاحَةٌ
Sincere worship or devoted, unself-interested conduct.
Attested in the expression نَصَاحَةٌ contrasted with seeking gain or traffic.
- Lane · entry 43812
نَصِيحَةٌ
Sincere, honest, or faithful advice or counsel; also sincere conduct or benevolent concern for another's good.
A noun closely related to نُصْحٌ but retained under its own lexical headword.
- Lane · entry 43823
نَاصِحُ الجَيْبِ
Pure or sincere of heart, without deceit, dishonesty, insincerity, or dissimulation.
An idiomatic expression describing inward sincerity.
- Lane · entry 43825
نَاصِحٌ
A sewer, needle-worker, or tailor.
A specialized occupational use of the active-participial form.
- Lane · entry 43825
نَاصِحُ العَسَلِ
Pure, clear, fine, or thin white honey.
A fixed descriptive expression for clarified or unadulterated honey.
- Lane · entry 43825
نَوَاصِحُ
Rains succeeding one another.
A plural descriptive use applied to successive rains.
- Lane · entry 43825
مِنْصَحٌ / مِنْصَحَةٌ
A needle used for sewing.
The noun denotes the implement, with a feminine variant also recorded.
- Lane · entry 43826
قَمِيصٌ مَنْصُوحٌ
A shirt that has been torn and sewn.
A passive-participial description of a garment repaired by sewing.
- Lane · entry 43828
أَرْضٌ مَنْصُوحَةٌ
Land abundantly watered by rain, with its herbage densely and closely joined.
A figurative passive-participial description of land whose vegetation has been brought together by abundant rain.
- Lane · entry 43828
مُتَنَصَّحٌ
Well sewn; also a repaired or patched place in a garment.
The latter use denotes the place of sewing or patching rather than the whole garment.
- Lane · entry 43829
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
The Quranic adjective نَصُوحٌ in 66:8 is also discussed alongside the variant reading نُصُوحًا, a verbal noun; the QAC form accounted for here is the adjective.
The honey-clarifying verb use is explicitly reported as disputed in the Classical evidence.