Quranic root
نصر
n · ṣ · r
A root oriented toward bringing or giving good, especially aid that enables another to prevail.
The root develops from aiding and granting benefit to victory over an adversary, with related extensions to mutual assistance, seeking aid, rain that aids the earth, and giving or provision.
- Maqāyīs · row 4649
- Mufradāt · row 1448
- 10
- Quran-attested forms
- 12
- Quran senses
- 158
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
- نَصَرَVerb · Form I I · 59
- تَنَاصَرَVerb · Form VI VI · 1
- اِنْتَصَرَVerb · Form VIII VIII · 7
- اِسْتَنْصَرَVerb · Form X X · 2
- مَنْصُورPassive participle · 2
- مُنْتَصِرActive participle · 4
- نَاصِرActive participle · 11
- نَصِيرNoun / adjective · 35
- نَصْرVerbal noun · 22
- نَصْرَانِيّRelational adjective / proper noun · 15
نَصَرَ
naṣara
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form I
- Form
- I
- Quran occurrences
- 59 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 aid, assist, or support someone or a cause, especially against an adversary.
The Quran uses the verb for aiding people, messengers, servants, or God's cause; when directed toward God's religion or servants, the construction includes supporting its commands and ordinances.
- Lane · entry 43830
- Mufradāt · row 1448
Selected Quran examples
Quran 47:7word 5
“you help”
To make victorious; to cause someone to prevail over or overcome an adversary.
This is the resultative aspect of aid in contexts where divine or other assistance brings victory.
- Lane · entry 43830
- Mufradāt · row 1448
Selected Quran examples
Quran 9:14word 6
“and give you victory”
تَنَاصَرَ
tanāṣara
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form VI
- Form
- VI
- 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.
To aid one another; to mutually assist.
The form expresses reciprocal assistance among two or more parties.
- Lane · entry 43834
- Mufradāt · row 1448
Selected Quran examples
Quran 37:25word 4
“you help one another”
اِنْتَصَرَ
āintaṣara
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form VIII
- Form
- VIII
- Quran occurrences
- 7 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 defend oneself, obtain one's due, or retaliate against a wrongdoer.
The form is reflexive in force and commonly describes responding to injury by defending oneself or taking redress from the person who caused the wrong.
- Lane · entry 43835
- Mufradāt · row 1448
Selected Quran examples
Quran 42:41word 2
“defends himself”
Quran 47:4word 25
“surely, He could have taken retribution”
اِسْتَنْصَرَ
āistanṣara
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form X
- Form
- X
- 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.
To ask, seek, or request aid from someone.
The object of the request may be a person or group, often with the implicit or explicit aim of assistance against an adversary.
- Lane · entry 43836
- Mufradāt · row 1448
Selected Quran examples
Quran 8:72word 31
“they seek your help”
مَنْصُور
manṣūr
- Part of speech
- Passive 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.
Helped, aided, and thereby victorious or prevailing.
The form denotes one who has received aid, with the resulting sense of being made victorious in contexts of opposition or conflict.
- Lane · entry 43852
- Lane · entry 43830
Selected Quran examples
Quran 17:33word 22
“helped”
Quran 37:172word 3
“(would be) the victorious”
مُنْتَصِر
muntaṣir
- Part of speech
- Active participle
- Quran occurrences
- 4 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.
One who defends himself, takes redress, or seeks to prevail against an aggressor.
This active participle follows the Form VIII construction and may describe individuals or groups acting for their own defense or retaliation.
- Lane · entry 43835
- Mufradāt · row 1448
Selected Quran examples
Quran 28:81word 17
“those who (could) defend themselves”
Quran 54:44word 5
“helping (each other)”
نَاصِر
nāṣir
- Part of speech
- Active participle
- Quran occurrences
- 11 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.
An aider, assistant, or supporter, especially one who aids another against an adversary.
The form is the active participle of Form I and may be singular or plural in use.
- Lane · entry 43848
- Mufradāt · row 1448
Selected Quran examples
Quran 47:13word 13
“helper”
Quran 86:10word 6
“any helper”
نَصِير
naṣīr
- Part of speech
- Noun / adjective
- Quran occurrences
- 35 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 helper, supporter, or one who provides aid.
The supplied QAC group includes both singular نَصِير and the plural أَنْصَار, here represented under the normalized citation form نَصِير; the plural means helpers in its general Quranic uses.
- Lane · entry 43845
- Lane · entry 43848
- Mufradāt · row 1448
Selected Quran examples
Quran 2:107word 17
“any helper”
Quran 3:52word 8
“(will be) my helpers”
نَصْر
naṣr
- Part of speech
- Verbal noun
- Quran occurrences
- 22 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.
Aid, assistance, or support rendered to another.
The verbal noun can describe assistance from God or people, including aid given to a person or group against opposition.
- Lane · entry 43837
- Lane · entry 43830
- Mufradāt · row 1448
Selected Quran examples
Quran 3:13word 21
“with His help”
Victory or conquest resulting from aid.
In contexts of conflict or divine intervention, the noun focuses on the victorious outcome rather than only the act of assistance.
- Lane · entry 43837
- Mufradāt · row 1448
Selected Quran examples
Quran 3:126word 11
“[the] victory”
نَصْرَانِيّ
naṣrāniyy
- Part of speech
- Relational adjective / proper noun
- Quran occurrences
- 15 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 Christian; in the plural, Christians.
The Quranic form occurs as the singular relational adjective نَصْرَانِيّ and the plural designation نَصَارَى.
- Lane · entry 43842
- Mufradāt · row 1448
Selected Quran examples
Quran 3:67word 6
“a Christian”
Quran 22:17word 7
“and the Christians”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
- 2:48يُنصَرُونَwill be helped
- 2:62وَٱلنَّصَـٰرَىٰand the Christians
- 2:86يُنصَرُونَwill be helped
- 2:107نَصِيرٍany helper
- 2:111نَصَـٰرَىٰ ۗ(a) Christian[s]
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 18 Classical meanings
نَصَرَ
To serve or preserve someone from another person or thing.
A distinct construction with مِنْ expresses protection or preservation from a source of harm.
- Lane · entry 43830
نَصَرَ
To aid or water the earth by rain, causing it to produce herbage.
A tropical use applied to rain or to the earth receiving abundant rain.
- Lane · entry 43830
نَصَرَ
To give or bestow something to another.
A tropical extension of aid, especially in the language of a person asking others to give to him.
- Lane · entry 43830
- Maqāyīs · row 4649
- Mufradāt · row 1448
نَصَرَ
To bestow means of subsistence or provision.
An attributed tropical use equivalent to providing or supplying sustenance.
- Lane · entry 43830
نَصَّرَ
To make someone a Christian.
This is the causative Form II use, distinct from the Quranic noun and relational adjective for a Christian.
- Lane · entry 43831
نَاصَرَ
To render reciprocal aid to another.
Form III presents the action as aid exchanged between two parties.
- Lane · entry 43832
تَنَصَّرَ
To labor or strive to aid or assist.
This is the effort-oriented Form V use, not merely the ordinary act of helping.
- Lane · entry 43833
تَنَصَّرَ
To become a Christian.
A separate Form V use from striving to aid.
- Lane · entry 43833
تَنَاصَرَ
Of reports or accounts, to confirm or verify one another.
A tropical reciprocal use applied to mutually corroborating statements rather than to people rendering aid.
- Lane · entry 43834
اِسْتَنْصَرَ
To beg.
A tropical extension of seeking aid, treating a requested gift as aid.
- Lane · entry 43836
نَصْر
Spoil, plunder, or booty.
A separately attested nominal use in classical vocabulary.
- Lane · entry 43837
نَصْر
Rain.
A tropical nominal use, especially rain understood as aid to the earth.
- Lane · entry 43837
نَصْر
A gift.
A tropical nominal extension from aid or from rain aiding the earth.
- Lane · entry 43837
نَصَائِر
Gifts.
Plural nominal usage corresponding to the gift sense of نَصْر.
- Lane · entry 43837
نَصُور
One who aids or assists much or well.
An intensive descriptive form emphasizing frequency or excellence of aiding.
- Lane · entry 43844
أَنْصَار
The Helpers of the Prophet, especially the supporters from the Aws and Khazraj.
This is the historical collective designation, distinct from the ordinary plural meaning 'helpers'.
- Lane · entry 43848
مَنْصُورَة
Land watered or rained upon.
A tropical passive-participial use describing land benefited by rain.
- Lane · entry 43852
النَّصْرَانِيَّة
The religion of the Christians.
The feminine abstract form denotes the religious affiliation or religion associated with the نَصَارَى.
- Lane · entry 43843
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
The supplied QAC نَصِير group also contains four occurrences of أَنْصَار; the public headword is normalized to نَصِير, with the ordinary plural sense retained and the specialized historical designation treated separately.
The classical evidence gives competing explanations for نَصْرَانِيّ and نَصَارَى, including derivation from Nazareth and other morphological analyses; the Quranic lexical sense is therefore stated without choosing an etymology.