Quranic root
ر ف ق
r · f · q
The root centers on agreement, approach, and dealing without violence: gentleness, tact, and a manner that makes an affair easier.
From this orientation, the lexicon develops meanings of gentleness and skilful handling, companionship and travel together, useful support or ease, leaning on the elbow, and several specialized bodily and animal terms.
- Maqāyīs · row 2103
- 3
- Quran-attested forms
- 4
- Quran senses
- 5
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
مِرْفَق
mirfaq
- Part of speech
- Noun
- 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.
Elbow; the elbow joint.
In the Quran, the plural مَرَافِق denotes the elbows in the ablution instruction.
- Lane · entry 24022
Selected Quran examples
Quran 5:6word 12
“the elbows”
A means of benefit, ease, or useful advantage; a facility or resource.
In the Quranic construction مِنْ أَمْرِكُمْ مِرْفَقًا, the noun denotes something by which one profits or finds ease, rather than the anatomical elbow.
- Lane · entry 24022
Selected Quran examples
Quran 18:16word 19
“(in) ease”
مُرْتَفَق
murtafaq
- 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.
A place or thing upon which one leans; a resting place or support.
The passive-participial form is substantivized as a place or means of repose and support.
- Lane · entry 24027
Selected Quran examples
Quran 18:29word 28
“(is) the resting place”
Quran 18:31word 28
“(is) the resting place”
رَفِيق
rafīq
- 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.
A companion; one who accompanies another.
The Quranic use denotes companions associated with one through the journey of life and its final destination.
- Lane · entry 24015
Selected Quran examples
Quran 4:69word 18
“companion(s)”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
- 4:69رَفِيقًۭاcompanion(s)
- 5:6ٱلْمَرَافِقِthe elbows
- 18:16مِّرْفَقًۭا(in) ease
- 18:29مُرْتَفَقًا(is) the resting place
- 18:31مُرْتَفَقًۭا(is) the resting place
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 38 Classical meanings
رِفْق / رَفَقَ
Gentleness, softness, tenderness, graciousness, courtesy, or civil treatment; to deal gently with someone or with an affair.
The verb may be construed with بِـ, عَلَى, or فِي and may describe applying tact to a need or undertaking.
- Lane · entry 23999
- Lane · entry 24008
- Lane · entry 24015
رَفُقَ / رَفِيق
Delicacy, neatness, dexterity, or skill in work or operation.
This is the opposite of clumsy or rough execution.
- Lane · entry 23999
- Lane · entry 24008
- Lane · entry 24015
رَفَقَ
To proceed in a right, moderate, or well-judged manner in traveling or pacing.
Attested in the construction رَفَقَ فِي السَّيْرِ.
- Lane · entry 23999
رَفَاقَة
Companionship; the state of being a companion.
This is a verbal noun associated with being a رَفِيق, distinct from the concrete individual companion.
- Lane · entry 23999
رَفَقَ
To strike another person’s elbow.
A specialized transitive bodily use.
- Lane · entry 23999
رَفَقَ
To bind a camel’s arm or foreleg to its lower leg in order to restrain its movement.
The operation is described especially for a she-camel liable to return toward her accustomed home, or for a slightly lame camel.
- Lane · entry 23999
رَفِقَ / رَفَق
A camel’s elbow being displaced or distorted outward from its side.
Used of camels and related to the animal’s elbow condition.
- Lane · entry 23999
- Lane · entry 24009
رَفَق
A disorder or stoppage affecting the orifice of a she-camel’s teat, sometimes causing milk to revert, coagulate, or become mixed with blood.
A specialized veterinary and pastoral term.
- Lane · entry 23999
- Lane · entry 24009
تَرْفِيق
The condition of a sheep or goat whose forelegs are white up to the elbows.
A descriptive marking of the animal’s legs.
- Lane · entry 24000
رَافَقَ
To accompany someone, especially as a traveling or journeying companion.
A Form III transitive construction describing companionship during a journey.
- Lane · entry 24001
رِفَاق
Hypocrisy or hypocritical behavior.
A separately attested lexical use of the verbal noun.
- Lane · entry 24001
أَرْفَقَ
To benefit someone or be useful to him.
A Form IV causative/useful-benefit construction.
- Lane · entry 24002
أَرْفَقَ
To associate someone with another person or group.
A later usage explicitly described with بِغَيْرِهِ.
- Lane · entry 24002
تَرَافَقَ
To become traveling companions; to travel or journey together.
A reciprocal Form VI construction applying to two or more persons.
- Lane · entry 24004
اِرْتَفَقَ
To seek or demand aid, help, or assistance.
The Form VIII verb is equated with seeking rِفْق in the sense of aid.
- Lane · entry 24005
اِرْتَفَقَ
To profit by, gain advantage from, or make use of someone or something.
May be construed with بِـ and may refer to using an implement, garment, or other thing.
- Lane · entry 24005
اِرْتَفَقَ
To lean upon the elbow or upon a pillow used for leaning.
A bodily posture or the corresponding use of a support.
- Lane · entry 24005
اِرْتَفَقَ
To become full or filled.
A distinct Form VIII resultative use.
- Lane · entry 24005
اِسْتَرْفَقَ
To seek or demand that someone benefit or be useful to one.
A Form X request for useful benefit.
- Lane · entry 24006
تَمَرْفَقَ
To take or use a مِرْفَقَة, a pillow on which one leans with the elbow.
A specialized Form Q.Q II usage.
- Lane · entry 24007
رِفْق
A thing by means of which one seeks help or assistance.
A concrete noun of aid or support, distinct from the abstract quality of gentleness.
- Lane · entry 24008
رَفَق
Easy of attainment or access.
Used of pasture, water, or a desired object that is readily sought and obtained.
- Lane · entry 24009
رُفْقَة / رِفْقَة
A company or group of people traveling together.
The term applies while the travelers remain gathered in one journey or place of assembly; it ceases to apply when they separate.
- Lane · entry 24011
رِفَاق
A company of camels used by people traveling to obtain provisions from towns or villages.
A specialized plural use for provisioning caravans.
- Lane · entry 24011
رِفَاق
A cord used to bind a camel’s elbow or arm to its lower leg.
The term names the restraining cord described in the corresponding camel practice.
- Lane · entry 24014
رِفَاق
A finger-shaped device placed over a she-camel’s diseased teat and secured beneath the teat-binding cord.
Used as a treatment for the disorder called رَفَق.
- Lane · entry 24014
رَفِيق
Easy or convenient for someone; favorable to one’s circumstances.
A figurative use applied to an affair or thing, commonly with بِكَ or عَلَيْكَ.
- Lane · entry 24015
أَرْفَق
More or most gentle; by extension, more or most easy or convenient.
A comparative or superlative adjective derived from the gentleness and convenience senses.
- Lane · entry 24019
أَرْفَق
Of a camel: having the elbow distorted outward from the side.
A specialized animal epithet; the feminine form is also reported for a she-camel.
- Lane · entry 24019
رَفْقَاء
Of a she-camel: having the orifice or orifices of the teat stopped up.
A specialized animal epithet associated with the teat disorder رَفَق.
- Lane · entry 24019
مِرْفَق
A household facility or appurtenance, such as a privy, kitchen, sink, or similar convenience.
This pluralized architectural use is distinct from the anatomical elbow and from a general means of benefit.
- Lane · entry 24022
مِرْفَقَة
A pillow or cushion on which one leans with the elbow.
A derived noun naming the support used in leaning.
- Lane · entry 24023
مُرَفَّقَة
A sheep or goat whose forelegs are white up to the elbows.
An animal-description term.
- Lane · entry 24024
مِرْفَاق
A camel whose elbow hurts or presses against its side.
A specialized animal noun.
- Lane · entry 24025
مِرْفَاق
A she-camel injured by the cord or binding applied to her udder, with blood issuing when she is released or milked.
A specialized pastoral term associated with binding the udder.
- Lane · entry 24025
مَرْفُوق
A camel suffering from a complaint of the elbow.
A passive-participial animal description.
- Lane · entry 24026
مُرْتَفِق
Leaning upon the elbow.
The active participle describes the person adopting this posture, not the place or support itself.
- Lane · entry 24028
مُرْتَفِق
Full, standing, continuing, or nearly full.
A separate, rare descriptive use attested in poetic discussion of filled or abundant low ground and vegetation.
- Lane · entry 24028
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
مَرْفَق and مِرْفَق are reported with variant vocalizations; the public headword مِرْفَق groups the Quranic anatomical plural and the singular means-of-benefit use. Lane’s historical Quran citations are not used here as modern verse locations; the displayed locations come from QAC.