Qur'anic Expressions
Mirror
One root used twice in a verse, the action passing between the parties.
- Trust as the people have trusted ءَامِنُوا۟ كَمَآ ءَامَنَ ٱلنَّاسُ
- I know what you do not know أَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
- fulfill My covenant, I will fulfill yours وَأَوْفُوا۟ بِعَهْدِىٓ أُوفِ بِعَهْدِكُمْ
- "Surrender" — "I have surrendered" أَسْلِمْ قَالَ أَسْلَمْتُ
- Mutual remembrance: remember Me, I will remember you فَٱذْكُرُونِىٓ أَذْكُرْكُمْ
- mutual disowning: we would disown them as they disowned us فَنَتَبَرَّأَ مِنْهُمْ كَمَا تَبَرَّءُوا۟
- I answer … let them answer أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ ٱلدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا۟
- Allah knows, you do not know يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
- "I give life and cause death" – contested divine claims أَنَا۠ أُحْىِۦ وَأُمِيتُ
- "You remained" answered and corrected لَبِثْتَ
- Love answered with love تُحِبُّونَ ٱللَّهَ فَٱتَّبِعُونِى يُحْبِبْكُمُ ٱللَّهُ
- you love them, they do not love you تُحِبُّونَهُمْ وَلَا يُحِبُّونَكُمْ
- You feel pain, they feel pain تَأْلَمُونَ فَإِنَّهُمْ يَأْلَمُونَ
- you teach them what Allah taught you تُعَلِّمُونَهُنَّ مِمَّا عَلَّمَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ
- I fear / you do not fear أَخَافُ مَآ أَشْرَكْتُمْ وَلَا تَخَافُونَ
- Revile, and they will revile in return وَلَا تَسُبُّوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ فَيَسُبُّوا۟ ٱللَّهَ
- "We will leave them aside, just as they left aside" نَنسَىٰهُمْ كَمَا نَسُوا۟
- look towards You — look towards the mountain أَنظُرْ إِلَيْكَ
- You did not kill Them, but Allah Killed Them فَلَمْ تَقْتُلُوهُمْ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَتَلَهُمْ
- You do not know them; We know them تَعْلَمُهُمْ نَحْنُ نَعْلَمُهُمْ
- "I have trusted... in whom they have trusted" ءَامَنتُ أَنَّهُۥ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِىٓ ءَامَنَتْ بِهِۦ بَنُوٓا۟ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ
- Allah promised, I promised (14:22) وَعَدَكُمْ وَعْدَ ٱلْحَقِّ وَوَعَدتُّكُمْ
- Led astray, to lead astray أَغْوَيْتَنِى لَأُزَيِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَأُغْوِيَنَّهُمْ
- Prostrate commanded, performed, refused ٱسْجُدُوا۟ لِـَٔادَمَ فَسَجَدُوٓا۟
- caused to stray or strayed themselves أَضْلَلْتُمْ عِبَادِى هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ أَمْ هُمْ ضَلُّوا۟
- I have encompassed what you have not encompassed أَحَطتُ بِمَا لَمْ تُحِطْ
- They schemed, We schemed وَمَكَرُوا۟ مَكْرًا وَمَكْرْنَا مَكْرًا
- You forgot; We have forgotten you نَسِيتُمْ
- Allah and the believers ṣallū upon the Prophet يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى ٱلنَّبِىِّ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ صَلُّوا۟ عَلَيْهِ
- help Allah, He will help you تَنصُرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ يَنصُرْكُمْ
- "We have come to trust" – "You have not come to trust" ءَامَنَّا قُل لَّمْ تُؤْمِنُوا۟
- Teaching Allah while Allah knows أَتُعَلِّمُونَ ٱللَّهَ بِدِينِكُمْ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ
- Counting a favor upon another (mann) يَمُنُّونَ عَلَيْكَ
- We say to Hell, and it says نَقُولُ لِجَهَنَّمَ هَلِ ٱمْتَلَأْتِ وَتَقُولُ
- Make room, and Allah will make room فَٱفْسَحُوا۟ يَفْسَحِ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ
Family
Words that keep appearing together; read side by side, the verses show what none shows alone.
Near-twin verses
Verses that are almost identical, and what the word that differs does.
Closing pair
The pair of names that ends a verse, and how it answers what the verse has said.
Contrast pair
Two roots the Qur'an sets against each other in one verse.
Frame
A fixed formula with a changing slot, and what it does to the words that fill it.