al-ḥaqq set against al-bāṭil
ٱلْحَقَّ وَٱلْبَٰطِلَ
al-ḥaqqa wa-l-bāṭila — the truth and the falsehood
In the verses given, the roots ḥ-q-q and b-ṭ-l are repeatedly placed in a single verse as paired opposites: the truth prevails, is hurled, or is that by which Allah's command is decided, while the false is cloaked over it, nullified, or vanishes.
In the sample verses the two roots function as a fixed pair. In several of them the nouns al-ḥaqq and al-bāṭil stand side by side as grammatical parallels: (8:8) has two parallel verbs, 'that He may make the truth prevail and nullify the falsehood' (li-yuḥiqqa / wa-yubṭila, both imperfect IV 3MS subjunctive); (13:17) has 'Allah set forth the truth and the falsity' with both nouns accusative; (21:18) has 'We hurl the truth against falsehood', both genitive; and (22:62) and (31:30) have both nouns nominative in parallel clauses: Allah is al-ḥaqq, and what is called upon apart from Him is al-bāṭil. In others the pairing is verbal: (7:118) sets 'the truth fell into place' (al-ḥaqq nominative) against 'what they had been doing became null' (wa-baṭala, perfect 3MS). (17:81) and (34:49) both open with 'the truth has come' and follow with a verb or statement about al-bāṭil: it 'has vanished' and 'has always been something that vanishes' (17:81), or 'neither initiates anything nor brings it back' (34:49). A further pattern is human misuse: (2:42) and (3:71) forbid or question 'cloaking the truth with the false' (al-ḥaqq accusative, bi-l-bāṭil genitive), and (18:56) and (40:5) describe arguing bi-l-bāṭil 'so that they may thereby make the truth slip away' (18:56) and 'so that by it they might make the truth fail' (40:5). In (42:24) Allah 'effaces the falsehood and makes the truth firmly real', reversing the order of (8:8): there the truth is made to prevail first and the false nullified, while here the false is effaced first — by yamḥu, a verb outside the pair — and the truth made real second; (40:78) closes with the decision 'in truth' and the loss of 'the nullifiers' (active participle IV, plural).
Where it occurs
- 2:42 Prohibits cloaking al-ḥaqq with al-bāṭil and concealing al-ḥaqq while knowing.
- 3:71 Questions why the people of the Book overlay al-ḥaqq with al-bāṭil and conceal al-ḥaqq.
- 7:118 Al-ḥaqq falls into place while what they were doing baṭala (became null).
- 8:8 Parallel purpose clauses: He makes al-ḥaqq prevail and nullifies al-bāṭil.
- 13:17 Allah sets forth al-ḥaqq and al-bāṭil as a parable of froth that departs and what benefits people that remains.
- 17:81 Al-ḥaqq has come and al-bāṭil has vanished, being by nature vanishing.
- 18:56 Those who covered over argue bi-l-bāṭil to make al-ḥaqq slip away.
- 21:18 Truth is hurled against al-bāṭil and smashes it; al-bāṭil then proves vanishing.
- 22:62 Allah is al-ḥaqq; what is called upon apart from Him is al-bāṭil.
- 31:30 Same pairing as (22:62): Allah is al-ḥaqq, what is called apart from Him is al-bāṭil.
- 34:49 Al-ḥaqq has come; al-bāṭil neither initiates nor brings back.
- 40:5 Communities argued bi-l-bāṭil to make al-ḥaqq fail.
- 40:78 Allah's command is decided bi-l-ḥaqq, and the nullifiers (mubṭilūn) lose.
- 42:24 Allah effaces al-bāṭil and makes al-ḥaqq firmly real by His words.
All Qur'anic expressions