Introduction

When your native language is not Arabic, it becomes difficult to follow what is being said when listening to Quran, even if you know the translation of the verses. In such cases it is very helpful to have some “anchor” words which you can easily catch from the flow of words and link to the translation. This will also hook your concentration.

Here is a list of ten words that occur very frequently in the Quran. If you don’t know Arabic, take these words and memorize them as a first step towards understanding the language of the Quran.

List of Frequently Occurring Words in the Quran

1.

قَالَ:

Meaning: ‘to say’.

Some variations of the word with examples:

قَالَ

He said:

وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً

And when your Lord said to the angels, “Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority.[2:30]

قَالَت She said

إِذْ قَالَتِ امْرَأَتُ عِمْرَانَ       when the wife of ‘Imran said… [3:35]

,قالوا

قَالُوا الْآنَ جِئْتَ بِالْحَقِّ ۚ  They said, “Now you have come with the truth.” [2:71]

يَقولُ   he says

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَبِالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَمَا هُم بِمُؤْمِنِينَ        And of the people are some who say, “We believe in Allah and the Last Day,” but they are not believers. [2:8]

قُلْ   say!

قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ     Say, “He is Allah , [who is] One” [112:1]

قَوْلٌ speech

إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا قَوْلُ الْبَشَرِ          This is not but the word of a human being. [74:25]

2.

ءامَنَ:

Meaning: “to believe”

Some variations of the word with examples:

ءامَنَ    He believed

: آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ            The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and [so have] the believers. [2:285]

يُئْمِنُ      he believes

وَمِنْهُم مَّن يُؤْمِنُ بِهِ وَمِنْهُم مَّن لَّا يُؤْمِنُ بِهِ                      And of them are those who believe in it, and of them are those who do not believe in it.  [10:40]

نُئْمِنُ      we believe

وَقَالُوا لَن نُّؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّىٰ تَفْجُرَ لَنَا مِنَ الْأَرْضِ يَنبُوعًا                  And they say, “We will not believe you until you break open for us from the ground a spring. [17:90]

3.

جَعَلَ:

Meaning: “to make”

Some variations of the word with examples:

جَعَلَ      He made

الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْأَرْضَ فِرَاشًا [He] who made for you the earth a bed… [2:22]

يَجْعَلُ     he makes

فَكَيْفَ تَتَّقُونَ إِن كَفَرْتُمْ يَوْمًا يَجْعَلُ الْوِلْدَانَ شِيبًا  Then how can you fear, if you disbelieve, a Day that will make the children white- haired? [73:17]

اجْعَلْ     make!

وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ اجْعَلْ هَٰذَا بَلَدًا آمِنًا           And [mention] when Abraham said, “My Lord, make this a secure city…” [2:126]

4.

جاءَ:

Meaning: “to come, to arrive, to bring”

Some variations of the word:

جاء       He came

مَن جَاءَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ فَلَهُ عَشْرُ أَمْثَالِهَا     Whoever comes [on the Day of Judgement] with a good deed will have ten times the like thereof… [6:160]

جِئْتَ      You came

قَالُوا الْآنَ جِئْتَ بِالْحَقِّ ۚ  They said, “Now you have come with the truth.” [2:71]

جَاءَكَ     came to you

أَفَكُلَّمَا جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ بِمَا لَا تَهْوَىٰ أَنفُسُكُمُ اسْتَكْبَرْتُمْ         But is it [not] that every time a messenger came to you, [O Children of Israel], with what your souls did not desire, you were arrogant? [2:87]

5.

عَمِلَ:

Meaning: “to do, to work”

Some variations of the word:

عَمِلَ      he did

مَّنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلِنَفْسِهِ      Whoever does righteousness – it is for his [own] soul; [41:46]

عَمل      deed

ۚ إِلَيْهِ يَصْعَدُ الْكَلِمُ الطَّيِّبُ وَالْعَمَلُ الصَّالِحُ يَرْفَعُهُ         To Him ascends good speech, and righteous work raises it. [35:10]

6.

آتى:

يَئْتى

الَّذِي يُؤْتِي مَالَهُ يَتَزَكَّىٰ [He] who gives [from] his wealth to purify himself [92:18]

آتَيْنا

وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَابَ      And We gave Moses the Scripture [28:43]

7.

عَلِم:

عِلْم       knowledge

كَلَّا لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ عِلْمَ الْيَقِينِ    No! If you only knew with knowledge of certainty… [102:5]

يَعلَمُ       he knows

أَفَلَا يَعْلَمُ إِذَا بُعْثِرَ مَا فِي الْقُبُورِ          But does he not know that when the contents of the graves are scattered [100:9]

8.

شاءَ:

Meaning: to will

شَاء       he willed

إِلَّا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ     Except what Allah should will.  [87:7]

يَشاء      he wills

ۗ وَاللَّهُ يَرْزُقُ مَن يَشَاءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ             Allah gives provision to whom He wills without account.    [2:212]

9.

كَذَّبَ:

كَذَّبَ      he lied

الَّذِي كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ  Who had denied and turned away.     [92:16]

يُكَذِّبُ     he lies

فَمَا يُكَذِّبُكَ بَعْدُ بِالدِّينِ           So what yet causes you to deny the Recompense? [95:7]

10.

خَلَقَ:

خَلَقَ      he created

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اعْبُدُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ

O mankind, worship your Lord, who created you and those before you, that you may become righteous.  [2:21]

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Learn More Words

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Tabassum Mosleh