The triliteral root ʿayn fā fā (ع ف ف) occurs four times in the Quran, in two derived forms:
- three times as the form X verb yastaʿfif (يَسْتَعْفِفْ)
- once as the form V verbal noun taʿaffuf (تَّعَفُّف)
The translations below are brief glosses intended as a guide to meaning. An Arabic word may have a range of meanings depending on context. Click on a word for more linguistic information, or to suggestion a correction.
Verb (form X) - to refrain, to be chaste
(4:6:23) falyastaʿfif | then he should refrain | وَمَنْ كَانَ غَنِيًّا فَلْيَسْتَعْفِفْ |
(24:33:1) walyastaʿfifi | And let be chaste | وَلْيَسْتَعْفِفِ الَّذِينَ لَا يَجِدُونَ نِكَاحًا حَتَّىٰ يُغْنِيَهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ |
(24:60:18) yastaʿfif'na | they modestly refrain | وَأَنْ يَسْتَعْفِفْنَ خَيْرٌ لَهُنَّ وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ |
Verbal noun (form V)
(2:273:16) l-taʿafufi | (their) restraint | يَحْسَبُهُمُ الْجَاهِلُ أَغْنِيَاءَ مِنَ التَّعَفُّفِ تَعْرِفُهُمْ بِسِيمَاهُمْ |
See Also
- Lane's Lexicon - Classical Arabic dictionary