Quran lexicon

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Three different tools under one name

The word "lexicon" covers three objects that do not do the same job. A dictionary of meanings explains the word, its origin and its uses. A treatise of gharib al-Quran keeps only the rare terms, in the order of the suras. An index starts from the word to find the verse. Knowing which one you want avoids buying the wrong volume, and it is the first thing to settle on this shelf.

The reference works

Al-Mufradat fi gharib al-Quran by Ar-Raghib al-Isfahani: the standard dictionary, arranged by root, with the treatment of shades of meaning. The one to have if you take only one.
The gharib al-Quran treatises, shorter, following the order of the suras and glossing only the difficult words. Handy in continuous reading.
Al-Mu'jam al-mufahras li-alfaz al-Quran al-karim by Muhammad Fuad Abdelbaqi: the classic index, for finding a verse from a single word.
The word-by-word lexicons, giving the meaning under each term in the order of the text. Useful at the start, to be left behind later.
The general classical Arabic dictionaries, when the Quranic lexicon is no longer enough.

Arranged by root or by order of the suras

This is the distinction that changes everything in use. Arrangement by root, as in Al-Mufradat, assumes you can extract the root of an inflected word: it is the more powerful, but it needs a basis in morphology. Arrangement by order of the suras asks nothing and follows the reading. Each product page states which of the two applies.

What to check

The arrangement, then. The editor on Al-Mufradat, where editions differ appreciably. The volume count. And the binding together with the type size, because a work consulted standing, opened twenty times a day, is judged on that too. These points are stated on each page.

Related shelves

To extract a root, Arabic. For the meaning of the whole verse rather than the word, Concise tafsir and Complete and encyclopaedic tafsir. For the theoretical frame, Foundations of tafsir and Quranic sciences. Overview: Quranic sciences.

Order and shipping

Real stock displayed, dispatch within 24 to 48 working hours, delivery to France, Europe and the rest of the world. Tell us whether you want to explain a word or find a verse: they are not the same books.

What is the difference between Al-Mufradat and an index?

Al-Mufradat by Ar-Raghib explains the word, its origin and its shades of meaning: you go there when a term is unclear. Al-Mu'jam al-mufahras does the opposite, starting from the word to give the list of verses where it occurs: you go there to find a verse. The two do not replace each other.

Do I need to be able to extract a root to use Al-Mufradat?

Yes, that is the prerequisite of arrangement by root: you must be able to reduce an inflected word to its three original letters. If you are not there yet, take a gharib al-Quran treatise following the order of the suras, or work on morphology in parallel in the Arabic section.

Are word-by-word lexicons recommended?

They help at the start, because they give the meaning under each term without asking anything. But they install a reading by isolated words, which plateaus quickly: an Arabic sentence is understood through its relations, not by adding up its words. It is material to leave behind after a year or two.

Does Al-Mufradat exist in several editions?

Yes, and they differ appreciably by editor and volume count. We state both on the product page, along with the type size, which matters on a work consulted standing and opened several times a day. If in doubt, write to us before ordering.