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To Settle (someone) in a place

Arabic words used for this meaning in Quran

أسكن - بوَّأ - عمر - آوى

Synonyms in English

to establish someone in a place, to lodge someone, to inhabit someone, to settle someone else in a place

We saw words used in Quran with the meaning to settle. In this section we will see the transitive form of these words used in Quran. Transitive form of these words have the meaning of settling someone else in a place.

أسكن

Root letters

س - ك - ن

Meaning

This word has the meaning of taking someone from one place and setttle them in a different place3.

Examples from Quran

Surah Ibraheem - 37

رَّبَّنَا إِنِّي أَسْكَنتُ مِن ذُرِّيَّتِي بِوَادٍ غَيْرِ ذِي زَرْعٍ عِندَ بَيْتِكَ الْمُحَرَّمِ رَبَّنَا لِيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ فَاجْعَلْ أَفْئِدَةً مِّنَ النَّاسِ تَهْوِي إِلَيْهِمْ وَارْزُقْهُم مِّنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْكُرُونَ
(1)

  1. O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in an uncultivable valley by Your Sacred House (the Ka‘bah at Makkah) in order, O our Lord, that they may perform As-Salât (Iqâmat-as-Salât). So fill some hearts among men with love towards them, and (O Allâh) provide them with fruits so that they may give thanks.

بوّأ

Root letters

ب - و - ء

Meaning

This word has the meaning of settling someone in a place which they like and which suits them3.

Surah Yunus - 93

وَلَقَدْ بَوَّأْنَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ مُبَوَّأَ صِدْقٍ وَرَزَقْنَاهُم مِّنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ فَمَا اخْتَلَفُوا حَتَّىٰ جَاءَهُمُ الْعِلْمُ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَقْضِي بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فِيمَا كَانُوا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ
(1)

  1. And indeed We settled the Children of Israel in an honourable dwelling place (Shâm and Misr), and provided them with good things, and they differed not until the knowledge came to them. Verily, Allâh will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection in that in which they used to differ.

عمر

Root letters

ع - م - ر

Meaning

It means to make something full of life, to make it thrive, to make someone or some place prosperous3.

According to ibn Faaris it also has the meaning of preservation, longevity and persistence1.

Sometimes we can capture the meaning of a word better if we look at its opposite. The opposite of عمر (as an intransitive verb) is to destroy, to ruin, to wreck, to vandalize3. So عمر means to make something thrive and prosper, and the opposite of it is to destroy something.

We find both these words in a single hadeeth. While describing the signs of near Qiyamah, Rasulullah (ﷺ) said:

مساجدها عامرة وهي خراب من الهدى

The meaning of this hadeeth is that the masjids will be full of people, but they will be devoid of guidance.

Examples from Quran

Suraa At-Tawbah - 18

إِنَّمَا يَعْمُرُ مَسَاجِدَ اللَّهِ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَأَقَامَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَى الزَّكَاةَ وَلَمْ يَخْشَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ ۖ فَعَسَىٰ أُولَٰئِكَ أَن يَكُونُوا مِنَ الْمُهْتَدِينَ
(1)

  1. The Mosques of Allâh shall be maintained only by those who believe in Allâh and the Last Day, perform As-Salât (Iqâmat-as-Salât), and give Zakât and fear none but Allâh. It is they who are on true guidance.

Surah Ar-Rum - 9

أَوَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَيَنظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ كَانُوا أَشَدَّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً وَأَثَارُوا الْأَرْضَ وَعَمَرُوهَا أَكْثَرَ مِمَّا عَمَرُوهَا وَجَاءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ ۖ فَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيَظْلِمَهُمْ وَلَٰكِن كَانُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ
(1)

  1. Do they not travel in the land, and see what was the end of those before them? They were superior to them in strength, and they tilled the earth and populated it in greater numbers than these (pagans) have done: and there came to them their Messengers with clear proofs. Surely, Allâh wronged them not, but they used to wrong themselves.

آوى

Root letters

ء - و - ي

Meaning

This word also has the meaning of establishing or settling someone in a place. But it has the added meaning of providing lodgings for someone in your own house, or to receive someone as a guest, or to provide shelter and protection.

Surah Al-Anfal - 74

وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَهَاجَرُوا وَجَاهَدُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَالَّذِينَ آوَوا وَّنَصَرُوا أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ حَقًّا ۚ لَّهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌ وَرِزْقٌ كَرِيمٌ
(1)

  1. And those who believed, and emigrated and strove hard in the Cause of Allâh (Al-Jihâd), as well as those who gave (them) asylum and aid - these are the believers in truth, for them is forgiveness and Rizqun Karîm (a generous provision i.e. Paradise).

In Arabic, root letters play a very important role. Words made from same root letters have related meanings and knowing the meanings of the root letters can enhance our understanding.

The root letters of this word has the meaning of taking refuge, seeking shelter, a place of protection2.

The base form (the verb made up of just the root letters) of this word is (أوى) and it is used in Quran for the People of the Cave when they took refuge in the cave from the polytheists.

Surah Al-Kahf - 10

إِذْ أَوَى الْفِتْيَةُ إِلَى الْكَهْفِ فَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا آتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدًا
(1)

  1. (Remember) when the young men fled for refuge (from their disbelieving folk) to the Cave. They said: "Our Lord! Bestow on us mercy from Yourself, and facilitate for us our affair in the right way!"

Summary

  • أسكن - to setttle someone in a different place
  • بوّأ - to settle someone in a suitable and favourable place
  • عمر - to inhabit, to make some place thrive and prosper
  • آوى - to provide lodgings, shelter, or refuge to someone


  1. مقائيس اللغة ↩

  2. مفردات إمام راغب ↩

  3. مترادفات القرآن ↩↩↩↩