يَظُنُّونَ

Appears 5 times in Quran

Word Details

يَظُنُّونَ

Meanings

conjecture
know
thinking wrongly

📖 Lane's Lexicon (Root: ظنن)

[1] ظَنَّ , aor. ظَنُ3َ , inf. n. ظَنٌّ, (Msb,) [He thought, opined, supposed, or conjectured: and he doubted: and he knew, but not by ocular perception: see ظَنٌّ below:] you say, ظَنَنْتُ الشَّىْءَ, aor. أَظُنُّهُ, inf. n. ظَنٌّ; and ↓ اِظَّنَنْتُهُ and اِظْطَنَنْتُهُ; and ↓ تَظَنَّنْتُهُ and تَظَنَّيْتُهُ, this last formed by changing the last ن into ى: [i. e. I thought the thing, &c:] and Lh mentions, as heard from the Benoo-Suleym, ظَنْتُ ذَاكَ i. e. ظَنَنْتُ ذاك [I thought that, &c.] like ظَلْتُ and other instances of the dial. of Suleym. (M.) [In the first of the senses expl. above, it governs two objective complements, which are originally an inchoative and an enunciative:] you say, ظَنَنْتُكَ زَيْدًا [I thought thee Zeyd, originally I thought thou wast Zeyd], and ظَنَنْتُ زَيْدًا إِيَّاكَ [I thought Zeyd thee, originally I thought Zeyd was thou], denoting by a pronoun what is originally an inchoative [in the former phrase] and what is originally an enunciative [in the latter phrase]. (S, TA.) It is also used [in this sense] in the same manner as a verb signifying an oath, the Arabs giving it the same kind of complement, saying, ظَنَنْتُ لَعَبْدُ ٱللّٰهِ خَيْرٌ مِنْكَ [I thought surely 'Abd-Allah was better than thou]. (S in art. درد.) [ظَنَّ بِهِ كَذَا means I thought of him, or it, such a thing: and I thought such a thing to be in him, or it: and is used in relation to good and to evil.] It is said in the Kur [xxxiii. 10], وَتَطُنُّونَ بِٱللّٰهِ ٱلظُّنُونَا [And ye were thinking, of God, various thoughts]. (M.) Accord. to Sb, ظَنَنْتُ بِهِ means I made him, or it, the place [i. e. object] of my ظَنّ [or thought, &c.]. (M.) [In all these exs. the verb denotes a state of mind between doubt and certainty, but the latter is predominant: and hence ظَنَّ sometimes means He doubted: and sometimes, he knew, by considering with endeavour to understand, not by ocular perception; being more frequently used in this sense than as meaning “ he doubted, ” though not so frequently as it is in the sense of “ he thought, ” whence the meaning “ he knew ” is held by some to be tropical.] إِنَّى, ظَنَنْتُ أَنِّى مُلَاقٍ حِسَابِيَهْ, in the Kur [lxix. 20], means Verily I knew [that I should meet with my reckoning]. (T.) And ٱلَّذِينَ يَظُنُّونَ أَنَّهُمْ مُلَاقُو رَبِّهِمْ, in the same [ii. 43], means Who know [that they shall meet their Lord, lit., be meeters of their Lord]. (Msb.) And ظَنَنْتُ مَا قَالَ, occurring in a trad., means I knew [what he meant to say by his making a sign with his hand]. (TA.) ― 2-b2- ظَنَنْتُهُ, (M, Mgh, Msb,) aor. as above, (Msb,) and so the inf. n., (M,) signifies also I suspected him; thought evil of him; (M, Mgh, Msb;) and (M) so ↓ اِظَّنَنْتُهُ (S, M, Mgh, K) and اِظْطَنَنْتُهُ (M, TA) and اِطَّنَنْتُهُ. (TA.) [Thus, too, ↓ أَظْنَنْتُهُ accord. to several copies of the S and accord. to the CK; but this is app. a mistranscription.] In the saying of Ibn-Seereen, لَمْ يَكُنْ عَلِىٌّ يُظَّنُّ ↓ فِى قَتْلِ عُثْمَانَ, (T, S, K, but in the T مَا كَان,) meaning Alee was not suspected [in the case of the slaying of 'Othmán], (T,) يُظَّنُّ is of the measure يُفْتَعَلُ, originally يُظْتَنُّ: (T, S, K:) so says A'Obeyd: (T:) or, as some relate it, the word is يُطَّنُّ. (TA.) One says, هُوَ يُظَّنُّ ↓ بِكَذَا and يُطَّنُّ, meaning He is suspected of such a thing. (TA in art. طن.) And طَنَنْتُ بِزَيْدٍ and ظَنَنْتُ زَيْدًا I suspected Zeyd: in this sense the verb has a single objective complement. (TA.)

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uthmani

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العربیّا عثمانی (Arabic Uthmani)

English - Hazrat Molavi Sher Ali ^ra

Occurrences in Quran

Found 5 verses containing "يَظُنُّونَ".

2:47

ٱلَّذِينَ يَظُنُّونَ أَنَّهُم مُّلَٰقُوا۟ رَبِّهِمْ وَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَيْهِ رَٰجِعُونَ

English - Hazrat Molavi Sher Ali ^ra

Who know for certain that they will meet their Lord, and that to Him will they return.

2:79

وَمِنْهُمْ أُمِّيُّونَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ إِلَّآ أَمَانِىَّ وَإِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَظُنُّونَ

English - Hazrat Molavi Sher Ali ^ra

And some of them are illiterate; they know not the Book but their own false notions, and they do nothing but conjecture.

45:25

وَقَالُوا۟ مَا هِىَ إِلَّا حَيَاتُنَا ٱلدُّنْيَا نَمُوتُ وَنَحْيَا وَمَا يُهْلِكُنَآ إِلَّا ٱلدَّهْرُ ۚ وَمَا لَهُم بِذَٰلِكَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ ۖ إِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَظُنُّونَ

English - Hazrat Molavi Sher Ali ^ra

And they say, ‘There is nothing but this our present life; we die and we live here; and nothing but Time destroys us.’ But they have no knowledge of that; they do but conjecture.

2:250

فَلَمَّا فَصَلَ طَالُوتُ بِٱلْجُنُودِ قَالَ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مُبْتَلِيكُم بِنَهَرٍ فَمَن شَرِبَ مِنْهُ فَلَيْسَ مِنِّى وَمَن لَّمْ يَطْعَمْهُ فَإِنَّهُۥ مِنِّىٓ إِلَّا مَنِ ٱغْتَرَفَ غُرْفَةًۢ بِيَدِهِۦ ۚ فَشَرِبُوا۟ مِنْهُ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِّنْهُمْ ۚ فَلَمَّا جَاوَزَهُۥ هُوَ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَعَهُۥ قَالُوا۟ لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا ٱلْيَوْمَ بِجَالُوتَ وَجُنُودِهِۦ ۚ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَظُنُّونَ أَنَّهُم مُّلَٰقُوا۟ ٱللَّهِ كَم مِّن فِئَةٍ قَلِيلَةٍ غَلَبَتْ فِئَةً كَثِيرَةًۢ بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ مَعَ ٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ

English - Hazrat Molavi Sher Ali ^ra

And when Talut set out with the forces, he said: ‘Surely, Allah will try you with a river. So he who drinks therefrom is not of me; and he who tastes it not is assuredly of me, except him who takes a handful of water with his hand.’ But they drank of it, except a few of them. And when they crossed it — he and those who believed along with him — they said: ‘We have no power today against Jalut and his forces.’ But those who knew for certain that they would one day meet Allah said: ‘How many a small party has triumphed over a large party by Allah’s command! And Allah is with the steadfast.’

اردو تفسیرِ صغیر

پھر جب طالوت اپنی فوجوں کو لے کر نکلا[1] تو اس نے کہا کہ اللہ ایک ندی[2] کے ذریعہ سے یقیناً تمہارا امتحان لینے والا ہے۔ پس جس نے اس (نہر) میں سے (پیٹ بھر کر پانی) پی لیا وہ مجھ سے (وابستہ) نہیں (رہے گا) اور جس نے اس سے نہ چکھا وہ یقیناً مجھ سے (وابستہ) ہوگا سوائے اس کے جس نے اس میں سے (فقط) اپنے ہاتھوں سے ایک چلو لے (کر پی) لیا (کہ اس پر کوئی الزام نہ ہوگا) پھر (ہوا یہ کہ) ان میں سے چند ایک کے سوا (باقی سب نے) اس میں سے (پانی) پی لیا۔ پھر جب وہ خود اور (نیز) وہ لوگ جو اس کے ساتھ ایمان لائے تھے اس ندی سے پار اتر گئے (تو) انہوں نے کہا کہ آج ہم میں جالوت اور اس کے لشکروں کے مقابلہ کی بالکل طاقت نہیں (مگر) جو لوگ یقین رکھتے تھے کہ وہ (ایک دن) اللہ سے ملنے والے ہیں انہوں نے کہا کہ بہت سی چھوٹی جماعتیں اللہ کے حکم سے بڑی جماعتوں پر غالب آچکی ہیں اور اللہ صبر کرنے والوں کے ساتھ (ہوتا) ہے (پس ڈرنے کی کوئی وجہ نہیں) ۔

English - Short Commentary Translation

And when Talut set out with the forces, he said: ‘Surely, Allah will try you with a river. So he who drinks therefrom is not of me; and he who tastes it not is assuredly of me, save him who takes only a handful[310] of water with his hand.’ But they drank of it, except a few of them. And when they crossed it—he and those who believed along with him—they said, ‘We have no power today against Jalut[310A]and his forces.’ But those, who knew for certain that they would one day meet Allah said, [a]‘How many a small party has triumphed over a large party by Allah’s command! And Allah is with the steadfast.’

English - Five Volume Translation

And when Talut set out with the forces, he said: ‘Surely, Allah will try you with a river. So he who drinks therefrom is not of me; and he who tastes it not is assuredly of me, except him who takes a handful of water with his hand.’ But they drank of it, except a few of them. And when they crossed it—he and those who believed along with him—they said: ‘We have no power today against Jalut and his forces.’ But those who knew for certain that they would one day meet Allah said: [a]‘How many a small party has triumphed over a large party by Allah’s command! And Allah is with the steadfast.’[256]

3:124; 8:66.

Important Words:

نـھر (river). The verb نـھر means, it flowed with force. They say نـھر الدام i.e. the blood poured forth with force. نـھر الماء means, the water poured forth in the land and cut out a channel for itself. النـھر (an-nahr) means, a body of flowing water, i.e. stream or river; channel through which such water flows. النھر (an-nahr) means, (1) plenty and abundance; (2) a river channel; (3) a river (Aqrab).

الجنود (forces) is the plural of الجـند. They say جند الجنود i.e. he collected or gathered together his forces. الجند means, a force or an army ; helpers (Aqrab).

جالوت (Jalut) is derived from جال i.e. he ran about without stopping. They say جال الفرس فی المیدان i.e. the horse galloped about in the field, sometimes going this way and sometimes that way. جال القوم جولة means, the people drew back and then made a joint onslaught. جال بعضھم علی بعض means, they assailed or assaulted one another in battle, etc. (Aqrab & Taj). Thus جالوت is an attributive name meaning, a person or a people who is unruly and moves about attacking and assaulting others. In the Bible the parallel name is Goliath (1 Sam. 17:4) which means, "running, ravaging and destroying spirits" or "a leader or a giant" (Enc. Bib. and Jew. Enc.). The Bible uses the name about one individual but really the word signifies a party of ruthless freebooters, though it may also be applied to certain individuals symbolizing the characteristics of the party. The Quran appears to have used it in both these senses in the verses under comment.

Commentary:

Self-control and discipline are the key to most successes, and possession of these qualities is necessary to successfully meet God’s trials. The present verse speaks of one such trial. The exception of a handful of water was made with a twofold purpose: (1) to afford the marching force an essential physical relief by permitting them to moisten their parched throats, but at the same time to prevent them from drinking freely, which would have damped their spirits and made them negligent of the enemy; and (2) to make the trial all the more tantalizing, for in many cases it is easier to withhold from a thing altogether than to use it in a strictly limited measure. The Bible mentions the incident in Judg. 7:5-6.

The concluding clause, i.e. how many a small party has triumphed over a large party by Allah’s command, contains a mighty lesson of hope for the righteous. When God wills a thing, numbers do not matter. The truth of this statement has been borne out by history in all ages.

The Jalut spoken of in this verse does not signify a person but a people, while the word جنود (forces) points to the helpers and associates of these people. The Bible refers to Jalut under the name of Midianites who pillaged and harassed the Israelites and destroyed their land for several years (Judg. 6:1-6). The Amalekites and all the eastern tribes assisted the Midianites in their raids (Judg. 6:1) and formed "the forces" referred to in the verse.

English - Five Volume Commentary ^*

Cross Refs:

3:124; 8:66.

256

Important Words:

الجنود (forces) is the plural of الجـند. They say جند الجنود i.e. he collected or gathered together his forces. الجند means, a force or an army ; helpers (Aqrab).

Commentary:

3:155

ثُمَّ أَنزَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ ٱلْغَمِّ أَمَنَةً نُّعَاسًا يَغْشَىٰ طَآئِفَةً مِّنكُمْ ۖ وَطَآئِفَةٌ قَدْ أَهَمَّتْهُمْ أَنفُسُهُمْ يَظُنُّونَ بِٱللَّهِ غَيْرَ ٱلْحَقِّ ظَنَّ ٱلْجَٰهِلِيَّةِ ۖ يَقُولُونَ هَل لَّنَا مِنَ ٱلْأَمْرِ مِن شَىْءٍ ۗ قُلْ إِنَّ ٱلْأَمْرَ كُلَّهُۥ لِلَّهِ ۗ يُخْفُونَ فِىٓ أَنفُسِهِم مَّا لَا يُبْدُونَ لَكَ ۖ يَقُولُونَ لَوْ كَانَ لَنَا مِنَ ٱلْأَمْرِ شَىْءٌ مَّا قُتِلْنَا هَٰهُنَا ۗ قُل لَّوْ كُنتُمْ فِى بُيُوتِكُمْ لَبَرَزَ ٱلَّذِينَ كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْقَتْلُ إِلَىٰ مَضَاجِعِهِمْ ۖ وَلِيَبْتَلِىَ ٱللَّهُ مَا فِى صُدُورِكُمْ وَلِيُمَحِّصَ مَا فِى قُلُوبِكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌۢ بِذَاتِ ٱلصُّدُورِ

English - Hazrat Molavi Sher Ali ^ra

Then, after the sorrow, He sent down peace on you — a slumber that overcame a party of you — while the other party was anxious concerning their own selves, thinking wrongly of Allah like unto the thought of ignorance. They said, ‘Is there for us any part in the government of affairs?’ Say, ‘All government belongs to Allah.’ They hide in their minds what they disclose not to thee. They say, ‘If we had any part in the government of affairs, we should not have been killed here.’ Say, ‘If you had remained in your homes, surely those on whom fighting had been enjoined would have gone forth to their deathbeds,’ that Allah might bring about His decree and that Allah might test what was in your breasts and that He might purge what was in your hearts. And Allah knows well what is in the minds;

English - Short Commentary Translation

Then after the sorrow, [b]He sent down peace on you—a slumber[506] that overcame a party of you— while the other party[506A] was anxious concerning their ownselves. They entertained about Allah wrong thoughts like unto the thoughts of ignorance. They said, ‘Have we any part in the affair?’ Say, verily, the affair wholly belongs to Allah.’ They hide in their minds what they disclose not to thee. They say, [a]‘If we had any part in the determination of affairs, we should not have been killed here.’ Say, ‘If you had remained in your homes, surely those on whom fighting[506B] had been enjoined would have gone forth to their death-beds[506C] that Allah might fulfil His decree and that He might test what was in your breasts and that He might purge what was in your hearts. And Allah knows well what is in the breasts;

English - Five Volume Translation

Then, after the sorrow, [a]He sent down peace on you—a slumber that overcame a party of you, while the other party was anxious concerning their own selves, thinking wrongly of Allah like unto the thought of ignorance. They said, ‘Is there for us any part in the government of affairs?’ Say, ‘All government belongs to Allah.’ They hide in their minds what they disclose not to thee. They say, [b]‘If we had any part in the government of affairs, we should not have been killed here.’ Say, ‘If you had remained in your homes, surely those on whom fighting had been enjoined would have gone forth to their deathbeds,’ that Allah might bring about His decree and that Allah might test what was in your breasts and that He might purge what was in your hearts. And Allah knows well what is in the minds;[437]

8:12.

3:169.

Important Words:

امر (government) means: (1) order or command; (2) matter or affair; (3) state or condition; (4) authority, government or management. اولوا الامر means, those who hold command or exercise authority (Aqrab).

قتل (fighting) being noun-infinitive means both to kill and to be killed. Another reading of the word قتل here is قتال(Muhit iii. 90 & Kashshaf) which shows that the word قتل (qatl) has been used here in the sense of fighting and not killing. The word has been used elsewhere also in the Quran in the sense of fighting (see 2:192). See also Jarir under 3:155.

Commentary:

The words, a slumber that overcame a party of you, refer to an incident connected with the Battle of Uhud. AbuTalhah says, "I lifted my head on the day of Uhud and began to look about, and there was none among us on that day but was bending down his head with slumber." This incident has been narrated by Tirmidhi, Nasa’i and others (see Kathir, ii. 303). As sleep or slumber is a symbol of a peaceful condition, being a sign of hearts that are calm and at rest, the Quran refers to this incident as a sort of favour. The incident evidently occurred when the battle was practically over and the Muslims had returned to the neighbouring height.

The reference in the words, the other party, is to the hypocrites who were at Medina and who had not taken part in the battle. When they heard of the reverse which overtook the Muslims and of the reported death of the Holy Prophet, they, in spite of rejoicing at the misfortune that had befallen the Muslims, became anxious about their own lives and feared what would happen to them in case the Meccans should attack Medina. The words cannot apply to the party of Muslims that took part in the battle, of whom the Quran says, He has surely pardoned you and Allah is gracious to the believers (3:153 above).

The words, Is there for us any part in the government of affairs? uttered by the hypocrites mean, "nobody listens to our opinion in matters of administration; we had advised the Muslims not to go out of Medina to fight, but our advice was ignored, with the result that they were defeated." The sentence might also mean, "now, (i.e. after this reverse) real government and power have gone into the hands of the idolaters and nothing has been left for us."

The words, All government belongs to Allah, signify that the decision in all matters rests with God; or that whatever might happen in the intervening period, God has ordained that eventually power and government shall be vouchsafed to Muslims, who will have dominion in the land.

The words, we should not have been killed here, mean, "If we had any voice in the management of affairs and if our advice had been accepted, our brethren would not have been killed in the battle," it being insinuated that while they were wise, the Muslims were simply foolish. The words may also be understood to mean, "if we were to have any government (as the Prophet had promised), we should not have been defeated in the battle." By saying so, the hypocrites hinted that the prophecies of the Holy Prophet regarding the triumph of Islam had turned out to be false.

It may be noted here that by saying, we should not have been killed here, the hypocrites did not evidently mean that they themselves would not have been killed. What they meant was that their brethren or comrades who were killed would not have been killed. This shows that by the slaying of one’s self is sometimes meant the slaying of one’s brethren or companions. This explains the words اقتلوا انفسکم in 2:55, and تقتلون انفسکم in 2:86. See also note on 2:55.

The Divine Words, If you had remained in your homes, refer to the hypocrites; and by the words, those on whom fighting had been enjoined, are meant the true believers. The injunction referred to is contained in 2:191.

In the clause, would have gone forth to their deathbeds, the word مضاجع (deathbeds) has been used in order to point to the abject cowardice of the hypocrites on the one hand, and the steadfast devotion of the true believers on the other. It reminds the hypocrites that whereas they returned to Medina, thinking that fighting in the existing circumstances was sure death, such was the faith of the true believers that even if the hypocrites had kept back from the very beginning they would have cheerfully gone forth to the battlefield, or the place of death, as it was commonly thought to be. All this happened that God might purify and ennoble the Faithful.

English - Five Volume Commentary ^*

Cross Refs:

8:12.

3:169.

437

Important Words:

Commentary:

English - Short Commentary Notes ^*

Cross Refs:

3:169.

8:12.

506

The reference in the verse is again to the Battle of Uhud. Abu Talhah says, "I lifted my head on the day of Uhud and began to look about, and saw that there was none among us on that day whose head had not bent down on account of slumber" (Kathir ii. 303). As sleep or slumber is a sign of mental peace and tranquillity, the Qur’an refers to the incident as a Divine favour. The incident evidently occurred when the battle was practically over and the Muslims had returned to the neighbouring hill.

506A

The reference is to the Hypocrites who had remained behind at Medina. They were more concerned about their own security than about the honour of Islam and the security of the Holy Prophet and the Muslims. The words, we should not have been killed here, occurring a few lines further, mean, "If we had any voice in the determination of affairs and if our advice had been accepted, we, i.e. our brethren, would not have been killed in the battle," the insinuation being that the Muslims were foolish enough to march to the battlefield against heavy odds, while they (the Hypocrites) had wisely refrained from going with them. According to Quranic idiom the slaying of one’s self sometimes signifies the slaying of one’s brethren or companions (2:55, 2:86).

506B

Qatl has been used here in the sense of, Qital, i.e. fighting (Muhit & Kashshaf). See 2:192 and Jarir under 3:155.

506C

The word "death-beds" has been used in order to point to the abject cowardice of the Hypocrites on the one hand, and the steadfast devotion of the believers on the other. It reminds the Hypocrites that while they had deserted and returned to Medina, thinking that fighting in the circumstances was sure death, such was the firm faith of the believers that even if they (the Hypocrites) had kept back from the very beginning they (the believers) would have cheerfully gone forth to the battlefield—or the place of death, as it was thought to be. All this happened that God might purify the Faithful.

يَظُنُّونَ