Near-synonyms: the human being and the family

The human being

إِنْس / إنْسان / ناس

The etymology of the word إنس is the subject of divergence, for its root carries two senses.

The first is that of « sociability and familiarity », as in the verb أَنِسَ. In this sense, it means « the sociable being ». This is the prevailing sense of the root.

The second is that of « to perceive », as expressed by the verb آنَسَ in the following verse:

إِنِّي آنَسْتُ نَارًا لَعَلِّي آتِيكُمْ مِنْهَا بِقَبَسٍ أَوْ أَجِدُ عَلَى النَّارِ هُدًى
« I have perceived a fire; perhaps I will bring you a brand from it, or find at the fire some guidance. » (20:10)

In Arabic, the pupil [of the eye] is moreover called « إِنْسان العَيْن ». In this sense, the word إِنْس means the visible being. This sets it in opposition to the word جِنّ (jinn), whose root means « to conceal », and which therefore means « the invisible being ».

Perhaps this sense is a subtle derivation of the first, for the root does not initially carry it. It seems rather to be about observing something until it becomes familiar and recognizable, as the following verse indicates.

فَإِنْ آنَسْتُمْ مِنْهُمْ رُشْدًا فَادْفَعُوا إِلَيْهِمْ أَمْوَالَهُمْ
« If you perceive in them sound judgement, hand over their property to them. » (4:6)

As for the word ناس, the grammarians say it is one of the plurals of إنسان. It may be a simplified version of the plural أُناس, since phonetic simplifications are not rare in Arabic, especially for words in common use. Note that the word إنسان is used both as a singular and as a collective, like the word « Man ».

بَشَر

This term is built on the same root as بَشْرة (the skin). It thus refers to the being whose skin is apparent, in contrast to animals whose skin is most often covered.

By extension, it seems, this root also evokes good news « بُشْرى », for rejoicing relaxes the features of the face and gives the skin a glow.

وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنِّي خَالِقٌ بَشَرًا مِنْ صَلْصَالٍ مِنْ حَمَإٍ مَسْنُونٍ
And [recall] when your Lord said to the angels: « I am going to create a being of flesh from clay, from moulded mud. » (15:28)

أَنام

In the Arabic dictionaries, the explanations relating to this term are very uncertain. It could refer to humans, to humans and jinn, to creatures living on earth, or to all beings endowed with a « breath of life » (روح). This last sense, the sound of the term, and the fact that it has no derivation, lead some researchers to say that it is in fact originally the Latin word anima (« breath, air »), which gave the words « soul » and « animal ».

وَالأَرْضَ وَضَعَهَا لِلأَنَامِ
And the earth He has laid out for [all] creatures. (55:10)

The family

آل

The root of this word evokes returning, like the verb آلَ / يَؤُولُ (to return). It is also from this root that the term أَوّل (first) derives. It can be understood etymologically as « the family whose roots go back to… », that is, the descendants.

Some say that this word and the word أهل have one and the same origin, and that the first is a phonetic simplification of the second. If this thesis — which is not without relevance — is true, it excludes the sense of « return » we have just mentioned, for that is not included in the second term.

فَقَدْ آتَيْنَا آلَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ
Indeed, We gave the descendants of Abraham the Book and Wisdom. (4:54)

أهل

This term takes on three senses in the Qur’an: first, it means the close family; next, it takes on the sense of « people », as in the expression أهل الكتاب (« People of the Book »); finally, it means « the one worthy of ». Observe:

فَقَالَتْ هَلْ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى أَهْلِ بَيْتٍ يَكْفُلُونَهُ لَكُمْ
[His sister] said: « Shall I direct you to a household that will take charge of him for you? » (28:12)

رَحْمَتُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ عَلَيْكُمْ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ
May the mercy of God and His blessings be upon you, O people of the house! (11:73)

فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
So ask the People of the Reminder if you do not know. (16:43)

وَمَا يَذْكُرُونَ إِلَّا أَنْ يَشَاءَ اللَّهُ هُوَ أَهْلُ التَّقْوَى وَأَهْلُ الْمَغْفِرَةِ
And they will not remember unless God wills. He is the One worthy of being heeded and worthy of granting forgiveness. (74:56)

عائِلة

This term is not found in the Qur’an, but other forms of its root are found there, meaning « to have charge of too large a family », and by extension « to be destitute ». It thus refers etymologically to the family one supports.

وَوَجَدَكَ عَائِلًا فَأَغْنَى
Did He not find you in need and then enrich you? (93:8)

أُسْرة

Because this word also means a solid coat of mail, some scholars see in it the family nucleus that protects its members. But its root also evokes bonds, and the word أُسْرة is also used to refer to people linked by common interests. It can therefore be understood in its common sense as « persons having family ties ».

وَيُطْعِمُونَ الطَّعَامَ عَلَى حُبِّهِ مِسْكِينًا وَيَتِيمًا وَأَسِيرًا
And they give food, despite their love for it, to the needy, the orphan and the captive. (76:8)

أب

The root ء ب و means to raise and to nourish. This word would therefore mean etymologically the « nurturing » father.

It is used by extension to express belonging, both literally and figuratively, as in the by-name أبو لَهَب, literally « the man with the flame ».

مَا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِنْ رِجَالِكُمْ وَلَكِنْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ
Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of God and the seal of the prophets. (33:40)

والِد

The root of this word properly means « to beget ». This word, which is an active participle, therefore means the begetter.

لَا أُقْسِمُ بِهَذَا الْبَلَدِ وَأَنْتَ حِلٌّ بِهَذَا الْبَلَدِ وَوَالِدٍ وَمَا وَلَدَ
Nay! I swear by this City — and you are a dweller in this city — and by a parent and what he begets! (90:1-3)

أُمّ

The root ء م م means to be in front. The mother is thus understood as the one who comes before: the source, the origin. The word أُمّة, derived from it and generally translated as « community », literally means the « matria ».

Like the word أب, it is used by extension to express belonging.

وَوَصَّيْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُ وَهْنًا عَلَى وَهْنٍ
And We have enjoined upon man [goodness] towards his parents; his mother carried him [enduring for him] hardship upon hardship. (31:14)

وَلَد

This word, built on the same root as والِد, properly means the child. And as in French, it can refer to a boy or a girl and is used only to speak of young persons.

إِنَّمَا اللَّهُ إِلَٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ سُبْحَانَهُ أَنْ يَكُونَ لَهُ وَلَدٌ
God is but one God. Exalted is He far above having a child. (4:171)

اِبْن

The root of this word, ب ن ي, means « to build, to construct ». Some linguists see a connection in the sense that the son would be the « edifice » or « product » of his father.

This word is often used metaphorically, as in the Qur’anic expression ابن السَبيل (« the son of the road » = the traveller).

إِنَّمَا الْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَكَلِمَتُهُ
The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, is but the Messenger of God and His Word. (4:171)

اِبْنة / بِنْت

This word is the feminine version of the previous one. The form بِنْت is certainly a transformation of the word اِبْنة.

قَالَ إِنِّي أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُنْكِحَكَ إِحْدَى ابْنَتَيَّ هَاتَيْنِ
He said: « I wish to marry you to one of these two daughters of mine. » (28:27)