Lexical Summary

Arabic Root
علم
Basic Meaning
All-Knowing
Qur'an Occurrences
200 times across 47 surahs

Definitions (7)

Meanings associated with the root علم across classical and Qur'anic Arabic.

  1. 1
    The root "Elm" (علم) primarily means "to know" or "to be acquainted with." It signifies true, certain knowledge, often implying a deeper understanding than mere acquaintance.
    Lane's Lexicon
  2. 2
    In Qur'anic usage: "All-Knowing"
    Quranic Arabic Corpus
  3. 3
    "taught"
    Contextual usage
  4. 4
    "knows them"
    Contextual usage
  5. 5
    "His knowledge"
    Contextual usage
  6. 6
    "And He taught"
    Contextual usage
  7. 7
    "I know"
    Contextual usage

Pronunciation

Transliteration: ADJ|NOM|S|M
Listen: عَلِيمٌ 2:282
Root letters: ع — ل — م

Word Family Tree (77 forms)

All word forms derived from the root علم as they appear in the Qur'an, grouped by part of speech. Circle size reflects frequency.

Noun 102× Verb 93× Adjective

Concordance — 200 Occurrences

Every place in the Qur'an where the root علم appears, grouped by grammatical role.

Noun (84) · Verb (80)

Noun (84 verses — showing first 5)

The Letter Sad 38:87 Noun
إِنۡ هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكۡرࣱ لِّلۡعَـٰلَمِینَ ۝٨٧
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International): It is but a reminder to the worlds
The Troops, Throngs, The Companies 39:46 Noun
قُلِ ٱللَّهُمَّ فَاطِرَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَ ٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ عَـٰلِمَ ٱلۡغَیۡبِ وَٱلشَّهَـٰدَةِ أَنتَ تَحۡكُمُ بَیۡنَ عِبَادِكَ فِی مَا كَانُوا۟ فِیهِ یَخۡتَلِفُونَ ۝٤٦
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International): Say, "O Allah , Creator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, You will judge between your servants concerning that over which they used to differ."
The Troops, Throngs, The Companies 39:49 Noun
فَإِذَا مَسَّ ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنَ ضُرࣱّ دَعَانَا ثُمَّ إِذَا خَوَّلۡنَـٰهُ نِعۡمَةࣰ مِّنَّا قَالَ إِنَّمَاۤ أُوتِیتُهُۥ عَلَىٰ عِلۡمِۭۚ بَلۡ هِیَ فِتۡنَةࣱ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَهُمۡ لَا یَعۡلَمُونَ ۝٤٩
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International): And when adversity touches man, he calls upon Us; then when We bestow on him a favor from Us, he says, "I have only been given it because of [my] knowledge." Rather, it is a trial, but most of them do not know
The Troops, Throngs, The Companies 39:7 Noun
إِن تَكۡفُرُوا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَنِیٌّ عَنكُمۡۖ وَلَا یَرۡضَىٰ لِعِبَادِهِ ٱلۡكُفۡرَۖ وَإِن تَشۡكُرُوا۟ یَرۡضَهُ لَكُمۡۗ وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةࣱ وِزۡرَ أُخۡرَىٰۚ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُم مَّرۡجِعُكُمۡ فَیُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَۚ إِنَّهُۥ عَلِیمُۢ بِذَاتِ ٱلصُّدُورِ ۝٧
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International): If you disbelieve - indeed, Allah is Free from need of you. And He does not approve for His servants disbelief. And if you are grateful, He approves it for you; and no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. Then to your Lord is your return, and He will inform you about what you used to do. Indeed, He is Knowing of that within the breasts
The Troops, Throngs, The Companies 39:70 Noun
وَوُفِّیَتۡ كُلُّ نَفۡسࣲ مَّا عَمِلَتۡ وَهُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَا یَفۡعَلُونَ ۝٧٠
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International): And every soul will be fully compensated [for] what it did; and He is most knowing of what they do

Derived Forms (77)

Unique word forms derived from this root as they appear across the Qur'an.

Arabic Transliteration POS Meaning Count
يَعْلَمُونَ yaʿlamuwna Verb 20×
يَعْلَمُ yaʿlamu Verb 16×
ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ lʿalamiyna Noun 14×
أَعْلَمُ ʾaaʿlamu Noun 11×
عَلِيمٌ ʿaliymun Noun 10×
تَعْلَمُونَ taʿlamuwna Verb
ٱلْعَلِيمُ lʿaliymu Noun
عِلْمٍ ʿilmin Noun
عَلِيمٌۢ ʿaliymun Noun
ٱلْعِلْمُ lʿilmu Noun