اجل

أَجَلٌ ذ The term, or period, of a thing: (S, K:) its assigned, appointed, or specified, term or period: this is the primary signification: (TA:) or the term, or period, and time of falling due, of a thing: (Msb:) pl. اآجَالٌ. (Msb, K.) ― -b2- Hence, The period of women's waiting, before they may marry again, after divorce: as in the Kur ii. 231 and 232. (TA.) ― -b3- The period, or extremity of time, in which falls due a debt (K, TA) and the like. (TA.) You say, بَاعَهُ اـِيَّاهُ اـِلَي أَجَلٍ [ He sold it to him for payment at an appointed period ]: and سَلَّمَ الدَّارَاهِمَ فِى طَعَامٍ اـِلَي أَجَلٍ [ He delivered the money for wheat, or the like, to be given at an appointed period ]. (Msb in art. كلأ.) ― -b4- The term, or period, of death; (K;) the time in which God has eternally decreed the end of life by slaughter or otherwise: or, as some say, the whole duration of life: and its end: a man's life being thus termed: and his death, by which it terminates: (Kull p. 17:) the assigned, or appointed, duration of the life of a man. (TA.) One says, دَنَا أَجَلُهُ, meaning His death drew near; originally, ا@سْتِيفَاآءُ الأَجَلِ the completion of the duration of life. (TA.) In the Kur vi. 128, (see 2, above,) the meaning is, The term of death: or, as some say, the term of extreme old age: (TA:) or the day of resurrection. (Bd, * Jel.) The words of the Kur [vi. 2] ثُمَّ قَضَى أَجَلًا وَ أَجَلٌ مَسَمَّى عِنْدَهُ mean [ Then He decreed a term, ] the term of death, and [ there is a term named with Him, ] the term of the resurrection: or the period between the creation and death, and the period between death and the resurrection; for اجل is applied to the end of a space of time and to the whole thereof: (Bd:) or the meaning is, the period of sleep, and the period of death: (Bd, TA:) or the period of those who have passed away, and the period of those who remain and those who are to come: (Bd:) or the period of remaining in this world, and the period of remaining in the world to come: or in both instances death is meant; [ accidental, and natural; ] for the اجل of some is by accidental means, as the sword, and drowning, and burning, and eating what disagrees, and other means of destruction; while some have their full periods granted to them and are preserved in health until they die a natural death: or the اجل of some is that of him who dies in a state of happiness and enjoyment; and of others, that of him who reaches a limit beyond which God has no؟ appointed, in the natural course of this world, any one to remain therein; and to both of these, reference is made in the Kur [xvi. 72 and] xxii. 5. (TA.) ― -b5- Sometimes, also, it means Destruction: and thus it has been explained as occurring in the Kur [vii. 184], where it is said, وَأَنْ عَسَى أَنْ يَكُونَ قَدِ ا@ قْتَرَبَ أَجَلُهُمْ [ And that, may be, their destruction shall have drawn near ]. (TA.)