عسف

Root entry · 18 derived lemmas

This root primarily concerns the concept of deviating from a proper course, whether literally in travel or figuratively in conduct. It extends to notions of injustice, oppression, and acting without guidance or proper planning. It also encompasses terms related to hired laborers and a specific ailment in camels.

Derived headwords

عَسَفَverb

1.
to travel without guidanceclassical
To journey without direction, taking an improper or unestablished path.
2.
to oppressboth
To act unjustly or tyrannically towards someone.
3.
to ride (a camel)classical
Specifically, for a camel to be afflicted with a fatal ailment, breathing heavily.
4.
to work hardclassical
To exert oneself or cause someone else to exert themselves in difficult labor.

العَسْفُnoun

1.
unguided travelclassical
The act of traveling without guidance or taking an improper route.
2.
oppressionboth
Injustice, tyranny, or deviation from the path of truth and righteousness.
3.
reckless actionclassical
Undertaking a matter without deliberation or careful consideration.
4.
large cupclassical
A large drinking vessel.

العسف: السير بغير هداية والأخذ على غير الطريق — Unguided travel: traveling without guidance and taking a path other than the proper one.

التَّعَسُّفُnoun

1.
oppressionboth
The act of being unjust or tyrannical; deviation from the right path.
2.
unguided travelclassical
Traveling without knowledge or a clear path.

وكذلك التعسف — And likewise, oppression/unguided travel.

اعْتِسَافٌnoun

1.
unguided travelclassical
The act of traversing a difficult or unknown terrain without a clear path or destination.
2.
oppressionboth
The act of unjustly imposing oneself or one's will upon another.

اعتسف الطريق اعتسافا إذا قطعه دون صوب توخاه فأصابه — He traversed the road without guidance if he crossed it without aiming for a specific direction and reached it.

عَسُوفٌadjective

1.
oppressiveboth
Characterized by injustice, tyranny, and deviation from the right path.
2.
wanderingclassical
Traveling without direction or purpose, especially referring to animals.

رجل عسوف إذا لم يقصد قصد الحق — A man who is oppressive if he does not aim for the truth.

عسوف بأجواز الفلا حميرية العسوف: التي تمر على غير هداية فتركب رأسها في السير ولا يثنيها شيء — Wandering in the vast desert, a wild ass that passes without guidance, heading straight in its course, and nothing turns it back.

مُعَسَّفٌadjective

1.
oppressedboth
Subjected to injustice or tyranny.

عَسِيفٌnoun

1.
hired laborerboth
A worker hired for a specific task, often implying low status or being undervalued.
2.
oppressed personclassical
One who is subjected to injustice or tyranny.

إن ابني كان عسيفا على رجل كان معه وإنه زنى بامرأته ، أي كان أجيرا — My son was a hired laborer for a man who was with him, and he committed adultery with his wife, meaning he was a hired worker.

والعسيف: الأجير المستهان به — And the 'asif: the undervalued hired laborer.

عُسَفَاءُnoun

1.
hired laborersboth
Plural of 'asif, referring to hired workers.
2.
oppressed peopleclassical
Plural of 'asif, referring to those subjected to injustice.

والعسفاء: الأجراء — And the 'usafa': the hired laborers.

عَسُوفًاnoun

1.
large cupsclassical
Plural of 'asf, referring to large drinking vessels.

والعسوف: الأقداح الكبار — And al-'usuf: the large cups.

عَسَفَانname

1.
name of a placeclassical
A location mentioned in hadith, situated between Mecca and Medina.

عسفان: موضع وقد ذكر في الحديث — 'Usfan: a place, and it was mentioned in the hadith.

عَسَّفَverb

1.
to oppressboth
To act unjustly or tyrannically towards someone.
2.
to cause to travel without guidanceclassical
To make someone or something travel without direction.

عسف السلطان يعسف واعتسف وتعسف: ظلم — The ruler oppressed, and he oppressed, and he oppressed: he was unjust.

تَعَسَّفَverb

1.
to oppressboth
To act unjustly or tyrannically towards someone.
2.
to travel without guidanceclassical
To take an unguided or improper path.

تعسف فلان فلانا إذا ركبه بالظلم ولم ينصفه — So-and-so oppressed so-and-so if he imposed upon him with injustice and did not treat him fairly.

اعْتَسَفَverb

1.
to travel without guidanceclassical
To traverse a path without direction or proper knowledge.
2.
to oppressboth
To act unjustly or tyrannically towards someone.
3.
to take as a laborerclassical
To employ someone as a hired worker.

اعتسفه: اتخذه عسيفا — He took him as a laborer: he employed him as a hired worker.

قال ذو الرمة: قد أعسف النازح المجهول معسفه ... في ظل أغضف، يدعو هامه البوم — Dhu al-Rummah said: The unknown distant one has taken his unguided path... in the shade of dense foliage, the owl calls to its head.

عَسُوفٌadjective

1.
oppressiveboth
Characterized by injustice and tyranny.

رجل عسوف إذا كان ظلوما — An oppressive man if he is unjust.

عَاسِفٌadjective

1.
dying (camel)classical
A camel afflicted with a fatal ailment, breathing heavily and near death.

فهو عاسف — So it is dying.

عَسَّافٌnoun

1.
name of a manclassical
A proper name.
2.
camel ailmentclassical
A condition in camels similar to 'نزاع' (نزاع) in humans, causing heavy breathing.

والعساف: اسم رجل — And al-'assaf: the name of a man.

والعساف للإبل: كالنزاع للإنسان — And al-'assaf for camels: is like al-niza' for humans.

أَعْسَفَverb

1.
to cause to travel without guidanceclassical
To make someone travel without direction or proper knowledge.
2.
to cause to work hardclassical
To make someone undertake difficult labor.

وأعسف الرجل إذا أخذ بعيره العسف، وهو نفس الموت — And the man became afflicted if his camel contracted 'al-'asf, which is the breath of death.

وأعسف الرجل إذا أخذ غلامه بعمل شديد — And the man caused his servant to work hard.

عَسُوفٌnoun

1.
large cupsclassical
Plural of 'asf, referring to large drinking vessels.

Parallel reading

العسف: السير بغير هداية والأخذ على غير الطريق

Al-'asf: traveling without guidance and taking a path other than the proper one.

وكذلك التعسف والاعتساف

And likewise, al-ta'assuf and al-i'tisaf.

والعسف: ركوب المفازة وقطعها بغير قصد ولا هداية ولا توخي صوب ولا طريق مسلوك.

And al-'asf: traversing the desert and crossing it without purpose, guidance, or aiming for a direction or a traveled path.

يقال: اعتسف الطريق اعتسافا إذا قطعه دون صوب توخاه فأصابه.

It is said: He traversed the road without guidance if he crossed it without aiming for a specific direction and reached it.

والتعسيف: السير على غير علم ولا أثر.

And al-ta'sif: traveling without knowledge or trace.

ومننه قيل: رجل عسوف إذا لم يقصد قصد الحق؛

And from this it is said: A man is oppressive if he does not aim for the truth;

والعسف: ركوب الأمر بلا تدبير ولا روية

And al-'asf: undertaking a matter without deliberation or careful consideration.

عسفه يعسفه عسفا وتعسفه واعتسفه؛

He oppressed him, he oppressed him, with oppression, and he oppressed him, and he oppressed him;

وعسفت معاطنا لم تدثر مدح إبلا

And I traversed watering places that had not been effaced, praising camels.

وردت اعتسافا، والثريا كأنها، ... على هامة الرأس، ابن ماء محلق

I arrived without guidance, and the Pleiades, as if they were, ... on the crown of the head, a son of the sky, circling.

يعتسفان الليل ذا الحيود ... أما بكل كوكب حريد

They traverse the night of deviation ... by every wandering star.

وعسف فلان فلانا عسفا: ظلمه.

And so-and-so oppressed so-and-so with oppression: he wronged him.

عسف السلطان يعسف واعتسف وتعسف: ظلم، وهو من ذلك.

The ruler oppressed, and he oppressed, and he oppressed: he was unjust, and it is from this.

وفي الحديث: لا تبلغ شفاعتي إماما عسوفا أي جائرا ظلوما.

And in the hadith: My intercession does not reach an oppressive leader, meaning unjust and tyrannical.

والعسف في الأصل: أن يأخذ المسافر على غير طريق ولا جادة ولا علم فنقل إلى الظلم والجور.

And 'al-'asf in origin: is for the traveler to take a path other than the road, the highway, or knowledge, and it was transferred to injustice and tyranny.

وتعسف فلان فلانا إذا ركبه بالظلم ولم ينصفه.

And so-and-so oppressed so-and-so if he imposed upon him with injustice and did not treat him fairly.

وفي حديث أبي هريرة، رضي الله عنه: أن رجلا جاء إلى النبي، صلى الله عليه وسلم، فقال: إن ابني كان عسيفا على رجل كان معه وإنه زنى بامرأته ، أي كان أجيرا.

And in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him: A man came to the Prophet, peace be upon him, and said: My son was a hired laborer for a man who was with him, and he committed adultery with his wife, meaning he was a hired worker.

والعسفاء: الأجراء، وقيل: العسيف المملوك المستهان به؛

And al-'usafa': the hired laborers, and it was said: al-'asif is the undervalued slave;

يقال: هو يعسفهم أي يكفيهم.

It is said: He suffices them, meaning he provides for them.

وكم أعسف عليك أي كم أعمل لك، وقيل: كل خادم عسيف.

And how much I work for you, meaning how much I labor for you, and it was said: Every servant is an 'asif.

وفي الحديث: لا تقتلوا عسيفا ولا أسيفا.

And in the hadith: Do not kill a hired laborer nor a slave.

وفي الحديث: أنه بعث سرية فنهى عن قتل العسفاء والوصفاء ، ويروى الأسفاء.

And in the hadith: He sent a detachment and forbade the killing of the hired laborers and the slaves, and it is narrated 'al-usafa'.

عسف البعير يعسف عسفا وعسوفا: أشرف على الموت من الغدة، فهو عاسف،

The camel suffered 'asf, 'asfan: it approached death from a gland, so it is 'asif,

وأما قول أبي وجزة السعدي: واستيقنت أن الصليف منعسف فهو من عسف الحنجرة إذا قمصت للموت.

As for the saying of Abu Wajzah al-Sa'di: And I became certain that the ailment was 'mu'asif, it is from the 'asf of the throat when it gasps for death.

وأعسف الرجل إذا أخذ بعيره العسف، وهو نفس الموت؛

And the man became afflicted if his camel contracted 'al-'asf, which is the breath of death;

ونعم أخو الصعلوك أمس تركته ... بتضرع، يمري باليدين ويعسف

And what a good brother of the vagabond I left yesterday ... pleading, rubbing with his hands and gasping.

وأعسف الرجل إذا أخذ غلامه بعمل شديد، وأعسف إذا سار بالليل خبط عشواء.

And the man caused his servant to work hard, and he traveled at night blindly.

والعسف: القدح الضخم.

And al-'asf: the large cup.

والعسوف: الأقداح الكبار.

And al-'usuf: the large cups.

عسفان: موضع وقد ذكر في الحديث؛

'Usfan: a place, and it was mentioned in the hadith;

قال ابن الأثير: هي قرية جامعة بين مكة والمدينة، وقيل: هي منهلة من مناهل الطريق بين الجحفة ومكة؛

Ibn al-Athir said: It is a populous village between Mecca and Medina, and it was said: It is a watering station on the road between al-Juhfah and Mecca;

يا خليلي اربعا واستخبرا ... رسما بعسفان

O my two companions, stop and inquire ... about traces at 'Usfan.

والعساف: اسم رجل.

And al-'assaf: the name of a man.