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كهن

Root entry · 11 derived lemmas

This root primarily concerns the concept of a soothsayer, diviner, or priest, particularly one who claims knowledge of the unseen or future events. It extends to related ideas of divination, fortune-telling, and the practice associated with such individuals. The root also encompasses secondary meanings related to managing affairs or acting as a representative.

Derived headwords

الكاهنnoun
  1. 1.
    soothsayer, divinerboth

    A person known for claiming knowledge of future events or hidden matters, often associated with supernatural aid or keen deduction.

  2. 2.
    priestclassical

    In a broader sense, one who performs religious rites or holds a position of spiritual authority.

  3. 3.
    manager, stewardclassical

    One who manages a person's affairs, handles their needs, and oversees their household.

الكاهن الذي يتعاطي الخبر عن الكائنات في مستقبل الزمان ويدعي معرفة الأسرار — The soothsayer who deals in news of future events and claims knowledge of secrets
نهى عن حلوان الكاهن — He prohibited the fee of the soothsayer
وما كان فلان كاهنا ولقد كهن — So-and-so was not a soothsayer, but he did practice soothsaying
يخرج من الكاهنين رجل يقرأ القرآن قراءة لا يقرأ أحد قراءته — A man will emerge from the two Kahan (tribes) who will recite the Quran in a way no one else recites it
كهنverb
  1. 1.
    to be a soothsayerboth

    To practice divination or claim knowledge of the unseen.

  2. 2.
    to become a priest/soothsayerclassical

    To assume the role or profession of a soothsayer or priest.

كهن له يكهن ويكهن وكهن كهانة — He practiced soothsaying for him, he practices (present tense) and he practiced (past tense) soothsaying
كهن كهانة مثل كتب يكتب كتابة إذا تكهن — He practiced soothsaying like 'kataba yaktubu kitābatan' (wrote, he writes, writing) if he practiced soothsaying
وكهن كهانة إذا صار كاهنا — And he practiced soothsaying if he became a soothsayer
كهانةnoun
  1. 1.
    soothsaying, divinationboth

    The practice of predicting future events or discovering hidden knowledge, often through supernatural means.

  2. 2.
    priesthoodclassical

    The office or function of a priest.

وكهن كهانة إذا صار كاهنا — And he practiced soothsaying if he became a soothsayer
وكانت الكهانة في العرب قبل مبعث سيدنا رسول الله — And soothsaying was prevalent among the Arabs before the mission of our Master, the Messenger of God
تكهنverb
  1. 1.
    to practice soothsayingboth

    To engage in the act of divination or predicting the future.

  2. 2.
    to claim knowledge of the unseenboth

    To assert possession of knowledge about hidden or future matters.

تكهن تكهنا وتكهينا، الأخير نادر: قضى له بالغيب — He practiced soothsaying (masdar) and (another form of masdar), the latter is rare: he decreed about the unseen.
قلما يقال إلا تكهن الرجل — It is rarely said except that the man practiced soothsaying.
كهن كهانة مثل كتب يكتب كتابة إذا تكهن — He practiced soothsaying like 'kataba yaktubu kitābatan' (wrote, he writes, writing) if he practiced soothsaying
تكهناnoun
  1. 1.
    soothsayingboth

    The act or practice of divination.

تكهن تكهنا وتكهينا، الأخير نادر: قضى له بالغيب — He practiced soothsaying (masdar) and (another form of masdar), the latter is rare: he decreed about the unseen.
تكهيناnoun
  1. 1.
    soothsayingclassical

    The act or practice of divination (a rare form).

تكهن تكهنا وتكهينا، الأخير نادر: قضى له بالغيب — He practiced soothsaying (masdar) and (another form of masdar), the latter is rare: he decreed about the unseen.
كهنةnoun
  1. 1.
    soothsayersboth

    Plural of 'kāhin', referring to diviners or priests.

ورجل كاهن من قوم كهنة وكهان — And a soothsayer from a people of soothsayers and soothsayers
كُهّانnoun
  1. 1.
    soothsayersboth

    Plural of 'kāhin', referring to diviners or priests.

ورجل كاهن من قوم كهنة وكهان — And a soothsayer from a people of soothsayers and soothsayers
العرافnoun
  1. 1.
    fortune-teller, divinerboth

    One who claims to know hidden matters, such as the location of lost items or the identity of thieves, often through specific methods of deduction.

وهذا يخصونه باسم العراف كالذي يدعي معرفة الشيء المسروق ومكان الضالة ونحوهما — And they specifically call this one by the name 'al-'arrāf', like one who claims to know about a stolen item or the location of a lost thing and the like.
من أتى كاهنا أو عرافا فقد كفر بما أنزل على محمد — Whoever approaches a soothsayer or a fortune-teller has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad
كهانnoun
  1. 1.
    soothsayersboth

    Plural of 'kāhin', referring to diviners or priests.

إن الشياطين كانت تسترق السمع في الجاهلية وتلقيه إلى الكهنة — Indeed, the devils used to eavesdrop in the pre-Islamic era and relay it to the soothsayers
الكاهنانname
  1. 1.
    Al-Kāhinān (two tribes)classical

    A dual name referring to two Jewish tribes in Medina, Quraizah and Al-Nadir, known for their knowledge and scripture.

ويقال لقريظة والنضير الكاهنان، وهما قبيلا اليهود بالمدينة — And Quraizah and Al-Nadir are called Al-Kāhinān, and they are two tribes of Jews in Medina.

Parallel reading

الكاهن: معروف.
The soothsayer: known.
كهن له يكهن ويكهن وكهن كهانة وتكهن تكهنا وتكهينا، الأخير نادر: قضى له بالغيب.
He practiced soothsaying for him, he practices (present tense) and he practiced (past tense) soothsaying, and he practiced divination (masdar) and (another form of masdar), the latter is rare: he decreed about the unseen.
قلما يقال إلا تكهن الرجل.
It is rarely said except that the man practiced soothsaying.
غيره: كهن كهانة مثل كتب يكتب كتابة إذا تكهن، وكهن كهانة إذا صار كاهنا.
Others said: He practiced soothsaying like 'kataba yaktubu kitābatan' (wrote, he writes, writing) if he practiced soothsaying, and he practiced soothsaying if he became a soothsayer.
ورجل كاهن من قوم كهنة وكهان، وحرفته الكهانة.
And a soothsayer from a people of soothsayers and soothsayers, and his profession is soothsaying.
وفي الحديث: نهى عن حلوان الكاهن ؛ قال: الكاهن الذي يتعاطي الخبر عن الكائنات في مستقبل الزمان ويدعي معرفة الأسرار، وقد كان في العرب كهنة كشق وسطيح وغيرهما، فمنهم من كان يزعم أن له تابعا من الجن ورئيا يلقي إليه الأخبار، ومنهم من كان يزعم أنه يعرف الأمور بمقدمات أسباب يستدل بها على مواقعها من كلام من يسأله أو فعله أو حاله وهذا يخصونه باسم العراف كالذي يدعي معرفة الشيء المسروق ومكان الضالة ونحوهما.
And in the Hadith: He prohibited the fee of the soothsayer; it was said: The soothsayer is he who deals in news of future events and claims knowledge of secrets, and there were soothsayers among the Arabs like Shiqq and Satih and others. Some of them claimed to have a companion from the jinn who would relay news to them, and some claimed to know matters through preliminary causes, inferring their occurrence from the words of the questioner, his actions, or his state. They specifically call this one by the name 'al-'arrāf', like one who claims to know about a stolen item or the location of a lost thing and the like.
وما كان فلان كاهنا ولقد كهن.
So-and-so was not a soothsayer, but he did practice soothsaying.
وفي الحديث: من أتى كاهنا أو عرافا فقد كفر بما أنزل على محمد أي من صدقهم.
And in the Hadith: Whoever approaches a soothsayer or a fortune-teller has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad, meaning whoever believes them.
ويقال: كهن لهم إذا قال لهم قول الكهنة.
And it is said: He spoke like the soothsayers to them if he told them the words of the soothsayers.
وكانت الكهانة في العرب قبل مبعث سيدنا رسول الله، صلى الله عليه وسلم، فلما بعث نبيا وحرست السماء بالشهب ومنعت الجن والشياطين من استراق السمع وإلقائه إلى الكهنة بطل علم الكهانة، وأزهق الله أباطيل الكهان بالفرقان الذي فرق الله، عز وجل، به بين الحق والباطل، وأطلع الله سبحانه نبيه، صلى الله عليه وسلم، بالوحي على ما شاء من علم الغيوب التي عجزت الكهنة عن الإحاطة به، فلا كهانة اليوم بحمد الله ومنه وإغنائه بالتنزيل عنها.
And soothsaying was prevalent among the Arabs before the mission of our Master, the Messenger of God, peace be upon him. When he was sent as a prophet and the sky was guarded by meteors, and the jinn and devils were prevented from eavesdropping and relaying it to the soothsayers, the knowledge of soothsaying became void. And Allah, the Almighty, nullified the falsehoods of the soothsayers with the Criterion by which Allah, the Almighty, distinguished between truth and falsehood. And Allah, the Exalted, informed His Prophet, peace be upon him, through revelation of whatever He willed of the knowledge of the unseen, which the soothsayers were unable to encompass. So there is no soothsaying today, praise be to Allah, by His grace and His provision of the revelation to suffice us from it.
قال ابن الأثير: وقوله في الحديث من أتى كاهنا ، يشتمل على إتيان الكاهن والعراف والمنجم.
Ibn al-Athir said: And his saying in the Hadith 'whoever approaches a soothsayer' includes approaching a soothsayer, a fortune-teller, and an astrologer.
إنما هذا من إخوان الكهان ؛ إنما قال له ذلك من أجل سجعه الذي سجع، ولم يعبه بمجرد السجع دون ما تضمن سجعه من الباطل، فإنه قال: كيف ندي من لا أكل ولا شرب ولا استهل ومثل ذلك يطل، وإنما ضرب المثل بالكهان لأنهم كانوا يروجون أقاويلهم الباطلة بأسجاع تروق السامعين، ويستميلون بها القلوب، ويستصغون إليها الأسماع، فأما إذا وضع السجع في مواضعه من الكلام فلا ذم فيه، وكيف يذم وقد جاء في كلام سيدنا رسول الله، صلى الله عليه وسلم، كثيرا، وقد تكرر ذكره في الحديث مفردا وجمعا واسما وفعلا
This is from the brethren of the soothsayers; he only said that to him because of his rhyming prose which he uttered, and he did not blame him merely for the rhyme without the falsehood it contained. For he said: How do we compensate one who does not eat, nor drink, nor cry out, and such a thing is wasted? The example of soothsayers was given because they used to promote their false sayings with rhymes that pleased the listeners, and they would win hearts with them, and ears would incline to them. But if rhyme is used appropriately in speech, there is no blame in it. How could it be blamed when it frequently appears in the speech of our Master, the Messenger of God, peace be upon him, and its mention is repeated in the Hadith, singular and plural, as a noun and a verb.
إن الشياطين كانت تسترق السمع في الجاهلية وتلقيه إلى الكهنة، فتزيد فيه ما تزيد وتقبله الكفار منهم.
Indeed, the devils used to eavesdrop in the pre-Islamic era and relay it to the soothsayers, adding to it what they wished, and the disbelievers accepted it from them.
والكاهن أيضا في كلام العرب» : الذي يقوم بأمر الرجل ويسعى في حاجته والقيام بأسبابه وأمر حزانته.
And 'al-kāhin' also in the speech of the Arabs means: one who manages a man's affairs, strives for his needs, and oversees his matters and his household.
ويقال لقريظة والنضير الكاهنان، وهما قبيلا اليهود بالمدينة، وهم أهل كتاب وفهم وعلم.
And Quraizah and Al-Nadir are called Al-Kāhinān, and they are two tribes of Jews in Medina, and they are people of scripture, understanding, and knowledge.
أن النبي، صلى الله عليه وسلم، قال: يخرج من الكاهنين رجل يقرأ القرآن قراءة لا يقرأ أحد قراءته ؛ قيل: إنه محمد بن كعب القرظي وكان من أولادهم، والعرب تسمي كل من تعاطى علما دقيقا كاهنا، ومنهم من كان يسمي المنجم والطبيب كاهنا.
That the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: A man will emerge from Al-Kāhinān who will recite the Quran in a way no one else recites it. It was said: He is Muhammad ibn Ka'b al-Qurazi, and he was from their descendants. And the Arabs call anyone who pursues a subtle science a 'kāhin', and some of them used to call an astrologer and a physician a 'kāhin'.