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Arabic root

د-ع-و

Dal-Ayn-Waw

3 words from this root family

About this root

Dal-Ayn-Waw (د-ع-و) has 3 words in the Fahm dictionary: daʿā (he called / he prayed / he supplicated), duʿāʾ (supplication / prayer / invocation), diʿāya (propaganda / publicity).

In the Quran, words built on this root occur 212 times in 182 verses, across 55 of the 114 suras. The first is in 2:23. The form دَعَا (he called / he prayed / he supplicated) accounts for 170 of them.

Themes: Quranic, Media Politics

Words from this root

WordMeaningTypeIn the QuranTaught in
دَعَا
daʿā
he called / he prayed / he supplicatedverb, A2170×Faith and Belief
دُعَاءٌ
duʿāʾ
supplication / prayer / invocationnoun, A122×Life, Death, and the Hereafter
دِعَايَة
diʿāya
propaganda / publicitynoun, B2Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs

“In the Quran” counts every occurrence of that dictionary form, in any of its senses.

In the Quran

وَإِن كُنتُمْ فِى رَيْبٍ مِّمَّا نَزَّلْنَا عَلَىٰ عَبْدِنَا فَأْتُوا۟ بِسُورَةٍ مِّن مِّثْلِهِۦ وَٱدْعُوا۟ شُهَدَآءَكُم مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـٰدِقِينَ

And if ye are in doubt concerning that which We reveal unto Our slave (Muhammad), then produce a surah of the like thereof, and call your witness beside Allah if ye are truthful.

Quran 2:23
وَمَثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ كَمَثَلِ ٱلَّذِى يَنْعِقُ بِمَا لَا يَسْمَعُ إِلَّا دُعَآءً وَنِدَآءً ۚ صُمٌّۢ بُكْمٌ عُمْىٌ فَهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ

The likeness of those who disbelieve (in relation to the messenger) is as the likeness of one who calleth unto that which heareth naught except a shout and cry. Deaf, dumb, blind, therefore they have no sense.

Quran 2:171
وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِى عَنِّى فَإِنِّى قَرِيبٌ ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ ٱلدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ ۖ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا۟ لِى وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِى لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ

And when My servants question thee concerning Me, then surely I am nigh. I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he crieth unto Me. So let them hear My call and let them trust in Me, in order that they may be led aright.

Quran 2:186

Arabic text: Tanzil Quran Text (Uthmani 1.1), CC BY 3.0, tanzil.net. English: Marmaduke Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran (1930), public domain, via Project Gutenberg. Counts and verse choice: Quranic Arabic Corpus morphology data (corpus.quran.com).

Word cards with examples

A2verb
دَعَا
daʿā

he called / he prayed / he supplicated

Example
وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ
wa-idhā saʾalaka ʿibādī ʿannī fa-innī qarībun ujību daʿwata ad-dāʿi idhā daʿān
And when My servants ask you about Me, indeed I am near. I respond to the call of the caller when he calls upon Me (2:186)
Grammar

Defective verb (nāqiṣ). Past: دَعَا, Present: يَدْعُو. Related: دُعَاءٌ (supplication), دَعْوَةٌ (call/invitation), دَاعٍ (caller). Also means 'to invite' (daʿwah).

Culture

This is one of the most intimate verses in the Quran - notably, God responds directly without the Prophet as intermediary, emphasizing the directness of the relationship between God and the worshipper.

A1noun
دُعَاءٌ
duʿāʾ

supplication / prayer / invocation

Example
وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ
wa-qāla rabbukumu udʿūnī astajib lakum
And your Lord says: Call upon Me; I will respond to you (40:60)
Grammar

Masculine noun (maṣdar of دَعَا, q060). Distinguished from صَلَاة (ritual prayer) - duʿāʾ is personal supplication in any language, at any time.

Culture

Duʿāʾ is described as 'the essence of worship' in hadith. This verse is a divine guarantee that sincere supplication will be answered.

B2noun
دِعَايَة
diʿāya

propaganda / publicity

Example
اِستَخدَمَ الحِزبُ الدِّعايَةَ لِكَسبِ المُؤَيِّدين.
istakhdama l-ḥizbu d-diʿāyata li-kasbi l-muʾayyidīn.
The party used propaganda to gain supporters.

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