The concept of tasbīḥ is one of the most frequently used Qur'anic concepts and among the most important forms of remembrance (adhkār) in the Islamic tradition. It is recited daily, morning and evening, both within the ritual prayer and outside of it. The central question addressed in this article is: What is the relationship between tasbīḥ, in the sense of glorification or praise, and its triliteral root s-b-ḥ, which originally denotes “expansion” or “swimming”? This connection has been largely overlooked by classical lexicographers and exegetes, and has not been adequately addressed by modern scholars either.
To explore this question, the study adopts a historical semantic approach, utilizing etymological analysis across Semitic languages. It traces the semantic evolution of the root s-b-ḥ and investigates how the concept of tasbīḥ was derived from it. The findings suggest that the root initially signified "to spread or expand," from which the notions of "elevation, grandeur, and majesty" were later developed. Ultimately, the meaning of tasbīḥ as "glorification" or "declaring as majestic" emerged within the causative form (tafʿīl) of the verb.
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Akhavan tabasi,M. H. , Nilsaz,N. and Gharavi Naeeni,N. (2024). Etymology of the Quranic Word "tasbiḥ" and Explaining the Relation of it to the Root SBḤ. Ketab-E-Qayyem, 14(30), 7-28. doi: 10.30512/kq.2022.18899.3495
MLA
Akhavan tabasi,M. H. , , Nilsaz,N. , and Gharavi Naeeni,N. . "Etymology of the Quranic Word "tasbiḥ" and Explaining the Relation of it to the Root SBḤ", Ketab-E-Qayyem, 14, 30, 2024, 7-28. doi: 10.30512/kq.2022.18899.3495
HARVARD
Akhavan tabasi M. H., Nilsaz N., Gharavi Naeeni N. (2024). 'Etymology of the Quranic Word "tasbiḥ" and Explaining the Relation of it to the Root SBḤ', Ketab-E-Qayyem, 14(30), pp. 7-28. doi: 10.30512/kq.2022.18899.3495
CHICAGO
M. H. Akhavan tabasi, N. Nilsaz and N. Gharavi Naeeni, "Etymology of the Quranic Word "tasbiḥ" and Explaining the Relation of it to the Root SBḤ," Ketab-E-Qayyem, 14 30 (2024): 7-28, doi: 10.30512/kq.2022.18899.3495
VANCOUVER
Akhavan tabasi M. H., Nilsaz N., Gharavi Naeeni N. Etymology of the Quranic Word "tasbiḥ" and Explaining the Relation of it to the Root SBḤ. Ketab-E-Qayyem, 2024; 14(30): 7-28. doi: 10.30512/kq.2022.18899.3495