The research examined the linguistic meaning of the root (l-a-b) in linguistic dictionaries, then traced its Quranic connotations with its various structures in all the contexts in which it occurred, attempting to uncover the reasons for the expression in each context. It was found that the root appears twenty times. It appears in the infinitive form (l-a-b) eight times, in the present tense nine times, and three times in the plural active participle It became clear that the definitions of "play" vary depending on the perspective. Sometimes it is viewed from the perspective of the goal, sometimes from the perspective of the achieved result, and sometimes from the perspective of the actor or their age. However, the common factor among all the definitions is "the absence of seriousness." The word "play" appears in the Holy Quran with eight meanings: joking, heedlessness, preoccupation with useless things, false speech and action, aimless work, preoccupation with permissible things, mockery and ridicule, illusion and fantasy, and work that ends quickly. The Holy Quran describes the unbelievers in seven places, describes worldly life in four places, describes religion in three places from the perspective of the unbelievers, and describes prayer in one place from the perspective of the unbelievers. The unbelievers attribute it to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) once, and God denies it twice. The unbelievers attribute it to themselves only once, and Joseph's brothers attribute it to Joseph (peace be upon him) once.
AL- Arnawtee, Z. M. A. (2025). The root (l a b) in the Holy Quran, its meanings and contexts. Annals of the Faculty of Arts, Ain Shams University, 53(6), 131-157. doi: 10.21608/aafu.2025.367930.1868
MLA
zuhair mohammed Ali AL- Arnawtee. "The root (l a b) in the Holy Quran, its meanings and contexts", Annals of the Faculty of Arts, Ain Shams University, 53, 6, 2025, 131-157. doi: 10.21608/aafu.2025.367930.1868
HARVARD
AL- Arnawtee, Z. M. A. (2025). 'The root (l a b) in the Holy Quran, its meanings and contexts', Annals of the Faculty of Arts, Ain Shams University, 53(6), pp. 131-157. doi: 10.21608/aafu.2025.367930.1868
VANCOUVER
AL- Arnawtee, Z. M. A. The root (l a b) in the Holy Quran, its meanings and contexts. Annals of the Faculty of Arts, Ain Shams University, 2025; 53(6): 131-157. doi: 10.21608/aafu.2025.367930.1868