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What does Dunya mean?

The word ุงู„ุฏู†ูŠุง (al-Dunya) means “the world”. But that is only the interpretation of the word – but not the literal meaning!

Last updated 3 months ago.

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Today, we are going to take a look at the structure and pattern of a very common word. The Arabic word dunya (ุฏูู†ู’ูŠุง) is usually translated into English as world. The meaning is correct โ€“ but the literal translation is totally different. Let us check the root for this word: ุฏ – ู† – ูˆ

The literal meaning of ุงู„ุฏูู‘ู†ู’ูŠุง is the lowest or the closest or the nearest โ€“ and not world.

Grammatically speaking, the word ุฏูู†ู’ูŠุง is the feminine form of the pattern ู. It is the comparative or superlative () form, so called ุงูุณู’ู… ุงู„ุชูŽู‘ูู’ุถููŠู„. The word ุฏูู†ู’ูŠุง is generally used in its definite form: ุงู„ุฏูู‘ู†ู’ูŠุง. The plural of ุฏูู†ู’ูŠุง is ุฏูู†ู’ูŠูŽูŠุงุช

Let us check this pattern in detail:

meaningcomparative feminine formcomparative masculine formroot
closer; closestุฏูู†ู’ูŠุงุฃูŽุฏู’ู†ูŽู‰ุฏ – ู† – ูˆ
higher; highestุนูู„ู’ูŠุงุฃูŽุนู’ู„ูŽู‰ุน – ู„ – ู‰
further; furthestู‚ูุตู’ูˆูŽู‰ุฃูŽู‚ู’ุตูŽู‰ู‚ – ุต – ูˆ
(c) Arabic for Nerds

Notice the feminine form in the last example! It is different because in the root, there is a ูˆ.


The meaning of ุฏูู†ู’ูŠุง is similar to ุฃูŽู‚ู’ุฑูŽุจู โ€“ meaning: closer.

A long time ago, people were using the term ุงู„ู’ุญูŽูŠุงุฉู ุงู„ุฏูู‘ู†ู’ูŠุง for describing the life which is closest to us (namely: life in this world) โ€“ because the afterlife/the hereafter (ุงู„ู’ุญูŽูŠุงุฉ ุงู„ู’ุขุฎูุฑุฉ) is something we don’t know. After some time, the word ุงู„ู’ุญูŽูŠุงุฉ was deleted.

The ุงู„ุฏูู‘ู†ู’ูŠุง is already found in the Qur’an, e.g. 16;30, ุณููˆุฑุฉ ุงู„ู†ูŽู‘ุญู’ู„ ()

… ู„ูู„ูŽู‘ุฐููŠู†ูŽ ุฃูŽุญู’ุณูŽู†ููˆุง ูููŠ ู‡ูฐุฐูู‡ู ุงู„ุฏูู‘ู†ู’ูŠูŽุง ุญูŽุณูŽู†ูŽุฉูŒ ูˆูŽู„ูŽุฏูŽุงุฑู ุงู„ู’ุขุฎูุฑูŽุฉู ุฎูŽูŠู’ุฑูŒ…

…for those who do good is a reward in this present world, but the abode of the Hereafter is far better…


Good to know:

  • The most famous mosque in Jerusalem, which is also one of the most important in Islam, is called al-Aqsa-Mosque. It is called ุงู„ุฃูŽู‚ู’ุตูŽู‰ as in old times it was the mosque that was the furthest from Mecca. ุงู„ุฃูŽู‚ู’ุตูŽู‰ literally means the furthest.
  • In German, the word dunya is sometimes transliterated as dunja, as in the name of the TV journalist Dunja Hayali.

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