Arabic vocabulary
مَعْصِيَةٌsin in Arabic
مَعْصِيَةٌ is how you say “sin” in Arabic. Hear it pronounced and see it used in real example sentences from classical texts below.
Root ع ص ي (ʿ-ṣ-y)noun (verbal noun / maṣdar, from form I عَصَى)Pronounced maʿṣiyah
Meaning of sin in Arabic
- disobedience, rebellion — against a master, prince, or commander; opposite of طَاعَة (obedience)
- sin, transgression — an act of disobedience, especially in religious usage
مَعْصِيَةٌ is the verbal noun of عَصَى 'he disobeyed/rebelled against (his master or authority)'; alongside عِصْيَانٌ it names disobedience as the opposite of طَاعَة (obedience). In religious usage this disobedience-to-authority sense narrows to 'sin' — a transgression against what one is commanded to obey.
Words from the same root
- عَصَاهُhe disobeyed him, rebelled against him (form I)
- عِصْيَانٌdisobedience, rebellion (contrary of obedience)
- عَاصٍone who disobeys, disobedient, rebellious (active participle)
- عَصِىٌّvery disobedient, rebellious (intensive epithet)
- عَاصَىhe opposed, resisted, disobeyed (form III)
- تعاصىhe feigned disobedience, or manifested incompliance (form VI)
- اِسْتَعْصَىhe resisted, was unmanageable, defied control (form X)
Common questions
- How do you say "sin" in Arabic?
- مَعْصِيَةٌ (maʿṣiyah), literally 'an act of disobedience,' from the root ع-ص-ي 'to disobey, rebel against.'
- What is the difference between مَعْصِيَة and عِصْيَان?
- Both come from the same root and verb عَصَى. عِصْيَانٌ is the abstract noun for 'disobedience/rebellion' in general, while مَعْصِيَةٌ denotes disobedience as a noun of instance — an act of disobedience, i.e. a sin.
Definitions synthesised from Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon (E. W. Lane, 1863–1893).
Example sentences
تتولّد من الْمعْصِيَة والغفلة عَن ذكر الله
They arise from sin and neglect of the remembrance of Allah.
الْمَعْصِيَةِ — sin. al- = 'the'; the noun after 'min': 'disobedience, sin'.
From: Returning to God →فهذه الانتصارات الخفية هي التي تبنيك من الداخل حتى تصير خفيفًا على طاعة، ثقيلًا على معصية
For these hidden victories are what build you from within until you become light for obedience and heavy against sin.
مَعْصِيَةٍ — sin. 'ma'siya' = 'disobedience, sin'. No 'al-', so 'sin'.
From: Small Daily Habits →فإما أن تتجر فيها
Related words
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