The Concept of the Word Nafḥa according to the Verse 46 of Sūrat al-Anbiyā

Terminology is among the first and most effective steps in the interpretation of the Qur’ān. With an exploration into the lexicons and traditional collections, books, different applications can be taken into consideration for the word nafḥa. The semantic essence of this word is a mild blow of wind, which is synonymous with the word nafkh; however, what is mentioned in interpretations and lexicons as a substitute for this word is the word lafḥ, which has a significant status in the semantic circle of the word nafḥa, to the extent that some have considered these two words to be one and the same. What this article is aiming at with a descriptive-analytical method is to figure out better explanations of this word in the existing lexicons, interpretations, and traditional collections, according to which three important conclusions are worth-mentioning: 1. The word nafḥa only represents smallness and scantiness. 2. This word is also used about heat and, thus, it is synonymous to the word lafḥ. 3. Its use is figurative concerning torment.