Miscellaneous, unsequenced gleanings

• The term ummah occurs in the Quran with several meanings:
  • It can mean “a leader who embodies every praiseworthy trait,” as in: “Indeed, Abraham was an ummah” (al-Nahl 120).
  • It can mean “a community,” as in: “There is no ummah but a warner has passed among them” (Fāṭir 24); this usage is frequent.
  • It can mean “a creed or religion,” as in: “Indeed, this ummah of yours is one ummah” (al-Mu’minūn 52).
  • It can mean “a long span of time,” as in: “Then he remembered after an ummah” (Yūsuf 45).

• The word sulṭān appears in three ways:
  • Its most common Qur’anic use is “proof” or “evidence,” as in: “Do you have any sulṭān for this?” (Yūnus 68) and “Bring us a clear sulṭān” (Ibrāhīm 10).
  • It can mean “sovereignty” or “dominion,” as in: “My sulṭāniyyah has vanished from me” (al-Ḥāqqah 29).
  • It can mean “power” or “control,” as in: “He has no sulṭān over those who believe and rely on their Lord (99); his sulṭān is only over those who ally themselves with him and those who associate others with Him (100)” (al-Naḥl 99-100).

• The word lisān is likewise used in several senses:
  • It may denote the physical organ, the tongue, as in: “Do not move your lisān with it” (al-Qiyāmah 16) and “They speak with their tongues” (al-Fatḥ 11); this meaning is common.