إعادة
root: ع-و-د / form IV verbal noun / definition: return, re-
In the past few days, I reconnected with someone I haven’t seen in eleven years. And it made me reflect on the reasons why we return to our past—or why it returns to us.
And in terms of ideas, one theme I keep returning to (as you’ll have noticed in my posts) is that of the ocean.
I have some sort of spiritual and nostalgic connection with the water, and I can’t help but to linger over its linguistic connotations too. That’s why I’m returning to مُحيط.
The word itself is a form IV active participle from the hollow root ح-و-ط.
مُحيط is derived from the verb أحاطَ / يُحيطُ (“to surround, encompass”). Therefore, it means “(a) surrounding/encompassing (thing)”.
Like other active participles, it can be used as both a noun and an adjective.
In Six Arabic Words for “Ocean” or “Sea”, we noted that مُحيط is one of the nouns used to mean “ocean“—and how it’s no surprise that the image of the ocean in Arabic poetry often represents the poet’s surroundings.
And in the Qur’an, we notice that مُحيط is used as an adjective to describe the noun يَوم (“day”) in a warning of future punishment, aimed at a deceptive group of people :
وَإِلَىٰ مَدْيَنَ أَخَاهُمْ شُعَيْبًا ۚ قَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَـٰهٍ غَيْرُهُۥ ۖ وَلَا تَنقُصُوا۟ ٱلْمِكْيَالَ وَٱلْمِيزَانَ ۚ إِنِّىٓ أَرَىٰكُم بِخَيْرٍۢ وَإِنِّىٓ أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍۢ مُّحِيطٍۢ
And to Madyan [We sent] their brother Shuʿayb. He said, “O my people, worship Allāh; you have no deity other than Him. And do not decrease from the measure and the scale. Indeed, I see you in prosperity, but indeed, I fear for you the punishment of an all-encompassing Day. (11:84)
The same word, مُحيط, in the Qur’an is also connected to the topic of God’s knowledge:
يَسْتَخْفُونَ مِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَا يَسْتَخْفُونَ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ وَهُوَ مَعَهُمْ إِذْ يُبَيِّتُونَ مَا لَا يَرْضَىٰ مِنَ ٱلْقَوْلِ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ مُحِيطًا
They conceal [their evil intentions and deeds] from the people, but they cannot conceal [them] from Allāh, and He is with them [in His knowledge] when they spend the night in such as He does not accept of speech. And ever is Allāh, of what they do, encompassing. (4:108)
So if we just take these three ideas (which don’t comprise an exhaustive list of the applications of محيط, by the way)—the ocean, divine punishment, and God’s knowledge—then we can really start to reflect.
The word مُحيط tells us that these three things are encompassing, all-surrounding, vast, and endless (or, at least, seemingly so).
محيط brings to mind the immense power of the ocean, how it can sweep everything away with just a single tidal wave and completely cover what lies in its depths.
I think محيط, and I can’t help but think of the feeling of inescapability and surrendering to the fact that you’re completely immersed.
It’s that balance between awe and fear. Floating and drowning. And it’s realising your own insignificance and powerlessness in comparison.
Well, that’s just a thought for a Tuesday.
What connotations does محيط conjure up for you?
!مع السلامة
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I am always reminded of these old world-maps that had some scantily drawn (parts of) continents in the middle and a wide river around it. In ancient and medieval times, this river was called ὠκεανός or oceanus—and the geographers just took it for granted that there was a large river going round and round at the edge of the world.
I guess this is also where the Arabic word comes from.
Thanks for the interesting thought!