دنو

Core meaning

To be near, in space or in time; hence ٱلدُّنْيَا, the nearest life, the present one, always set against the last life.

Uses

1. ٱلدُّنْيَا → "the present life" : used alone, the word names the present life by its nearness.

   • «رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةًۭ وَفِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ حَسَنَةًۭ» — "Our Guardian, give us a good share in the present life, and a good share in the last life" (2:201)

2. ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَا, هَٰذِهِ ٱلدُّنْيَا → "the present life" : the present life named in full, or pointed to.

   • «ٱشْتَرَوُا۟ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا بِٱلْءَاخِرَةِ» — "bought the present life at the price of the last life" (2:86)
   • «لِّلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا۟ فِى هَٰذِهِ ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةٌۭ» — "For those who do good, in the present life, there is beauty" (16:30)

3. أَدْنَىٰ, ٱلْأَدْنَىٰ → "immediate", "lower", "nearer", "the nearest" : the comparative: what is nearer, in time or in space, or nearer to an end; to prefer what is nearest in time to what is better is to be unable to wait, hence "immediate" (2:61); "lower" when it concerns the value of a world (7:169).

   • «أَتَسْتَبْدِلُونَ ٱلَّذِى هُوَ أَدْنَىٰ بِٱلَّذِى هُوَ خَيْرٌ» — "Would you take what is immediate in exchange for what is better?" (2:61)
   • «وَلَنُذِيقَنَّهُم مِّنَ ٱلْعَذَابِ ٱلْأَدْنَىٰ دُونَ ٱلْعَذَابِ ٱلْأَكْبَرِ» — "And We will surely make them taste of the nearer punishment, short of the greater punishment" (32:21)
   • «ذَٰلِكَ أَدْنَىٰٓ أَن تَقَرَّ أَعْيُنُهُنَّ» — "That is nearer so that their gaze may rest" (33:51)

4. دَانِيَة, دَانٍ → "within reach" : the fruits of the gardens, close to the one who picks them.

   • «قُطُوفُهَا دَانِيَةٌۭ» — "whose clusters are within reach" (69:23)

5. دَنَا, يُدْنِينَ → "to draw near", "to draw over" : the verb: to come near, or to bring close to oneself.

   • «ثُمَّ دَنَا» — "Then he drew near" (53:8)
   • «يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِن جَلَٰبِيبِهِنَّ» — "to draw over themselves part of their outer garments" (33:59)
   • Written exception: "nearer", "closer" (أَدْنَىٰ: 2:282, 4:3, 5:108, 33:51, 33:59) shared with قرب.

Evidence from the text

The word always states a short distance. The fruits are "within reach" (69:23); the punishment of this life is the nearer one, short of the greater (32:21); the land where the Romans were victorious is the nearest land (30:3). Before an end, the comparative says what comes nearest to it: "nearer so that their gaze may rest" (33:51), "nearer so that they will be recognized" (33:59), "closer to the testimony" (5:108).

ٱلدُّنْيَا is its superlative: the nearest life, the one at hand, always weighed against the last life. 2:86 makes it a bargain, where one is bought at the price of the other; and to take "what is immediate in exchange for what is better" (2:61) is already the same choice.

Distinctions

• قرب — to approach and to bring near: the movement toward, whereas دنو first states the condition of what is near
• اخر — to come after: the last life, the term set against ٱلدُّنْيَا

See also

حيى (life)