شكل

Core meaning

The proper form of a being or a thing: what it corresponds to, its manner of being or its kind.

Uses

1. شَاكِلَة → "own manner" : each one's way of being, from which his action proceeds.

   • «كُلٌّۭ يَعْمَلُ عَلَىٰ شَاكِلَتِهِۦ» — "Each one acts according to his own manner" (17:84)

2. شَكْل → "kind" : the kind shared by several things.

   • «وَءَاخَرُ مِن شَكْلِهِۦٓ أَزْوَٰجٌ» — "and other of the same kind, in pairs" (38:58)

Evidence from the text

Both uses say the same correspondence. In 17:84, each one's action follows his proper form, and the Guardian knows "who is best guided as to the way"; in 38:58, other punishments follow the form of the first, the boiling water and the foul, dark fluid: same kind, same nature.

Distinctions

• مثل — the like, the example: what resembles something else, whereas شكل says the proper form