فتر
Attested forms : تْرَةٍۢ 1 · يَفْتُرُونَ 1 · يُفَتَّرُ 1
Core meaning
The slackening of what should continue: a break in a sequence, or, under negation, a penalty that does not weaken.
Uses
فَتْرَة → "a break" : the hollow time when the sequence of messengers slackened.
- «عَلَىٰ فَتْرَةٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلرُّسُلِ» — "after a break in messengers" (5:19)
يُفَتَّرُ → "to abate" : always negated: the punishment that does not slacken.
- «لَا يُفَتَّرُ عَنْهُمْ» — "it will not abate for them" (43:75)
يَفْتُرُونَ → "to flag" : negated, for those who glorify without slackening.
- «يُسَبِّحُونَ ٱلَّيْلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ لَا يَفْتُرُونَ» — "they glorify Him night and day, never flagging." (21:20)
Evidence from the text
The uses answer each other. In 5:19, the sequence of messengers slackened, and this is the excuse the verse at once removes: "a bearer of good tidings and a warner has thus indeed come to you" (5:19). In 43:75, the same slackening is denied: the punishment does not weaken, and those in it remain "in despair" (43:75).
In 21:20, slackening is again negated: those who are with Him glorify Him "night and day, never flagging." (21:20).