نصح

Core meaning

To wish someone well and tell him so without ulterior motive: to advise sincerely, to be sincere toward.

Uses

1. وَأَنصَحُ, وَنَصَحْتُ → "advise sincerely", "advise" : the act of the envoy who conveys and advises.

   • «وَأَنصَحُ لَكُمْ» — "I advise you sincerely" (7:62)
   • «وَنَصَحْتُ لَكُمْ» — "and I advised you" (7:79)

2. نَاصِحٌ, ٱلنَّٰصِحِينَ → "a sincere advisor", "sincere advisors" : the one who advises so; the Diverter claims to be one in order to delude.

   • «إِنِّى لَكُمَا لَمِنَ ٱلنَّٰصِحِينَ» — "I am surely, for you two, among the sincere advisors" (7:21)
   • «إِنِّى لَكَ مِنَ ٱلنَّٰصِحِينَ» — "I am indeed a sincere advisor to you" (28:20)

3. نَصَحُوا۟, نُصْحِىٓ, نَّصُوحًا → "be sincere toward", "my counsel", "sincere" : the same uprightness toward God, the counsel itself, and the repentance that carries it.

   • «إِذَا نَصَحُوا۟ لِلَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ» — "so long as they are sincere toward God and His messenger" (9:91)
   • «وَلَا يَنفَعُكُمْ نُصْحِىٓ» — "And my counsel will be of no use to you" (11:34)
   • «تَوْبَةًۭ نَّصُوحًا» — "with a sincere turning back" (66:8)

Evidence from the text

The word recurs in the mouth of the envoys: "I convey to you the messages of my Guardian, I advise you sincerely" (7:62), as in 7:68, 7:79 and 7:93; the counsel stays the same whether the people accept or reject it. From its first occurrence, the Diverter takes its name: he swears to be "among the sincere advisors" and brings down by delusion (7:21-22); the brothers of Youssof will say the same to their father (12:11).

Built with لِ and God as object, نصح names sincerity toward God and His messenger (9:91); تَوْبَة نَصُوح is a sincere turning back (66:8).

Distinctions

• وعظ — وعظ names the exhortation that warns; نصح names the sincerity of the one who advises.