وعظ

Core meaning

To remind someone of what sets him right, by a word that counsels and urges.

Uses

1. وَعَظَ, يَعِظ → "to exhort" : to urge toward good by speech.

   • «يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ» — "He exhorts you, perhaps you will remember" (16:90)
   • «وَإِذْ قَالَ لُقْمَٰنُ لِٱبْنِهِۦ وَهُوَ يَعِظُهُۥ» — "And when Luqman said to his son, while exhorting him" (31:13)

2. يُوعَظ → "to be exhorted" : to receive the exhortation, often closing a rule.

   • «ذَٰلِكُمْ تُوعَظُونَ بِهِۦ» — "This is what you are exhorted by" (58:3)

3. مَوْعِظَة → "admonition" : the exhorting word itself, given to be heard.

   • «قَدْ جَآءَتْكُم مَّوْعِظَةٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ» — "An admonition has come to you from your Guardian" (10:57)
   • «بِٱلْحِكْمَةِ وَٱلْمَوْعِظَةِ ٱلْحَسَنَةِ» — "with wisdom and fine admonition" (16:125)

4. ٱلْوَٰعِظِين → "those who exhort" : those who exhort, in the mouth of those who refuse.

   • «أَوَعَظْتَ أَمْ لَمْ تَكُن مِّنَ ٱلْوَٰعِظِينَ» — "whether you exhort or are not among those who exhort" (26:136)

Evidence from the text

The verb always has a word as its means and a setting right as its aim: God "exhorts you, perhaps you will remember" (16:90); Luqman exhorts his son before telling him "do not associate with God" (31:13); the rules of divorce and of the exclusion formula close on "This is what you are exhorted by" (58:3, 65:2, 2:232).

The مَوْعِظَة is what is given to be heard: it comes "from your Guardian" (10:57), it goes with wisdom in the call (16:125), it is "for those who guard themselves" (2:66, 3:138, 5:46, 24:34). Those who refuse it hold it equal to its absence (26:136).

Distinctions

• نذر — to warn of a coming danger; وعظ, to urge toward setting right by counsel
• ذكر — to remind of what one knows; وعظ, to exhort to it