اوى

Core meaning

To make one's way to a shelter that receives, or to receive another there: to take refuge, to give refuge; and the place that receives at the end, the refuge.

Uses

1. أَوَىٰ إِلَىٰ → "to take refuge" : the subject goes himself toward the shelter he hopes for.

   • «إِذْ أَوَى ٱلْفِتْيَةُ إِلَى ٱلْكَهْفِ» — "When the young people took refuge in the Cave" (18:10)
   • «سَـَٔاوِىٓ إِلَىٰ جَبَلٍۢ يَعْصِمُنِى مِنَ ٱلْمَآءِ» — "I shall take refuge on a mountain, which will safeguard me from the water" (11:43)

2. ءَاوَىٰ → "to give shelter", "to take in", "to give refuge" : another receives the one who comes, and shelters him.

   • «أَلَمْ يَجِدْكَ يَتِيمًۭا فَـَٔاوَىٰ» — "Did He not find you an orphan and give you shelter?" (93:6)
   • «ءَاوَىٰٓ إِلَيْهِ أَخَاهُ» — "he took his brother in with him" (12:69)
   • «وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَاوَوا۟ وَّنَصَرُوٓا۟» — "and those who gave refuge and helped" (8:72)
   • «وَءَاوَيْنَٰهُمَآ إِلَىٰ رَبْوَةٍۢ» — "and We granted them refuge on a height" (23:50)

3. تُـْٔوِى → "to shelter", "to take in with oneself" : to keep near oneself, under one's protection.

   • «وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِى تُـْٔوِيهِ» — "the line that sheltered him" (70:13)

4. مَأْوَىٰ → "refuge" : the place that receives at the end: the Fire for some, the Garden for others.

   • «وَمَأْوَىٰهُمُ ٱلنَّارُ» — "And their refuge will be the Fire" (3:151)
   • «فَإِنَّ ٱلْجَنَّةَ هِىَ ٱلْمَأْوَىٰ» — "then the Garden will indeed be his refuge" (79:41)

Evidence from the text

The simple verb and the form ءَاوَىٰ are the two sides of one gesture. With the first, one goes oneself to the shelter: the young people to the Cave (18:10, 18:16), Moussa and his young companion by the rock (18:63), the son of Nuh to the mountain (11:43). With the second, someone receives: God the orphan (93:6), Youssof his brother then his parents (12:69, 12:99), those who gave refuge to the emigrants (8:72, 8:74), and God, who grants refuge to the threatened believers (8:26) as to the son of Maryam and his mother, on a height provided with a spring (23:50).

The text also shows a shelter that does not protect. The son of Nuh believes the mountain will safeguard him, and the answer falls: no safeguard today against the command of God (11:43). The severed one would hand over as ransom "the line that sheltered him" (70:13). Only the shelter God gives holds.

Hence the sense of مَأْوَىٰ. Almost always, the refuge of those who disowned is the Fire or Jahannam (3:151, 4:121, 9:73, 13:18): those who did not seek refuge in God are received there. Facing them, the Garden is the refuge of whoever feared standing before his Guardian (79:41), and "the Garden of Refuge" lies near the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary (53:15).

Distinctions

• عصم — safeguard against a danger, which the son of Nuh expects from the mountain; اوى names the movement toward shelter

See also

كهف (the Cave) · نزل (the welcome prepared, joined to the refuge in 32:19)