Discover the meaning of the term Al-astẓhar (استظهار) in Islamic vocabulary.
Contents :
Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 2 min readAl-Manawi said: it is the effort in seeking and taking the more precautionary course. The author of the 'Lisan' mentioned three meanings for al-istidhhar: the first, that it means seeking help (al-isti'ana), that is, asking for assistance; he said 'istazharahu bi-hi', meaning he sought his aid, 'zharartu 'alay-hi', meaning I aided him, and 'zaharta fulanan', meaning I helped him. He also said: 'istazharahu: he sought help'; on this basis the verb is one that takes a direct object or the preposition.
The second: it may mean reciting from memory; one says 'I recited the Qur'an', meaning I memorized it, and 'he recited it from memory'. In the 'Qamus': 'istazharahu: he recited it from memory', that is, without a written copy. The third: it may mean precaution; the author of the 'Lisan' said, concerning the practice of the people of Medina: when a woman stops menstruating and bleeding continues, she sits out the days of her menses; when they expire she takes a precaution (istazharat) of three days in which she sits out as during menstruation and does not pray, then she performs the ritual bath and prays.
Al-Azhari said: the meaning of al-istidhhar in their saying is precaution and confidence in a supposition. (At-Tawqif, p. 58; al-Mawsu'a al-fiqhiyya 3/335.)
The effort in seeking and taking the more precautionary course.