إِسْوَةٌ

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إِسْوَةٌ and أُسْوَةٌ and ↓, أَسْوَةٌ, mentioned by Er-Rághib in one of his works, An example; an exemplar; a pattern; an object of imitation; a person by whom one takes example; syn. قُدْوَةٌ or قِدْوَةٌ; each a subst. from اِيتَسَى بِهِ; i. e. مَا يُؤْتَسَى بِهِ: explained by Er-Rághib as meaning the condition in which is a man in respect of another's imitating [him], whether good or bad, pleasing or hurtful: also a thing [or person] by which one who is in grief, or mourning, takes example, for the being consoled (لِلتَّعَزِّى) thereby: pl. إِسًى and أُسًى; the former of the first sing., and the latter of the second. The first of these meanings is intended in the saying, لِى فِي فُلَانٍ إِسْوَةٌ and أُسْوَةٌ [I have in such a one an example, &c.]. The saying, مَا سَوِى التُّرَابِ مِنَ الأَرْضِ إِسْوَةُ التُّرَابِ is tropical, meaning There is nothing but the dust of the earth, or ground, that follows the dust.
2 Also an Verbal.Noun, [or rather a quasi-Verbal.Noun,] syn. with اِيتِسَآءٌ [Verbal.Noun of 8].

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