Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon

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تَسَاوَيَا

Root: سوى

Form: 6

Full Definition

تَسَاوَيَاVI They two were, or became, equal, like each other, or alike; as also . استوى has two and more agents assigned to it: one says, استوى زَيْدٌ وُعَمْرُو وَخَالِدٌ فِى هٰذَا [Zeyd and 'Amr and Khálid were equal, or alike, in this]; i. e. تَسَاوَوْا: whence the saying in the Kur [ix. 19], لَا عِنْدَ ٱللّٰهِ [They will not be equal, or alike, in the sight of God]. And one says, تَسَاوَوْا فِى المَالِ They were, or became, equal in respect of the property, none of them exceeding another; as also فِيهِ. It is said in a trad., as some relate it, مَنْ يَوْمَاهُ فَهُوَ مَغْبُونٌ, in which the meaning is said to be تَسَاوَى [i. e. He whose two days are alike, neither being distinguished above the other by any good done by him, is weak-minded]. And in another it is said, لَا يَزَالُ النَّاسُ بِخَيْرٍ مَا تَفَاضَلُوا فَإِذَا تَسَاوَوْا هَلَكُوا, i. e. [Men will not cease to be in a good state while they vie in excellence,] but when they cease from vying in excellent qualities and are content with defect [and thus become alike, they perish]: or when they become equal in ignorance: or when they form themselves into parties and divisions, and every one is alone in his opinion, and they do not agree to acknowledge one exemplar or chief or leader [so that they are all alike]: or, accord. to Az, when they are alike in evil, there being none among them possessed of good.
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