ضِعْفُ

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ضِعْفُ signifies The like of the thing, that doubles it (يُضْعِفُهُ); and ضِعْفَاهُ, twice the like of it; and أَضْعَافُهُ, the likes of it: الضِّعْفُ in the [proper] language of the Arabs means the like: this is the original signification: and then, by a later [and conventional] usage, the like and more, the addition being unlimited: one says, هٰذَا ضِعْفُ هٰذَا i. e. This is the like of this: and هٰذَانِ ضِعْفَاهُ i. e. These two are twice the like of it: and it is allowable in the language of the Arabs to say, هٰذَا ضِعْفُهُ meaning This is twice the like [i. e. the double] of it, and thrice the like [i. e. the treble] of it, [and more,] because the ضِعْف is an unlimited addition: and one says, لَكَ ضِعْفُهُ meaning Thou shalt have twice the like of it, using the sing. form, though the dual form is better, and meaning also thrice the like of it, and more without limit: and الاِثْنَانِ ضِعْفُ الوَاحِدِ [i. e. الاثنان is the double of الواحد]: (M and K in art. ثنى:) and if one say in his will, أَعْطُوهُ ضِعْفَ نَصِيبِ وَلَدِى, twice the like of the share of his child is given to him; and if he say ضِعْفَيْهِ, thrice the like thereof is given to him; so that if the share of the son be a hundred, he [the legatee] is given two hundred in the former case, and three hundred in the latter case; for the will is made to accord with the common conventional language, not with the niceties of the [proper] language: the pl. is أَضْعَافٌ only. إِذًا لَأَذَقْنَاكَ ضِعْفَ الحَيَاةِ وَضِعْفَ المَمَاتِ, in the Kur [xvii. 77], means ضِعْفَ العَذَابِ حَيًّا وَمَيِّتًا, or ضِعْفَ عَذَابِ الحَيَاةِ وَضِعْفَ عَذَابِ المُمَاتِ, i. e. [In that case we would assuredly have made thee to taste] the like [or, as some explain it, the double] of the punishment of others in the present world and [the like or the double thereof] in the world to come: [Sgh adds, app. on the authority of Ibn-'Arafeh,] the meaning is, the punishment of others should be made two-fold, or more, (يُضَاعَف,) to thee, because thou art a prophet. In the saying, فَأُولَائِكَ لَهُمْ جَزَآءُ ٱلضِّعْفِ بِمَا عَمِلُوا, in the Kur [xxxiv. 36], by الضِّعْفِ is meant الأضْعَافِ [i. e. For these shall be the recompense of the likes for what they have done]; and it is most properly held to denote ten of the likes thereof, because of the saying in the Kur [vi. 161], “ Whoso doth that which is good, for him shall be ten of the likes thereof. ” In the saying, فَآتِهِمْ عَذَابًا ضِعْفًا, in the Kur [vii. 36], by ضِعْفًا is meant مُضَاعَفًا [i. e. Therefore do Thou recompense them with a doubled, or a double, punishment]: عَذَابٌ ضِعْفٌ meaning a punishment as though doubled, one part of it upon another.
2 أَضْعَافُ الكِتَابِ means The interspaces of the lines, or of the margin, or and of the margins, of the writing, or book: so in the saying, وَقَّعَ فُلَانٌ فِى أَضْعَافِ كِتَابِهِ [Such a one made an entry of a note or postil or the like, or entries of notes &c., in the interspaces of the lines, &c., of his writing, or book]: and الكِتَابِ signifies the same as أَضْعَافُهُ.
3 And أَضْعَافُ الجَسَدِ The limbs, members, or organs, (أَعْضَآء,) of the body: or the bones thereof: or the bones thereof having flesh upon them: sing. ضِعْفٌ. Hence the saying of Ru-beh, وَٱللّٰهُ بَيْنَ القَلْبِ وَالأَضْعَافِ [And God is between the heart and the limbs, &c.]. And it is said of Yoonus, [the prophet Jonah,] كَانَ فِى أَضْعَافِ الحُوتِ [He was amid the members of the fish].

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