Manifestations of the AllMerciful [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

O Allah, Free Every Captive

Meaning of Asir

The
word Asir originates from al-asr, which means:

Fastening with a bond

Raghib, the famous lexicographer, in his Qur'anic
dictionary al- Mufradat86 says:

"One who was tied by fetters was known
to be asir; thereafter the word was intended for every entity that is seized and
bound, even if it was not fettered by anything. ..for example:

I
am bound to your favor

From the abovementioned definition, the comprehensiveness
of the concept of the word 'asir' becomes clear. The traditions of the Holy Prophet
(s) and his immaculate progeny also reveal this truth. Following are some examples
for your perusal:

a. Imam Abu'l I:lasan al- Thalith87 (' Ali al-Naqi
('a)) is reported to have said:

The
ignorant one is a captive of his tongue

b. In a supplication88 from
Yusha' bin Nun ('a) we find the following expression:

___________________________

86
Raghib Isfahani, al-Mufradat, p. 76, new ed.

87 Allama Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar,
v.78, p. 368, tr. 3