kh-m-s

Description

The Arabic root خمس (kh-m-s) carries the core semantic meaning of the number five and its multiples or divisions, appearing in the Quran in various numerical contexts including cardinal numbers (five), ordinal fractions (one-fifth), and multiples (fifty). This root is significant in Quranic legislation and narrative, particularly in verses detailing the distribution of war booty where one-fifth is designated for Allah and specific recipients, and in stories like the Companions of the Cave where their number is discussed. The root demonstrates how Arabic derives related numerical concepts from a single trilateral base, with the same root expressing both the base number and its mathematical relationships.