n-f-sh

Description

The Arabic root نفش (n-f-sh) carries the core meaning of dispersal, scattering, or becoming loose and spread out, like wool that has been carded or fluffed up to expand its volume. In the Quran, it appears in Surah Al-Qari'ah (101:4) describing people on the Day of Judgment as scattered moths (ka-l-farāsh al-mabthūth), and in reference to livestock that scatter and graze at night without supervision. The root conveys imagery of things moving from a compact or ordered state into disarray and confusion, making it particularly powerful for describing the chaos and disorientation of the Day of Resurrection.