s-l-kh

Description

The Arabic root سلخ (s-l-kh) carries the core meaning of removing, peeling away, or stripping something from its covering, like skinning an animal or removing bark from a tree. In the Quran, this root appears in contexts describing the withdrawal of daylight from night (36:37), Satan's detachment from divine signs (7:175), and the passing away of months (9:5), all emphasizing a process of separation or removal of one thing that was previously covering or attached to another. The root's significance lies in its vivid imagery of stripping away, which the Quran uses metaphorically to describe both natural phenomena and spiritual states of departure from guidance or protection.