sh-h-w

Description

The Arabic root ش-ه-و (sh-h-w) fundamentally conveys intense desire, appetite, or longing, particularly referring to passionate inclinations toward worldly pleasures and physical gratifications. In Quranic usage, this root typically describes human appetites for things like wealth, children, physical relationships, and material possessions that can distract from spiritual devotion when unregulated. The Quran acknowledges these desires as natural human traits while emphasizing the importance of controlling and properly channeling them rather than being enslaved by them, distinguishing between permissible fulfillment within divine boundaries and excessive or unlawful indulgence.