t-f-l

Description

The Arabic root ط-ف-ل (ṭ-f-l) fundamentally denotes a young human being in the early stages of life, encompassing infancy through pre-pubescence. In the Quran, this root appears in discussions of legal rulings, human development stages, and social etiquette, particularly addressing when children reach maturity (bulūgh) and the permissions they have before that point. The term establishes childhood as a distinct phase of vulnerability and dependency, which carries specific moral and legal considerations in Islamic law regarding modesty, permission to enter rooms, and the transition to adult responsibility.