The Qur'anic Root Ṭ R Ḥ

Short Meaning of the Root

The root ط ر ح (ṭ r ḥ) points to casting down, throwing out, setting aside, or distancing something from its previous place. In this root, the object is separated from the environment, bond, or position in which it had been, and is placed outside it.

In the Qur'an, this root appears in relation to the proposal of Yusuf’s brothers to remove him from the family environment.

Important Forms of the Root

طَرَحَ (ṭaraḥa) is the past-tense verb and, depending on context, can mean: he cast, threw out, distanced, set aside, or left behind.

يَطْرَحُ (yaṭraḥu) is its imperfect verb and points to casting, putting out, or setting aside.

طَرْح (ṭarḥ) is the main verbal noun of the root and expresses the act of casting, throwing out, setting aside, or putting something forward.

طَرِيح (ṭarīḥ) is said of a person or thing that has been cast down, fallen, or brought low. This form can be used for a sick or wounded person who cannot rise and is lying on a bed.

مَطْرُوح (maṭrūḥ) is the passive participle and means cast down, thrown out, set aside, or put forward.

مَطْرَح (maṭraḥ) is a noun of place and can refer to a place of casting, a place where something lies, or the point at which something has been set down.

طَرُوح (ṭarūḥ) describes something that casts far away or sends to a distance. In lexical usage, a bow that sends an arrow to a far distance can be called طَرُوح (ṭarūḥ).

طَرَّحَ (ṭarraḥa) in Form II can express intensity, repetition, or continuity in casting and setting aside.

اطَّرَحَ (iṭṭaraḥa) is the Form VIII pattern and points to distancing something from oneself, casting something aside, or abandoning it. This form is not the same as the Qur'anic imperative اطْرَحُوا (iṭraḥū), because اطْرَحُوا (iṭraḥū) is the imperative of the simple verb طَرَحَ (ṭaraḥa), not a Form VIII verb.

تَطَارَحَ (taṭāraḥa) and مُطَارَحَة (muṭāraḥah) point to casting or putting something forward between two or more parties. Uses such as exchanging speech and posing a question arise from this semantic expansion.

أُطْرُوحَة (uṭrūḥah) in later Arabic refers to a written thesis, claim, or problem placed forward for scholarly examination. This is not a Qur'anic usage.

In the Qur'an, the only form from this root is اطْرَحُوهُ (iṭraḥūhu).

Linguistic Note

The core of ط ر ح (ṭ r ḥ) is not merely “moving” something. Usually, three stages are visible in it:

First, something is in a place, collection, or bond.

Then it is separated from that place, collection, or bond.

Finally, it is cast or placed outside its previous position.

For this reason, طرح (ṭarḥ) is stronger than the more neutral idea of placing and stronger than ordinary transfer. When something is وضع (wuḍiʿa), the focus is more on the place where it is put. But when something is طرح (ṭuriḥa), its separation from the first place and its being thrown outside are more prominent.

This throwing-out does not always occur through a violent bodily throw. The semantic branches of the root can include casting a physical object, distancing a person, the falling or coming out of something from an organic body, setting aside an opinion or method, and putting forward a question for examination.

In all these uses, something that had previously been inside a location, set, mind, or structure is brought out of it and placed in another field.

Material Image of the Root

The clearest material image of ط ر ح (ṭ r ḥ) is an object separated from the hand or its place and cast onto the ground or into another point. The main direction of movement is from “inside or nearness” toward “outside or distance.”

Another image is an arrow or object sent far away by an instrument. The bow called طَرُوح (ṭarūḥ) is named because of its capacity to cast far. In this image, distance is the result of the act of طرح (ṭarḥ): the object separates from the point of origin and lands elsewhere.

In biological usage too, one says that an animal طَرَحَتْ (ṭaraḥat) its fetus; that is, the fetus separated from the body and was cast out. With plants or trees, طرح (ṭarḥ) can also refer to shedding or throwing off leaves or fruit.

The importance of these usages is that طرح (ṭarḥ) is not always about something completely external and unrelated. Sometimes what is cast out had previously been part of a structure. Even so, this lexical image should not become an interpretive metaphor imposed on the story of Yusuf; in the verse, the direct meaning is casting out and distancing Yusuf.

Historical Note and Ancient Arabic Usage

In classical Arabic, طرح الشيء (ṭaraḥa al-shayʾ) was used for casting something down, throwing it away, or setting it aside. Forms such as طرحه (ṭaraḥahu), طرح به (ṭaraḥa bihi), طرّحه (ṭarraḥahu), and اطّرحه (iṭṭaraḥahu) also belong, with morphological differences, to the same field.

طَرَحَتِ النَّاقَةُ جَنِينَهَا

An expression like this meant that the she-camel cast out her fetus. In this usage, the main element is separation and the coming out of something from within a body.

They could also use forms of this root for the shedding of produce or parts of a plant. This use connects طرح (ṭarḥ) with the separation and falling of something that had previously been connected to a structure.

In Arabic, الطَّرَح (al-ṭarḥ) and المَطْرَح (al-maṭraḥ) also became connected with distance and the place of casting. In expressions about travel and separation, time or distance is imagined as though it took a person from his place and cast him to a far point.

قَوْسٌ طَرُوح

This referred to a bow that casts the arrow far away.

These usages show that distance is not a meaning wholly separate from casting; rather, it is one of its natural results.

In later language, “posing a question” came to mean putting a question forward for examination. Here nothing is thrown away; rather, something is brought out of the mind or silence and placed before others. This later usage should not be imposed on the meaning of the Qur'anic verse.

Qur'anic Usage of the Root

Casting Yusuf Out of the Family Environment

اقْتُلُوا يُوسُفَ أَوِ اطْرَحُوهُ أَرْضًا يَخْلُ لَكُمْ وَجْهُ أَبِيكُمْ

Kill Yusuf, or cast him into some land, so that your father’s attention may become free for you.

Yusuf 12:9

The root ط ر ح (ṭ r ḥ) appears in the Qur'an only in this verse.

اطْرَحُوهُ (iṭraḥūhu) is a plural imperative:

اطْرَحُوا (iṭraḥū): cast, or throw out.

هُ (hu): him.

Yusuf’s brothers put forward two ways of removing him: killing him, or casting him into another land. طرح (ṭarḥ) here is not merely relocation. They want to remove Yusuf from the family environment, from the father’s reach, and from the field of his attention.

The continuation of the sentence reveals the aim of the act:

يَخْلُ لَكُمْ وَجْهُ أَبِيكُمْ

So that your father’s face may become free for you.

وجه أبيكم (wajhu abīkum) here is not only the physical face. It also includes the father’s turning toward, attention, and presence before his children. In the brothers’ logic, Yusuf is an obstacle to the father’s attention being reserved for them. Therefore, they want to remove him from this field.

Even so, the lexical meaning of طرح (ṭarḥ) by itself is not “removing an obstacle.” That dimension is understood from the aim stated in the continuation of the verse. The core of the verb remains casting and bringing out from the previous position.

From اطْرَحُوهُ أَرْضًا (iṭraḥūhu arḍan) to أَلْقُوهُ فِي غَيَابَتِ الْجُبِّ (alqūhu fī ghayābat al-jubb)

In the next verse, one of the brothers gives a more specific proposal:

لَا تَقْتُلُوا يُوسُفَ وَأَلْقُوهُ فِي غَيَابَتِ الْجُبِّ

Do not kill Yusuf; cast him into the hidden depth of the well.

Yusuf 12:10

In verse 9 it had said:

اطْرَحُوهُ أَرْضًا

Cast him into some land.

The destination in this proposal is unspecified. The main issue is removing Yusuf from the family environment; any land that separates him from the father could serve as the destination.

But in verse 10 it says:

أَلْقُوهُ فِي غَيَابَتِ الْجُبِّ

Cast him into the hidden depth of the well.

Here the destination is defined by the preposition في (fī) and the specific phrase غَيَابَتِ الْجُبِّ (ghayābat al-jubb). The plan moves from a general proposal of removal and distancing to a specific act with a specific place.

This difference does not show that طرح (ṭarḥ) always has an unspecified destination and إلقاء (ilqāʾ) always has a specified destination. Both roots can take different structures in other contexts. The difference between these two verses arises from the combination of verb, syntactic structure, and the stage the brothers’ discussion has reached:

اطرحوه أرضاً (iṭraḥūhu arḍan): removing him from the field of the family, with an unspecified destination.

ألقوه في غيابت الجب (alqūhu fī ghayābat al-jubb): executing the plan by casting him into a specified place.

The Meaning of أَرْضًا (arḍan)

The word أَرْضًا (arḍan) is indefinite and accusative. This form points to an unspecified land or region: a place where Yusuf would be separated from home and father.

In syntactic analysis, أرضاً (arḍan) can be understood as an adverbial accusative of place, meaning:

Cast him into some land.

Some syntactic analyses understand it as accusative because a preposition has been omitted, with the underlying structure:

اطْرَحُوهُ فِي أَرْضٍ

Cast him into some land.

These two explanations do not create a major difference in translation. In both, أرض (arḍ) is the place or destination of the casting, not a second object alongside Yusuf.

However, the omission of the preposition, if this analysis is accepted, does not by itself prove intensity, violence, or urgency. The intensity of the sentence is understood first from the meaning of the verb طرح (ṭarḥ), its placement opposite killing, and the aim of removing Yusuf from the family. A possible syntactic analysis should not be turned into a rhetorical meaning that the structure itself does not necessarily establish.

The indefiniteness of أرض (arḍ) also does not directly mean “a distant land.” Yet the unspecified destination, together with the aim of distancing Yusuf from his father, makes distance and unfamiliarity understandable from the context.

Therefore, it is better not to add the word “distant” in the main translation, but to explain that meaning in the linguistic note.

Distinguishing Similar Uses

Casting a Body or Person

In the basic use, a thing or person is separated from its place and cast into another point. The Qur'anic use of اطْرَحُوهُ (iṭraḥūhu) belongs to this field.

Throwing Out from a Structure

In uses such as casting out a fetus or shedding fruit, something is separated from the body or structure to which it had previously been connected. The main axis is the severing of the bond and the coming out.

Distancing

What is طرح (ṭurḥa) may be placed at a distance from its previous location. Distance is one common result of طرح (ṭarḥ), but it is not an independent and necessary part of every translation.

Setting Aside

An opinion, method, or immaterial thing can also be طرح (ṭurḥa); that is, it is removed from the field of validity or use.

Putting Forward

In later language, posing a question or problem means bringing it into the field of discussion. This use has a different direction, but still rests on bringing something out of a hidden or internal state and placing it before others.

Being Fallen and Brought Low

طريح (ṭarīḥ) can be said of someone fallen on the ground or on a bed. Here the result of the act, not the moment of casting, is prominent.

Syntactic and Structural Notes

The Structure of اطْرَحُوهُ (iṭraḥūhu)

اطْرَحُوا (iṭraḥū) is an imperative verb addressed to a masculine plural.

The final واو (wāw) marks the plural.

The pronoun هُ (hu) is the object of the verb and refers back to Yusuf:

اطْرَحُوا + هُ (iṭraḥū + hu)

Cast + him.

This form is built from the simple verb طَرَحَ ـ يَطْرَحُ (ṭaraḥa — yaṭraḥu):

يَطْرَحُ (yaṭraḥu)

طْرَحْ (ṭraḥ)

اطْرَحْ (iṭraḥ)

اطْرَحُوا (iṭraḥū)

The initial hamzah is همزة وصل (hamzat waṣl), added to make it possible to begin pronouncing a verb that otherwise begins with a consonant cluster. Therefore, اطْرَحُوا (iṭraḥū) is neither Form IV nor Form VIII.

The Structure of أَوِ اطْرَحُوهُ (awi iṭraḥūhu)

The original conjunction is أَوْ (aw). In connected recitation, to avoid the collision of two sukūns, a kasrah is heard:

أَوِ اطْرَحُوهُ

The meaning of أو (aw) remains “or,” placing two proposals before the speakers:

killing Yusuf;

casting and distancing him.

The Position of أَرْضًا (arḍan)

أرضاً (arḍan) expresses the place or field in which the act occurs. It may be taken as an accusative adverb of place or as accusative because a preposition has been omitted.

In both analyses, the natural English meaning is:

Cast him into some land.

It should not be translated as a second object of طرح (ṭarḥ), because Yusuf is what is cast, while أرض (arḍ) shows the destination or environment of the casting.

Difference from Nearby Roots

ط ر ح (ṭ r ḥ) and ل ق ي (l q y)

The root ل ق ي (l q y) in Form IV, ألقى (alqā), points to casting, throwing, placing, or conveying something. Its field is broad: a staff is cast, speech is cast or delivered, something is thrown into water, and love is placed in the heart.

In ط ر ح (ṭ r ḥ), throwing out, setting aside, and separating from the previous position are more prominent. ألقى (alqā) more often expresses the act of delivering or casting to a destination.

This difference is clear in Yusuf 12:9 and 12:10: طرح (ṭarḥ) focuses on removing Yusuf from the family environment, while casting him into the well with ألقى (alqā) expresses the specific act of throwing him into a defined destination.

ط ر ح (ṭ r ḥ) and ن ب ذ (n b dh)

ن ب ذ (n b dh) also points to casting away and setting aside, but in many of its uses, disregard, abandoning a relationship, or throwing something behind one’s back is prominent:

نَبَذُوهُ وَرَاءَ ظُهُورِهِمْ

They cast it behind their backs.

Al-Imran 3:187

In نبذ (nabdh), the object is put outside the field of attention, commitment, or validity. But “the intrinsic worthlessness of the object” should not be made a fixed part of the root. Something can be valuable, yet a person may cast it aside with disregard.

In طرح (ṭarḥ), the focus is more on the act of throwing out and moving from the previous position. The object may be worthless, unwanted, dangerous, or simply obstructive to the actor’s aim; the root itself does not judge its intrinsic value.

Yusuf’s brothers do not set him aside because he is intrinsically worthless; the context shows that his belovedness to the father caused their hostility. But that point is understood from the story, not from the lexical meaning of ط ر ح (ṭ r ḥ) by itself.

ط ر ح (ṭ r ḥ) and ر م ي (r m y)

ر م ي (r m y) points to throwing toward a direction or target. An arrow, stone, and even an accusation can be the subject of رمي (ramy).

In طرح (ṭarḥ), reaching a precise target is not necessary. The main axis is throwing out and separating from the previous place. رمي (ramy) highlights movement toward a target; طرح (ṭarḥ) highlights moving away from the origin.

ط ر ح (ṭ r ḥ) and ق ذ ف (q dh f)

ق ذ ف (q dh f) usually highlights throwing with force and speed. This root can be used for a physical object, for placing something in the heart, or for making an accusation.

In طرح (ṭarḥ), violent force is not a necessary part of the meaning. The act may be harsh, but the core is throwing out and setting aside.

ط ر ح (ṭ r ḥ) and ط ر د (ṭ r d)

ط ر د (ṭ r d) points to driving away, expelling, and forcing someone to move away. In طرد (ṭard), the person or animal may itself move away under pressure.

In طرح (ṭarḥ), the object is more directly the thing cast and put outside. طرد (ṭard) highlights compulsory movement away; طرح (ṭarḥ) highlights the act of throwing out.

ط ر ح (ṭ r ḥ) and ت ر ك (t r k)

ت ر ك (t r k) points to leaving or giving up something. Something may remain where it is, while the actor leaves it.

In طرح (ṭarḥ), the object itself is taken out of its position or cast away. Therefore, “leaving” is only a suitable translation for طرح (ṭarḥ) when the meaning of putting outside and distancing is also clear in the context.

ط ر ح (ṭ r ḥ) and و ض ع (w ḍ ʿ)

و ض ع (w ḍ ʿ) points to placing or putting something in a location. This root is more neutral in value and motion.

In وضع (waḍʿ), the destination of placement is prominent; in طرح (ṭarḥ), separation from the origin and being cast out are prominent.

ط ر ح (ṭ r ḥ) and أ ب ع د (ʾ b ʿ d)

أبعد (abʿada) directly states the result: someone or something is made distant.

طرح (ṭarḥ) shows a way this distance can be produced: the object is cast out of its place and, as a result, becomes distant.

Translation Suggestions for Forqan

طَرَحَ (ṭaraḥa)

cast; threw out; threw away; set aside; removed from its place; left somewhere, depending on context.

يَطْرَحُ (yaṭraḥu)

casts; throws out; sets aside; distances.

طَرْح (ṭarḥ)

casting; throwing out; setting aside; distancing; putting forward, in intellectual usage.

طَرِيح (ṭarīḥ)

cast down; fallen; brought low; bedridden.

مَطْرُوح (maṭrūḥ)

cast down; thrown out; set aside; put forward, in intellectual usage.

مَطْرَح (maṭraḥ)

place of casting; place where something lies; place or position.

طَرُوح (ṭarūḥ)

far-casting; far-reaching; strongly distancing, depending on the described object.

اطْرَحُوهُ (iṭraḥūhu)

cast him; throw him out; distance him; leave him somewhere else.

For the phrase:

اقْتُلُوا يُوسُفَ أَوِ اطْرَحُوهُ أَرْضًا

the suggested Forqan translation is:

Kill Yusuf, or cast him into some land.

This translation does not insert “far,” which is not explicit in the text. The unspecified land and the aim of distancing Yusuf from the father are explained in the linguistic note.

The translation “leave him somewhere” is smooth in English, but it weakens the force of “casting and bringing out.” “Cast him into some land” better preserves the structure and force of the verb.

Linguistic Summary

Linguistic summary: the root ط ر ح (ṭ r ḥ) points to separating something from its previous position and casting, putting out, or setting it aside. Its material image is a thing or living being separated from a place or body and placed outside it.

In the Qur'an, this root appears only in اطْرَحُوهُ أَرْضًا (iṭraḥūhu arḍan): a proposal to remove Yusuf from the family environment and place him in an unspecified land.

طرح (ṭarḥ) overlaps with إلقاء (ilqāʾ), نبذ (nabdh), رمي (ramy), قذف (qadhf), طرد (ṭard), ترك (tark), and وضع (waḍʿ), but its distinctive feature is the connection between separation from a position, being cast out, and being placed in another field.