question about the word "than" or "zan"

[ilker]

salam folks,

What's the meaning of "than" or "zan" in the Quran ? I've seen different meanings in different ayat. Some of them meant "to believe" some of them "to assume"?

ALLAH (swt) tells us that some "zan" is "ism":

"O you who have believed, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allah ; indeed, Allah is Accepting of repentance and Merciful." (49:12)

But in 2:46 this word is used instead of "ya'lemoon":

"Who are certain that they will meet their Lord and that they will return to Him."  (Allatheena yathunnoonaannahum mulaqoo rabbihim waannahum ilayhi rajiAAoon)

Why do you think this word (to assume) is used, instead of "to know" in 2:46 ? Why is it not "ya'lemoon" but "yathunnoon" ?

[Hassan3000]

Peace be upon you

Here is the meaning of the word from Edward Lanes Lexicon. I copied the below from the site http://www.studyquran.co.uk/PRLonline.htm, which I recommend to use when you are in doubt about a meaning.

To think, suppose, doubt, assume, deem, believe, know, imagine, suspect, conjunctive, be sure of something in view of one's observations. As a general rule often this verb is succeeded by 'anna or 'an, that means to be sure about.

Zanna (prf. 3rd. p.m. sing, assim.): He thought, imagined, deemed, assumed, believed, conjectured, suspected; He was sure.
Zanantu (prf. 1st, p.m. sing.): I was sure.
Zannaa  (prf. 3rd. p.m. dual.): The twain thought.
Zannuu (prf. 3rd. p.m. plu.): They imagined.
Zanantum (prf. 2nd p.m. plu.): Ye thought.
Zananna (prf. 1st. p. plu.): We thought.
Yazunnu (imp. 3rd. p.m. sing.): He thinks.
Tazunnu (imp. 3rd. p. f. sing.): She thinks.
Azunnu (imp. 1st. P. sing.): I think.
Yazunnuuna (imp. 3rd, p. in. plu.): They know, believe, conjuncture.
Tazunnuuna (imp. 2nd. p.m. plu.): You entertained wrong thoughts.
Nazunnu (imp. 1st. p. plu.): We deem.
Zannun/Zannan  (nom./acc.n.): Thinking; Conjecture.
Zunuuna (n. plu.): Diverse thoughts.
Zaanniina (act. pic. n. plu.): Entertainers of evil thought.

 
يظنون yathunnoona - They know/believe/conjecture [2:46, 78, 249; 3:154; 45:24]
 
ظنا thannaan - Thinking, conjecture, idea [2:230; 10:36; 45:32]
 
ظن thannu/a - He thought, imagined, deemed, believed, assumed, conjectured, suspected; He was sure [3:154; 10:60; 12:42; 24:12; 38:27; 48:6, 12; 84:14]
 
الظن thanni/a - [4:157; 6:116, 148; 10:36, 66; 49:12 (2x); 53:23; 28 (2x)]
 
لنظنك thunnuka - Believe, think [7:66]
 
وظنوا thannoo - They imagined [7:171; 9:118; 10:22; 12:110; 28:39; 41:48; 59:2]
 
ظننتم thanantum - You thought [41:22, 23; 48:12; 59:2; 72:7]
 
ظنوا thannoo - They thought [72:7]
 
وظن thanna - Conclude [10:24; 38:24; 75:28]
 
نظنكم nathunnu - We think [11:27]
 
وتظنون thunnoona - Diverse thoughts, You thought [17:52; 33:10]
 
لاظنك thunnu - I think [17:101, 102]
 
فظنوا thannoo - They imagined [18:53]
 
فظن thanna - He imagined [21:87]
 
يظن yathunnu - He thinks [22:15; 83:4]
 
نظنك nathunnu - We deem [26:186]
 
لاظنه athunnu - I think [28:38; 40:37]
 
ظنه thanna - His idea [34:20]
 
ظنكم thannu - [37:87; 41:23]
 
نظن nathunnu - We deem [45:32]
 
الظانين thanneena - Entertainers of evil thought [48:6]
 
ظننت thanantu - I was sure [69:20]
 
ظننا thanannaan - We thought [72:5, 12]
 
تظن Tathunnu - She thinks [75:25]
LL, V5, pages: 209 http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume5/00000209.pdf, 210 http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume5/00000210.pdf, 211 http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume5/00000211.pdf

You can check from other lexicons from here as well: http://ejtaal.net/aa/#q=Znn

[ilker]

Salam brother

Alhamdulillah. What a nice and detailed post with great references Thanks for your time. It's great JZK.

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuhu.

[deleted]

Peace. It can mean "to know"?