Hukm
/hʊkm/noun
An Islamic legal or divine judgment, ruling, command, or decree.
Did you know?In the Qur’an, *ḥukm* can refer to God’s judgment or authority, while the related divine name *al-Ḥakam* means “the Judge.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*ḥ-k-m
“A reconstructed root associated with wisdom, judging, and exercising authority.”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
ḥokhmāh
“Wisdom; the related Semitic root developed a major theological sense in Jewish scripture.”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
ḥukm (حُكْم)
“Judgment, decision, command, or authority.”
Medieval Islamic usage
Arabic
ḥukm
“A legal ruling or divine decree, especially within Islamic jurisprudence and theology.”
Modern English
English
hukm
“A specialized loanword for an Islamic judgment, ruling, command, or divine ordinance.”