Mizan
/miːˈzɑːn/noun
A balance, scale, or system of measurement; in Islamic thought, the divine scale by which deeds are weighed.
Did you know?In the Qur’an, the Mizan represents divinely established balance and justice, extending from ethical conduct to the order of the cosmos.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*w-z-n
“To weigh or determine weight; reconstructed ancestor of the Arabic weighing vocabulary.”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
wazn
“Weight, measure, or metrical pattern.”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
mīzān
“A balance, weighing instrument, or standard of measurement.”
7th Century
Qur’anic Arabic
al-mīzān
“The divinely established balance or scale associated with justice and the weighing of deeds.”
Medieval Arabic and Persian
Arabic/Persian
mīzān
“A balance, scale, proportion, or astrological sign of Libra.”
Modern English
English
mizan
“A borrowed term referring to a scale, balance, measure, or the Islamic eschatological balance.”