Qana'a
/qɑːˈnɑːʕə/noun
An Islamic ethical ideal of contentment with what one has and acceptance of divine provision.
Did you know?In Islamic moral thought, qana'a is not passive resignation but disciplined freedom from envy, greed, and dependence on worldly possessions.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic (reconstructed)
Proto-Semitic
*q-n-ʿ
“A reconstructed root associated with being content or satisfied; the exact Proto-Semitic form and meaning are uncertain.”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
qaniʿa
“He was content, satisfied, or accepted what he had.”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
qanāʿa
“Contentment, satisfaction, or inward acceptance of one's provision.”
Medieval Islamic scholarship
Arabic
qanāʿa
“A praised ethical and spiritual virtue: freedom from greed and envy through contentment.”
20th–21st Century
English
qana'a
“An English transliteration used in writing about Islamic ethics, spirituality, and moral philosophy.”