s-w-d

Description

The Arabic root س-و-د (s-w-d) primarily conveys the concept of blackness or darkness, and appears in the Quran to describe both literal blackness (such as the black thread of dawn or black camels) and metaphorical darkness representing disgrace, humiliation, or spiritual gloom. In Quranic context, faces becoming blackened often symbolizes the shame and dishonor of those who reject faith or engage in wrongdoing, particularly on the Day of Judgment, contrasting with the whitened or brightened faces of the righteous. The root can also relate to leadership or nobility (sayyid), possibly deriving from the concept of being distinguished or prominent, though this meaning represents a separate semantic development from the color-based usage.