غفرthe root's dominant sense is covering/concealment, with a few anomalies noted separately. (root ghfr)

Al-mighfar (المغفر): a protective covering for the head. Ghafara al-thawb (غفر الثوب): when its nap (ziʾbir) rises up — ghafran. Al-ghifāra (الغفارة): [same as] al-mighfar; the mighfar of the helmet is its fringe of iron rings, as al-Aʿshā said: "...and the tall slender mare that darts about with the mail-clad warrior of the ghifār (helmet-mail)..." Al-ghifāra (الغفارة) is also a rag which a woman places for oil upon the crown of her head. Al-ghifāra is also a rag wrapped around the notch (siya) of the bow so that the bow's cord-wrapping (iṭnāba) is wound over it — this being the strap with which it is bound; and a rope whose head is called ghifāra. The origin of ghafr is covering (al-taghṭiya). Al-maghfūr (المغفور): a worm/insect product that comes out of the ʿurfuṭ tree, sweet, which is dissolved in water and drunk; the gum of the plum tree is [also called] maghfūr. They went out yatamaghfarūn (يتمغفرون), meaning seeking the maghāfīr (المغافير, gum-exudates). Al-ghifāra: the light rain-cloud (rabāba) that covers (taghfiru) the clouds above you, i.e. veils them, because it is beneath the rain-cloud, thus screening it from you. The people came jammāʾa al-ghafīr (جماء الغفير), meaning with all of them together, their whole company. Al-ghafr: the young of the mountain-goat (al-arwiya); Dhū al-Rumma said: "And a mountain pass which refused to let the young goats (al-ghafr) traverse it between them — I drove my she-camels, from Qurāsiya, tawny ones..." Al-mughfir (المغفر): the mountain-goat (al-arwiya) itself, also called Umm Ghafr. Al-ghafr is [also] one of the lunar mansions. God is al-Ghafūr, al-Ghaffār — He forgives sins: maghfira, ghufrān, and ghafr.

Al-ghafr (الغفر): covering (al-taghṭiya). Al-ghafr: forgiveness (al-ghufrān). Ghafartu al-matāʿ (غفرت المتاع): I put the goods into the container. One says: dye your garment, for it is aghfar (أغفر) for concealing dirt, i.e. better at bearing/hiding it. Ghafara al-jurḥ yaghfiru ghafran (غفر الجرح يغفر غفرا): [the wound] relapsed; likewise of the sick person. The poet said: "By your life, indeed the abode relapses (ghafr) for the one in love, just as the fevered man relapses, or the man with a wound." And ghafira (غفر), with kasra, yaghfaru ghafran (يغفر غفرا), is a dialectal variant of it. Al-ghafr: three small stars which the moon lodges in, part of Libra (al-Mīzān). Al-ghafr also: fine hair like down (zaghab) found on a woman's shin, forehead, and the like; likewise al-ghafar with fatḥa. The rajaz poet said: "A tender young woman whose shins bear the down (al-ghafr) is known — either they [the trees] will bear fruit or the trees will perish." Al-ghafr also: the nap of a garment (ziʾbir al-thawb). One says ghafara thawbuka yaghfiru ghafran (غفر ثوبك يغفر غفرا) [the garment's nap rose], and aghfāra al-thawb ighfīrāran (اغفار الثوب اغفيرارا) [same meaning, another form]. Al-ghufr (الغفر), with ḍamma: the young of the mountain-goat (al-arwiya), plural al-aghfār (الأغفار); its mother is mughfira (مغفرة), plural mughfirāt (مغفرات). Bishr said: "...and a steep place from which the young goats (al-ghufr) slip off its crags, at its sides, with tall ben-trees and mountain-ash..." Al-ghufra (الغفرة): that with which something is covered. One says: "Cover this matter with its proper covering (ightafirū hādhā al-amr bi-ghufratihi)," meaning set it right with what is fitting to set it right with. Al-ghifār (الغفار), with ḍamma: a dialectal variant of al-ghafr, meaning down (al-zaghab). The rajaz poet said: "She appeared fresh-faced, her head-covering (khimār) adorning her, and a shin-bone whose down (ghifāruhā) did not mar it." And al-qisṭa is the thickness of the shin — but I do not transmit this on anyone's authority. Al-Aṣmaʿī said: al-mighfar (المغفر) is mail woven from coats of armor to the size of the head, worn beneath the cap (qalansuwa). One says: istaghfara Allāha li-dhanbihi wa-min dhanbihi (استغفر الله لذنبه ومن ذنبه) — both with the same meaning — so He forgave him his sin: maghfira, ghafr, ghufrān. Ightafara dhanbahu (اغتفر ذنبه): similarly [forgave]; so he is ghafūr (غفور), plural ghufur (غفر). Their saying jāʾū jammāʾa ghafīrāʾ (جاءوا جماء غفيراء), with madd, and al-jammāʾ al-ghafīr (الجماء الغفير), and jamm al-ghafīr (جم الغفير), and jammāʾ al-ghafīr (جماء الغفير): meaning they came all together — noble and lowly alike — none staying behind, and they were numerous. Al-jammāʾ al-ghafīr is a noun, not a verb-form, yet it is put in the accusative like the infinitives (maṣādir) that share its meaning, as one says jāʾūnī jamīʿan (all together), qāṭibatan (entirely), ṭurran, and kāffatan. They introduced the alif and lām into it just as they introduced them in their saying awradahā al-ʿirāk (أوردها العراك), meaning awradahā ʿirākan. One says: mā fīhim ghafīra (ما فيهم غفيرة), meaning they will not forgive anyone a wrongdoing. The rajaz poet said: "O my people, there is no forgiveness (ghafīra) among you — so walk as the camels of al-Ḥīra walk." Al-ghifāra (الغفارة), with kasra: a rag worn beneath the head-covering (miqnaʿ).

Ghayn, fāʾ, rāʾ — a root whose main sense is covering (al-satr); then some things deviate from it, which will be mentioned. Al-ghafr (الغفر) means covering (al-satr); and al-ghufrān (الغفران) and al-ghafr (الغفر) [also] have this meaning. One says ghafara Allāhu dhanbahu (غفر الله ذنبه) — ghafran, maghfiratan, ghufrānan [God forgave/covered his sin]. It is said regarding al-ghafr: "In the shade of those before whose faces necks are bent... the King of kings and Master of forgiveness (al-ghafr)..." One also says ghafara al-thawb (غفر الثوب) when its nap (ziʾbir) rises up, and this belongs to the root because the nap covers the face of the garment. Al-mighfar (المغفر) [a helmet-covering] is well known. Al-ghifāra (الغفارة) is a rag which one applying oil places on the crown of the head. It is said that al-ghafīr (الغفير) is the hair hanging loose on the nape of the neck; it is related of an Arab woman that she said to her daughter, "Ighfirī ghafīrak (اغفري غفيرك)" meaning "cover it." Al-ghafīra (الغفيرة) also means forgiveness (al-ghufrān); it is said: "O my people, there is no forgiveness (ghafīra) among them..." Among what deviates from this [core meaning] is al-ghafr (الغفر), the young of the mountain-goat (al-arwiya), whose mother is called mughfir (مغفر). Al-ghafr (الغفر) also means relapse in sickness; it is said: "O my two friends, indeed the abode relapses (ghafr) for the one in love, just as the fevered man relapses, or the man with a wound." As for al-maghfūr (المغفور), it is something resembling gum which comes out of the ʿurfuṭ tree.

Al-ghafr (الغفر) [means]: clothing something with what protects it from soiling; from this it is said, "cover your garment (ightafir thawbak) in the container," and "dye your garment, for it is aghfar (أغفر) [better] at hiding dirt." Al-ghufrān (الغفران) and al-maghfira (المغفرة) from God mean that He protects His servant from being touched by punishment. He, exalted, said: "ghufrānaka rabbanā" ["Your forgiveness, our Lord"] (al-Baqara 2:285); "maghfiratan min rabbikum" ["forgiveness from your Lord"] (Āl ʿImrān 3:133); "wa-man yaghfiru al-dhunūba illā Allāh" ["and who forgives sins except God"] (Āl ʿImrān 3:135). It is sometimes said ghafara lahu (غفر له) [he forgave him] when he overlooks him outwardly, even if he does not overlook him inwardly, as in: "qul lilladhīna āmanū yaghfirū lilladhīna lā yarjūna ayyāma Allāh" ["Say to those who believe that they should forgive those who do not expect the days of God"] (al-Jāthiya 45:14). Al-istighfār (الاستغفار) [seeking forgiveness] is seeking this through word and deed. His saying: "istaghfirū rabbakum innahu kāna ghaffāran" ["seek forgiveness of your Lord; indeed He is Ever-Forgiving"] (Nūḥ 71:10) — they were not commanded merely to ask Him this with the tongue only, but with tongue and deed together; it has been said that seeking forgiveness with the tongue alone, without the corresponding deed, is the practice of liars. This is the meaning of "udʿūnī astajib lakum" ["Call upon Me, I will respond to you"] (Ghāfir 40:60). And He said: "istaghfir lahum aw lā tastaghfir lahum" ["whether you ask forgiveness for them or do not ask forgiveness for them"] (al-Tawba 9:80); "wa-yastaghfirūna lilladhīna āmanū" ["and they ask forgiveness for those who believe"] (Ghāfir 40:7). Al-Ghāfir (الغافر) and al-Ghafūr (الغفور) as descriptions of God are as in: "Ghāfir al-dhanb" ["Forgiver of sin"] (Ghāfir 40:3); "innahu Ghafūrun Shakūr" ["indeed He is Ever-Forgiving, Appreciative"] (Fāṭir 35:30); "huwa al-Ghafūru al-Raḥīm" ["He is the Forgiving, the Merciful"] (al-Zumar 39:53). Al-ghafīra (الغفيرة) means al-ghufrān (forgiveness); from this His saying: "ighfir lī wa-li-wālidayya" ["forgive me and my parents"] (Nūḥ 71:28); "an yaghfira lī khaṭīʾatī" ["that He forgive me my error"] (al-Shuʿarāʾ 26:82); "waghfir lanā" ["and forgive us"] (al-Baqara 2:286). It is also said: "ighfirū hādhā al-amr bi-ghufratihi" ["cover this matter with its proper covering"], meaning conceal it with what it ought to be concealed with. Al-mighfar (المغفر): the iron helmet (bayḍat al-ḥadīd). Al-ghifāra (الغفارة): a rag that protects the head-covering (khimār) from being touched by hair-oil; also a patch with which the notch of the bowstring is covered; and a cloud layered above [another] cloud.

Al-Ghafūr (الغفور), al-Ghaffār (الغفار) — may His praise be exalted — are both intensive forms (abniyat al-mubālagha), meaning the One who covers (al-sātir) the sins of His servants and passes over their wrongdoings and sins. One says: Allāhumma ighfir lanā maghfiratan wa-ghafran wa-ghufrānan (اللهم اغفر لنا مغفرة وغفرا وغفرانا) — "O God, forgive us with covering, forgiveness, and pardon" — "and indeed You are al-Ghafūr, al-Ghaffār, O People of Forgiveness." The root meaning of al-ghafr is covering and concealment (al-taghṭiya wa'l-satr). Ghafara Allāhu dhunūbahu (غفر الله ذنوبه): He covered them. Al-ghafr: forgiveness (al-ghufrān). In the ḥadīth: when he came out from the privy he would say "Ghufrānaka" (غفرانك) ["Your forgiveness"] — ghufrān being a maṣdar (verbal noun), put in the accusative by an implied "I seek" (aṭlubu). Regarding why this was specified, there are two views: one is that it is repentance for his shortcoming in giving thanks for the favors God had bestowed upon him — feeding him, digesting his food, and easing his relief — so he resorted to seeking forgiveness for the shortcoming and for having left off remembrance of God during the time he spent in the privy, for he never ceased remembering God with tongue and heart except at the time of relieving himself; he saw this as a shortcoming and so made up for it by seeking forgiveness. He [already] said ghafarahu yaghfiruhu ghafran (غفره يغفره غفرا): he covered it. Everything you cover (satartahu), you have ghafartahu (غفرته); from this the thing worn beneath the iron helmet on the head is called mighfar (مغفر). The Arabs say: dye your garment black, for it is aghfar (أغفر) for its dirt, i.e. better at bearing it and better at concealing it. From this: ghafara Allāhu dhunūbahu (غفر الله ذنوبه), meaning He covered them. Ghafartu al-matāʿ (غفرت المتاع): I put the goods in the container. Ibn Sīda: ghafara al-matāʿ fī al-wiʿāʾ yaghfiruhu ghafran (غفر المتاع في الوعاء يغفره غفرا), and aghfarahu (أغفره): he put it in, covered it, and contained it; likewise ghafara al-shayb bi'l-khiḍāb (غفر الشيب بالخضاب) and aghfarahu (أغفره) [he covered the gray hair with dye]; it is said: "Until I clothed myself, from the gray hair, with a turban, covered (ghafrāʾ), its color covered (aghfaru) by the dye." And it is also transmitted as "aghfaru lawnuhā" [its color is more covering]. Any garment with which something is covered is called ghifāra (غفارة); from this, the ghifāra of the bow-wrappers (zunūn) with which saddle-bags are covered, plural ghifārāt (غفارات) and ghafāʾir (غفائر). In the ḥadīth of ʿUmar, when he strewed gravel in the mosque, he said: "It is aghfar (أغفر) for the phlegm," meaning more concealing of it. Al-ghafr and al-maghfira: covering over sins and pardoning them; one says ghafara dhanbahu yaghfiruhu ghafran wa-ghafratan ḥasanatan (غفر ذنبه يغفره غفرا وغفرة حسنة) — from al-Liḥyānī — and ghufrānan, maghfiratan, and ghufūran (غفورا) — the last from al-Liḥyānī — and ghafīran (غفيرا) and ghafīratan (غفيرة). From this, the saying of some Arabs: "Take the path of forgiveness (al-ghafīra), and the she-camel of abundant milk, and honor within one's tribe — for these are made easy for you." Ightafara dhanbahu (اغتفر ذنبه): the same [as ghafara]; so he is ghafūr (غفور), plural ghufur (غفر). As for his saying: "We forgave (ghafarnā), and forgiveness (al-ghafr) had become our habit" — he made al-ghafr feminine here because it carries the meaning of al-maghfira. Istaghfara Allāha min dhanbihi wa-li-dhanbihi (استغفر الله من ذنبه ولذنبه): both with the same meaning; so He forgave him his sin: maghfira, ghafr, ghufrān. In the ḥadīth: "Ghifār, may God forgive her (ghafara Allāhu lahā)" — Ibn al-Athīr said: this may be either a supplication for her to be forgiven, or a report informing that God, exalted, had [already] forgiven her. In the ḥadīth of ʿAmr ibn Dīnār: I said to ʿUrwa: How long did the Messenger of God, peace be upon him, stay... [entry continues]