Riáz-ul-Lughát (Arabic-Persian Dictionary)

1. See the dictionary online at golgasht.org

2. About Riaz-ul-Lughat

Riaz-ul-Lughat has unique characteristics not found in many dictionaries commonly used among Persian speakers. Some of these are highlighted below:

Persian speakers often have difficulty finding the meanings of Arabic words in dictionaries because most common Arabic to Persian, Arabic to English, or Arabic to Arabic dictionaries list word meanings under their roots. For example, if a reader wants to find the meaning of the word "mishāt," they must know that the root of this word is "sahu" in order to search for its meaning under the entry (s h w). Arabic to Persian dictionaries that list words in alphabetical order typically only include words used in Persian, and readers studying Arabic texts cannot find the meanings of many words in them.

Usually, Arabic to Persian dictionaries have used only a few reference dictionaries, and some have merely translated a single Arabic to Arabic or Arabic to English dictionary, such as Persian translations of Al-Munjid, Larousse, Munjid al-Abjadi, and Qamus al-Asri (New Dictionary). Therefore, they only provide words and meanings mentioned in these dictionaries and rarely consult various sources.

Unlike the common practice in dictionaries, in Riaz-ul-Lughat, plural forms of words are listed both under their singular forms and in alphabetical order. For example, if a reader wants to find the meaning of the word "asqā'," they don't need to know that its singular form is "suq'" and can refer directly to the entry for "asqā'."

In Riaz-ul-Lughat, the Arabic root is usually provided for each word so that if a reader wants to search for derivatives and their meanings in other dictionaries, they can easily use the given root. Additionally, for primitive infinitives, the vowel marks for past and present tense verbs are provided to be used when adding diacritical marks. Also, the removal of "al" from the beginning of Arabic nouns in this dictionary makes searching for words easier for Persian speakers.

In Riaz-ul-Lughat, many Arabic grammatical terms and expressions are explained in the simplest way and in detail under their alphabetical entries. For example, for a reader to find the meanings and uses of the word "'alā" in Arabic grammar books, they must first know that "'alā" is a preposition in order to find its usage in the section on prepositions. In Riaz-ul-Lughat, 12 uses of this word are explained simply with examples under its alphabetical entry. The grammatical explanations in Riaz-ul-Lughat alone constitute a book on Arabic grammar, especially syntax and morphology.

In addition to citing many examples from the Holy Quran and common expressions in religious writings, many modern Arabic words and scientific, medical, and technical terms currently used in Arab countries are also included in Riaz-ul-Lughat, often with their Latin or English equivalents so that readers can search for more information about them in scientific books.

Many names that are usually not found with their intended meanings in dictionaries when used in sacred texts and works are explained in the proper names section of each volume.

The limitations of Riaz-ul-Lughat compared to some new dictionaries should also be mentioned, the most important being the inability to include images for some words, which could help better understand their meanings. It is hoped that this deficiency will be remedied in the future and that the inclusion of images will be made possible.

The author of this great dictionary, Dr. Riaz Ghadimi, passed away to the celestial realm while compiling the ninth volume. To fulfill his wishes, two of his students, Dr. Behnam Rahbin and Engineer Ehsanullah Hemmat, continued compiling the subsequent volumes, striving to maintain the original author's style and precision, and published the ninth and tenth volumes. It is hoped that with the compilation of the remaining one or two volumes, the completion of this great dictionary will be accomplished.

It should be noted that Dr. Riaz Ghadimi never intended to make financial use of the publication of this dictionary during the thirty years he endured the effort of compiling it. This approach has continued and will continue in the publication of subsequent volumes.

Riaz-ul-Lughat is a valuable resource for readers of Arabic texts, translators, writers, and researchers in Persian and Arabic language and literature. It is hoped that it will be used by researchers in Persian, Arabic, Oriental studies, and Islamic studies departments of universities and research centers for language and the study of Middle Eastern cultures.

[Translation above by Claude Sonnet 3.7 (AI)]

See the dictionary online at golgasht.org.

3. About the Author

Dr. Riaz Ghadimi was born on December 7, 1927, in Ashgabat, Russia, to a Baha'i family. His paternal grandfather, Mulla Ali Bajestani, who was himself a religious scholar and jurist from Khorasan, faced persecution and harassment from religious extremists after converting to the Babi and Baha'i faiths, like many other followers of the new religion, and was forced to leave his homeland. He journeyed to Ashgabat and later settled in Samarkand. His son, Mirza Kuchik Khan, who lived in Ashgabat, was deported to Iran following the arrest and expulsion of Baha'is from the city by the Soviet Communist government. He came to Mashhad and settled there with his family.

Dr. Riaz Ghadimi completed his primary and secondary education in Mashhad and Tehran, passed the medical entrance exam, joined the army, and continued serving as an army physician until reaching the rank of general.

Dr. Ghadimi was simultaneously passionate about Persian culture and literature. He was well-acquainted with the works of great Persian poets and writers, possessed a fluid literary talent, and composed poetry.

While fulfilling his professional and administrative duties as a physician and army officer, he was engaged in activities and services aimed at developing and strengthening the Baha'i community in Iran. Among his notable services in this area was the establishment of classes aimed at increasing participants' knowledge and educating them according to the principles and teachings of the Baha'i faith. A significant portion of these classes was dedicated to studying Baha'i books and writings, which were written in both Arabic and Persian. Therefore, familiarity with the basics of the Arabic language and knowledge of Arabic words and expressions, which were very common even in Persian texts of that time, was necessary and unavoidable. For this reason, Dr. Ghadimi began collecting and compiling an Arabic-to-Persian dictionary to facilitate the study of Baha'i writings for his students. This dictionary was initially very limited in terms of number and content, but over many years, it gradually expanded in the number and scope of its entries, and eventually became the valuable Riaz-ul-Lughat dictionary, whose scope and range of contents are not limited to Baha'i texts but are much broader, and is rightfully the largest or one of the largest dictionaries available in the Persian language.

Unfortunately, Dr. Riaz Ghadimi's life was not long enough to complete this dictionary, and a small portion remained unfinished. This section is currently being completed and will soon be published.

In addition to the dictionary mentioned above, he also left behind writings on the history of religions.

Dr. Ghadimi bid farewell to this transient world on June 16, 2006, and hastened to the eternal realm.