وَسَطٌ

[The middle, midst, or middle part, of a thing; i. e.,] properly, the part of which several lateral, or outer, portions are equal; as, for instance, the middle finger: but also meaning the part which is surrounded, or enclosed, on its several sides, although unequally: (Msb:) or the part that is between the two sides or extremities of a thing; (M, IB, Mgh, K;) [or the part, or point, that is between every two opposite extremities of a thing; and properly when equidistant;] as, for instance, the centre of a circle: (Mgh:) as also ↓ أَوْسَطُ, (M, K,) which is [likewise] a subst., like أَفْكَلٌ and أَزْمَلٌ [but imperfectly decl. because originally an epithet]: (M:) وَسَطٌ has its middle letter with fet-h in order that it may agree in measure with its contr., which is طَرَفٌ; the like agreement being frequent: (IB:) and it is only used in cases in which بَيْنَ may not be substituted for it, herein [and in other respects, mentioned in the next preceding paragraph,] differing from وَسْط: (S, IB, K:) [respecting the similar and dissimilar usages of وَسَط and وَسّط, sufficient observations have been made in the next preceding paragraph, which see throughout, and more especially in its latter part:] the plural of وَسَطٌ is أَوْسَاطٌ; and that of its synonym ↓ أَوْسَطُ is أَوَاسِطُ; or this may be a plural of ↓ وَاسِطٌ, and originally وَوَاسِطُ. (M.) You say, جَلَسْتُ فِى وَسَطِ الدَّارِ [I sat in the middle, or middle part, of the house]; (S, Mgh, Msb;) because وَسَط is a subst. (S.) And إِتَّسَعَ وَسَطُهُ [The middle, or middle part, thereof, became wide]. (Mgh, Msb.) And ضَرَبْتُ وَسَطَ رَأْسِهِ [I smote the middle, or middle part, of his head]. (Mgh, * Msb.) And كَسَرْتُ وَسَطَ الرُّمْحِ [I broke the middle, or middle part, of the spear]. (IB.) And وَسَطُهُ خَيْرٌ مِنْ طَرَفِهِ [The middle, or middle part, thereof is better than the extremity]. (Mgh, Msb.) And خَيَرُ الأُمُورِ أَوْسَاطُهَا The best of affairs, or actions, or cases, are such of them as are between two extremes. (M. [See R. Q. 1, in article حق.]) It is sometimes put in the accusative case as an adv. n.; as in the saying, جَلَسْتُ وَسَطَ الدَّارِ; but this is an instance of departure from the original usage; and [the meaning is جَلَسْتُ فِى وَسَطِ الدَّارِ signifying as explained above; so that] it is not here synonym with بَيْنَ, like as وَسْطَ is. (IB.)

It is also used as an epithet: (IB, Mgh:) [as such signifying Middle; intermediate; midway, or equidistant, between the two extremities or extremes; in place, or position: but in this sense superseded in usage by ↓ أَوْسَطُ and ↓ وَاسِطٌ and ↓ مُتَوَسِّطٌ: and in time; but in this sense also superseded in usage by ↓ أَوْسَطُ:] middling; of middle sort, kind, or rate; (Msb;) as also ↓ أَوْسَطُ (S, * M, Mgh, Msb, K) and ↓ مُتَوَسِّطٌ (M, Mgh, Msb) and ↓ وَسُوطٌ (M, TA) [and ↓ وَسِيطٌ]; between good and bad; (Msb, TA;) as also ↓ أَوْسَطُ: (Msb:) conforming, or conformable, to the just mean; just; equitable: (Zj, S, K:) good; (Zj, M, Msb, K;) as also ↓ وَسِيطٌ: (M:) most conforming, or conformable, to the just mean; most just; most equitable; applied to what is so of a thing; (S, M, K;) whatever it be; (S, K;) as also ↓ أَوْسَطَ: (M:) best; (Msb;) as also ↓ أَوْسَطُ: (S, * Msb, K *:) most generous: (M:) and when used as an epithet, it is applied alike to a masculine, feminine, singular, dual, and plural, subst.: (Mgh:) the feminine of ↓ أَوْسَطُ is وُسْطَى; (Mgh, Msb;) and the plural masculine أَوَاسِطُ; and plural feminine وُسَطٌ. (Msb.) Hence, (Msb,) ↓ الإِصْبَعُ الوُسْطَى (S, Msb, K) The middle finger. (Msb.) And ↓ اليَوْمُ الأَوْسَطُ [The middle day]. (Msb.) And ↓ اللَّيْلَةُ الوُسْطَى [The middle night. (Msb.) And ↓ العَشَرَةُ الأَوَاسِطُ, meaning The [ten middle] days. (Msb.) And العَشْرُ ↓ الوُسَطُ, meaning The [ten middle nights: not ↓ العَشْرُ الأَوْسَطُ; for this is a vulgar mistake, into which relaters of traditions have fallen; or it may be a mistake of transcription. (Msb.) And ↓ الصَّلٰوةُ الوُسْطَى, (M, Mgh, &c.,) mentioned in the Qur'an, 2:239,] (M, K,) meaning The middle prayer (Bd, TA) between the other prayers, (Bd,) or between the prayers of the night and the day; (TA;) or the most excellent of them in particular: (Bd:) i. e. the prayer of the afternoon; ('Alee Ibn-Abee-Tálib, I'Ab, and others, Mgh, Bd, K;) because the prophet said, on the day of the Ahzáb, “ they have diverted us from الصلوة الوسطى, the prayer of the afternoon: ” (Bd:) or the prayer of daybreak; (also said to be on the authority of 'Alee, Mgh, Bd, K;) because it is between the prayers of the night and the day; (Bd;) for the saying of the prophet mentioned above does not contravene this and other assertions, since what is meant in the tradition is not what is meant in the Qur'an: (K:) or, (M, K,) according to Abu-l-Hasan, (M,) the prayer of Friday; (M, K;) because it is the most excellent of the prayers; (M;) and he who says otherwise errs, unless he trace up the assertion to the prophet: (M, K:) these three opinions are of the strongest authority; (B;) and the first is that which commonly obtains: (Mgh:) or the prayer of noon; (Mgh, Bd, Msb, K;) because it is in the middle of the day: (Bd:) or the prayer of Friday on the day thereof; but on other days the prayer of noon: (K, and also said to be on the authority of 'Alec:) or the prayer of sunset: (Mgh, Bd, K:) or the prayer of nightfall: (Bd, K:) or [the night-prayer called] الوِتْر: (K:) or the prayer of the breaking of the fast: (K:) or the prayer of sacrifices: (K:) or the prayer of the period called the ضُحَى: (K:) or the prayer of the congregation: (K:) or the prayer of fear: (K:) or the prayers of nightfall and daybreak together: (K, and said to be on the authorities of 'Omar and 'Othmán:) or the prayers of daybreak and the afternoon together: (K:) or any of the five prayers; because before it are two prayers and after it are two prayers: (K:) or all the divinely-appointed prayers: (K:) or certain prayers not particularized: (K:) or prayer of middling length, between long and short. (K.) Hence also, شَىْءٌ وَسَطٌ A middling thing; a thing of middle sort or kind; (Msb;) between good and bad; (S, Msb;) as also ↓ أَوْسَطُ: (Msb:) and in like manner it is applied to a male slave, and a female slave, (Msb,) and two male slaves, and two sheep or goats. (Mgh.) And مَا تُطْعِمُونَ ↓ مِنْ أَوْسَطِ أَهْلِيكُمْ, in the Qur'an, 5:91,] Of the middle sort of that which ye give for food to your families, (Mgh, Msb,) between what is prodigal and what is niggardly. (Mgh.) And ↓ النَّمَطُ الأَوْسَطُ The middle class of men: occurring in a saying of 'Alee, cited in full in article غط. (M.) And عَلِّمْنِى ↓ دِينًا وَسُوطا Teach thou to me a religion of the middle sort: occurring in a saying of an Arab of the desert to El-Hasan, cited in full voce فَرَطَ. (M, TA.) And جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أَمَّةً وَسَطًا, in the Qur'an, 2:137,] (S, Mgh, Msb,) [We have made you to be a nation] conforming, or conformable, to the just mean; just; equitable: (Zj, S, IB, Bd, K:) or good. (Zj, Bd, Msb, K.) And مَرْعًى وَسَطٌ Choice pasturage. (M.) And رَجُلٌ وَسَطٌ A good man; as also ↓ وَسِيطٌ: (M:) or a man having good grounds of pretension to respect. (TA.) And فِى قَوْمِهِ ↓ فُلَانٌ وَسِيطٌ, (S, K *,) or بَيْنَهُمْ, (as in some copies of the K,) Such a one is the best of his people (↓ أَوْسَطُهُمْ) in race, and the highest of them in station. (S, K.) And الدَّارِ وَالحَسَبِ ↓ فُلَانٌ وَسِيطُ [Such a one is of good quality, or of the best quality, in respect of tribe, and of grounds of pretension to honour]. (Lth.) And هُوَ مِنْ وَسَطِ قَوْمِهِ, and ↓ من أَوْسَطِهِمْ, He is of the best of his people. (Msb.) And in like manner, هُوَ مِنْ وَسَطِ الشَّىْءِ, and ↓ من أَوْسَطِهِ, It is of the best of the thing. (Msb.) And قَالَ ↓ أَوْسَطُهُمْ in the Qur'an, 68:28, The best of them said: (Jel:) or the most rightly directed, of them, to the truth: (Msb:) or it means ↓ أَوْسَطُهُمْ رَأْيًا [the most remote, of them, from either extreme, in judgment]; or سِنًّا [in age]. (Bd.)