One of the most important roots in the Quran is ع-ل-م (to know). From this root come many words:
- عَلِمَ (ʿalima) = he knew
- عِلْم (ʿilm) = knowledge
- عَالِم (ʿālim) = scholar
- عَلَّمَ (ʿallama) = he taught
- يَعْلَمُ (yaʿlamu) = he knows
The Quran emphasizes knowledge repeatedly. The first word revealed was "اقرأ" (Read!).