fitna

Fitna (or fitnah, pl. fitan; Arabic: فتن ,فتنة: "temptation, trial; sedition, civil strife, conflict") is an Arabic term that denotes concepts such as temptation, trial, sedition, civil strife, and conflict. The term encompasses a broad range of connotations, including trial, affliction, and distress. While it holds significant historical importance, the word is also widely used in modern Arabic, often without reference to its historical connotations.

A distinction can be observed between the meanings of fitna as used in Classical Arabic and its meanings as used in Modern Standard Arabic and various colloquial dialects. Given the conceptual significance of fitna in the Quran, its Quranic usage warrants separate consideration from, though in addition to, its broader lexical meaning in Classical Arabic.