Evil

Arabic derives from the root f-n-y (ف ن ي), which conveys meanings such as "perishing," zail, "darkening." The term fanā’ (فناء) is derived from this root. The word shares a common origin with the Aramaic-Syriac root p-n-y and the term panəyā (פניא), meaning "sunset" or "evening." This shared etymological foundation reveals that the core concept underlying the word is the action of "turning the face away" or "turning the back" (pənā). Semantically, the phenomenon of light turning away and yielding to darkness (evening) has expanded in Turkish to encompass both physical annihilation and qualitative deterioration, corresponding to the meaning of "bad."

• Ontology and Metaphysics: Used to denote the absolute or temporary cessation of existence, the dissolution of material form, and the temporal finitude that stands in opposition to "bekā" (permanence).
• Sufism and Moral Philosophy: Describes the process by which an individual purifies themselves of their animalistic ego and sense of self, dissolving their will into the divine will (e.g. Fenâfillâh). In this context, the term functions as a technical expression meaning "turning away from the material world" and undergoing spiritual transformation.
• Ethics and Social Sciences: Characterizes behaviors and conditions that contradict social norms, moral standards, or aesthetic values. It expresses the negative outcome resulting from the loss of an object’s essential nature or its "zail" state, using the term "fenalık."
• Literature and Rhetoric: One of the fundamental concepts employed, especially in classical texts, to emphasize the transience of the world (fenâ-yı dünya) and to depict life’s inherent destiny toward extinction.