What does « To attack / To seize » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word To attack / To seize (سطا) in the Quran, with 1 verse in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

سطا

To attack / To seize

Root: س - ط

Jurisprudence (fiqh) 1 verse

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 1 min read

Definition of To attack / To seize

As-satwa: violence by raising the hand.

One says: he attacked him.

The Almighty says: 'They are almost about to assault those who recite to them Our verses' (Al-Hajj 72) describing the hostility of disbelievers.

Satwa implies physical aggression.

To attack / To seize in the Quran (1)

Meccan: 0 Medinan: 1

Surah Al-Hajj : 72 Medinan

﴿وَإِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـٰتُنَا بَيِّنَـٰتٍۢ تَعْرِفُ فِى وُجُوهِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ٱلْمُنكَرَ ۖ يَكَادُونَ يَسْطُونَ بِٱلَّذِينَ يَتْلُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـٰتِنَا ۗ قُلْ أَفَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِشَرٍّۢ مِّن ذَٰلِكُمُ ۗ ٱلنَّارُ وَعَدَهَا ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ۖ وَبِئْسَ ٱلْمَصِيرُ﴾

And when Our verses are recited to them as clear evidences, you recognize in the faces of those who disbelieve disapproval. They are almost on the verge of assaulting those who recite to them Our verses. Say, "Then shall I inform you of [what is] worse than that? [It is] the Fire which Allah has promised those who disbelieve, and wretched is the destination."