What does « Board / Tablet » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word Board / Tablet (لوح) in the Quran, with 6 verses in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

لوح

Board / Tablet

Root: ل - ح

Jurisprudence (fiqh) 6 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 2 min read

Definition of Board / Tablet

Al-Lawḥ refers to the tablet.

The Almighty says: 'And We wrote for him on the tablets' (Al-A'raf 145), Moses' tablets.

Al-Lawḥ al-Maḥfūẓ is the Preserved Tablet where everything is inscribed.

Al-alwāḥ are ship planks.

Board / Tablet in the Quran (6)

Meccan: 6 Medinan: 0

Distribution of verses by surah

Al-A'raf 3

Al-Qamar 1

Al-Muddaththir 1

Al-Buruj 1

Surah Al-A'raf : 145 Meccan

﴿وَكَتَبْنَا لَهُۥ فِى ٱلْأَلْوَاحِ مِن كُلِّ شَىْءٍ مَّوْعِظَةً وَتَفْصِيلًا لِّكُلِّ شَىْءٍ فَخُذْهَا بِقُوَّةٍ وَأْمُرْ قَوْمَكَ يَأْخُذُوا۟ بِأَحْسَنِهَا سَأُو۟رِيكُمْ دَارَ ٱلْفَٰسِقِينَ﴾

And We wrote for him on the tablets [something] of all things - instruction and explanation for all things, [saying], "Take them with determination and order your people to take the best of it. I will show you the home of the defiantly disobedient."

Surah Al-A'raf : 150 Meccan

﴿وَلَمَّا رَجَعَ مُوسَىٰٓ إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِۦ غَضْبَٰنَ أَسِفًا قَالَ بِئْسَمَا خَلَفْتُمُونِى مِنۢ بَعْدِىٓ أَعَجِلْتُمْ أَمْرَ رَبِّكُمْ وَأَلْقَى ٱلْأَلْوَاحَ وَأَخَذَ بِرَأْسِ أَخِيهِ يَجُرُّهُۥٓ إِلَيْهِ قَالَ ٱبْنَ أُمَّ إِنَّ ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱسْتَضْعَفُونِى وَكَادُوا۟ يَقْتُلُونَنِى فَلَا تُشْمِتْ بِىَ ٱلْأَعْدَآءَ وَلَا تَجْعَلْنِى مَعَ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ﴾

And when Moses returned to his people, angry and grieved, he said, "How wretched is that by which you have replaced me after [my departure]. Were you impatient over the matter of your Lord?" And he threw down the tablets and seized his brother by [the hair of] his head, pulling him toward him. [Aaron] said, "O son of my mother, indeed the people oppressed me and were about to kill me, so let not the enemies rejoice over me and do not place me among the wrongdoing people."

Surah Al-A'raf : 154 Meccan

﴿وَلَمَّا سَكَتَ عَن مُّوسَى ٱلْغَضَبُ أَخَذَ ٱلْأَلْوَاحَ وَفِى نُسْخَتِهَا هُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِرَبِّهِمْ يَرْهَبُونَ﴾

And when the anger subsided in Moses, he took up the tablets; and in their inscription was guidance and mercy for those who are fearful of their Lord.

Surah Al-Qamar : 13 Meccan

﴿وَحَمَلْنَٰهُ عَلَىٰ ذَاتِ أَلْوَٰحٍ وَدُسُرٍ﴾

And We carried him on a [construction of] planks and nails,

Surah Al-Muddaththir : 29 Meccan

﴿لَوَّاحَةٌ لِّلْبَشَرِ﴾

Blackening the skins.

Surah Al-Buruj : 22 Meccan

﴿فِى لَوْحٍ مَّحْفُوظٍۭ﴾

[Inscribed] in a Preserved Slate.