What does « To break / To grind » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word To break / To grind (قصف) 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.

قصف

To break / To grind

Root: ق - ص - ف

Creed (aqida) 1 verse

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 1 min read

Definition of To break / To grind

Al-Qaṣf refers to violent noise and breaking.

The Almighty says: 'And He sends upon you a hurricane' (Al-Isra 69).

Al-qāṣif is the violent wind that breaks.

Qaṣafa ash-shay' means to break it with a crashing sound.

To break / To grind in the Quran (1)

Meccan: 1 Medinan: 0

Surah Al-Isra : 69 Meccan

﴿أَمْ أَمِنتُمْ أَن يُعِيدَكُمْ فِيهِ تَارَةً أُخْرَىٰ فَيُرْسِلَ عَلَيْكُمْ قَاصِفًا مِّنَ ٱلرِّيحِ فَيُغْرِقَكُم بِمَا كَفَرْتُمْ ثُمَّ لَا تَجِدُوا۟ لَكُمْ عَلَيْنَا بِهِۦ تَبِيعًا﴾

Or do you feel secure that He will not send you back into the sea another time and send upon you a hurricane of wind and drown you for what you denied? Then you would not find for yourselves against Us an avenger.