What does « Ceiling / Roof » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word Ceiling / Roof (سقف) in the Quran, with 4 verses in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

سقف

Ceiling / Roof

Root: س - ق - ف

Quranic language 4 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 2 min read

Definition of Ceiling / Roof

Saqf al-bayt: the roof of the house, plural suquf.

The sky is made a roof in His saying: 'And We made the sky a protected ceiling' (Al-Anbiya 32).

The Almighty says: 'houses with roofs of silver' (Az-Zukhruf 33).

The roof protects and covers.

Ceiling / Roof in the Quran (4)

Meccan: 4 Medinan: 0

Distribution of verses by surah

An-Nahl 1

Al-Anbiya 1

Az-Zukhruf 1

At-Tur 1

Surah An-Nahl : 26 Meccan

﴿قَدْ مَكَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ فَأَتَى ٱللَّهُ بُنْيَٰنَهُم مِّنَ ٱلْقَوَاعِدِ فَخَرَّ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلسَّقْفُ مِن فَوْقِهِمْ وَأَتَىٰهُمُ ٱلْعَذَابُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ﴾

Those before them had already plotted, but Allah came at their building from the foundations, so the roof fell upon them from above them, and the punishment came to them from where they did not perceive.

Surah Al-Anbiya : 32 Meccan

﴿وَجَعَلْنَا ٱلسَّمَآءَ سَقْفًا مَّحْفُوظًا وَهُمْ عَنْ ءَايَٰتِهَا مُعْرِضُونَ﴾

And We made the sky a protected ceiling, but they, from its signs, are turning away.

Surah Az-Zukhruf : 33 Meccan

﴿وَلَوْلَآ أَن يَكُونَ ٱلنَّاسُ أُمَّةً وَٰحِدَةً لَّجَعَلْنَا لِمَن يَكْفُرُ بِٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ لِبُيُوتِهِمْ سُقُفًا مِّن فِضَّةٍ وَمَعَارِجَ عَلَيْهَا يَظْهَرُونَ﴾

And if it were not that the people would become one community [of disbelievers], We would have made for those who disbelieve in the Most Merciful - for their houses - ceilings and stairways of silver upon which to mount

Surah At-Tur : 5 Meccan

﴿وَٱلسَّقْفِ ٱلْمَرْفُوعِ﴾

And [by] the heaven raised high