What does « To count / To prepare » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word To count / To prepare (عد) in the Quran, with 7 verses in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

عد

To count / To prepare

Root: ع - د

Jurisprudence (fiqh) 7 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 5 min read

Definition of To count / To prepare

Al-'adad: combined units.

One says: the combination of units, it is the same thing.

The Almighty says: 'A determined number of days' (Al-Baqara 184). 'We have counted them' (Maryam 94).

Counting implies precision and limitation.

To count / To prepare in the Quran (7)

Meccan: 6 Medinan: 1

Distribution of verses by surah

Maryam 2

Ibrahim 1

An-Nahl 1

Al-Hajj 1

As-Sajda 1

Sad 1

Surah Ibrahim : 34 Meccan

﴿وَءَاتَىٰكُم مِّن كُلِّ مَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُ ۚ وَإِن تَعُدُّوا۟ نِعْمَتَ ٱللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَآ ۗ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ لَظَلُومٌۭ كَفَّارٌۭ﴾

And He gave you from all you asked of Him. And if you should count the favor of Allah, you could not enumerate them. Indeed, mankind is [generally] most unjust and ungrateful.

Surah An-Nahl : 18 Meccan

﴿وَإِن تَعُدُّوا۟ نِعْمَةَ ٱللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَآ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَغَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ﴾

And if you should count the favors of Allah, you could not enumerate them. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.

Surah Maryam : 84 Meccan

﴿فَلَا تَعْجَلْ عَلَيْهِمْ ۖ إِنَّمَا نَعُدُّ لَهُمْ عَدًّۭا﴾

So be not impatient over them. We only count out to them a [limited] number.

Surah Maryam : 94 Meccan

﴿لَّقَدْ أَحْصَىٰهُمْ وَعَدَّهُمْ عَدًّۭا﴾

He has enumerated them and counted them a [full] counting.

Surah Al-Hajj : 47 Medinan

﴿وَيَسْتَعْجِلُونَكَ بِٱلْعَذَابِ وَلَن يُخْلِفَ ٱللَّهُ وَعْدَهُۥ ۚ وَإِنَّ يَوْمًا عِندَ رَبِّكَ كَأَلْفِ سَنَةٍۢ مِّمَّا تَعُدُّونَ﴾

And they urge you to hasten the punishment. But Allah will never fail in His promise. And indeed, a day with your Lord is like a thousand years of those which you count.

Surah As-Sajda : 5 Meccan

﴿يُدَبِّرُ ٱلْأَمْرَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ إِلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ ثُمَّ يَعْرُجُ إِلَيْهِ فِى يَوْمٍۢ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُۥٓ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍۢ مِّمَّا تَعُدُّونَ﴾

He arranges [each] matter from the heaven to the earth; then it will ascend to Him in a Day, the extent of which is a thousand years of those which you count.

Surah Sad : 62 Meccan

﴿وَقَالُوا۟ مَا لَنَا لَا نَرَىٰ رِجَالًۭا كُنَّا نَعُدُّهُم مِّنَ ٱلْأَشْرَارِ﴾

And they will say, "Why do we not see men whom we used to count among the worst?