What does « To covet / To desire » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word To covet / To desire (طمع) in the Quran, with 12 verses in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

طمع

To covet / To desire

Root: ط - م - ع

Quranic language 12 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 3 min read

Definition of To covet / To desire

At-tama': the soul's inclination toward something through desire.

I coveted and I covet.

The Almighty says: 'It is He who, I hope, will forgive me' (Ash-Shu'ara 82). 'They hope for His mercy' (Al-Isra 57).

Hope in God is praiseworthy.

To covet / To desire in the Quran (12)

Meccan: 8 Medinan: 4

Distribution of verses by surah

Al-A'raf 2

Ash-Shu'ara 2

Al-Baqara 1

Al-Maida 1

Ar-Ra'd 1

Ar-Rum 1

As-Sajda 1

Al-Ahzab 1

Al-Ma'arij 1

Al-Muddaththir 1

Surah Al-Baqara : 75 Medinan

﴿أَفَتَطْمَعُونَ أَن يُؤْمِنُوا۟ لَكُمْ وَقَدْ كَانَ فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُمْ يَسْمَعُونَ كَلَٰمَ ٱللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُحَرِّفُونَهُۥ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا عَقَلُوهُ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ﴾

Do you covet [the hope, O believers], that they would believe for you while a party of them used to hear the words of Allah and then distort the Torah after they had understood it while they were knowing?

Surah Al-Maida : 84 Medinan

﴿وَمَا لَنَا لَا نُؤْمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ وَمَا جَآءَنَا مِنَ ٱلْحَقِّ وَنَطْمَعُ أَن يُدْخِلَنَا رَبُّنَا مَعَ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ﴾

And why should we not believe in Allah and what has come to us of the truth? And we aspire that our Lord will admit us [to Paradise] with the righteous people."

Surah Al-A'raf : 46 Meccan

﴿وَبَيْنَهُمَا حِجَابٌ وَعَلَى ٱلْأَعْرَافِ رِجَالٌ يَعْرِفُونَ كُلًّۢا بِسِيمَىٰهُمْ وَنَادَوْا۟ أَصْحَٰبَ ٱلْجَنَّةِ أَن سَلَٰمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ لَمْ يَدْخُلُوهَا وَهُمْ يَطْمَعُونَ﴾

And between them will be a partition, and on [its] elevations are men who recognize all by their mark. And they call out to the companions of Paradise, "Peace be upon you." They have not [yet] entered it, but they long intensely.

Surah Al-A'raf : 56 Meccan

﴿وَلَا تُفْسِدُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ بَعْدَ إِصْلَٰحِهَا وَٱدْعُوهُ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا إِنَّ رَحْمَتَ ٱللَّهِ قَرِيبٌ مِّنَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ﴾

And cause not corruption upon the earth after its reformation. And invoke Him in fear and aspiration. Indeed, the mercy of Allah is near to the doers of good.

Surah Ar-Ra'd : 12 Medinan

﴿هُوَ ٱلَّذِى يُرِيكُمُ ٱلْبَرْقَ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا وَيُنشِئُ ٱلسَّحَابَ ٱلثِّقَالَ﴾

It is He who shows you lightening, [causing] fear and aspiration, and generates the heavy clouds.

Surah Ash-Shu'ara : 51 Meccan

﴿إِنَّا نَطْمَعُ أَن يَغْفِرَ لَنَا رَبُّنَا خَطَٰيَٰنَآ أَن كُنَّآ أَوَّلَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ﴾

Indeed, we aspire that our Lord will forgive us our sins because we were the first of the believers."

Surah Ash-Shu'ara : 82 Meccan

﴿وَٱلَّذِىٓ أَطْمَعُ أَن يَغْفِرَ لِى خَطِيٓـَٔتِى يَوْمَ ٱلدِّينِ﴾

And who I aspire that He will forgive me my sin on the Day of Recompense."

Surah Ar-Rum : 24 Meccan

﴿وَمِنْ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ يُرِيكُمُ ٱلْبَرْقَ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا وَيُنَزِّلُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَيُحْىِۦ بِهِ ٱلْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَآ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَءَايَٰتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ﴾

And of His signs is [that] He shows you the lightning [causing] fear and aspiration, and He sends down rain from the sky by which He brings to life the earth after its lifelessness. Indeed in that are signs for a people who use reason.

Surah As-Sajda : 16 Meccan

﴿تَتَجَافَىٰ جُنُوبُهُمْ عَنِ ٱلْمَضَاجِعِ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُمْ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَٰهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ﴾

They arise from [their] beds; they supplicate their Lord in fear and aspiration, and from what We have provided them, they spend.

Surah Al-Ahzab : 32 Medinan

﴿يَٰنِسَآءَ ٱلنَّبِىِّ لَسْتُنَّ كَأَحَدٍ مِّنَ ٱلنِّسَآءِ إِنِ ٱتَّقَيْتُنَّ فَلَا تَخْضَعْنَ بِٱلْقَوْلِ فَيَطْمَعَ ٱلَّذِى فِى قَلْبِهِۦ مَرَضٌ وَقُلْنَ قَوْلًا مَّعْرُوفًا﴾

O wives of the Prophet, you are not like anyone among women. If you fear Allah, then do not be soft in speech [to men], lest he in whose heart is disease should covet, but speak with appropriate speech.

Surah Al-Ma'arij : 38 Meccan

﴿أَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍ﴾

Does every person among them aspire to enter a garden of pleasure?

Surah Al-Muddaththir : 15 Meccan

﴿ثُمَّ يَطْمَعُ أَنْ أَزِيدَ﴾

Then he desires that I should add more.