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

Discover the meaning of the word Cradle / To prepare (مهد) in the Quran, with 15 verses in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

مهد

Cradle / To prepare

Root: م - ه - د

Quranic language 15 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 3 min read

Definition of Cradle / To prepare

Al-Mahd refers to the cradle and prepared bed.

The Almighty says: 'He will speak to people in the cradle' (Al-'Imran 46), speaking of 'Isā.

Mahhada means to level and prepare.

The Almighty says: 'And the earth, We have spread it' (Qaf 7).

Cradle / To prepare in the Quran (15)

Meccan: 9 Medinan: 6

Distribution of verses by surah

Âl 'Imrân 3

Al-Baqara 1

Al-Maida 1

Al-A'raf 1

Ar-Ra'd 1

Maryam 1

Ta-Ha 1

Ar-Rum 1

Sad 1

Az-Zukhruf 1

+ 3 more surahs

Surah Al-Baqara : 206 Medinan

﴿وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُ ٱتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ أَخَذَتْهُ ٱلْعِزَّةُ بِٱلْإِثْمِ فَحَسْبُهُۥ جَهَنَّمُ وَلَبِئْسَ ٱلْمِهَادُ﴾

And when it is said to him, "Fear Allah," pride in the sin takes hold of him. Sufficient for him is Hellfire, and how wretched is the resting place.

Surah Âl 'Imrân : 12 Medinan

﴿قُل لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ سَتُغْلَبُونَ وَتُحْشَرُونَ إِلَىٰ جَهَنَّمَ وَبِئْسَ ٱلْمِهَادُ﴾

Say to those who disbelieve, "You will be overcome and gathered together to Hell, and wretched is the resting place."

Surah Âl 'Imrân : 46 Medinan

﴿وَيُكَلِّمُ ٱلنَّاسَ فِى ٱلْمَهْدِ وَكَهْلًا وَمِنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ﴾

He will speak to the people in the cradle and in maturity and will be of the righteous."

Surah Âl 'Imrân : 197 Medinan

﴿مَتَٰعٌ قَلِيلٌ ثُمَّ مَأْوَىٰهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ وَبِئْسَ ٱلْمِهَادُ﴾

[It is but] a small enjoyment; then their [final] refuge is Hell, and wretched is the resting place.

Surah Al-Maida : 110 Medinan

﴿إِذْ قَالَ ٱللَّهُ يَٰعِيسَى ٱبْنَ مَرْيَمَ ٱذْكُرْ نِعْمَتِى عَلَيْكَ وَعَلَىٰ وَٰلِدَتِكَ إِذْ أَيَّدتُّكَ بِرُوحِ ٱلْقُدُسِ تُكَلِّمُ ٱلنَّاسَ فِى ٱلْمَهْدِ وَكَهْلًا وَإِذْ عَلَّمْتُكَ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَٱلْحِكْمَةَ وَٱلتَّوْرَىٰةَ وَٱلْإِنجِيلَ وَإِذْ تَخْلُقُ مِنَ ٱلطِّينِ كَهَيْـَٔةِ ٱلطَّيْرِ بِإِذْنِى فَتَنفُخُ فِيهَا فَتَكُونُ طَيْرًۢا بِإِذْنِى وَتُبْرِئُ ٱلْأَكْمَهَ وَٱلْأَبْرَصَ بِإِذْنِى وَإِذْ تُخْرِجُ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ بِإِذْنِى وَإِذْ كَفَفْتُ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ عَنكَ إِذْ جِئْتَهُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَٰتِ فَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ إِنْ هَٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ﴾

[The Day] when Allah will say, "O Jesus, Son of Mary, remember My favor upon you and upon your mother when I supported you with the Pure Spirit and you spoke to the people in the cradle and in maturity; and [remember] when I taught you writing and wisdom and the Torah and the Gospel; and when you designed from clay [what was] like the form of a bird with My permission, then you breathed into it, and it became a bird with My permission; and you healed the blind and the leper with My permission; and when you brought forth the dead with My permission; and when I restrained the Children of Israel from [killing] you when you came to them with clear proofs and those who disbelieved among them said, "This is not but obvious magic."

Surah Al-A'raf : 41 Meccan

﴿لَهُم مِّن جَهَنَّمَ مِهَادٌ وَمِن فَوْقِهِمْ غَوَاشٍ وَكَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ﴾

They will have from Hell a bed and over them coverings [of fire]. And thus do We recompense the wrongdoers.

Surah Ar-Ra'd : 18 Medinan

﴿لِلَّذِينَ ٱسْتَجَابُوا۟ لِرَبِّهِمُ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ وَٱلَّذِينَ لَمْ يَسْتَجِيبُوا۟ لَهُۥ لَوْ أَنَّ لَهُم مَّا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا وَمِثْلَهُۥ مَعَهُۥ لَٱفْتَدَوْا۟ بِهِۦٓ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ سُوٓءُ ٱلْحِسَابِ وَمَأْوَىٰهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ وَبِئْسَ ٱلْمِهَادُ﴾

For those who have responded to their Lord is the best [reward], but those who did not respond to Him - if they had all that is in the earth entirely and the like of it with it, they would [attempt to] ransom themselves thereby. Those will have the worst account, and their refuge is Hell, and wretched is the resting place.

Surah Maryam : 29 Meccan

﴿فَأَشَارَتْ إِلَيْهِ قَالُوا۟ كَيْفَ نُكَلِّمُ مَن كَانَ فِى ٱلْمَهْدِ صَبِيًّا﴾

So she pointed to him. They said, "How can we speak to one who is in the cradle a child?"

Surah Ta-Ha : 53 Meccan

﴿ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلْأَرْضَ مَهْدًا وَسَلَكَ لَكُمْ فِيهَا سُبُلًا وَأَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَأَخْرَجْنَا بِهِۦٓ أَزْوَٰجًا مِّن نَّبَاتٍ شَتَّىٰ﴾

[It is He] who has made for you the earth as a bed [spread out] and inserted therein for you roadways and sent down from the sky, rain and produced thereby categories of various plants.

Surah Ar-Rum : 44 Meccan

﴿مَن كَفَرَ فَعَلَيْهِ كُفْرُهُۥ وَمَنْ عَمِلَ صَٰلِحًا فَلِأَنفُسِهِمْ يَمْهَدُونَ﴾

Whoever disbelieves - upon him is [the consequence of] his disbelief. And whoever does righteousness - they are for themselves preparing,

Surah Sad : 56 Meccan

﴿جَهَنَّمَ يَصْلَوْنَهَا فَبِئْسَ ٱلْمِهَادُ﴾

Hell, which they will [enter to] burn, and wretched is the resting place.

Surah Az-Zukhruf : 10 Meccan

﴿ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلْأَرْضَ مَهْدًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ فِيهَا سُبُلًا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ﴾

[The one] who has made for you the earth a bed and made for you upon it roads that you might be guided

Surah Adh-Dhariyat : 48 Meccan

﴿وَٱلْأَرْضَ فَرَشْنَٰهَا فَنِعْمَ ٱلْمَٰهِدُونَ﴾

And the earth We have spread out, and excellent is the preparer.