What does « To crouch » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word To crouch (جثم) in the Quran, with 5 verses in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

جثم

To crouch

Root: ج - ث - م

Quranic language 5 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 1 min read

Definition of To crouch

'They became fallen (jâthimîn) in their homes' (Al-A'râf: 78): metaphor for those who remain motionless, from 'jathama al-tâ'ir' (the bird crouched) when it settles on its breast.

This describes destroyed peoples, frozen in death.

To crouch in the Quran (5)

Meccan: 5 Medinan: 0

Distribution of verses by surah

Al-A'raf 2

Hud 2

Al-'Ankabut 1

Surah Al-A'raf : 78 Meccan

﴿فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ ٱلرَّجْفَةُ فَأَصْبَحُوا۟ فِى دَارِهِمْ جَٰثِمِينَ﴾

So the earthquake seized them, and they became within their home [corpses] fallen prone.

Surah Al-A'raf : 91 Meccan

﴿فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ ٱلرَّجْفَةُ فَأَصْبَحُوا۟ فِى دَارِهِمْ جَٰثِمِينَ﴾

So the earthquake seized them, and they became within their home [corpses] fallen prone.

Surah Hud : 67 Meccan

﴿وَأَخَذَ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ ٱلصَّيْحَةُ فَأَصْبَحُوا۟ فِى دِيَٰرِهِمْ جَٰثِمِينَ﴾

And the shriek seized those who had wronged, and they became within their homes [corpses] fallen prone

Surah Hud : 94 Meccan

﴿وَلَمَّا جَآءَ أَمْرُنَا نَجَّيْنَا شُعَيْبًا وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَعَهُۥ بِرَحْمَةٍ مِّنَّا وَأَخَذَتِ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ ٱلصَّيْحَةُ فَأَصْبَحُوا۟ فِى دِيَٰرِهِمْ جَٰثِمِينَ﴾

And when Our command came, We saved Shu'ayb and those who believed with him, by mercy from Us. And the shriek seized those who had wronged, and they became within their homes [corpses] fallen prone

Surah Al-'Ankabut : 37 Meccan

﴿فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ ٱلرَّجْفَةُ فَأَصْبَحُوا۟ فِى دَارِهِمْ جَٰثِمِينَ﴾

But they denied him, so the earthquake seized them, and they became within their home [corpses] fallen prone.