What does « To cut / To sever » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word To cut / To sever (حسم) in the Quran, with 1 verse in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

حسم

To cut / To sever

Root: ح - س - م

Quranic language 1 verse

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 1 min read

Definition of To cut / To sever

Al-hasm: eliminating the trace of something.

One says 'qata'ahu fa-hasamahu' (he cut it then cauterized it).

Cauterization prevents blood from flowing.

Allah says: 'Seven nights and eight days consecutively (husûman)' (Al-Hâqqa: 7), meaning without interruption.

To cut / To sever in the Quran (1)

Meccan: 1 Medinan: 0

Surah Al-Haqqa : 7 Meccan

﴿سَخَّرَهَا عَلَيْهِمْ سَبْعَ لَيَالٍ وَثَمَٰنِيَةَ أَيَّامٍ حُسُومًا فَتَرَى ٱلْقَوْمَ فِيهَا صَرْعَىٰ كَأَنَّهُمْ أَعْجَازُ نَخْلٍ خَاوِيَةٍ﴾

Which Allah imposed upon them for seven nights and eight days in succession, so you would see the people therein fallen as if they were hollow trunks of palm trees.