What does « Desire / Vow » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word Desire / Vow (منى) in the Quran, with 19 verses in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

منى

Desire / Vow

Root: م - ن

Creed (aqida) 19 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 3 min read

Definition of Desire / Vow

Al-Maniyy refers to sperm.

The Almighty says: 'From a sperm-drop' (An-Najm 46).

Al-umniyah is the wish.

The Almighty says: 'And it is only their wishful thinking' (Al-Baqarah 78).

Tamannā means to wish.

Desire / Vow in the Quran (19)

Meccan: 6 Medinan: 13

Distribution of verses by surah

Al-Baqara 4

An-Nisa 4

An-Najm 3

Al-Jumu'a 2

Âl 'Imrân 1

Al-Hajj 1

Al-Qasas 1

Al-Waqi'a 1

Al-Hadid 1

Al-Qiyama 1

Surah Al-Baqara : 78 Medinan

﴿وَمِنْهُمْ أُمِّيُّونَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ إِلَّآ أَمَانِىَّ وَإِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَظُنُّونَ﴾

And among them are unlettered ones who do not know the Scripture except in wishful thinking, but they are only assuming.

Surah Al-Baqara : 94 Medinan

﴿قُلْ إِن كَانَتْ لَكُمُ ٱلدَّارُ ٱلْءَاخِرَةُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ خَالِصَةً مِّن دُونِ ٱلنَّاسِ فَتَمَنَّوُا۟ ٱلْمَوْتَ إِن كُنتُمْ صَٰدِقِينَ﴾

Say, [O Muhammad], "If the home of the Hereafter with Allah is for you alone and not the [other] people, then wish for death, if you should be truthful.

Surah Al-Baqara : 95 Medinan

﴿وَلَن يَتَمَنَّوْهُ أَبَدًۢا بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌۢ بِٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ﴾

But they will never wish for it, ever, because of what their hands have put forth. And Allah is Knowing of the wrongdoers.

Surah Al-Baqara : 111 Medinan

﴿وَقَالُوا۟ لَن يَدْخُلَ ٱلْجَنَّةَ إِلَّا مَن كَانَ هُودًا أَوْ نَصَٰرَىٰ تِلْكَ أَمَانِيُّهُمْ قُلْ هَاتُوا۟ بُرْهَٰنَكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ صَٰدِقِينَ﴾

And they say, "None will enter Paradise except one who is a Jew or a Christian." That is [merely] their wishful thinking, Say, "Produce your proof, if you should be truthful."

Surah Âl 'Imrân : 143 Medinan

﴿وَلَقَدْ كُنتُمْ تَمَنَّوْنَ ٱلْمَوْتَ مِن قَبْلِ أَن تَلْقَوْهُ فَقَدْ رَأَيْتُمُوهُ وَأَنتُمْ تَنظُرُونَ﴾

And you had certainly wished for martyrdom before you encountered it, and you have [now] seen it [before you] while you were looking on.

Surah An-Nisa : 32 Medinan

﴿وَلَا تَتَمَنَّوْا۟ مَا فَضَّلَ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦ بَعْضَكُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ لِّلرِّجَالِ نَصِيبٌ مِّمَّا ٱكْتَسَبُوا۟ وَلِلنِّسَآءِ نَصِيبٌ مِّمَّا ٱكْتَسَبْنَ وَسْـَٔلُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مِن فَضْلِهِۦٓ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمًا﴾

And do not wish for that by which Allah has made some of you exceed others. For men is a share of what they have earned, and for women is a share of what they have earned. And ask Allah of his bounty. Indeed Allah is ever, of all things, Knowing.

Surah An-Nisa : 119 Medinan

﴿وَلَأُضِلَّنَّهُمْ وَلَأُمَنِّيَنَّهُمْ وَلَءَامُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُبَتِّكُنَّ ءَاذَانَ ٱلْأَنْعَٰمِ وَلَءَامُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُغَيِّرُنَّ خَلْقَ ٱللَّهِ وَمَن يَتَّخِذِ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنَ وَلِيًّا مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ فَقَدْ خَسِرَ خُسْرَانًا مُّبِينًا﴾

And I will mislead them, and I will arouse in them [sinful] desires, and I will command them so they will slit the ears of cattle, and I will command them so they will change the creation of Allah." And whoever takes Satan as an ally instead of Allah has certainly sustained a clear loss.

Surah An-Nisa : 120 Medinan

﴿يَعِدُهُمْ وَيُمَنِّيهِمْ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمُ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنُ إِلَّا غُرُورًا﴾

Satan promises them and arouses desire in them. But Satan does not promise them except delusion.

Surah An-Nisa : 123 Medinan

﴿لَّيْسَ بِأَمَانِيِّكُمْ وَلَآ أَمَانِىِّ أَهْلِ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ مَن يَعْمَلْ سُوٓءًا يُجْزَ بِهِۦ وَلَا يَجِدْ لَهُۥ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَلِيًّا وَلَا نَصِيرًا﴾

Paradise is not [obtained] by your wishful thinking nor by that of the People of the Scripture. Whoever does a wrong will be recompensed for it, and he will not find besides Allah a protector or a helper.

Surah Al-Hajj : 52 Medinan

﴿وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ وَلَا نَبِىٍّ إِلَّآ إِذَا تَمَنَّىٰٓ أَلْقَى ٱلشَّيْطَٰنُ فِىٓ أُمْنِيَّتِهِۦ فَيَنسَخُ ٱللَّهُ مَا يُلْقِى ٱلشَّيْطَٰنُ ثُمَّ يُحْكِمُ ٱللَّهُ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ﴾

And We did not send before you any messenger or prophet except that when he spoke [or recited], Satan threw into it [some misunderstanding]. But Allah abolishes that which Satan throws in; then Allah makes precise His verses. And Allah is Knowing and Wise.

Surah Al-Qasas : 82 Meccan

﴿وَأَصْبَحَ ٱلَّذِينَ تَمَنَّوْا۟ مَكَانَهُۥ بِٱلْأَمْسِ يَقُولُونَ وَيْكَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَبْسُطُ ٱلرِّزْقَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِۦ وَيَقْدِرُ لَوْلَآ أَن مَّنَّ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْنَا لَخَسَفَ بِنَا وَيْكَأَنَّهُۥ لَا يُفْلِحُ ٱلْكَٰفِرُونَ﴾

And those who had wished for his position the previous day began to say, "Oh, how Allah extends provision to whom He wills of His servants and restricts it! If not that Allah had conferred favor on us, He would have caused it to swallow us. Oh, how the disbelievers do not succeed!"

Surah An-Najm : 20 Meccan

﴿وَمَنَوٰةَ ٱلثَّالِثَةَ ٱلْأُخْرَىٰٓ﴾

And Manat, the third - the other one?

Surah An-Najm : 24 Meccan

﴿أَمْ لِلْإِنسَٰنِ مَا تَمَنَّىٰ﴾

Or is there for man whatever he wishes?

Surah An-Najm : 46 Meccan

﴿مِن نُّطْفَةٍ إِذَا تُمْنَىٰ﴾

From a sperm-drop when it is emitted

Surah Al-Waqi'a : 58 Meccan

﴿أَفَرَءَيْتُم مَّا تُمْنُونَ﴾

Have you seen that which you emit?

Surah Al-Hadid : 14 Medinan

﴿يُنَادُونَهُمْ أَلَمْ نَكُن مَّعَكُمْ قَالُوا۟ بَلَىٰ وَلَٰكِنَّكُمْ فَتَنتُمْ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَتَرَبَّصْتُمْ وَٱرْتَبْتُمْ وَغَرَّتْكُمُ ٱلْأَمَانِىُّ حَتَّىٰ جَآءَ أَمْرُ ٱللَّهِ وَغَرَّكُم بِٱللَّهِ ٱلْغَرُورُ﴾

The hypocrites will call to the believers, "Were we not with you?" They will say, "Yes, but you afflicted yourselves and awaited [misfortune for us] and doubted, and wishful thinking deluded you until there came the command of Allah. And the Deceiver deceived you concerning Allah.

Surah Al-Jumu'a : 6 Medinan

﴿قُلْ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ هَادُوٓا۟ إِن زَعَمْتُمْ أَنَّكُمْ أَوْلِيَآءُ لِلَّهِ مِن دُونِ ٱلنَّاسِ فَتَمَنَّوُا۟ ٱلْمَوْتَ إِن كُنتُمْ صَٰدِقِينَ﴾

Say, "O you who are Jews, if you claim that you are allies of Allah, excluding the [other] people, then wish for death, if you should be truthful."

Surah Al-Jumu'a : 7 Medinan

﴿وَلَا يَتَمَنَّوْنَهُۥٓ أَبَدًۢا بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌۢ بِٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ﴾

But they will not wish for it, ever, because of what their hands have put forth. And Allah is Knowing of the wrongdoers.

Surah Al-Qiyama : 37 Meccan

﴿أَلَمْ يَكُ نُطْفَةً مِّن مَّنِىٍّ يُمْنَىٰ﴾

Had he not been a sperm from semen emitted?