What does « To destroy / To annihilate » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word To destroy / To annihilate (دمر) in the Quran, with 8 verses in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

دمر

To destroy / To annihilate

Root: د - م - ر

Quranic language 8 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 2 min read

Definition of To destroy / To annihilate

Allah says: 'We destroyed them (dammarnâhum) completely' (Al-Furqân: 36).

Al-tadmîr: total destruction.

Allah destroys peoples who reject His messengers.

Destruction is the consequence of rejecting truth.

To destroy / To annihilate in the Quran (8)

Meccan: 7 Medinan: 1

Distribution of verses by surah

Al-A'raf 1

Al-Isra 1

Al-Furqan 1

Ash-Shu'ara 1

An-Naml 1

As-Saffat 1

Al-Ahqaf 1

Muhammad 1

Surah Al-A'raf : 137 Meccan

﴿وَأَوْرَثْنَا ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَانُوا۟ يُسْتَضْعَفُونَ مَشَٰرِقَ ٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَغَٰرِبَهَا ٱلَّتِى بَٰرَكْنَا فِيهَا وَتَمَّتْ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ عَلَىٰ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ بِمَا صَبَرُوا۟ وَدَمَّرْنَا مَا كَانَ يَصْنَعُ فِرْعَوْنُ وَقَوْمُهُۥ وَمَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْرِشُونَ﴾

And We caused the people who had been oppressed to inherit the eastern regions of the land and the western ones, which We had blessed. And the good word of your Lord was fulfilled for the Children of Israel because of what they had patiently endured. And We destroyed [all] that Pharaoh and his people were producing and what they had been building.

Surah Al-Isra : 16 Meccan

﴿وَإِذَآ أَرَدْنَآ أَن نُّهْلِكَ قَرْيَةً أَمَرْنَا مُتْرَفِيهَا فَفَسَقُوا۟ فِيهَا فَحَقَّ عَلَيْهَا ٱلْقَوْلُ فَدَمَّرْنَٰهَا تَدْمِيرًا﴾

And when We intend to destroy a city, We command its affluent but they defiantly disobey therein; so the word comes into effect upon it, and We destroy it with [complete] destruction.

Surah Al-Furqan : 36 Meccan

﴿فَقُلْنَا ٱذْهَبَآ إِلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا فَدَمَّرْنَٰهُمْ تَدْمِيرًا﴾

And We said, "Go both of you to the people who have denied Our signs." Then We destroyed them with [complete] destruction.

Surah Ash-Shu'ara : 172 Meccan

﴿ثُمَّ دَمَّرْنَا ٱلْءَاخَرِينَ﴾

Then We destroyed the others.

Surah An-Naml : 51 Meccan

﴿فَٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ مَكْرِهِمْ أَنَّا دَمَّرْنَٰهُمْ وَقَوْمَهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ﴾

Then look how was the outcome of their plan - that We destroyed them and their people, all.

Surah As-Saffat : 136 Meccan

﴿ثُمَّ دَمَّرْنَا ٱلْءَاخَرِينَ﴾

Then We destroyed the others.

Surah Al-Ahqaf : 25 Meccan

﴿تُدَمِّرُ كُلَّ شَىْءٍۭ بِأَمْرِ رَبِّهَا فَأَصْبَحُوا۟ لَا يُرَىٰٓ إِلَّا مَسَٰكِنُهُمْ كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ﴾

Destroying everything by command of its Lord. And they became so that nothing was seen [of them] except their dwellings. Thus do We recompense the criminal people.

Surah Muhammad : 10 Medinan

﴿أَفَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَيَنظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ دَمَّرَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلِلْكَٰفِرِينَ أَمْثَٰلُهَا﴾

Have they not traveled through the land and seen how was the end of those before them? Allah destroyed [everything] over them, and for the disbelievers is something comparable.