What does « To disappear / To die » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word To disappear / To die (زهق) in the Quran, with 4 verses in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

زهق

To disappear / To die

Root: ز - ه - ق

Quranic language 4 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

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Definition of To disappear / To die

Zahaqat nafsuhu: his soul departed out of intense regret for something.

The Almighty says: 'and their souls depart' (At-Tawba 55), 'Indeed, falsehood is bound to perish' (Al-Isra 81).

It refers to gradual annihilation like the departing soul.

Az-zahiq: the lost and annihilated.

An arrow that goes beyond the target is called zahiq.

To disappear / To die in the Quran (4)

Meccan: 2 Medinan: 2

Distribution of verses by surah

At-Tawba 2

Al-Isra 1

Al-Anbiya 1

Surah At-Tawba : 55 Medinan

﴿فَلَا تُعْجِبْكَ أَمْوَٰلُهُمْ وَلَآ أَوْلَٰدُهُمْ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُم بِهَا فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَتَزْهَقَ أَنفُسُهُمْ وَهُمْ كَٰفِرُونَ﴾

So let not their wealth or their children impress you. Allah only intends to punish them through them in worldly life and that their souls should depart [at death] while they are disbelievers.

Surah At-Tawba : 85 Medinan

﴿وَلَا تُعْجِبْكَ أَمْوَٰلُهُمْ وَأَوْلَٰدُهُمْ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ أَن يُعَذِّبَهُم بِهَا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَتَزْهَقَ أَنفُسُهُمْ وَهُمْ كَٰفِرُونَ﴾

And let not their wealth and their children impress you. Allah only intends to punish them through them in this world and that their souls should depart [at death] while they are disbelievers.

Surah Al-Isra : 81 Meccan

﴿وَقُلْ جَآءَ ٱلْحَقُّ وَزَهَقَ ٱلْبَٰطِلُ إِنَّ ٱلْبَٰطِلَ كَانَ زَهُوقًا﴾

And say, "Truth has come, and falsehood has departed. Indeed is falsehood, [by nature], ever bound to depart."

Surah Al-Anbiya : 18 Meccan

﴿بَلْ نَقْذِفُ بِٱلْحَقِّ عَلَى ٱلْبَٰطِلِ فَيَدْمَغُهُۥ فَإِذَا هُوَ زَاهِقٌ وَلَكُمُ ٱلْوَيْلُ مِمَّا تَصِفُونَ﴾

Rather, We dash the truth upon falsehood, and it destroys it, and thereupon it departs. And for you is destruction from that which you describe.