What does « To dominate / To compel » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word To dominate / To compel (قهر) in the Quran, with 10 verses in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

قهر

To dominate / To compel

Root: ق - ه - ر

Quranic language 10 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 2 min read

Definition of To dominate / To compel

Al-Qahr refers to domination by force.

The Almighty says: 'And He is the Subjugator over His servants' (Al-An'am 18).

Al-Qahhār is one of Allah's Names, the Absolute Dominator.

Qahara 'aduwwahu means to subjugate his enemy.

To dominate / To compel in the Quran (10)

Meccan: 9 Medinan: 1

Distribution of verses by surah

Al-An'am 2

Al-A'raf 1

Yusuf 1

Ar-Ra'd 1

Ibrahim 1

Sad 1

Az-Zumar 1

Ghafir 1

Ad-Duha 1

Surah Al-An'am : 18 Meccan

﴿وَهُوَ ٱلْقَاهِرُ فَوْقَ عِبَادِهِۦ وَهُوَ ٱلْحَكِيمُ ٱلْخَبِيرُ﴾

And He is the subjugator over His servants. And He is the Wise, the Acquainted [with all].

Surah Al-An'am : 61 Meccan

﴿وَهُوَ ٱلْقَاهِرُ فَوْقَ عِبَادِهِۦ وَيُرْسِلُ عَلَيْكُمْ حَفَظَةً حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءَ أَحَدَكُمُ ٱلْمَوْتُ تَوَفَّتْهُ رُسُلُنَا وَهُمْ لَا يُفَرِّطُونَ﴾

And He is the subjugator over His servants, and He sends over you guardian-angels until, when death comes to one of you, Our messengers take him, and they do not fail [in their duties].

Surah Al-A'raf : 127 Meccan

﴿وَقَالَ ٱلْمَلَأُ مِن قَوْمِ فِرْعَوْنَ أَتَذَرُ مُوسَىٰ وَقَوْمَهُۥ لِيُفْسِدُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَيَذَرَكَ وَءَالِهَتَكَ قَالَ سَنُقَتِّلُ أَبْنَآءَهُمْ وَنَسْتَحْىِۦ نِسَآءَهُمْ وَإِنَّا فَوْقَهُمْ قَٰهِرُونَ﴾

And the eminent among the people of Pharaoh said," Will you leave Moses and his people to cause corruption in the land and abandon you and your gods?" [Pharaoh] said, "We will kill their sons and keep their women alive; and indeed, we are subjugators over them."

Surah Yusuf : 39 Meccan

﴿يَٰصَىٰحِبَىِ ٱلسِّجْنِ ءَأَرْبَابٌ مُّتَفَرِّقُونَ خَيْرٌ أَمِ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْوَٰحِدُ ٱلْقَهَّارُ﴾

O [my] two companions of prison, are separate lords better or Allah, the One, the Prevailing?

Surah Ar-Ra'd : 16 Medinan

﴿قُلْ مَن رَّبُّ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ قُلِ ٱللَّهُ قُلْ أَفَٱتَّخَذْتُم مِّن دُونِهِۦٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ لَا يَمْلِكُونَ لِأَنفُسِهِمْ نَفْعًا وَلَا ضَرًّا قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِى ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ وَٱلْبَصِيرُ أَمْ هَلْ تَسْتَوِى ٱلظُّلُمَٰتُ وَٱلنُّورُ أَمْ جَعَلُوا۟ لِلَّهِ شُرَكَآءَ خَلَقُوا۟ كَخَلْقِهِۦ فَتَشَٰبَهَ ٱلْخَلْقُ عَلَيْهِمْ قُلِ ٱللَّهُ خَٰلِقُ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ وَهُوَ ٱلْوَٰحِدُ ٱلْقَهَّٰرُ﴾

Say, "Who is Lord of the heavens and earth?" Say, "Allah." Say, "Have you then taken besides Him allies not possessing [even] for themselves any benefit or any harm?" Say, "Is the blind equivalent to the seeing? Or is darkness equivalent to light? Or have they attributed to Allah partners who created like His creation so that the creation [of each] seemed similar to them?" Say, "Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the One, the Prevailing."

Surah Ibrahim : 48 Meccan

﴿يَوْمَ تُبَدَّلُ ٱلْأَرْضُ غَيْرَ ٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتُ وَبَرَزُوا۟ لِلَّهِ ٱلْوَٰحِدِ ٱلْقَهَّارِ﴾

[It will be] on the Day the earth will be replaced by another earth, and the heavens [as well], and all creatures will come out before Allah, the One, the Prevailing.

Surah Sad : 65 Meccan

﴿قُلْ إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ مُنذِرٌ وَمَا مِنْ إِلَٰهٍ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ ٱلْوَٰحِدُ ٱلْقَهَّارُ﴾

Say, [O Muhammad], "I am only a warner, and there is not any deity except Allah, the One, the Prevailing.

Surah Az-Zumar : 4 Meccan

﴿لَّوْ أَرَادَ ٱللَّهُ أَن يَتَّخِذَ وَلَدًا لَّٱصْطَفَىٰ مِمَّا يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْوَٰحِدُ ٱلْقَهَّارُ﴾

If Allah had intended to take a son, He could have chosen from what He creates whatever He willed. Exalted is He; He is Allah, the One, the Prevailing.

Surah Ghafir : 16 Meccan

﴿يَوْمَ هُم بَٰرِزُونَ لَا يَخْفَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ مِنْهُمْ شَىْءٌ لِّمَنِ ٱلْمُلْكُ ٱلْيَوْمَ لِلَّهِ ٱلْوَٰحِدِ ٱلْقَهَّارِ﴾

The Day they come forth nothing concerning them will be concealed from Allah. To whom belongs [all] sovereignty this Day? To Allah, the One, the Prevailing.

Surah Ad-Duha : 9 Meccan

﴿فَأَمَّا ٱلْيَتِيمَ فَلَا تَقْهَرْ﴾

So as for the orphan, do not oppress [him].