Discover the meaning of the word Donkey / Wine (حمر) in the Quran, with 6 verses in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.
حمر
Donkey / Wine
Root: ح - م - ر
Jurisprudence (fiqh) 6 verses
Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM
📖 2 min read
Definition of Donkey / Wine
Al-himâr: the known animal (donkey).
Plural: 'hamîr', 'ahmira', 'humur'.
Allah says: 'Like frightened donkeys (humur)' (Al-Muddaththir: 50).
Disbelievers fleeing the Reminder are compared to donkeys fleeing a lion.
Or [consider such an example] as the one who passed by a township which had fallen into ruin. He said, "How will Allah bring this to life after its death?" So Allah caused him to die for a hundred years; then He revived him. He said, "How long have you remained?" The man said, "I have remained a day or part of a day." He said, "Rather, you have remained one hundred years. Look at your food and your drink; it has not changed with time. And look at your donkey; and We will make you a sign for the people. And look at the bones [of this donkey] - how We raise them and then We cover them with flesh." And when it became clear to him, he said, "I know that Allah is over all things competent."
Do you not see that Allah sends down rain from the sky, and We produce thereby fruits of varying colors? And in the mountains are tracts, white and red of varying shades and [some] extremely black.
The example of those who were entrusted with the Torah and then did not take it on is like that of a donkey who carries volumes [of books]. Wretched is the example of the people who deny the signs of Allah. And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.