What does « Few / Rare » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word Few / Rare (قل) in the Quran, with 1 verse in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

قل

Few / Rare

Root: ق - ل

Quranic language 1 verse

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 2 min read

Definition of Few / Rare

Al-Qillah is the opposite of kathrah (abundance).

The Almighty says: 'And remember when you were few' (Al-Anfal 26).

Qalla ash-shay' means the thing became scarce.

Al-qalīl is what is little.

Few / Rare in the Quran (1)

Meccan: 0 Medinan: 1

Surah An-Nisa : 7 Medinan

﴿لِّلرِّجَالِ نَصِيبٌۭ مِّمَّا تَرَكَ ٱلْوَٰلِدَانِ وَٱلْأَقْرَبُونَ وَلِلنِّسَآءِ نَصِيبٌۭ مِّمَّا تَرَكَ ٱلْوَٰلِدَانِ وَٱلْأَقْرَبُونَ مِمَّا قَلَّ مِنْهُ أَوْ كَثُرَ ۚ نَصِيبًۭا مَّفْرُوضًۭا﴾

For men is a share of what the parents and close relatives leave, and for women is a share of what the parents and close relatives leave, be it little or much - an obligatory share.