What does « Fly » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word Fly (ذب) 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.

ذب

Fly

Root: ذ - ب

Jurisprudence (fiqh) 1 verse

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 2 min read

Definition of Fly

Al-dhubâb: the known flying insect (fly).

Allah says: 'The fly (al-dhubâb) takes something from them' (Al-Hajj: 73).

Idols cannot recover what flies take from them, showing their total powerlessness.

Fly in the Quran (1)

Meccan: 0 Medinan: 1

Surah Al-Hajj : 73 Medinan

﴿يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ضُرِبَ مَثَلٌۭ فَٱسْتَمِعُوا۟ لَهُۥٓ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ لَن يَخْلُقُوا۟ ذُبَابًۭا وَلَوِ ٱجْتَمَعُوا۟ لَهُۥ ۖ وَإِن يَسْلُبْهُمُ ٱلذُّبَابُ شَيْـًۭٔا لَّا يَسْتَنقِذُوهُ مِنْهُ ۚ ضَعُفَ ٱلطَّالِبُ وَٱلْمَطْلُوبُ﴾

O people, an example is presented, so listen to it. Indeed, those you invoke besides Allah will never create [as much as] a fly, even if they gathered together for that purpose. And if the fly should steal away from them a [tiny] thing, they could not recover it from him. Weak are the pursuer and pursued.