What does « Forenoon / Sacrifice » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word Forenoon / Sacrifice (ضحى) 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.

ضحى

Forenoon / Sacrifice

Root: ض - ح

Creed (aqida) 6 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 2 min read

Definition of Forenoon / Sacrifice

Ad-duha: the spreading of the sun and extension of day.

The time bears this name.

The Almighty says: 'By the morning brightness' (Ad-Duha 1). 'And the day when it appears' (Ash-Shams 3).

Ad-duha refers to mid-morning when the sun rises.

Forenoon / Sacrifice in the Quran (6)

Meccan: 6 Medinan: 0

Distribution of verses by surah

An-Nazi'at 2

Al-A'raf 1

Ta-Ha 1

Ash-Shams 1

Ad-Duha 1

Surah Al-A'raf : 98 Meccan

﴿أَوَأَمِنَ أَهْلُ ٱلْقُرَىٰٓ أَن يَأْتِيَهُم بَأْسُنَا ضُحًۭى وَهُمْ يَلْعَبُونَ﴾

Or did the people of the cities feel secure from Our punishment coming to them in the morning while they were at play?

Surah Ta-Ha : 59 Meccan

﴿قَالَ مَوْعِدُكُمْ يَوْمُ ٱلزِّينَةِ وَأَن يُحْشَرَ ٱلنَّاسُ ضُحًۭى﴾

[Moses] said, "Your appointment is on the day of the festival when the people assemble at mid-morning."

Surah An-Nazi'at : 29 Meccan

﴿وَأَغْطَشَ لَيْلَهَا وَأَخْرَجَ ضُحَىٰهَا﴾

And He darkened its night and extracted its brightness.

Surah An-Nazi'at : 46 Meccan

﴿كَأَنَّهُمْ يَوْمَ يَرَوْنَهَا لَمْ يَلْبَثُوٓا۟ إِلَّا عَشِيَّةً أَوْ ضُحَىٰهَا﴾

It will be, on the Day they see it, as though they had not remained [in the world] except for an afternoon or a morning thereof.

Surah Ash-Shams : 1 Meccan

﴿وَٱلشَّمْسِ وَضُحَىٰهَا﴾

By the sun and its brightness

Surah Ad-Duha : 1 Meccan

﴿وَٱلضُّحَىٰ﴾

By the morning brightness

Words from the same root as Forenoon / Sacrifice

حرض

To incite / To arouse

To refute / To counter

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم Fri 24 Muharram
الجمعة 24 محرّم