What does « Gloating / To rejoice maliciously » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word Gloating / To rejoice maliciously (شمت) 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.

شمت

Gloating / To rejoice maliciously

Root: ش - م - ت

Creed (aqida) 1 verse

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 1 min read

Definition of Gloating / To rejoice maliciously

Ash-shamata: joy at the misfortune of one you oppose and who opposes you.

One says: he rejoiced at his misfortune.

The Almighty says: 'Do not let the enemies rejoice over me' (Al-A'raf 150), Moses's supplication.

Malevolent joy is a blameworthy defect.

Gloating / To rejoice maliciously in the Quran (1)

Meccan: 1 Medinan: 0

Surah Al-A'raf : 150 Meccan

﴿وَلَمَّا رَجَعَ مُوسَىٰٓ إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِۦ غَضْبَٰنَ أَسِفًا قَالَ بِئْسَمَا خَلَفْتُمُونِى مِنۢ بَعْدِىٓ أَعَجِلْتُمْ أَمْرَ رَبِّكُمْ وَأَلْقَى ٱلْأَلْوَاحَ وَأَخَذَ بِرَأْسِ أَخِيهِ يَجُرُّهُۥٓ إِلَيْهِ قَالَ ٱبْنَ أُمَّ إِنَّ ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱسْتَضْعَفُونِى وَكَادُوا۟ يَقْتُلُونَنِى فَلَا تُشْمِتْ بِىَ ٱلْأَعْدَآءَ وَلَا تَجْعَلْنِى مَعَ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ﴾

And when Moses returned to his people, angry and grieved, he said, "How wretched is that by which you have replaced me after [my departure]. Were you impatient over the matter of your Lord?" And he threw down the tablets and seized his brother by [the hair of] his head, pulling him toward him. [Aaron] said, "O son of my mother, indeed the people oppressed me and were about to kill me, so let not the enemies rejoice over me and do not place me among the wrongdoing people."