What does « Host / Guest » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word Host / Guest (ضيف) 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.

ضيف

Host / Guest

Root: ض - ف

Jurisprudence (fiqh) 6 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 3 min read

Definition of Host / Guest

Originally, ad-dayf is inclination.

One says: I leaned toward such thing.

The Almighty says: 'the guests of Ibrahim' (Al-Hijr 51).

Hospitality implies that the host inclines toward his guest to serve him.

Host / Guest in the Quran (6)

Meccan: 6 Medinan: 0

Distribution of verses by surah

Al-Hijr 2

Hud 1

Al-Kahf 1

Adh-Dhariyat 1

Al-Qamar 1

Surah Hud : 78 Meccan

﴿وَجَآءَهُۥ قَوْمُهُۥ يُهْرَعُونَ إِلَيْهِ وَمِن قَبْلُ كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ قَالَ يَٰقَوْمِ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ بَنَاتِى هُنَّ أَطْهَرُ لَكُمْ فَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَلَا تُخْزُونِ فِى ضَيْفِىٓ أَلَيْسَ مِنكُمْ رَجُلٌ رَّشِيدٌ﴾

And his people came hastening to him, and before [this] they had been doing evil deeds. He said, "O my people, these are my daughters; they are purer for you. So fear Allah and do not disgrace me concerning my guests. Is there not among you a man of reason?"

Surah Al-Hijr : 51 Meccan

﴿وَنَبِّئْهُمْ عَن ضَيْفِ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ﴾

And inform them about the guests of Abraham,

Surah Al-Hijr : 68 Meccan

﴿قَالَ إِنَّ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ ضَيْفِى فَلَا تَفْضَحُونِ﴾

[Lot] said, "Indeed, these are my guests, so do not shame me.

Surah Al-Kahf : 77 Meccan

﴿فَٱنطَلَقَا حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَتَيَآ أَهْلَ قَرْيَةٍ ٱسْتَطْعَمَآ أَهْلَهَا فَأَبَوْا۟ أَن يُضَيِّفُوهُمَا فَوَجَدَا فِيهَا جِدَارًا يُرِيدُ أَن يَنقَضَّ فَأَقَامَهُۥ قَالَ لَوْ شِئْتَ لَتَّخَذْتَ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا﴾

So they set out, until when they came to the people of a town, they asked its people for food, but they refused to offer them hospitality. And they found therein a wall about to collapse, so al-Khidh r restored it. [Moses] said, "If you wished, you could have taken for it a payment."

Surah Adh-Dhariyat : 24 Meccan

﴿هَلْ أَتَىٰكَ حَدِيثُ ضَيْفِ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ ٱلْمُكْرَمِينَ﴾

Has there reached you the story of the honored guests of Abraham? -

Surah Al-Qamar : 37 Meccan

﴿وَلَقَدْ رَٰوَدُوهُ عَن ضَيْفِهِۦ فَطَمَسْنَآ أَعْيُنَهُمْ فَذُوقُوا۟ عَذَابِى وَنُذُرِ﴾

And they had demanded from him his guests, but We obliterated their eyes, [saying], "Taste My punishment and warning."