What does « Journey / She-camel » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word Journey / She-camel (رحل) in the Quran, with 4 verses in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

رحل

Journey / She-camel

Root: ر - ح - ل

Quranic language 4 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 2 min read

Definition of Journey / She-camel

Al-rahl: what is placed on the camel for riding.

Then used for luggage.

Al-rahîl: departure on journey.

Allah says: 'The journey (rihla) of winter and summer' (Quraysh: 2).

Quraysh traveled to Yemen in winter and Syria in summer.

Journey / She-camel in the Quran (4)

Meccan: 4 Medinan: 0

Distribution of verses by surah

Yusuf 3

Quraysh 1

Surah Yusuf : 62 Meccan

﴿وَقَالَ لِفِتْيَٰنِهِ ٱجْعَلُوا۟ بِضَٰعَتَهُمْ فِى رِحَالِهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَعْرِفُونَهَآ إِذَا ٱنقَلَبُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰٓ أَهْلِهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ﴾

And [Joseph] said to his servants, "Put their merchandise into their saddlebags so they might recognize it when they have gone back to their people that perhaps they will [again] return."

Surah Yusuf : 70 Meccan

﴿فَلَمَّا جَهَّزَهُم بِجَهَازِهِمْ جَعَلَ ٱلسِّقَايَةَ فِى رَحْلِ أَخِيهِ ثُمَّ أَذَّنَ مُؤَذِّنٌ أَيَّتُهَا ٱلْعِيرُ إِنَّكُمْ لَسَٰرِقُونَ﴾

So when he had furnished them with their supplies, he put the [gold measuring] bowl into the bag of his brother. Then an announcer called out, "O caravan, indeed you are thieves."

Surah Yusuf : 75 Meccan

﴿قَالُوا۟ جَزَٰٓؤُهُۥ مَن وُجِدَ فِى رَحْلِهِۦ فَهُوَ جَزَٰٓؤُهُۥ كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ﴾

[The brothers] said, "Its recompense is that he in whose bag it is found - he [himself] will be its recompense. Thus do we recompense the wrongdoers."

Surah Quraysh : 2 Meccan

﴿إِۦلَٰفِهِمْ رِحْلَةَ ٱلشِّتَآءِ وَٱلصَّيْفِ﴾

Their accustomed security [in] the caravan of winter and summer -