What does « Long time / Era » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word Long time / Era (حقب) in the Quran, with 2 verses in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

حقب

Long time / Era

Root: ح - ق - ب

Quranic language 2 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 1 min read

Definition of Long time / Era

Allah says: 'They will remain therein for ages (ahqâb)' (An-Naba': 23).

It is said to be the plural of 'huqub' (a long period, about 80 years).

Eternity in Hell is described by these periods that succeed one another endlessly for the damned.

Long time / Era in the Quran (2)

Meccan: 2 Medinan: 0

Distribution of verses by surah

Al-Kahf 1

An-Naba 1

Surah Al-Kahf : 60 Meccan

﴿وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِفَتَىٰهُ لَآ أَبْرَحُ حَتَّىٰٓ أَبْلُغَ مَجْمَعَ ٱلْبَحْرَيْنِ أَوْ أَمْضِىَ حُقُبًا﴾

And [mention] when Moses said to his servant, "I will not cease [traveling] until I reach the junction of the two seas or continue for a long period."

Surah An-Naba : 23 Meccan

﴿لَّٰبِثِينَ فِيهَآ أَحْقَابًا﴾

In which they will remain for ages [unending].