What does « To perish / To go astray » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word To perish / To go astray (ثبر) 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.

ثبر

To perish / To go astray

Root: ث - ب - ر

Quranic language 4 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 1 min read

Definition of To perish / To go astray

Al-thubûr: perdition and corruption.

Al-muthâbir: one who persists in coming, meaning who perseveres.

Allah says: 'They will cry: Woe to us! (thubûranâ)' (Al-Furqân: 13).

This cry of distress expresses total regret and awareness of definitive loss on the Day of Judgment.

To perish / To go astray in the Quran (4)

Meccan: 4 Medinan: 0

Distribution of verses by surah

Al-Furqan 2

Al-Isra 1

Al-Inshiqaq 1

Surah Al-Isra : 102 Meccan

﴿قَالَ لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَآ أَنزَلَ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ إِلَّا رَبُّ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ بَصَآئِرَ وَإِنِّى لَأَظُنُّكَ يَٰفِرْعَوْنُ مَثْبُورًا﴾

[Moses] said, "You have already known that none has sent down these [signs] except the Lord of the heavens and the earth as evidence, and indeed I think, O Pharaoh, that you are destroyed."

Surah Al-Furqan : 13 Meccan

﴿وَإِذَآ أُلْقُوا۟ مِنْهَا مَكَانًا ضَيِّقًا مُّقَرَّنِينَ دَعَوْا۟ هُنَالِكَ ثُبُورًا﴾

And when they are thrown into a narrow place therein bound in chains, they will cry out thereupon for destruction.

Surah Al-Furqan : 14 Meccan

﴿لَّا تَدْعُوا۟ ٱلْيَوْمَ ثُبُورًا وَٰحِدًا وَٱدْعُوا۟ ثُبُورًا كَثِيرًا﴾

[They will be told], "Do not cry this Day for one destruction but cry for much destruction."

Surah Al-Inshiqaq : 11 Meccan

﴿فَسَوْفَ يَدْعُوا۟ ثُبُورًا﴾

He will cry out for destruction