What does « Power / Honor » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word Power / Honor (عز) 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.

عز

Power / Honor

Root: ع - ز

Jurisprudence (fiqh) 2 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 3 min read

Definition of Power / Honor

Al-'izza: a state that prevents man from being defeated.

From their expression: 'azaz land (hard) where nothing sinks.

The Almighty says: 'Power belongs to Allah' (An-Nisa 139). 'Whoever seeks power' (Fatir 10).

True power is with God.

Power / Honor in the Quran (2)

Meccan: 2 Medinan: 0

Distribution of verses by surah

Maryam 1

Sad 1

Surah Maryam : 81 Meccan

﴿وَٱتَّخَذُوا۟ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ ءَالِهَةًۭ لِّيَكُونُوا۟ لَهُمْ عِزًّۭا﴾

And they have taken besides Allah [false] deities that they would be for them [a source of] honor.

Surah Sad : 23 Meccan

﴿إِنَّ هَـٰذَآ أَخِى لَهُۥ تِسْعٌۭ وَتِسْعُونَ نَعْجَةًۭ وَلِىَ نَعْجَةٌۭ وَٰحِدَةٌۭ فَقَالَ أَكْفِلْنِيهَا وَعَزَّنِى فِى ٱلْخِطَابِ﴾

Indeed this, my brother, has ninety-nine ewes, and I have one ewe; so he said, 'Entrust her to me,' and he overpowered me in speech."

Words from the same root as Power / Honor

جزع

Impatience / Agitation

Incapacity / Weakness

To help / To strengthen

عزل

To set aside

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