What does « Punishment / Sin » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word Punishment / Sin (رجز) in the Quran, with 9 verses in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

رجز

Punishment / Sin

Root: ر - ج - ز

Creed (aqida) 9 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 2 min read

Definition of Punishment / Sin

The origin of al-rijz: agitation.

Hence 'rajaza al-ba'îr' (the camel trembled).

Al-rijz also means punishment and impurity.

Allah says: 'We will send upon them a punishment (rijz)' (Al-A'râf: 134).

Punishment / Sin in the Quran (9)

Meccan: 7 Medinan: 2

Distribution of verses by surah

Al-A'raf 3

Al-Baqara 1

Al-Anfal 1

Al-'Ankabut 1

Saba 1

Al-Jathiya 1

Al-Muddaththir 1

Surah Al-Baqara : 59 Medinan

﴿فَبَدَّلَ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ قَوْلًا غَيْرَ ٱلَّذِى قِيلَ لَهُمْ فَأَنزَلْنَا عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ رِجْزًا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَفْسُقُونَ﴾

But those who wronged changed [those words] to a statement other than that which had been said to them, so We sent down upon those who wronged a punishment from the sky because they were defiantly disobeying.

Surah Al-A'raf : 134 Meccan

﴿وَلَمَّا وَقَعَ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلرِّجْزُ قَالُوا۟ يَٰمُوسَى ٱدْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ بِمَا عَهِدَ عِندَكَ لَئِن كَشَفْتَ عَنَّا ٱلرِّجْزَ لَنُؤْمِنَنَّ لَكَ وَلَنُرْسِلَنَّ مَعَكَ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ﴾

And when the punishment descended upon them, they said, "O Moses, invoke for us your Lord by what He has promised you. If you [can] remove the punishment from us, we will surely believe you, and we will send with you the Children of Israel."

Surah Al-A'raf : 135 Meccan

﴿فَلَمَّا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُمُ ٱلرِّجْزَ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍ هُم بَٰلِغُوهُ إِذَا هُمْ يَنكُثُونَ﴾

But when We removed the punishment from them until a term which they were to reach, then at once they broke their word.

Surah Al-A'raf : 162 Meccan

﴿فَبَدَّلَ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ قَوْلًا غَيْرَ ٱلَّذِى قِيلَ لَهُمْ فَأَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ رِجْزًا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَظْلِمُونَ﴾

But those who wronged among them changed [the words] to a statement other than that which had been said to them. So We sent upon them a punishment from the sky for the wrong that they were doing.

Surah Al-Anfal : 11 Medinan

﴿إِذْ يُغَشِّيكُمُ ٱلنُّعَاسَ أَمَنَةً مِّنْهُ وَيُنَزِّلُ عَلَيْكُم مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءً لِّيُطَهِّرَكُم بِهِۦ وَيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمْ رِجْزَ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنِ وَلِيَرْبِطَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِكُمْ وَيُثَبِّتَ بِهِ ٱلْأَقْدَامَ﴾

[Remember] when He overwhelmed you with drowsiness [giving] security from Him and sent down upon you from the sky, rain by which to purify you and remove from you the evil [suggestions] of Satan and to make steadfast your hearts and plant firmly thereby your feet.

Surah Al-'Ankabut : 34 Meccan

﴿إِنَّا مُنزِلُونَ عَلَىٰٓ أَهْلِ هَٰذِهِ ٱلْقَرْيَةِ رِجْزًا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَفْسُقُونَ﴾

Indeed, we will bring down on the people of this city punishment from the sky because they have been defiantly disobedient."

Surah Saba : 5 Meccan

﴿وَٱلَّذِينَ سَعَوْ فِىٓ ءَايَٰتِنَا مُعَٰجِزِينَ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مِّن رِّجْزٍ أَلِيمٌ﴾

But those who strive against Our verses [seeking] to cause failure - for them will be a painful punishment of foul nature.

Surah Al-Jathiya : 11 Meccan

﴿هَٰذَا هُدًى وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِ رَبِّهِمْ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مِّن رِّجْزٍ أَلِيمٌ﴾

This [Qur'an] is guidance. And those who have disbelieved in the verses of their Lord will have a painful punishment of foul nature.

Surah Al-Muddaththir : 5 Meccan

﴿وَٱلرُّجْزَ فَٱهْجُرْ﴾

And uncleanliness avoid

Words from the same root as Punishment / Sin

To show / To stand out

Neighbor / Neighborhood

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