What does « To reject / To throw » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word To reject / To throw (نبذ) in the Quran, with 12 verses in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

نبذ

To reject / To throw

Root: ن - ب - ذ

Quranic language 12 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 4 min read

Definition of To reject / To throw

An-Nabdh refers to rejection and abandonment.

The Almighty says: 'They threw it behind their backs' (Al-'Imran 187).

Nabadha means to reject.

Al-manbūdh is the rejected one.

An-nabīdh is what is thrown, then means wine.

To reject / To throw in the Quran (12)

Meccan: 8 Medinan: 4

Distribution of verses by surah

Al-Baqara 2

Maryam 2

Âl 'Imrân 1

Al-Anfal 1

Ta-Ha 1

Al-Qasas 1

As-Saffat 1

Adh-Dhariyat 1

Al-Qalam 1

Al-Humaza 1

Surah Al-Baqara : 100 Medinan

﴿أَوَكُلَّمَا عَٰهَدُوا۟ عَهْدًا نَّبَذَهُۥ فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُم بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ﴾

Is it not [true] that every time they took a covenant a party of them threw it away? But, [in fact], most of them do not believe.

Surah Al-Baqara : 101 Medinan

﴿وَلَمَّا جَآءَهُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ مُصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ نَبَذَ فَرِيقٌ مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ كِتَٰبَ ٱللَّهِ وَرَآءَ ظُهُورِهِمْ كَأَنَّهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ﴾

And when a messenger from Allah came to them confirming that which was with them, a party of those who had been given the Scripture threw the Scripture of Allah behind their backs as if they did not know [what it contained].

Surah Âl 'Imrân : 187 Medinan

﴿وَإِذْ أَخَذَ ٱللَّهُ مِيثَٰقَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ لَتُبَيِّنُنَّهُۥ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَا تَكْتُمُونَهُۥ فَنَبَذُوهُ وَرَآءَ ظُهُورِهِمْ وَٱشْتَرَوْا۟ بِهِۦ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا فَبِئْسَ مَا يَشْتَرُونَ﴾

And [mention, O Muhammad], when Allah took a covenant from those who were given the Scripture, [saying], "You must make it clear to the people and not conceal it." But they threw it away behind their backs and exchanged it for a small price. And wretched is that which they purchased.

Surah Al-Anfal : 58 Medinan

﴿وَإِمَّا تَخَافَنَّ مِن قَوْمٍ خِيَانَةً فَٱنۢبِذْ إِلَيْهِمْ عَلَىٰ سَوَآءٍ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْخَآئِنِينَ﴾

If you [have reason to] fear from a people betrayal, throw [their treaty] back to them, [putting you] on equal terms. Indeed, Allah does not like traitors.

Surah Maryam : 16 Meccan

﴿وَٱذْكُرْ فِى ٱلْكِتَٰبِ مَرْيَمَ إِذِ ٱنتَبَذَتْ مِنْ أَهْلِهَا مَكَانًا شَرْقِيًّا﴾

And mention, [O Muhammad], in the Book [the story of] Mary, when she withdrew from her family to a place toward the east.

Surah Maryam : 22 Meccan

﴿فَحَمَلَتْهُ فَٱنتَبَذَتْ بِهِۦ مَكَانًا قَصِيًّا﴾

So she conceived him, and she withdrew with him to a remote place.

Surah Ta-Ha : 96 Meccan

﴿قَالَ بَصُرْتُ بِمَا لَمْ يَبْصُرُوا۟ بِهِۦ فَقَبَضْتُ قَبْضَةً مِّنْ أَثَرِ ٱلرَّسُولِ فَنَبَذْتُهَا وَكَذَٰلِكَ سَوَّلَتْ لِى نَفْسِى﴾

He said, "I saw what they did not see, so I took a handful [of dust] from the track of the messenger and threw it, and thus did my soul entice me."

Surah Al-Qasas : 40 Meccan

﴿فَأَخَذْنَٰهُ وَجُنُودَهُۥ فَنَبَذْنَٰهُمْ فِى ٱلْيَمِّ فَٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ﴾

So We took him and his soldiers and threw them into the sea. So see how was the end of the wrongdoers.

Surah As-Saffat : 145 Meccan

﴿فَنَبَذْنَٰهُ بِٱلْعَرَآءِ وَهُوَ سَقِيمٌ﴾

But We threw him onto the open shore while he was ill.

Surah Adh-Dhariyat : 40 Meccan

﴿فَأَخَذْنَٰهُ وَجُنُودَهُۥ فَنَبَذْنَٰهُمْ فِى ٱلْيَمِّ وَهُوَ مُلِيمٌ﴾

So We took him and his soldiers and cast them into the sea, and he was blameworthy.

Surah Al-Qalam : 49 Meccan

﴿لَّوْلَآ أَن تَدَٰرَكَهُۥ نِعْمَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ لَنُبِذَ بِٱلْعَرَآءِ وَهُوَ مَذْمُومٌ﴾

If not that a favor from his Lord overtook him, he would have been thrown onto the naked shore while he was censured.

Surah Al-Humaza : 4 Meccan

﴿كَلَّا لَيُنۢبَذَنَّ فِى ٱلْحُطَمَةِ﴾

No! He will surely be thrown into the Crusher.

Words from the same root as To reject / To throw

أذن

Ear / Permission

النَّبَأُ

The News / The Tiding

بدن

Body / Corpulence

بذر

To waste / To squander

بطن

Belly / Interior

بنى

To build / To construct

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم Fri 24 Muharram
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