What does « To separate / To cut » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word To separate / To cut (صرم) in the Quran, with 3 verses in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

صرم

To separate / To cut

Root: ص - ر - م

Quranic language 3 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 2 min read

Definition of To separate / To cut

As-sarm: the severing.

As-sarima: finalizing a matter and concluding it.

As-sarim: the dark night and the morning.

The Almighty says: 'It became as if harvested' (Al-Qalam 20): the ungrateful ones' garden was destroyed at night as if cut.

To separate / To cut in the Quran (3)

Meccan: 3 Medinan: 0

Surah Al-Qalam : 17 Meccan

﴿إِنَّا بَلَوْنَٰهُمْ كَمَا بَلَوْنَآ أَصْحَٰبَ ٱلْجَنَّةِ إِذْ أَقْسَمُوا۟ لَيَصْرِمُنَّهَا مُصْبِحِينَ﴾

Indeed, We have tried them as We tried the companions of the garden, when they swore to cut its fruit in the [early] morning

Surah Al-Qalam : 20 Meccan

﴿فَأَصْبَحَتْ كَٱلصَّرِيمِ﴾

And it became as though reaped.

Surah Al-Qalam : 22 Meccan

﴿أَنِ ٱغْدُوا۟ عَلَىٰ حَرْثِكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ صَٰرِمِينَ﴾

[Saying], "Go early to your crop if you would cut the fruit."

Words from the same root as To separate / To cut

To decide definitively

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم Fri 24 Muharram
الجمعة 24 محرّم