What does « To slide / To flow » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word To slide / To flow (صلل) 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.

صلل

To slide / To flow

Root: ص - ل - ل

Jurisprudence (fiqh) 4 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 1 min read

Definition of To slide / To flow

Originally, as-salsal is the resonance of sound from a dry thing.

One says: the iron resonated.

The Almighty says: 'from resonant clay' (Al-Hijr 26).

Dry clay produces a sound when struck, like pottery.

To slide / To flow in the Quran (4)

Meccan: 4 Medinan: 0

Distribution of verses by surah

Al-Hijr 3

Ar-Rahman 1

Surah Al-Hijr : 26 Meccan

﴿وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ مِن صَلْصَـٰلٍۢ مِّنْ حَمَإٍۢ مَّسْنُونٍۢ﴾

And We did certainly create man out of clay from an altered black mud.

Surah Al-Hijr : 28 Meccan

﴿وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ إِنِّى خَـٰلِقٌۢ بَشَرًۭا مِّن صَلْصَـٰلٍۢ مِّنْ حَمَإٍۢ مَّسْنُونٍۢ﴾

And [mention, O Muhammad], when your Lord said to the angels, "I will create a human being out of clay from an altered black mud.

Surah Al-Hijr : 33 Meccan

﴿قَالَ لَمْ أَكُن لِّأَسْجُدَ لِبَشَرٍ خَلَقْتَهُۥ مِن صَلْصَـٰلٍۢ مِّنْ حَمَإٍۢ مَّسْنُونٍۢ﴾

He said, "Never would I prostrate to a human whom You created out of clay from an altered black mud."

Surah Ar-Rahman : 14 Meccan

﴿خَلَقَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ مِن صَلْصَـٰلٍۢ كَٱلْفَخَّارِ﴾

He created man from clay like [that of] pottery.

Words from the same root as To slide / To flow

To set (celestial body)

أكل

To eat / Food

ألف

Thousand / Familiarity

ألك

Messenger / Emissary

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم Fri 24 Muharram
الجمعة 24 محرّم