What does « Slowness / Heaviness » mean in the Quran?
Discover the meaning of the word Slowness / Heaviness (بطؤ) in the Quran, with 1 verse in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.
بطؤ
Slowness / Heaviness
Root: ب - ط - ؤ
Quranic language 1 verse
Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM
📖 1 min read
Definition of Slowness / Heaviness
Al-but': delay in movement and walking.
One says 'batu'a' when someone is slow to set out.
Allah says about the hypocrites: 'Among you is he who lingers behind (la-yubatti'anna)' (An-Nisâ': 72).
This term describes deliberate slowness, hesitation to advance, characteristic of those who lack sincerity in their commitment.
And indeed, there is among you he who lingers behind; and if disaster strikes you, he says, "Allah has favored me in that I was not present with them."