What does « Sometimes / At times » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word Sometimes / At times (تارة) in the Quran, with 2 verses in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

تارة

Sometimes / At times

Root: ت - ر

Quranic language 2 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 1 min read

Definition of Sometimes / At times

Allah says: 'To bring you back into it another time (târatan ukhrâ)' (Al-Isrâ': 69).

Târa means once, a moment.

It is used to mark alternation: 'Sometimes this, sometimes that'.

This term indicates repetition or the return of an action at another time.

Sometimes / At times in the Quran (2)

Meccan: 2 Medinan: 0

Distribution of verses by surah

Al-Isra 1

Ta-Ha 1

Surah Al-Isra : 69 Meccan

﴿أَمْ أَمِنتُمْ أَن يُعِيدَكُمْ فِيهِ تَارَةً أُخْرَىٰ فَيُرْسِلَ عَلَيْكُمْ قَاصِفًۭا مِّنَ ٱلرِّيحِ فَيُغْرِقَكُم بِمَا كَفَرْتُمْ ۙ ثُمَّ لَا تَجِدُوا۟ لَكُمْ عَلَيْنَا بِهِۦ تَبِيعًۭا﴾

Or do you feel secure that He will not send you back into the sea another time and send upon you a hurricane of wind and drown you for what you denied? Then you would not find for yourselves against Us an avenger.

Surah Ta-Ha : 55 Meccan

﴿۞ مِنْهَا خَلَقْنَـٰكُمْ وَفِيهَا نُعِيدُكُمْ وَمِنْهَا نُخْرِجُكُمْ تَارَةً أُخْرَىٰ﴾

From the earth We created you, and into it We will return you, and from it We will extract you another time.