What does « To spread / To resurrect » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word To spread / To resurrect (نشر) in the Quran, with 20 verses in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

نشر

To spread / To resurrect

Root: ن - ش - ر

Creed (aqida) 20 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 5 min read

Definition of To spread / To resurrect

An-Nashr refers to spreading and resurrection.

The Almighty says: 'And when the pages are made public' (At-Takwir 10).

Nashara means to spread.

An-nushūr is the resurrection of the dead.

To spread / To resurrect in the Quran (20)

Meccan: 18 Medinan: 2

Distribution of verses by surah

Al-Furqan 3

Al-Isra 1

Al-Kahf 1

Al-Anbiya 1

Ar-Rum 1

Al-Ahzab 1

Fatir 1

Ash-Shura 1

Az-Zukhruf 1

Ad-Dukhan 1

+ 8 more surahs

Surah Al-Isra : 13 Meccan

﴿وَكُلَّ إِنسَٰنٍ أَلْزَمْنَٰهُ طَٰٓئِرَهُۥ فِى عُنُقِهِۦ وَنُخْرِجُ لَهُۥ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ كِتَٰبًا يَلْقَىٰهُ مَنشُورًا﴾

And [for] every person We have imposed his fate upon his neck, and We will produce for him on the Day of Resurrection a record which he will encounter spread open.

Surah Al-Kahf : 16 Meccan

﴿وَإِذِ ٱعْتَزَلْتُمُوهُمْ وَمَا يَعْبُدُونَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَ فَأْوُۥٓا۟ إِلَى ٱلْكَهْفِ يَنشُرْ لَكُمْ رَبُّكُم مِّن رَّحْمَتِهِۦ وَيُهَيِّئْ لَكُم مِّنْ أَمْرِكُم مِّرْفَقًا﴾

[The youths said to one another], "And when you have withdrawn from them and that which they worship other than Allah, retreat to the cave. Your Lord will spread out for you of His mercy and will prepare for you from your affair facility."

Surah Al-Anbiya : 21 Meccan

﴿أَمِ ٱتَّخَذُوٓا۟ ءَالِهَةً مِّنَ ٱلْأَرْضِ هُمْ يُنشِرُونَ﴾

Or have men taken for themselves gods from the earth who resurrect [the dead]?

Surah Al-Furqan : 3 Meccan

﴿وَٱتَّخَذُوا۟ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ ءَالِهَةً لَّا يَخْلُقُونَ شَيْـًٔا وَهُمْ يُخْلَقُونَ وَلَا يَمْلِكُونَ لِأَنفُسِهِمْ ضَرًّا وَلَا نَفْعًا وَلَا يَمْلِكُونَ مَوْتًا وَلَا حَيَوٰةً وَلَا نُشُورًا﴾

But they have taken besides Him gods which create nothing, while they are created, and possess not for themselves any harm or benefit and possess not [power to cause] death or life or resurrection.

Surah Al-Furqan : 40 Meccan

﴿وَلَقَدْ أَتَوْا۟ عَلَى ٱلْقَرْيَةِ ٱلَّتِىٓ أُمْطِرَتْ مَطَرَ ٱلسَّوْءِ أَفَلَمْ يَكُونُوا۟ يَرَوْنَهَا بَلْ كَانُوا۟ لَا يَرْجُونَ نُشُورًا﴾

And they have already come upon the town which was showered with a rain of evil. So have they not seen it? But they are not expecting resurrection.

Surah Al-Furqan : 47 Meccan

﴿وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلَّيْلَ لِبَاسًا وَٱلنَّوْمَ سُبَاتًا وَجَعَلَ ٱلنَّهَارَ نُشُورًا﴾

And it is He who has made the night for you as clothing and sleep [a means for] rest and has made the day a resurrection.

Surah Ar-Rum : 20 Meccan

﴿وَمِنْ ءَايَٰتِهِۦٓ أَنْ خَلَقَكُم مِّن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ إِذَآ أَنتُم بَشَرٌ تَنتَشِرُونَ﴾

And of His signs is that He created you from dust; then, suddenly you were human beings dispersing [throughout the earth].

Surah Al-Ahzab : 53 Medinan

﴿يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَدْخُلُوا۟ بُيُوتَ ٱلنَّبِىِّ إِلَّآ أَن يُؤْذَنَ لَكُمْ إِلَىٰ طَعَامٍ غَيْرَ نَٰظِرِينَ إِنَىٰهُ وَلَٰكِنْ إِذَا دُعِيتُمْ فَٱدْخُلُوا۟ فَإِذَا طَعِمْتُمْ فَٱنتَشِرُوا۟ وَلَا مُسْتَـْٔنِسِينَ لِحَدِيثٍ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكُمْ كَانَ يُؤْذِى ٱلنَّبِىَّ فَيَسْتَحْىِۦ مِنكُمْ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَسْتَحْىِۦ مِنَ ٱلْحَقِّ وَإِذَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُنَّ مَتَٰعًا فَسْـَٔلُوهُنَّ مِن وَرَآءِ حِجَابٍ ذَٰلِكُمْ أَطْهَرُ لِقُلُوبِكُمْ وَقُلُوبِهِنَّ وَمَا كَانَ لَكُمْ أَن تُؤْذُوا۟ رَسُولَ ٱللَّهِ وَلَآ أَن تَنكِحُوٓا۟ أَزْوَٰجَهُۥ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦٓ أَبَدًا إِنَّ ذَٰلِكُمْ كَانَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ عَظِيمًا﴾

O you who have believed, do not enter the houses of the Prophet except when you are permitted for a meal, without awaiting its readiness. But when you are invited, then enter; and when you have eaten, disperse without seeking to remain for conversation. Indeed, that [behavior] was troubling the Prophet, and he is shy of [dismissing] you. But Allah is not shy of the truth. And when you ask [his wives] for something, ask them from behind a partition. That is purer for your hearts and their hearts. And it is not [conceivable or lawful] for you to harm the Messenger of Allah or to marry his wives after him, ever. Indeed, that would be in the sight of Allah an enormity.

Surah Fatir : 9 Meccan

﴿وَٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَرْسَلَ ٱلرِّيَٰحَ فَتُثِيرُ سَحَابًا فَسُقْنَٰهُ إِلَىٰ بَلَدٍ مَّيِّتٍ فَأَحْيَيْنَا بِهِ ٱلْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا كَذَٰلِكَ ٱلنُّشُورُ﴾

And it is Allah who sends the winds, and they stir the clouds, and We drive them to a dead land and give life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness. Thus is the resurrection.

Surah Ash-Shura : 28 Meccan

﴿وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى يُنَزِّلُ ٱلْغَيْثَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا قَنَطُوا۟ وَيَنشُرُ رَحْمَتَهُۥ وَهُوَ ٱلْوَلِىُّ ٱلْحَمِيدُ﴾

And it is He who sends down the rain after they had despaired and spreads His mercy. And He is the Protector, the Praiseworthy.

Surah Az-Zukhruf : 11 Meccan

﴿وَٱلَّذِى نَزَّلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءًۢ بِقَدَرٍ فَأَنشَرْنَا بِهِۦ بَلْدَةً مَّيْتًا كَذَٰلِكَ تُخْرَجُونَ﴾

And who sends down rain from the sky in measured amounts, and We revive thereby a dead land - thus will you be brought forth -

Surah Ad-Dukhan : 35 Meccan

﴿إِنْ هِىَ إِلَّا مَوْتَتُنَا ٱلْأُولَىٰ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمُنشَرِينَ﴾

"There is not but our first death, and we will not be resurrected.

Surah At-Tur : 3 Meccan

﴿فِى رَقٍّ مَّنشُورٍ﴾

In parchment spread open

Surah Al-Qamar : 7 Meccan

﴿خُشَّعًا أَبْصَٰرُهُمْ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَجْدَاثِ كَأَنَّهُمْ جَرَادٌ مُّنتَشِرٌ﴾

Their eyes humbled, they will emerge from the graves as if they were locusts spreading,

Surah Al-Jumu'a : 10 Medinan

﴿فَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةُ فَٱنتَشِرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱبْتَغُوا۟ مِن فَضْلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱذْكُرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ كَثِيرًا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ﴾

And when the prayer has been concluded, disperse within the land and seek from the bounty of Allah, and remember Allah often that you may succeed.

Surah Al-Mulk : 15 Meccan

﴿هُوَ ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلْأَرْضَ ذَلُولًا فَٱمْشُوا۟ فِى مَنَاكِبِهَا وَكُلُوا۟ مِن رِّزْقِهِۦ وَإِلَيْهِ ٱلنُّشُورُ﴾

It is He who made the earth tame for you - so walk among its slopes and eat of His provision - and to Him is the resurrection.

Surah Al-Muddaththir : 52 Meccan

﴿بَلْ يُرِيدُ كُلُّ ٱمْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُؤْتَىٰ صُحُفًا مُّنَشَّرَةً﴾

Rather, every person among them desires that he would be given scriptures spread about.

Surah Al-Mursalat : 3 Meccan

﴿وَٱلنَّٰشِرَٰتِ نَشْرًا﴾

And [by] the winds that spread [clouds]

Surah 'Abasa : 22 Meccan

﴿ثُمَّ إِذَا شَآءَ أَنشَرَهُۥ﴾

Then when He wills, He will resurrect him.

Surah At-Takwir : 10 Meccan

﴿وَإِذَا ٱلصُّحُفُ نُشِرَتْ﴾

And when the pages are made public

Words from the same root as To spread / To resurrect

Gathering / Resurrection

دنر

Denarius / Gold coin

رشد

Righteousness / Guidance

رعن

Weakness / Ineptitude

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم Fri 24 Muharram
الجمعة 24 محرّم