What does « Term / Duration » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word Term / Duration (أمد) 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.

أمد

Term / Duration

Root: ء - م - د

Jurisprudence (fiqh) 4 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 2 min read

Definition of Term / Duration

Al-amad and al-abad are close, but abad refers to a duration with no defined limit and cannot be restricted.

Amad is a duration with an unknown limit when absolute, but can be limited.

The difference between zamân and amad is that amad considers the end, while zamân is general.

Allah says: 'She would wish there were between her and it a great distance (amadan)' (Âl 'Imrân: 30).

Term / Duration in the Quran (4)

Meccan: 2 Medinan: 2

Distribution of verses by surah

Âl 'Imrân 1

Al-Kahf 1

Al-Hadid 1

Al-Jinn 1

Surah Âl 'Imrân : 30 Medinan

﴿يَوْمَ تَجِدُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا عَمِلَتْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ مُّحْضَرًا وَمَا عَمِلَتْ مِن سُوٓءٍ تَوَدُّ لَوْ أَنَّ بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَهُۥٓ أَمَدًۢا بَعِيدًا وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسَهُۥ وَٱللَّهُ رَءُوفٌۢ بِٱلْعِبَادِ﴾

The Day every soul will find what it has done of good present [before it] and what it has done of evil, it will wish that between itself and that [evil] was a great distance. And Allah warns you of Himself, and Allah is Kind to [His] servants."

Surah Al-Kahf : 12 Meccan

﴿ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَٰهُمْ لِنَعْلَمَ أَىُّ ٱلْحِزْبَيْنِ أَحْصَىٰ لِمَا لَبِثُوٓا۟ أَمَدًا﴾

Then We awakened them that We might show which of the two factions was most precise in calculating what [extent] they had remained in time.

Surah Al-Hadid : 16 Medinan

﴿أَلَمْ يَأْنِ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَن تَخْشَعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ لِذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا نَزَلَ مِنَ ٱلْحَقِّ وَلَا يَكُونُوا۟ كَٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ مِن قَبْلُ فَطَالَ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْأَمَدُ فَقَسَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنْهُمْ فَٰسِقُونَ﴾

Has the time not come for those who have believed that their hearts should become humbly submissive at the remembrance of Allah and what has come down of the truth? And let them not be like those who were given the Scripture before, and a long period passed over them, so their hearts hardened; and many of them are defiantly disobedient.

Surah Al-Jinn : 25 Meccan

﴿قُلْ إِنْ أَدْرِىٓ أَقَرِيبٌ مَّا تُوعَدُونَ أَمْ يَجْعَلُ لَهُۥ رَبِّىٓ أَمَدًا﴾

Say, "I do not know if what you are promised is near or if my Lord will grant for it a [long] period."