What does « To testify / To be present » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word To testify / To be present (شها) in the Quran, with 13 verses in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

شها

To testify / To be present

Root: ش - ه

Creed (aqida) 13 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 2 min read

Definition of To testify / To be present

Originally, ash-shahwa is the soul's inclination toward what it desires.

In this world, it is of two types: blameworthy when leading to evil, praiseworthy when aiming at legitimate needs.

The Almighty says: 'Beautified for people is the love of desires' (Al 'Imran 14).

To testify / To be present in the Quran (13)

Meccan: 11 Medinan: 2

Distribution of verses by surah

Âl 'Imrân 1

An-Nisa 1

Al-A'raf 1

An-Nahl 1

Maryam 1

Al-Anbiya 1

An-Naml 1

Saba 1

Fussilat 1

Az-Zukhruf 1

+ 3 more surahs

Surah Âl 'Imrân : 14 Medinan

﴿زُيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ حُبُّ ٱلشَّهَوَٰتِ مِنَ ٱلنِّسَآءِ وَٱلْبَنِينَ وَٱلْقَنَـٰطِيرِ ٱلْمُقَنطَرَةِ مِنَ ٱلذَّهَبِ وَٱلْفِضَّةِ وَٱلْخَيْلِ ٱلْمُسَوَّمَةِ وَٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ وَٱلْحَرْثِ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ مَتَـٰعُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَٱللَّهُ عِندَهُۥ حُسْنُ ٱلْمَـَٔابِ﴾

Beautified for people is the love of that which they desire - of women and sons, heaped-up sums of gold and silver, fine branded horses, and cattle and tilled land. That is the enjoyment of worldly life, but Allah has with Him the best return.

Surah An-Nisa : 27 Medinan

﴿وَٱللَّهُ يُرِيدُ أَن يَتُوبَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَيُرِيدُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ ٱلشَّهَوَٰتِ أَن تَمِيلُوا۟ مَيْلًا عَظِيمًۭا﴾

Allah wants to accept your repentance, but those who follow [their] passions want you to digress [into] a great deviation.

Surah Al-A'raf : 81 Meccan

﴿إِنَّكُمْ لَتَأْتُونَ ٱلرِّجَالَ شَهْوَةًۭ مِّن دُونِ ٱلنِّسَآءِ ۚ بَلْ أَنتُمْ قَوْمٌۭ مُّسْرِفُونَ﴾

Indeed, you approach men with desire, instead of women. Rather, you are a transgressing people."

Surah An-Nahl : 57 Meccan

﴿وَيَجْعَلُونَ لِلَّهِ ٱلْبَنَـٰتِ سُبْحَـٰنَهُۥ ۙ وَلَهُم مَّا يَشْتَهُونَ﴾

And they attribute to Allah daughters - exalted is He - and for them is what they desire.

Surah Maryam : 59 Meccan

﴿۞ فَخَلَفَ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ أَضَاعُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَٱتَّبَعُوا۟ ٱلشَّهَوَٰتِ ۖ فَسَوْفَ يَلْقَوْنَ غَيًّا﴾

But there came after them successors who neglected prayer and pursued desires; so they are going to meet evil -

Surah Al-Anbiya : 102 Meccan

﴿لَا يَسْمَعُونَ حَسِيسَهَا ۖ وَهُمْ فِى مَا ٱشْتَهَتْ أَنفُسُهُمْ خَـٰلِدُونَ﴾

They will not hear its sound, while they are, in that which their souls desire, abiding eternally.

Surah An-Naml : 55 Meccan

﴿أَئِنَّكُمْ لَتَأْتُونَ ٱلرِّجَالَ شَهْوَةًۭ مِّن دُونِ ٱلنِّسَآءِ ۚ بَلْ أَنتُمْ قَوْمٌۭ تَجْهَلُونَ﴾

Do you indeed approach men with desire instead of women? Rather, you are a people behaving ignorantly."

Surah Saba : 54 Meccan

﴿وَحِيلَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ مَا يَشْتَهُونَ كَمَا فُعِلَ بِأَشْيَاعِهِم مِّن قَبْلُ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ فِى شَكٍّۢ مُّرِيبٍۭ﴾

And prevention will be placed between them and what they desire, as was done with their kind before. Indeed, they were in disquieting denial.

Surah Fussilat : 31 Meccan

﴿نَحْنُ أَوْلِيَآؤُكُمْ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَفِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۖ وَلَكُمْ فِيهَا مَا تَشْتَهِىٓ أَنفُسُكُمْ وَلَكُمْ فِيهَا مَا تَدَّعُونَ﴾

We [angels] were your allies in worldly life and [are so] in the Hereafter. And you will have therein whatever your souls desire, and you will have therein whatever you request [or wish]

Surah Az-Zukhruf : 71 Meccan

﴿يُطَافُ عَلَيْهِم بِصِحَافٍۢ مِّن ذَهَبٍۢ وَأَكْوَابٍۢ ۖ وَفِيهَا مَا تَشْتَهِيهِ ٱلْأَنفُسُ وَتَلَذُّ ٱلْأَعْيُنُ ۖ وَأَنتُمْ فِيهَا خَـٰلِدُونَ﴾

Circulated among them will be plates and vessels of gold. And therein is whatever the souls desire and [what] delights the eyes, and you will abide therein eternally.

Surah At-Tur : 22 Meccan

﴿وَأَمْدَدْنَـٰهُم بِفَـٰكِهَةٍۢ وَلَحْمٍۢ مِّمَّا يَشْتَهُونَ﴾

And We will provide them with fruit and meat from whatever they desire.

Surah Al-Waqi'a : 21 Meccan

﴿وَلَحْمِ طَيْرٍۢ مِّمَّا يَشْتَهُونَ﴾

And the meat of fowl, from whatever they desire.

Surah Al-Mursalat : 42 Meccan

﴿وَفَوَٰكِهَ مِمَّا يَشْتَهُونَ﴾

And fruits from whatever they desire,