What does « Thorn / Armed » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word Thorn / Armed (شوك) 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.

شوك
Thorn / Armed
Root: ش - ك
Creed (aqida) 1 verse

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 1 min read

Definition of Thorn / Armed

Ash-shawk: what is thin and has a hard point among plants.

Ash-shawka is used for the force of arms.

The Almighty says: 'You wished that the unarmed one would be yours' (Al-Anfal 7).

Thorns wound like weapons.

Thorn / Armed in the Quran (1)

Meccan: 0 Medinan: 1
Surah Al-Anfal : 7 Medinan
﴿وَإِذْ يَعِدُكُمُ ٱللَّهُ إِحْدَى ٱلطَّآئِفَتَيْنِ أَنَّهَا لَكُمْ وَتَوَدُّونَ أَنَّ غَيْرَ ذَاتِ ٱلشَّوْكَةِ تَكُونُ لَكُمْ وَيُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ أَن يُحِقَّ ٱلْحَقَّ بِكَلِمَٰتِهِۦ وَيَقْطَعَ دَابِرَ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ
[Remember, O believers], when Allah promised you one of the two groups - that it would be yours - and you wished that the unarmed one would be yours. But Allah intended to establish the truth by His words and to eliminate the disbelievers

Words from the same root as Thorn / Armed

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