What does « Tomb / To bury » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word Tomb / To bury (قبر) in the Quran, with 8 verses in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

قبر

Tomb / To bury

Root: ق - ب - ر

Creed (aqida) 8 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 3 min read

Definition of Tomb / To bury

Al-Qabr refers to the grave.

The Almighty says: 'Then He causes him to die and provides a grave for him' ('Abasa 21).

Al-maqbarah is the cemetery.

Qabara al-mayyit means to bury the dead.

The Almighty says: 'When the graves are overturned' (Al-Infitar 4).

Tomb / To bury in the Quran (8)

Meccan: 5 Medinan: 3

Distribution of verses by surah

At-Tawba 1

Al-Hajj 1

Fatir 1

Al-Mumtahana 1

'Abasa 1

Al-Infitar 1

Al-'Adiyat 1

At-Takathur 1

Surah At-Tawba : 84 Medinan

﴿وَلَا تُصَلِّ عَلَىٰٓ أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُم مَّاتَ أَبَدًا وَلَا تَقُمْ عَلَىٰ قَبْرِهِۦٓ إِنَّهُمْ كَفَرُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ وَمَاتُوا۟ وَهُمْ فَٰسِقُونَ﴾

And do not pray [the funeral prayer, O Muhammad], over any of them who has died - ever - or stand at his grave. Indeed, they disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger and died while they were defiantly disobedient.

Surah Al-Hajj : 7 Medinan

﴿وَأَنَّ ٱلسَّاعَةَ ءَاتِيَةٌ لَّا رَيْبَ فِيهَا وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَبْعَثُ مَن فِى ٱلْقُبُورِ﴾

And [that they may know] that the Hour is coming - no doubt about it - and that Allah will resurrect those in the graves.

Surah Fatir : 22 Meccan

﴿وَمَا يَسْتَوِى ٱلْأَحْيَآءُ وَلَا ٱلْأَمْوَٰتُ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُسْمِعُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَمَآ أَنتَ بِمُسْمِعٍ مَّن فِى ٱلْقُبُورِ﴾

And not equal are the living and the dead. Indeed, Allah causes to hear whom He wills, but you cannot make hear those in the graves.

Surah Al-Mumtahana : 13 Medinan

﴿يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَتَوَلَّوْا۟ قَوْمًا غَضِبَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ قَدْ يَئِسُوا۟ مِنَ ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ كَمَا يَئِسَ ٱلْكُفَّارُ مِنْ أَصْحَٰبِ ٱلْقُبُورِ﴾

O you who have believed, do not make allies of a people with whom Allah has become angry. They have despaired of [reward in] the Hereafter just as the disbelievers have despaired of [meeting] the inhabitants of the graves.

Surah 'Abasa : 21 Meccan

﴿ثُمَّ أَمَاتَهُۥ فَأَقْبَرَهُۥ﴾

Then He causes his death and provides a grave for him.

Surah Al-Infitar : 4 Meccan

﴿وَإِذَا ٱلْقُبُورُ بُعْثِرَتْ﴾

And when the [contents of] graves are scattered,

Surah Al-'Adiyat : 9 Meccan

﴿أَفَلَا يَعْلَمُ إِذَا بُعْثِرَ مَا فِى ٱلْقُبُورِ﴾

But does he not know that when the contents of the graves are scattered

Surah At-Takathur : 2 Meccan

﴿حَتَّىٰ زُرْتُمُ ٱلْمَقَابِرَ﴾

Until you visit the graveyards.