What does « Unlawful / Forbidden » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word Unlawful / Forbidden (سحت) 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.

سحت

Unlawful / Forbidden

Root: س - ح - ت

Quranic language 4 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 1 min read

Definition of Unlawful / Forbidden

As-suht: the uprooting that eradicates.

The Almighty says: 'lest He destroy you by a punishment' (Ta-Ha 61).

As-suht also refers to unlawful gain that eradicates blessing. 'They consume the unlawful' (Al-Ma'ida 42).

Any ill-gotten wealth that corrupts is suht.

Unlawful / Forbidden in the Quran (4)

Meccan: 1 Medinan: 3

Distribution of verses by surah

Al-Maida 3

Ta-Ha 1

Surah Al-Maida : 42 Medinan

﴿سَمَّٰعُونَ لِلْكَذِبِ أَكَّٰلُونَ لِلسُّحْتِ فَإِن جَآءُوكَ فَٱحْكُم بَيْنَهُمْ أَوْ أَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ وَإِن تُعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ فَلَن يَضُرُّوكَ شَيْـًٔا وَإِنْ حَكَمْتَ فَٱحْكُم بَيْنَهُم بِٱلْقِسْطِ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُقْسِطِينَ﴾

[They are] avid listeners to falsehood, devourers of [what is] unlawful. So if they come to you, [O Muhammad], judge between them or turn away from them. And if you turn away from them - never will they harm you at all. And if you judge, judge between them with justice. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly.

Surah Al-Maida : 62 Medinan

﴿وَتَرَىٰ كَثِيرًا مِّنْهُمْ يُسَٰرِعُونَ فِى ٱلْإِثْمِ وَٱلْعُدْوَٰنِ وَأَكْلِهِمُ ٱلسُّحْتَ لَبِئْسَ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ﴾

And you see many of them hastening into sin and aggression and the devouring of [what is] unlawful. How wretched is what they have been doing.

Surah Al-Maida : 63 Medinan

﴿لَوْلَا يَنْهَىٰهُمُ ٱلرَّبَّٰنِيُّونَ وَٱلْأَحْبَارُ عَن قَوْلِهِمُ ٱلْإِثْمَ وَأَكْلِهِمُ ٱلسُّحْتَ لَبِئْسَ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَصْنَعُونَ﴾

Why do the rabbis and religious scholars not forbid them from saying what is sinful and devouring what is unlawful? How wretched is what they have been practicing.

Surah Ta-Ha : 61 Meccan

﴿قَالَ لَهُم مُّوسَىٰ وَيْلَكُمْ لَا تَفْتَرُوا۟ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبًا فَيُسْحِتَكُم بِعَذَابٍ وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنِ ٱفْتَرَىٰ﴾

Moses said to the magicians summoned by Pharaoh, "Woe to you! Do not invent a lie against Allah or He will exterminate you with a punishment; and he has failed who invents [such falsehood]."