What does « To waste / To squander » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word To waste / To squander (بذر) in the Quran, with 2 verses in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

بذر

To waste / To squander

Root: ب - ذ - ر

Quranic language 2 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 1 min read

Definition of To waste / To squander

At-tabdhîr (squandering): scattering wealth uselessly, like scattering seeds.

Allah says: 'Do not squander (tubaddhir) wastefully' (Al-Isrâ': 26).

Al-mubadhdhir: the squanderer.

Squanderers are brothers of devils.

To waste / To squander in the Quran (2)

Meccan: 2 Medinan: 0

Surah Al-Isra : 26 Meccan

﴿وَءَاتِ ذَا ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ حَقَّهُۥ وَٱلْمِسْكِينَ وَٱبْنَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَلَا تُبَذِّرْ تَبْذِيرًا﴾

And give the relative his right, and [also] the poor and the traveler, and do not spend wastefully.

Surah Al-Isra : 27 Meccan

﴿إِنَّ ٱلْمُبَذِّرِينَ كَانُوٓا۟ إِخْوَٰنَ ٱلشَّيَٰطِينِ وَكَانَ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنُ لِرَبِّهِۦ كَفُورًا﴾

Indeed, the wasteful are brothers of the devils, and ever has Satan been to his Lord ungrateful.

Words from the same root as To waste / To squander

Full moon / To hasten

To move away / To leave

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم Fri 24 Muharram
الجمعة 24 محرّم