What does « Waylun / Woe » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word Waylun / Woe (ويل) in the Quran, with 30 verses in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

ويل

Waylun / Woe

Root: ل

Creed (aqida) 30 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 5 min read

Definition of Waylun / Woe

Al-Wayl refers to woe and perdition.

The Almighty says: 'Woe to those who give less' (Al-Mutaffifin 1).

It is a valley in Hell or an expression of great affliction.

Wayl is the punishment reserved for disbelievers and sinners on the Day of Judgment.

Waylun / Woe in the Quran (30)

Meccan: 28 Medinan: 2

Distribution of verses by surah

Al-Mursalat 6

Al-Anbiya 4

Al-Baqara 1

Al-Maida 1

Hud 1

Ibrahim 1

Al-Kahf 1

Maryam 1

Ta-Ha 1

Al-Furqan 1

+ 12 more surahs

Surah Al-Baqara : 79 Medinan

﴿فَوَيْلٌۭ لِّلَّذِينَ يَكْتُبُونَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ ثُمَّ يَقُولُونَ هَـٰذَا مِنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ لِيَشْتَرُوا۟ بِهِۦ ثَمَنًۭا قَلِيلًۭا ۖ فَوَيْلٌۭ لَّهُم مِّمَّا كَتَبَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَوَيْلٌۭ لَّهُم مِّمَّا يَكْسِبُونَ﴾

So woe to those who write the "scripture" with their own hands, then say, "This is from Allah," in order to exchange it for a small price. Woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for what they earn.

Surah Al-Maida : 31 Medinan

﴿فَبَعَثَ ٱللَّهُ غُرَابًۭا يَبْحَثُ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ لِيُرِيَهُۥ كَيْفَ يُوَٰرِى سَوْءَةَ أَخِيهِ ۚ قَالَ يَـٰوَيْلَتَىٰٓ أَعَجَزْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِثْلَ هَـٰذَا ٱلْغُرَابِ فَأُوَٰرِىَ سَوْءَةَ أَخِى ۖ فَأَصْبَحَ مِنَ ٱلنَّـٰدِمِينَ﴾

Then Allah sent a crow searching in the ground to show him how to hide the disgrace of his brother. He said, "O woe to me! Have I failed to be like this crow and hide the body of my brother?" And he became of the regretful.

Surah Hud : 72 Meccan

﴿قَالَتْ يَـٰوَيْلَتَىٰٓ ءَأَلِدُ وَأَنَا۠ عَجُوزٌۭ وَهَـٰذَا بَعْلِى شَيْخًا ۖ إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَشَىْءٌ عَجِيبٌۭ﴾

She said, "Woe to me! Shall I give birth while I am an old woman and this, my husband, is an old man? Indeed, this is an amazing thing!"

Surah Ibrahim : 2 Meccan

﴿ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّذِى لَهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ وَوَيْلٌۭ لِّلْكَـٰفِرِينَ مِنْ عَذَابٍۢ شَدِيدٍ﴾

Allah, to whom belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And woe to the disbelievers from a severe punishment

Surah Al-Kahf : 49 Meccan

﴿وَوُضِعَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبُ فَتَرَى ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ مُشْفِقِينَ مِمَّا فِيهِ وَيَقُولُونَ يَـٰوَيْلَتَنَا مَالِ هَـٰذَا ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لَا يُغَادِرُ صَغِيرَةًۭ وَلَا كَبِيرَةً إِلَّآ أَحْصَىٰهَا ۚ وَوَجَدُوا۟ مَا عَمِلُوا۟ حَاضِرًۭا ۗ وَلَا يَظْلِمُ رَبُّكَ أَحَدًۭا﴾

And the record [of deeds] will be placed [open], and you will see the criminals fearful of that within it, and they will say, "Oh, woe to us! What is this book that leaves nothing small or great except that it has enumerated it?" And they will find what they did present [before them]. And your Lord does injustice to no one.

Surah Maryam : 37 Meccan

﴿فَٱخْتَلَفَ ٱلْأَحْزَابُ مِنۢ بَيْنِهِمْ ۖ فَوَيْلٌۭ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِن مَّشْهَدِ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ﴾

Then the factions differed [concerning Jesus] from among them, so woe to those who disbelieved - from the scene of a tremendous Day.

Surah Ta-Ha : 61 Meccan

﴿قَالَ لَهُم مُّوسَىٰ وَيْلَكُمْ لَا تَفْتَرُوا۟ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبًۭا فَيُسْحِتَكُم بِعَذَابٍۢ ۖ 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]."

Surah Al-Anbiya : 14 Meccan

﴿قَالُوا۟ يَـٰوَيْلَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَـٰلِمِينَ﴾

They said, "O woe to us! Indeed, we were wrongdoers."

Surah Al-Anbiya : 18 Meccan

﴿بَلْ نَقْذِفُ بِٱلْحَقِّ عَلَى ٱلْبَـٰطِلِ فَيَدْمَغُهُۥ فَإِذَا هُوَ زَاهِقٌۭ ۚ وَلَكُمُ ٱلْوَيْلُ مِمَّا تَصِفُونَ﴾

Rather, We dash the truth upon falsehood, and it destroys it, and thereupon it departs. And for you is destruction from that which you describe.

Surah Al-Anbiya : 46 Meccan

﴿وَلَئِن مَّسَّتْهُمْ نَفْحَةٌۭ مِّنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّكَ لَيَقُولُنَّ يَـٰوَيْلَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَـٰلِمِينَ﴾

And if [as much as] a whiff of the punishment of your Lord should touch them, they would surely say, "O woe to us! Indeed, we have been wrongdoers."

Surah Al-Anbiya : 97 Meccan

﴿وَٱقْتَرَبَ ٱلْوَعْدُ ٱلْحَقُّ فَإِذَا هِىَ شَـٰخِصَةٌ أَبْصَـٰرُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ يَـٰوَيْلَنَا قَدْ كُنَّا فِى غَفْلَةٍۢ مِّنْ هَـٰذَا بَلْ كُنَّا ظَـٰلِمِينَ﴾

And [when] the true promise has approached; then suddenly the eyes of those who disbelieved will be staring [in horror, while they say], "O woe to us; we had been unmindful of this; rather, we were wrongdoers."

Surah Al-Furqan : 28 Meccan

﴿يَـٰوَيْلَتَىٰ لَيْتَنِى لَمْ أَتَّخِذْ فُلَانًا خَلِيلًۭا﴾

Oh, woe to me! I wish I had not taken that one as a friend.

Surah Al-Qasas : 80 Meccan

﴿وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْعِلْمَ وَيْلَكُمْ ثَوَابُ ٱللَّهِ خَيْرٌۭ لِّمَنْ ءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَـٰلِحًۭا وَلَا يُلَقَّىٰهَآ إِلَّا ٱلصَّـٰبِرُونَ﴾

But those who had been given knowledge said, "Woe to you! The reward of Allah is better for he who believes and does righteousness. And none are granted it except the patient."

Surah Ya-Sin : 52 Meccan

﴿قَالُوا۟ يَـٰوَيْلَنَا مَنۢ بَعَثَنَا مِن مَّرْقَدِنَا ۜ ۗ هَـٰذَا مَا وَعَدَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ وَصَدَقَ ٱلْمُرْسَلُونَ﴾

They will say, "O woe to us! Who has raised us up from our sleeping place?" [The reply will be], "This is what the Most Merciful had promised, and the messengers told the truth."

Surah As-Saffat : 20 Meccan

﴿وَقَالُوا۟ يَـٰوَيْلَنَا هَـٰذَا يَوْمُ ٱلدِّينِ﴾

They will say, "O woe to us! This is the Day of Recompense."

Surah Sad : 27 Meccan

﴿وَمَا خَلَقْنَا ٱلسَّمَآءَ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا بَـٰطِلًۭا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ظَنُّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ۚ فَوَيْلٌۭ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِنَ ٱلنَّارِ﴾

And We did not create the heaven and the earth and that between them aimlessly. That is the assumption of those who disbelieve, so woe to those who disbelieve from the Fire.

Surah Az-Zumar : 22 Meccan

﴿أَفَمَن شَرَحَ ٱللَّهُ صَدْرَهُۥ لِلْإِسْلَـٰمِ فَهُوَ عَلَىٰ نُورٍۢ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ ۚ فَوَيْلٌۭ لِّلْقَـٰسِيَةِ قُلُوبُهُم مِّن ذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ فِى ضَلَـٰلٍۢ مُّبِينٍ﴾

So is one whose breast Allah has expanded to [accept] Islam and he is upon a light from his Lord [like one whose heart rejects it]? Then woe to those whose hearts are hardened against the remembrance of Allah. Those are in manifest error.

Surah Fussilat : 6 Meccan

﴿قُلْ إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ بَشَرٌۭ مِّثْلُكُمْ يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَىَّ أَنَّمَآ إِلَـٰهُكُمْ إِلَـٰهٌۭ وَٰحِدٌۭ فَٱسْتَقِيمُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهِ وَٱسْتَغْفِرُوهُ ۗ وَوَيْلٌۭ لِّلْمُشْرِكِينَ﴾

Say, O [Muhammad], "I am only a man like you to whom it has been revealed that your god is but one God; so take a straight course to Him and seek His forgiveness." And woe to those who associate others with Allah -

Surah Az-Zukhruf : 65 Meccan

﴿فَٱخْتَلَفَ ٱلْأَحْزَابُ مِنۢ بَيْنِهِمْ ۖ فَوَيْلٌۭ لِّلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمٍ أَلِيمٍ﴾

But the denominations from among them differed [and separated], so woe to those who have wronged from the punishment of a painful Day.

Surah Al-Jathiya : 7 Meccan

﴿وَيْلٌۭ لِّكُلِّ أَفَّاكٍ أَثِيمٍۢ﴾

Woe to every sinful liar

Surah Al-Ahqaf : 17 Meccan

﴿وَٱلَّذِى قَالَ لِوَٰلِدَيْهِ أُفٍّۢ لَّكُمَآ أَتَعِدَانِنِىٓ أَنْ أُخْرَجَ وَقَدْ خَلَتِ ٱلْقُرُونُ مِن قَبْلِى وَهُمَا يَسْتَغِيثَانِ ٱللَّهَ وَيْلَكَ ءَامِنْ إِنَّ وَعْدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقٌّۭ فَيَقُولُ مَا هَـٰذَآ إِلَّآ أَسَـٰطِيرُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ﴾

But one who says to his parents, "Uff to you; do you promise me that I will be brought forth [from the earth] when generations before me have already passed on [into oblivion]?" while they call to Allah for help [and to their son], "Woe to you! Believe! Indeed, the promise of Allah is truth." But he says, "This is not but legends of the former people" -

Surah Adh-Dhariyat : 60 Meccan

﴿فَوَيْلٌۭ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِن يَوْمِهِمُ ٱلَّذِى يُوعَدُونَ﴾

And woe to those who have disbelieved from their Day which they are promised.

Surah At-Tur : 11 Meccan

﴿فَوَيْلٌۭ يَوْمَئِذٍۢ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ﴾

Then woe, that Day, to the deniers,

Surah Al-Qalam : 31 Meccan

﴿قَالُوا۟ يَـٰوَيْلَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا طَـٰغِينَ﴾

They said, "O woe to us; indeed we were transgressors.

Surah Al-Mursalat : 15 Meccan

﴿وَيْلٌۭ يَوْمَئِذٍۢ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ﴾

Woe, that Day, to the deniers.