What does « To weep » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word To weep (بكي) in the Quran, with 7 verses in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

بكي

To weep

Root: ب - ك

Creed (aqida) 7 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 3 min read

Definition of To weep

Bakâ yabkî bukâ'an wa bukâ: to cry.

Al-bukâ' with lengthening: the flow of tears from sadness.

Al-bukâ without lengthening: the sound of weeping.

Allah says: 'They fall upon their faces weeping (yabkûn)' (Al-Isrâ': 109).

The Quran distinguishes sincere tears of humility from hypocritical weeping.

To weep in the Quran (7)

Meccan: 6 Medinan: 1

Distribution of verses by surah

An-Najm 2

At-Tawba 1

Yusuf 1

Al-Isra 1

Maryam 1

Ad-Dukhan 1

Surah At-Tawba : 82 Medinan

﴿فَلْيَضْحَكُوا۟ قَلِيلًا وَلْيَبْكُوا۟ كَثِيرًا جَزَآءًۢ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْسِبُونَ﴾

So let them laugh a little and [then] weep much as recompense for what they used to earn.

Surah Yusuf : 16 Meccan

﴿وَجَآءُوٓ أَبَاهُمْ عِشَآءً يَبْكُونَ﴾

And they came to their father at night, weeping.

Surah Al-Isra : 109 Meccan

﴿وَيَخِرُّونَ لِلْأَذْقَانِ يَبْكُونَ وَيَزِيدُهُمْ خُشُوعًا﴾

And they fall upon their faces weeping, and the Qur'an increases them in humble submission.

Surah Maryam : 58 Meccan

﴿أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ ٱلنَّبِيِّۦنَ مِن ذُرِّيَّةِ ءَادَمَ وَمِمَّنْ حَمَلْنَا مَعَ نُوحٍ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّةِ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَإِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ وَمِمَّنْ هَدَيْنَا وَٱجْتَبَيْنَآ إِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَٰتُ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ خَرُّوا۟ سُجَّدًا وَبُكِيًّا﴾

Those were the ones upon whom Allah bestowed favor from among the prophets of the descendants of Adam and of those We carried [in the ship] with Noah, and of the descendants of Abraham and Israel, and of those whom We guided and chose. When the verses of the Most Merciful were recited to them, they fell in prostration and weeping.

Surah Ad-Dukhan : 29 Meccan

﴿فَمَا بَكَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ وَٱلْأَرْضُ وَمَا كَانُوا۟ مُنظَرِينَ﴾

And the heaven and earth wept not for them, nor were they reprieved.

Surah An-Najm : 43 Meccan

﴿وَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ أَضْحَكَ وَأَبْكَىٰ﴾

And that it is He who makes [one] laugh and weep

Surah An-Najm : 60 Meccan

﴿وَتَضْحَكُونَ وَلَا تَبْكُونَ﴾

And you laugh and do not weep