What does « To write / To mark » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word To write / To mark (رقم) in the Quran, with 3 verses in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

رقم

To write / To mark

Root: ر - ق - م

Jurisprudence (fiqh) 3 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 1 min read

Definition of To write / To mark

Al-raqm: thick writing.

Also said to be the dotting of writing.

Allah says: 'A numbered book (marqum)' (Al-Mutaffifîn: 9).

The sinners' book is marked and identified in Sijjîn.

To write / To mark in the Quran (3)

Meccan: 3 Medinan: 0

Distribution of verses by surah

Al-Mutaffifin 2

Al-Kahf 1

Surah Al-Kahf : 9 Meccan

﴿أَمْ حَسِبْتَ أَنَّ أَصْحَٰبَ ٱلْكَهْفِ وَٱلرَّقِيمِ كَانُوا۟ مِنْ ءَايَٰتِنَا عَجَبًا﴾

Or have you thought that the companions of the cave and the inscription were, among Our signs, a wonder?

Surah Al-Mutaffifin : 9 Meccan

﴿كِتَٰبٌ مَّرْقُومٌ﴾

It is [their destination recorded in] a register inscribed.

Surah Al-Mutaffifin : 20 Meccan

﴿كِتَٰبٌ مَّرْقُومٌ﴾

It is [their destination recorded in] a register inscribed

Words from the same root as To write / To mark

To decide definitively

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم Fri 24 Muharram
الجمعة 24 محرّم