Discover the meaning of the term Al-zbr (زبر) in Islamic vocabulary.
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Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 2 min readWith damma, the plural of zabur which is the book restricted to rulings, derived from zabartuhu (you wrote it) if you restrained it. It was also said that the zubur are the admonitions and prohibitions, derived from zabartuhu if you rebuked it. Sometimes it refers to the first letters of the names of the alphabet letters, just as bayyinat refers to the letters other than the first letters of those names, as Abu al-Fadl said in the definition of Sultan al-Hind Akbar.
It is said: I wrote the book, and zabartu, and dhabartu, and namamtu, and namastu with the same meaning. Gharib al-Hadith by al-Busti 86/1.
Thick writing, and any book with thick writing is called zabur, and this was specifically applied to the Book revealed to David. It was also said: any divine book that is difficult to comprehend. It was also said: the name of the book restricted to intellectual generalities to the exclusion of legal rulings, which is evidenced by the fact that the zabur of David contains no rulings. Section of jim.
﴿فَإِن كَذَّبُوكَ فَقَدْ كُذِّبَ رُسُلٌۭ مِّن قَبْلِكَ جَآءُو بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ وَٱلزُّبُرِ وَٱلْكِتَـٰبِ ٱلْمُنِيرِ﴾
« Then if they deny you, [O Muhammad] - so were messengers denied before you, who brought clear proofs and written ordinances and the enlightening Scripture. »
Surah آل عمران : 184
﴿بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ وَٱلزُّبُرِ ۗ وَأَنزَلْنَآ إِلَيْكَ ٱلذِّكْرَ لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ﴾
« [We sent them] with clear proofs and written ordinances. And We revealed to you the message that you may make clear to the people what was sent down to them and that they might give thought. »
Surah النحل : 44
﴿ءَاتُونِى زُبَرَ ٱلْحَدِيدِ ۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا سَاوَىٰ بَيْنَ ٱلصَّدَفَيْنِ قَالَ ٱنفُخُوا۟ ۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَعَلَهُۥ نَارًۭا قَالَ ءَاتُونِىٓ أُفْرِغْ عَلَيْهِ قِطْرًۭا﴾
« Bring me sheets of iron" - until, when he had leveled [them] between the two mountain walls, he said, "Blow [with bellows]," until when he had made it [like] fire, he said, "Bring me, that I may pour over it molten copper." »
Surah الكهف : 96
﴿فَتَقَطَّعُوٓا۟ أَمْرَهُم بَيْنَهُمْ زُبُرًۭا ۖ كُلُّ حِزْبٍۭ بِمَا لَدَيْهِمْ فَرِحُونَ﴾
« But the people divided their religion among them into sects - each faction, in what it has, rejoicing. »
Surah المؤمنون : 53
﴿وَإِنَّهُۥ لَفِى زُبُرِ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ﴾
« And indeed, it is [mentioned] in the scriptures of former peoples. »
Surah الشعراء : 196
﴿أَكُفَّارُكُمْ خَيْرٌۭ مِّنْ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكُمْ أَمْ لَكُم بَرَآءَةٌۭ فِى ٱلزُّبُرِ﴾
« Are your disbelievers better than those [former ones], or have you immunity in the scripture? »
Surah القمر : 43
This term appears in 7 verses of the Quran.