Discover the meaning of the term Ruq (رق) in Islamic vocabulary.
Contents :
Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 4 min readLexically: weakness; hence the heart’s tenderness. In fiqh, among the majority: a juridical weakness, the Law making kufr at root the sanction’s cause; among some: ruq is a juridical impotence, its holder unable disposing or holding charges. We said « weakness » for the person thereby incapable, holding not what the free man holds: testimony, judicature and other, becoming possessed by another, as other permissions by hunting. Qualifying weakness juridical is guarding against the sensed: the slave may be stronger than the free man in deeds, servitude entering not by defect of his members and powers. The servile, though strong and sturdy, incapable of testimony, judicature, charge, marriage, wealth-ownership. Its being « a sanction at root » means: servitude, in its first description and existence’s start, is kufr’s sanction: the unbelievers refusing worship Allah, making their souls akin to minerals, profiting not of their reason, hearing, sight by meditating Allah’s verses and regarding His unity’s proofs and dazzling miracles attesting His prophets’ and messengers’ truth, Allah requited them in the world by servitude making them possessed-matter, and made them slaves of slaves.
Lexically: weakness; said of cloth raqiqa: weak-woven; hence the heart’s tenderness. In fiqh, the majority: a juridical weakness, the Law making kufr at root sanction’s cause. Among some: ruq a juridical impotence, its holder unable disposing or holding charges. We said « weakness » for the person thereby incapable, holding not what the free man holds: testimony, judgment, becoming possessed by another, as other permissions by hunting. Qualifying weakness juridical guards against the sensed: the slave may be stronger than the free man in deeds, servitude entering not by defect of members and powers: the servile, though strong and sturdy, incapable of testimony, judgment, charge, marriage, wealth-ownership. Its being « sanction at root »: servitude is, in its first description and existence’s start, kufr’s sanction: the unbelievers refusing worship Allah, making souls akin to minerals, profiting not of reason, hearing, sight by meditating Allah’s verses and regarding His unity’s proofs and dazzling miracles attesting His prophets’ and messengers’ truth, Allah requited them in the world by servitude making them possessed-matter, slaves of slaves.
Raqa’ and raaqa: thinning and fining, softening. Of the free man: become servile or entering servitude: he, she, they riqiq; plural arqa’, riqaq. She riqiqa; plural riqaq, raqa’iq.
Lexically, weakness; hence the heart’s tenderness. By usage, a juridical impotence the Law made kufr at root sanction’s cause: impotence for its holder holding not, though his master possess him, cut from charges and offices: judicature, testimony and others; juridical impotence for he may be stronger in deeds than the free man, by the senses.
With kasra: lexically weakness, hence the heart’s tenderness.
﴿وَإِذْ فَرَقْنَا بِكُمُ ٱلْبَحْرَ فَأَنجَيْنَـٰكُمْ وَأَغْرَقْنَآ ءَالَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَأَنتُمْ تَنظُرُونَ﴾
« And [recall] when We parted the sea for you and saved you and drowned the people of Pharaoh while you were looking on. »
Surah البقرة : 50
﴿إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ فَرَّقُوا۟ دِينَهُمْ وَكَانُوا۟ شِيَعًۭا لَّسْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِى شَىْءٍ ۚ إِنَّمَآ أَمْرُهُمْ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَفْعَلُونَ﴾
« Indeed, those who have divided their religion and become sects - you, [O Muhammad], are not [associated] with them in anything. Their affair is only [left] to Allah; then He will inform them about what they used to do. »
Surah الأنعام : 159
﴿فَدَلَّىٰهُمَا بِغُرُورٍۢ ۚ فَلَمَّا ذَاقَا ٱلشَّجَرَةَ بَدَتْ لَهُمَا سَوْءَٰتُهُمَا وَطَفِقَا يَخْصِفَانِ عَلَيْهِمَا مِن وَرَقِ ٱلْجَنَّةِ ۖ وَنَادَىٰهُمَا رَبُّهُمَآ أَلَمْ أَنْهَكُمَا عَن تِلْكُمَا ٱلشَّجَرَةِ وَأَقُل لَّكُمَآ إِنَّ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنَ لَكُمَا عَدُوٌّۭ مُّبِينٌۭ﴾
« So he made them fall, through deception. And when they tasted of the tree, their private parts became apparent to them, and they began to fasten together over themselves from the leaves of Paradise. And their Lord called to them, "Did I not forbid you from that tree and tell you that Satan is to you a clear enemy?" »
Surah الأعراف : 22
﴿يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِن تَتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّكُمْ فُرْقَانًۭا وَيُكَفِّرْ عَنكُمْ سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ ذُو ٱلْفَضْلِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ﴾
« O you who have believed, if you fear Allah, He will grant you a criterion and will remove from you your misdeeds and forgive you. And Allah is the possessor of great bounty. »
Surah الأنفال : 29
﴿أَوْ يَكُونَ لَكَ بَيْتٌۭ مِّن زُخْرُفٍ أَوْ تَرْقَىٰ فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَلَن نُّؤْمِنَ لِرُقِيِّكَ حَتَّىٰ تُنَزِّلَ عَلَيْنَا كِتَـٰبًۭا نَّقْرَؤُهُۥ ۗ قُلْ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّى هَلْ كُنتُ إِلَّا بَشَرًۭا رَّسُولًۭا﴾
« Or you have a house of gold or you ascend into the sky. And [even then], we will not believe in your ascension until you bring down to us a book we may read." Say, "Exalted is my Lord! Was I ever but a human messenger?" »
Surah الإسراء : 93
﴿فَأَكَلَا مِنْهَا فَبَدَتْ لَهُمَا سَوْءَٰتُهُمَا وَطَفِقَا يَخْصِفَانِ عَلَيْهِمَا مِن وَرَقِ ٱلْجَنَّةِ ۚ وَعَصَىٰٓ ءَادَمُ رَبَّهُۥ فَغَوَىٰ﴾
« And Adam and his wife ate of it, and their private parts became apparent to them, and they began to fasten over themselves from the leaves of Paradise. And Adam disobeyed his Lord and erred. »
Surah طه : 121
This term appears in 12 verses of the Quran.