Quranic root
ركع
r · k · ʿ
The root denotes bending or inclining, especially the bending of a person or other thing.
From bodily bending and lowering the head, the lexical range extends to the ritual bowing of prayer, humility and self-abasement, prayer itself, thanksgiving prostration, and several physical or figurative applications.
- Maqāyīs · row 2127
- Mufradāt · row 581
- 2
- Quran-attested forms
- 5
- Quran senses
- 13
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
رَكَعَ
rakaʿa
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form I
- Form
- I
- Quran occurrences
- 5 occurrences
Selected examples are shown with the sense they illustrate — chosen to teach that sense, not the complete list of this form’s Quran occurrences.
To bow down in the prescribed posture of prayer.
A bodily act of worship involving the lowering or bending of the body; the Quranic forms include commands to bow and an imperfect statement about bowing.
- Lane · entry 24350
- Mufradāt · row 581
Selected Quran examples
Quran 22:77word 4
“Bow”
Quran 77:48word 6
“they bow”
To humble or abase oneself before God in worship.
This is an attitudinal extension of bodily bowing, expressing submission or reverence in a worship context.
- Lane · entry 24350
- Mufradāt · row 581
Selected Quran examples
Quran 3:43word 5
“and bow down”
To pray or join those engaged in prayer.
A Quran-attested construction interprets the verb with مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ as joining those who pray.
- Lane · entry 24350
Selected Quran examples
Quran 2:43word 5
“and bow down”
رَاكِعٌ
rākiʿun
- Part of speech
- Active participle
- Quran occurrences
- 8 occurrences
Selected examples are shown with the sense they illustrate — chosen to teach that sense, not the complete list of this form’s Quran occurrences.
One who bows; in worship, one performing the ritual bowing posture of prayer.
The active participle can describe a person engaged in prayer; Quranic occurrences use it for worshippers characterized by bowing.
- Lane · entry 24354
- Mufradāt · row 581
Selected Quran examples
One who prostrates himself in thanksgiving.
A Quran-attested interpretation of the participle describes a person falling into prostration as an act of thanksgiving.
- Lane · entry 24354
Selected Quran examples
Quran 38:24word 31
“bowing”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
- 2:43وَٱرْكَعُوا۟and bow down
- 2:43ٱلرَّٰكِعِينَthose who bow down
- 2:125وَٱلرُّكَّعِand those who bow down
- 3:43وَٱرْكَعِىand bow down
- 3:43ٱلرَّٰكِعِينَthose who bow down
Broader Classical Arabic meanings
Recorded for this root in the Classical lexicons beyond its Quran usage. These are secondary to the Quran senses above.
Show 13 Classical meanings
رَكَعَ
To bend or become bent, lower the head, or fall upon the face and stumble.
This broad physical use includes a person becoming bent through age and the consequences of lowering the head.
- Lane · entry 24350
رَكَعَ
To humble or abase oneself in a devotional or other non-ritual context.
A figurative extension of bodily bending; it may describe a humbled person or a lowered state without denoting the prescribed prayer posture.
- Lane · entry 24350
رَكَعَ
To stand for prayer.
A reported conventional use referring particularly to taking up the standing position for prayer.
- Lane · entry 24350
رَكَعَ
Of camels, to become fatigued or languid from fatigue, lowering the head and falling on the face.
A specialized usage describing extreme fatigue or languor in camels.
- Lane · entry 24350
رَكَعَ
Of a palm tree, to incline.
Reported as a possible classical tropical expression; its classical attestation is noted as uncertain.
- Lane · entry 24350
رَكَعَ
Of a man, to become poor after richness, competence, or sufficiency.
The expression figuratively describes a person's condition becoming lowered or abased.
- Lane · entry 24350
رَكْعَةٌ
A single cycle of prayer consisting of standing followed by bowing and two prostrations; by extension, a prayer comprising one such cycle.
The plural is رَكَعَاتٌ; the term is also used in expressions for performing one or more prayer cycles.
- Lane · entry 24352
رُكْعَةٌ
A deep hollow in the ground.
A dialectal Yemeni usage.
- Lane · entry 24353
رَاكِعٌ
Bowing or bending; of a person or thing, lowering the head or falling upon the face after lowering it.
The participle may describe either a person or another thing exhibiting this physical posture.
- Lane · entry 24354
رَاكِعٌ
A follower of the true religion who does not worship idols.
A usage attributed to Arab usage in the pre-Islamic period.
- Lane · entry 24354
رَاكِعٌ
Of a camel, lowering the head and falling upon the face from fatigue or languor.
A specialized participial use for camels affected by extreme fatigue.
- Lane · entry 24354
مَرْكَعٌ
A place in which one bows or bends, especially in prayer.
A place-noun use; its plural is مَرَاكِعُ.
- Lane · entry 24355
مَرْكَعٌ
A hard, long stone upon which wheat or the like is ground.
A specialized nominal use; its plural is مَرَاكِعُ.
- Lane · entry 24355
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
The Quranic nominal group is morphologically an active participle and is presented under the singular citation form رَاكِعٌ, although its supplied occurrences include plural and inflected forms.
The thanksgiving-prostration interpretation is accompanied by a printed Lane citation to chapter 38, verse 23; the example here uses only the independently supplied QAC occurrence 38:24:31, where رَاكِعًا occurs.