Quranic root
توب
t · w · b
A return: turning back from a prior state, especially returning from sin toward God and obedience.
The root develops from physical or general return into the religious sense of abandoning sin, regretting it, resolving not to resume it, and turning toward God; with God as subject, it denotes a merciful return toward the servant and acceptance of repentance.
- Maqāyīs · row 968
- Mufradāt · row 192
- 4
- Quran-attested forms
- 6
- Quran senses
- 87
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
تَابَ
tāba
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form I
- Form
- I
- Quran occurrences
- 63 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 turn back from sin or disobedience and return to obedience; to repent.
With a human subject, the verb denotes abandoning wrongdoing and turning toward God or obedience. It may be construed with مِنْ or عَنْ for what one turns away from, and with إِلَى for the direction of return.
- Lane · entry 16921
- Mufradāt · row 192
Selected Quran examples
Quran 2:160word 3
“who repent[ed]”
Quran 24:31word 71
“And turn”
To turn toward a servant with forgiveness, mercy, favor, or acceptance of repentance.
With God as subject and the servant expressed with عَلَى, the verb describes divine restoration of favor and acceptance of the servant's repentance, rather than the servant's own act of repenting.
- Lane · entry 16921
- Mufradāt · row 192
Selected Quran examples
Quran 2:37word 6
“So (his Lord) turned”
تَوْبَة
tawbah
- Part of speech
- Noun
- Quran occurrences
- 10 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.
Repentance: abandoning sin because of its wrongness, regretting it, acknowledging responsibility, resolving not to return to it, and making amends where possible.
The Quranic noun covers return from sin toward God. In the related form مَتَاب, it can be expressed as one's return or recourse to God; with righteous action, it may denote complete repentance that combines abandoning wrong with pursuing what is good.
- Lane · entry 16921
- Mufradāt · row 192
Selected Quran examples
Quran 13:30word 28
“(is) my return”
Quran 25:71word 9
“(with) repentance”
Quran 40:3word 4
“(of) [the] repentance”
تَوَّاب
tawwāb
- Part of speech
- Active participle · intensive
- Quran occurrences
- 12 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 repents often or repeatedly, continually returning from disobedience to obedience.
Applied to human beings, the intensive form emphasizes repeated or habitual repentance rather than a single act.
- Lane · entry 16924
- Mufradāt · row 192
Selected Quran examples
Quran 2:222word 25
“those who turn in repentance”
One who repeatedly turns toward repentant servants with forgiveness, mercy, and acceptance of their repentance.
When applied to God, the form describes the repeated acceptance of servants' repentance and the recurring return of favor toward those who turn to Him.
- Lane · entry 16924
- Mufradāt · row 192
Selected Quran examples
Quran 2:37word 10
“(is) the Oft-returning (to mercy)”
Quran 9:104word 15
“(is) the Acceptor of repentance”
تَائِب
tāʾib
- Part of speech
- Active participle
- Quran occurrences
- 2 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.
Repentant; one who turns away from sin and returns to obedience to God.
The Quranic occurrences are plural masculine and feminine forms referring to people characterized by repentance; the singular citation form is تَائِب.
- Lane · entry 16925
- Mufradāt · row 192
Selected Quran examples
Quran 9:112word 1
“Those who turn in repentance”
Quran 66:5word 13
“repentant”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
- 2:37فَتَابَSo (his Lord) turned
- 2:37ٱلتَّوَّابُ(is) the Oft-returning (to mercy)
- 2:54فَتُوبُوٓا۟So turn in repentance
- 2:54فَتَابَThen He turned
- 2:54ٱلتَّوَّابُ(is) the-returning
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 2 Classical meanings
اسْتَتَابَ
To ask or propose that someone return from sin or disobedience and repent; to call on someone to desist from wrongdoing.
A Form X causative/request construction in which one person urges another to return to obedience or abandon a sin.
- Lane · entry 16922
تَابُوت
A chest or box; by extension, the rib-cage or chest as a bodily container, including what it contains, and hence the breast or bosom.
The chest-and-box senses are linked by the image of a container. The word is also reported in later usage for a bier or coffin; its etymological assignment is treated variously in the lexical discussion.
- Lane · entry 16923
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
تَوَّاب has distinct Quranic human and divine subject uses: frequent repentance by a servant versus repeated acceptance of repentance by God.
The inclusion of تَابُوت under this root follows the supplied lexical root record, while the same discussion reports alternative etymological analysis and placement; its chest, box, and anatomical meanings are retained as Classical evidence rather than Quranic senses.