Instances of ahad
Out of 74 instances of ahad in the noun form meaning “one or anyone” in the Quran, 44 instances found in 42 verses of 13 surahs are detailed out below to better understand their meaning in different contexts:
[2:96] And surely you will find them more covetous of the people for life, even than those who have associated partners (with God). Each one of them loves (yawaddu ahadahum) if he could be granted a life for a thousand year, but it will not be of removing him from the punishment that he is granted a (longer) life. And God is Seer of what they do.
[2:102] And they had followed what the devils recited over a kingdom of Solomon, and Solomon had not disbelieved, but the devils disbelieved. They taught the people the magic, and what had been sent down through the two angels in Babylon, Harut and Marut. They did not teach of anyone unless they say (wa-maa yu`alllmaani min ahadin hattaa yaquula), “we are only a test, so do not disbelieve.” So, they learned from these two that they cause separation between the man and his spouse with it. But they could not be of harmful ones with it to anyone (wa-maa hum bi-daarreena bihi min ahadin) except by permission of God. And they learned what harms them and does not profit them. And that certainly, they had known that whoever has bought it, there is no share for him in the Hereafter. And that it has been evil for themselves what they have sold with it, if they had done to know.
[2:136] Say, “We have believed in God, and what has been sent down to us, and what has been sent down to Abraham, and Ismail, and Isaac, and Jacob and the Patriarchs; and what has been given to Moses and Jesus, and what has been given to the prophets from their Lord. We do not make distinction between anyone of them (prophets) (laa-nufarriqu bayna ahadin minhum). And we are Submitters to Him.”
[2:180] It has been decreed for you when the death has approached to anyone of you (idhaa kadara ahadakumu al-mawtu), if he has left the will for the parents and the near relatives to be the fair one is good being a duty upon the righteous ones.
[2:266] Does anyone of you love that (a-yawaddu ahadukum an) there would be for him a garden of palm trees and grapevines flowing the rivers from underneath of it, for him in it there is every kind of the fruits, and the old age has stroked him, and for him there are weak children, then the whirlwind has fallen on it, in it there is fire, then it has burnt? Thus that God makes clear the revelations for you so that you may reflect.
[2:285] The messenger has believed in what has been sent down to him from his Lord and the believers. Everyone has believed in God, and His angels, and His scriptures, and His messengers: “We do not make distinction between anyone of His messengers (laa-nufarriqu bayna ahadin mina rusulihi)”, and they said, “We have heard and we have obeyed, grant us Your forgiveness our Lord, and to You is the return.”
[3:73] “And you do not believe except for whoever has followed your religion.” Say, “Indeed, God’s guidance is the (true) guidance that it is given to one like of what has been given to you (an yu’taa ahadun mith’la maa uuteetum) or they may argue with you about your Lord.” Say, “The Bounty is in God’s hand; He gives it to whomever He wills. And God is Encompassing, Knower.”
[3:84] Say, “We have believed in God, and what has been sent down to us, and what has been sent down to Abraham, and Ismail, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the Patriarchs, and what has been given to Moses, and Jesus, and the prophets from their Lord. We do not make distinction between anyone of them (laa-nufarriqu bayna ahadin minhum), and we are submitters to Him.”
[3:91] Indeed, those who have disbelieved, and have died while they are disbelievers, then the earth full of gold will not be accepted from anyone of them (fa-lan yuq’bala min ahadihim mil’u al-ardi dhahaban), even if he had offered ransom with it. Those – for them there is a painful punishment and not for them there are any helpers.
[3:153] When you were running uphill, and you were not looking towards anyone (wa-laa-talwuuna `alaa ahadin), while the messenger was calling you from behind of you. So, He had given you distress over distress that you do not grieve over what had escaped you, and what had not befallen you. And God is Cognizant of what you do.
[4:18] And there has not been the acceptance of repentance for those who do the evil deeds until when the death has approached to anyone of them (hattaa idhaa hadara ahadahumu al-mawtu), he said, “Indeed, I have repented now,” nor for those who die while they are disbelievers. Those – we have prepared for them a painful punishment.
[4:43] O you who have believed, you do not go near the salat prayer, while you are in intoxication until you know what you are saying; nor are you impure except travelers on road until you take bath. And if you have been ill or on a journey, or anyone of you has come from the toilet (aw jaa-a ahadun minkum mina al-ghaaiti), or you have touched the women, but you do not find water, then you shall do dry ablution with clean soil that you shall wipe of your faces and your hands. Indeed, God has been Pardoning, Forgiving.
[4:152] And those who have believed in God and His messengers, and they do not make distinction between anyone of them (wa-lam-yufarriquu ahadin minhum), those – He will give them their rewards. And God has been Forgiving, Merciful.
[5:6] O you who have believed, when you have stood up for the salat prayer, then you shall wash your faces and your hands to the elbows, and shall wipe of your heads and your feet to the ankles. And if you have been impure (for sexual contact), then you shall purify. And if you have been ill, or on a journey, or anyone of you has come from the toilet (aw jaa-a ahadun minkum mina al-ghaaiti) or has contacted the women, but you do not find water, then you shall do dry ablution from clean soil that you shall wipe of your faces and your hands with it. God does not intend to make any difficulty upon you; but He intends to purify you and to complete His blessing upon you that you may appreciate.
[5:20] And when Moses said to his people, “O my people, you shall remember a favor of God upon you, when He had made prophets among you, and had made you kings, and had given you what He does not give to anyone from the people of the world (maa-lam-yu’ti ahadan mina al-`aalameen).
[5:27] And you shall recite to them a story of two sons of Adam (Abel and Cain) with the truth. When they (both) had offered a sacrifice, then it had been accepted from one of them (Abel) (fa-tuqubbila min ahadihimaa), and was not accepted from the other (Cain). He (Cain) said, “Surely, I will kill you.” He (Abel) said, “God only accepts from the righteous.”
[5:106] O you who have believed, a testimony between yourselves at the time of the will when the death has approached to one of you (idhaa hadara ahadakumu al-mawtu), are two just men from you or two others from other than you if you had traveled in the land, then there has befallen you a disaster of the death. You will detain both of them after the salat prayer, then they both will swear by God if you have doubted, “We will not exchange of it for a price even if he has been of a near relative, nor will we conceal a testimony of God. Indeed, we then surely would be with the sinners.”
[5:115] God said, “Indeed, I am a Sender of it (a feast) to you (disciples of Jesus), then whoever disbelieves from you after, then I will punish him a punishment, I do not punish anyone of a people of the world (laa-u`adhibuhu ahadan mina al-`aalameen).”
[6:61] And He is the Supreme over His servants, and He sends guardians over you until when the death has come to anyone of you (hattaa idhaa jaa-a ahadakumu al-mawta), there has put him to death our messengers and they do not fail.
[7:80] And Lot when he said to his people, “Do you commit the immorality has not preceded with it anyone from a people of the world (a-tatuuna al-fahishata maa sabaqakum bihaa min ahadin mina al-`aalameen)?”
[9:4] Except those whom you have a treaty of the idol worshipers, then they have not failed you in anything, nor have they supported anyone against you (wa-lam-yuzaahiruu `alaykum ahadan), so, you shall fulfill to them a treaty of them until a term of them. Indeed, God loves the righteous.
[9:6] And if any of the idol worshipers has sought your (prophet) protection (wa-in ahadun mina al-mush’rikeena is’tajaaraka), that you shall grant him protection until he hears God’s word, then you shall escort him to his place of security. That is of that they are a people who do not know.
[9:84] And let not pray at burial upon anyone of them ever, who has died (wa-laa-tusalli `alaa ahadin minhum maata abadan), nor do you stand by his grave. Indeed, they have disbelieved in God and His messenger, and have died while they were disobedient.
[9:127] And whenever a surah has been sent down, they have looked at one another: “Does anyone see you (hal yaraakum min ahadin)?” Then they have turned away. God has turned away their hearts, because of that they are a people who not understand.
[11:81] They (angels) said, “O Lot, we are messengers of your Lord, they cannot reach you. So you shall travel with your family in a part of the night, and let not look back anyone of you (wa-laa-yaltafit minkum ahadun), except your wife; indeed, it will strike her what has struck them. Indeed, their appointed time is the morning. Has not it been the morning so far?”
[12:4] When Yusuf said to his father, “O my father; indeed me, I have seen eleven stars (inni-i ra-aytu ahada `ashara kawkaban), and the sun, and the moon; I have seen them prostrating before me.”
[12:36] And two young men had entered the prison with him. One of them said (qaala ahadahumaa), “Indeed me, I see me to make wine,” and the other said, “Indeed me, I see me to carry bread on my head, eating the birds from it. Inform us of its interpretation; indeed, we see you are one of the good-doers.”
[12:41] O my two companions of the prison; as for one of you (ammaa ahadukumaa) that he will serve wine for his lord, and as for the other that he will be crucified, then the birds will eat from his head. It has been decreed the matter about which you both inquire.”
[12:78] They said, “O you the honorable; indeed, he has a very old father; so take one of us in his place (fa-khudh ahadanaa makaanahu). Indeed, we see you one of the good-doers.”
[15:65] So you shall travel with your family in a part of the night, and shall follow their backs, and let not look back anyone of you (wa-laa-yaltafit minkum ahadun), and shall go on as you are commanded.”
[16:58] And when anyone of them has been given a good news of the female (wa-idhaa bushira ahaduhum bil-unthaa), his face has turned dark while he is in suppression of grief.
[16:76] And God has set an example of two men – one of them is dumb (wa-daraba allahu mathalan rajulayni ahaduhumaa ab’kamu), he does not have power over anything, and he is a burden on his master; wherever he directs him, he cannot come with any good. Does equal he and whoever commands with the justice while he is upon a straight path?
[17:23] And your Lord has decreed that you do not worship except Him alone, and with the parents to be good whether one of them or both of them reaches the old age with yourself (immaa yab’lughanna `indaka al-kibara ahaduhumaa aw kilaahumaa), then do not say to them a word of disrespect, nor do you repel them, while you shall speak to them an honorable word.
[18:19] And it was thus that we had raised them that they would talk among themselves. One among them said: “How long have you stayed?” They said: “We have stayed a day or a part of a day.” He said: “Your Lord is best Knower of how long you have stayed, so send one of you with your silver coin of this to the city (fa-ib’`athuu ahadakum bi-wariqikum haadhihi ilaa al-madeenati), and let him see which is the purest food, and let him bring you a provision from it. And let him be careful and let not be aware anyone of you (wa-laa-yush’`iranna bikum ahadan.”
[18:22] They will say: “Three, the fourth of them is their dog.” And they say: “Five, the sixth of them is their dog,” guessing of the unseen. And they say: “Seven, and the eighth of them is their dog.” Say: “My Lord is best Knower of their number. None knows them except for a few.” So do not debate about them except with an obvious argument, and do not seek about them from anyone of them (wa-laa-tastafti feehim minhum ahadan)”.
[18:26] Say, “God is best Knower of that they had stayed. To Him belongs the unseen of the heavens and the earth. You see of it and You hear. For them there is no protector other than Him, nor does He share anyone in His judgment (wa-laa-yush’riku fee huk’mihi ahadan).”
[18:32] And you shall present to them an example of two men. We had provided for one of them two gardens of grapes (ja`alnaa li’ahadihimaa jannatayni min a`naabin), and we had bordered them with the date palms, and we had placed crops between of them.
[18:38] “But as for me, He is God, my Lord, and I do not associate anyone with my Lord (wa-laa-ush’riku bi-rabbi-i ahadan).”
[18:42] And it had surrounded by its fruits, so he began twisting his hands on what he had spent on it while it had collapsed on its trellises, and he said, “Oh! I wish I did not associate anyone with my Lord (yaalaytani-i lam-yush’rik bi-rabbi-i ahadan).”
[18:47] A day we will remove the mountains, and you see the earth is a plain land, and we will gather them, then we will not leave behind anyone of them (fa-lam-nughaadir minhum ahadan).
[18:49] The record had been placed, then you will see the criminals are fearful of what is in it. They will say, “Oh, woe to us! What is of this, the record does not leave a lesser nor a greater, except what it has counted it?” They will find what they had done being presented, while your Lord does not do wrong to anyone (wa-laa-yazlimu rabbuka ahadan).
[18:110] Say, “I (Muhammad) am only a human being like yourselves, it is inspired to me that your god is One god. So, whoever has been hoping for meeting of his Lord, then he shall do deed as righteous and he does not associate anyone in worship of his Lord (wa-laa-yush’rik bi-`ibaadati rabbihi ahadan).”
This review on 44 instances of ahad meaning one or anyone may help us to understand that a longer life will not remove our sins from us, and the sacrifice is only accepted from the righteous one, and God had sent down a feast for the disciples of Jesus to stay in His path, while God has decreed for us that we leave a will before the death approaches to anyone of us. The repentance will not be accepted from anyone of us when the death approaches to us, and if anyone of us dies as a disbeliever, then he had offered ransom the earth full of gold will not be accepted from him, while it is not for us to pray at burial or stand by his grave for whoever has disbelieved in God and His messengers. We may also reflect to certain examples that we trust on God and worship Him alone and stay on the straight path making no distinction between anyone of the prophets and the messengers, while those who hope for a meeting of their Lord will do the righteous deeds that they do not associate anyone in worship of their Lord. A day we will be gathered before God and the record will be placed, while the wicked will be fearful from it.
Peaceful Friday, salaam and God bless.
Tafazzal (01/09/2026).