What does « Shaṭaṭ » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word Shaṭaṭ (شطط) in the Quran, with 3 verses in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

شطط
Shaṭaṭ
Root: ش - ط - ط
Quranic language 3 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 1 min read

Definition of Shaṭaṭ

Ash-shatat: excess in distance.

One says: the house became excessively far.

The Almighty says: 'we would have said an excessive statement' (Al-Kahf 14). 'An unjust word' (Al-Jinn 4).

Excess in words or deeds departs from truth.

Shaṭaṭ in the Quran (3)

Meccan: 3 Medinan: 0
Distribution of verses by surah
Al-Kahf 1
Sad 1
Al-Jinn 1
Surah Al-Kahf : 14 Meccan
﴿وَرَبَطْنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ إِذْ قَامُوا۟ فَقَالُوا۟ رَبُّنَا رَبُّ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ لَن نَّدْعُوَا۟ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ إِلَٰهًا لَّقَدْ قُلْنَآ إِذًا شَطَطًا﴾
And We made firm their hearts when they stood up and said, "Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. Never will we invoke besides Him any deity. We would have certainly spoken, then, an excessive transgression.
Surah Sad : 22 Meccan
﴿إِذْ دَخَلُوا۟ عَلَىٰ دَاوُۥدَ فَفَزِعَ مِنْهُمْ قَالُوا۟ لَا تَخَفْ خَصْمَانِ بَغَىٰ بَعْضُنَا عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ فَٱحْكُم بَيْنَنَا بِٱلْحَقِّ وَلَا تُشْطِطْ وَٱهْدِنَآ إِلَىٰ سَوَآءِ ٱلصِّرَٰطِ﴾
When they entered upon David and he was alarmed by them? They said, "Fear not. [We are] two adversaries, one of whom has wronged the other, so judge between us with truth and do not exceed [it] and guide us to the sound path.
Surah Al-Jinn : 4 Meccan
﴿وَأَنَّهُۥ كَانَ يَقُولُ سَفِيهُنَا عَلَى ٱللَّهِ شَطَطًا﴾
And that our foolish one has been saying about Allah an excessive transgression.

Words from the same root as Shaṭaṭ

بسط
Basṭ
بطؤ
Baṭuʾa
بطر
Baṭar
بطش
Baṭsh
بطل
Buṭl
بطن
Baṭn
ثبط
Thbaṭa
حبط
Ḥbiṭ

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