The Quickest Way to the Quran Lesson: 2.1 Complete List of Prepositions Used in Quran

The Quickest Way to the Quran Lesson: 2.1 Complete List of Prepositions Used in Quran

 There are 13006 occurrences of Prepositions in the Holy Quran, but interestingly enough, the unrepeated number of prepositions used in the Quran is ONLY 12 (twelve). Master the meaning of these 12 prepositions and try to understand Quran in The Quickest ever Way. Be careful that the general meanings are given here, meanings may change depending on context e.g idiomatic uses.

Go through the List below or download the list in MS Excel xls file

Serial Prep. Form Meaning Frequency
1 الي ila to 742
2 ب bi with 2544
3 تَ ta By (swear) 9
4 حتي hatta until 95
5 علي ala on 1445
6 عن an of about for 465
7 في fi in 1701
8 كَ ka like as 295
9 لِ li for 2451
10 مِنْ min from 3226
11 مع ma'a with 5
12 وَ wa By (swear) 28
Total 13006

Debate
Scholars differ on tagging No 11 مَعَ as preposition. Kais Dukes tagged it as prepositions in 5 places of the Quran based on the book الاعراب المفصل للقران الكريم but in other books (e.g. إعراب القرآن و بيانه) the word مَعَ is tagged as Locative ( ظرف مكان).

 Morphological Features of Quranic Preposiitions

The Prepositions are used in three ways:
1. as Prefixes.
These prepositions can not be used independently and are attached with Nouns/Pronouns. They are 5 in number.
Serial Prefix Prep FORM
a ب bi
b كَ ka
c لِ li
d تَ ta
e وَ wa

2. as Stems.
These are used independently. They are 7:
Serial Prep. Form Meaning
a الي ila to
b حتي hatta until
c علي ala on
d عن 'an of about for
e في fi in
f مِنْ min from
g مع ma'a with

3. as Suffixes
The preposition لِ li is used as suffix in two places of the holy Quran
a. 4:78 فَمَالِ هَٰؤُلَاءِ الْقَوْمِ لَا يَكَادُونَ يَفْقَهُونَ حَدِيثًا [٤:٧٨] where فَمَالِ -li is used as suffix
But what hath come to these people, that they fail to understand a single fact? Sura Nisa: 78

b. 70:36 فَمَالِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ [٧٠:٣٦] where فَمَالِ -li is used as suffix
Now what is the matter with the Unbelievers that they rush madly before thee- Sura Ma'arij:36

 Examples of Prepositions from the Quran
The prepositions here are arranged in ascending order of the Arabic Alphabet.

1 الي ila to (742)
General Meanings: to, towards Other Meanings: with, until, unto,
وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ
And who believe in what has been revealed to you ...... 2:4

ثُمَّ يُمِيتُكُمْ ثُمَّ يُحْيِيكُمْ ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ
.....then He will cause you to die, then He will bring you [back] to life, and then to Him you will be returned. 2:28

الَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُمْ مُصِيبَةٌ قَالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ
Who, when disaster strikes them, say, "Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return." 2:156

وَإِذَا خَلَا بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَىٰ بَعْضٍ قَالُوا أَتُحَدِّثُونَهُمْ بِمَا فَتَحَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ
And when they fall in with those who believe, they say:...... 2:76

وَإِن كَانَ ذُو عُسْرَةٍۢ فَنَظِرَةٌ إِلَىٰ مَيْسَرَةٍۢ
And if someone is in hardship, then [let there be] postponement until [a time of] ease.. 2:280

2 ب bi with 2544
General Meanings: with, in
وَلَا تَلْبِسُوا الْحَقَّ بِالْبَاطِلِ وَتَكْتُمُوا الْحَقَّ وَأَنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
And do not mix the truth with falsehood or conceal the truth while you know [it]. 2:42

فَوَيْلٌ لِلَّذِينَ يَكْتُبُونَ الْكِتَابَ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ ثُمَّ يَقُولُونَ هَٰذَا مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ
So woe to those who write the "scripture" with their own hands, then say, "This is from Allah," ....2:79

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ [١:١]
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. 1:1

3 تَ ta By (swear) 9
9 occurrences in Quran. See12:73)(12:85)(12:91)(12:95)(16:56)(16:63)(21:57)(2 6:97)(37:56)
General Meanings: By

قَالُوا تَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ عَلِمْتُم مَّا جِئْنَا لِنُفْسِدَ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَمَا كُنَّا سَارِقِينَ ﴿يوسف: ٧٣
They said, "By Allah, you have certainly known that we did not come to cause corruption in the land, and we have not been thieves." 12:73

وَتَاللَّهِ لَأَكِيدَنَّ أَصْنَامَكُم بَعْدَ أَن تُوَلُّوا مُدْبِرِينَ ﴿الأنبياء: ٥٧
And [I swear] by Allah, I will surely plan against your idols after you have turned and gone away." 21:57

4 حتي hatta until 95
General Meanings: until
لَنْ تَنَالُوا الْبِرَّ حَتَّىٰ تُنْفِقُوا مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ
Never will you attain the good [reward] until you spend [in the way of Allah] from that which you love. ..... 3:92

وَلَا تَحْلِقُوا رُءُوسَكُمْ حَتَّىٰ يَبْلُغَ الْهَدْيُ مَحِلَّهُ
......And do not shave your heads until the sacrificial animal has reached its place of slaughter. ...... 2:196

5 علي ala on 1445
General Meanings: on, upon, against, over, above ... Other meanings: to, towards
صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ
The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor..... 1:7

أُولَٰئِكَ عَلَىٰ هُدًى مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ
These are on guidance from their Lord.... 2:5

...... أَمْ تَقُولُونَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
.......or fabricate ye against Allah that which ye know not. 2:80

إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَىٰ آدَمَ وَنُوحًا وَآلَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَآلَ عِمْرَانَ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ
Indeed, Allah chose Adam and Noah and the family of Abraham and the family of 'Imran over the worlds. 3:33

6 عن an of about for 465
General Meanings: from, of, about, with,
وَمَنْ يَرْغَبُ عَنْ مِلَّةِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِلَّا مَنْ سَفِهَ نَفْسَهُ
And who turns away from the religion of Abraham but such as debase their souls with folly? 2:130

وَلَا تُسْأَلُ عَنْ أَصْحَابِ الْجَحِيمِ
....and you will not be asked about the companions of Hellfire. 2:119

رَّضِىَ ٱللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا۟ عَنْهُ ۚ ذَ*ٰلِكَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ [٥:١١٩]
well-pleased is God with them, and well-pleased are they with Him: this is the triumph supreme."

 7 في fi in 1701
General Meanings: in, therein, among

ذَٰلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ هُدًى لِلْمُتَّقِينَ
This Book, there is no doubt in it, is a guide to those who guard (against evil). 2:2

وَلَهُمْ فِيهَآ أَزْوَ*ٰجٌۭ مُّطَهَّرَةٌۭ ۖ وَهُمْ فِيهَا خَـٰلِدُونَ
and for them shall be therein spouses purified, and therein they shall be abiders. 2:25

كَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا فِيكُمْ رَسُولًا مِنْكُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْكُمْ آيَاتِنَا
Just as We have sent among you a messenger from yourselves reciting to you Our verses........ 2:151

8 كَ ka like as 295
General Meanings:like, as

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَتَّخِذُ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ أَنْدَادًا يُحِبُّونَهُمْ كَحُبِّ اللَّهِ
And [yet], among the people are those who take other than Allah as equals [to Him]. They love them as they [should] love Allah. 2:165

أَوْ كَصَيِّبٍ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ فِيهِ ظُلُمَاتٌ وَرَعْدٌ وَبَرْقٌ
Or [it is] like a rainstorm from the sky within which is darkness, thunder and lightning. 2:19

9 لِ li for 2451
General Meanings: for, (belong) to
أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ
Do you not know that to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth 2:107

 10 مِنْ min from 3226
General Meanings: from Other Meanings: of, out of, among

أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ عَلَىٰ هُدًۭى مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ ۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ [٢:٥]
Those are upon [right] guidance from their Lord, and it is those who are the successful. 2:5

فَتَلَقَّىٰ آدَمُ مِنْ رَبِّهِ كَلِمَاتٍ فَتَابَ عَلَيْهِ إِنَّهُ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ
Then Adam received from his Lord [some] words, and He accepted his repentance. Indeed, it is He who is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful. 2:37

وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ ءَامَنَّا بِٱللَّهِ وَبِٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْءَاخِرِ وَمَا هُم بِمُؤْمِنِينَ [٢:٨]
And of the people are some who say, "We believe in Allah and the Last Day," but they are not believers. 2:8

وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْتُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱعْتَدَوْا۟ مِنكُمْ فِى ٱلسَّبْتِ فَقُلْنَا لَهُمْ كُونُوا۟ قِرَدَةً خَـٰسِـِٔينَ [٢:٦٥]
And you had already known about those who transgressed among you concerning the sabbath, and We said to them, "Be apes, despised." 2:65

 11 مع ma'a with 5
With the meaning 'with', this preposition occur in 5 places of the Quran.
LOCATION
(2:41:6:1)
(2:43:6:1)
(2:91:20:1)
(94:5:2:1)
(94:6:2:1)

وَآمِنُوا بِمَا أَنزَلْتُ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا مَعَكُمْ وَلَا تَكُونُوا أَوَّلَ كَافِرٍ بِهِ ۖ وَلَا تَشْتَرُوا بِآيَاتِي ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا وَإِيَّايَ فَاتَّقُونِ
And believe in what I have sent down confirming that which is [already] with you, and be not the first to disbelieve in it. And do not exchange My signs for a small price, and fear [only] Me.(2:41)

إِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا
Indeed, with hardship [will be] ease. (94:6)

 12 وَ wa By (swear) 28
The preposition waw used for swearing in 28 places of the Quran:
LOCATION
(4:65:2:1)
(6:23:8:1)
(6:30:13:1)
(15:92:1:2)
(19:68:1:2)
(36:2:1:1)
(37:1:1:1)
(38:1:2:1)
(43:2:1:1)
(44:2:1:1)
(50:1:2:1)
(51:23:1:2)
(53:1:1:1)
(64:7:9:1)
(68:1:2:1)
(74:32:2:1)
(77:1:1:1)
(79:1:1:1)
(85:1:1:1)
(86:1:1:1)
(86:11:1:1)
(89:1:1:1)
(91:1:1:1)
(92:1:1:1)
(93:1:1:1)
(95:1:1:1)
(100:1:1:1)
(103:1:1:1).

وَالْعَصْرِ
By time, (103:1)

وَالْعَادِيَاتِ ضَبْحًا
By the racers, panting (100:1)