# Ayn-Kef-Fe — عكف (Ekf)

> Occurs in 9 verses of the Quran.

- **Source:** https://quran.so/root/Ekf

- **Meaning:** To arrange, set a thing in order, he kept or clave to it constantly and perseveringly, continue intently, they went round something, advance/approach it, withheld/detain/confined, to seclude oneself, remain/stay/dwell.
- **Derived forms:** عَاكِف (7) · مَعْكُوف (1) · يَعْكُفُ (1)

## Verses containing this root

### 2. Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 125

- **Form in this verse:** وَٱلْعَـٰكِفِينَ — wal-ʿākifīna · "and those who seclude themselves for devotion and prayer"
  - **Grammar:** noun · active · masculine, plural · genitive case

وَاِذْ جَعَلْنَا الْبَيْتَ مَثَابَةً لِلنَّاسِ وَاَمْناًۜ وَاتَّخِذُوا مِنْ مَقَامِ اِبْرٰه۪يمَ مُصَلًّىۜ  وَعَهِدْنَٓا اِلٰٓى اِبْرٰه۪يمَ وَاِسْمٰع۪يلَ اَنْ طَهِّرَا بَيْتِيَ لِلطَّٓائِف۪ينَ وَالْعَاكِف۪ينَ وَالرُّكَّعِ السُّجُودِ

Wa-ith jaAAalna albayta mathabatanlinnasi waamnan wattakhithoo minmaqami ibraheema musallan waAAahidnaila ibraheema wa-ismaAAeela an tahhirabaytiya litta-ifeena walAAakifeenawarrukkaAAi assujood

And when We made the house a meeting place for mankind, and a place of security — and make from the station of Abraham a place of duty — and We made a covenant with Abraham and Ishmael: “Purify My house for those who walk around, and those who remain, and the lowly and the submitting.”

_https://quran.so/surah-al-baqarah/verse-125.md_

### 2. Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 187

- **Form in this verse:** عَـٰكِفُونَ — ʿākifūna · "(are) secluded"
  - **Grammar:** noun · active · masculine, plural · nominative case

اُحِلَّ لَكُمْ لَيْلَةَ الصِّيَامِ الرَّفَثُ اِلٰى نِسَٓائِكُمْۜ هُنَّ لِبَاسٌ لَكُمْ وَاَنْتُمْ لِبَاسٌ لَهُنَّۜ عَلِمَ اللّٰهُ اَنَّكُمْ كُنْتُمْ تَخْتَانُونَ اَنْفُسَكُمْ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَعَفَا عَنْكُمْۚ فَالْـٰٔنَ بَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَابْتَغُوا مَا كَتَبَ اللّٰهُ لَكُمْۖ وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا حَتّٰى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الْاَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الْاَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِۖ ثُمَّ اَتِمُّوا الصِّيَامَ اِلَى الَّيْلِۚ وَلَا تُبَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَاَنْتُمْ عَاكِفُونَۙ فِي الْمَسَاجِدِۜ تِلْكَ حُدُودُ اللّٰهِ فَلَا تَقْرَبُوهَاۜ  كَذٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللّٰهُ اٰيَاتِه۪ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ

Ohilla lakum laylata assiyamiarrafathu ila nisa-ikum hunna libasunlakum waantum libasun lahunna AAalima Allahuannakum kuntum takhtanoona anfusakum fatabaAAalaykum waAAafa AAankum fal-ana bashiroohunnawabtaghoo ma kataba Allahu lakum wakuloo washraboohatta yatabayyana lakumu alkhaytu al-abyadumina alkhayti al-aswadi mina alfajri thumma atimmoo assiyamaila allayli wala tubashiroohunna waantum AAakifoonafee almasajidi tilka hudoodu Allahi falataqrabooha kathalika yubayyinu Allahu ayatihilinnasi laAAallahum yattaqoon

It is made lawful for you on the night of the fast to go in unto your women. They are a covering for you, and you are a covering for them. God knows that you deceived yourselves, so He turned towards you and pardoned you; so now lie with them and seek what God has prescribed for you. And eat and drink until clear to you be the white thread from the black thread of the dawn. Then complete the fast until night. And lie with them not when you remain in the places of worship. Those are the limits of God, so approach them not. Thus does God make plain His proofs to men, that they might be in prudent fear.

_https://quran.so/surah-al-baqarah/verse-187.md_

### 7. Surah Al-A'raf, Verse 138

- **Form in this verse:** يَعْكُفُونَ — yaʿkufūna · "devoted"
  - **Grammar:** verb · 3rd person, masculine, plural · present tense

وَجَاوَزْنَا بِبَن۪ٓي اِسْرَٓائ۪لَ الْبَحْرَ فَاَتَوْا عَلٰى قَوْمٍ يَعْكُفُونَ عَلٰٓى اَصْنَامٍ لَهُمْۚ قَالُوا يَا مُوسَى اجْعَلْ لَـنَٓا اِلٰهاً كَمَا لَهُمْ اٰلِهَةٌۜ قَالَ اِنَّكُمْ قَوْمٌ تَجْهَلُونَ

Wajawazna bibanee isra-eelaalbahra faataw AAala qawmin yaAAkufoona AAalaasnamin lahum qaloo ya moosaijAAal lana ilahan kama lahum alihatunqala innakum qawmun tajhaloon

And We passed the children of Israel through the sea; and they came upon a people devoted to idols which they had. They said: “O Moses: make thou for us a god, just as they have gods.” He said: “You are a people in ignorance.

_https://quran.so/surah-al-araf/verse-138.md_

### 20. Surah Taha, Verse 91

- **Form in this verse:** عَـٰكِفِينَ — ʿākifīna · "being devoted to it"
  - **Grammar:** noun · active · masculine, plural · accusative case

قَالُوا لَنْ نَبْرَحَ عَلَيْهِ عَاكِف۪ينَ حَتّٰى يَرْجِعَ اِلَيْنَا مُوسٰى

Qaloo lan nabraha AAalayhi AAakifeenahatta yarjiAAa ilayna moosa

They said: “We will not cease to be devoted to it until Moses returns to us.”)

_https://quran.so/surah-taha/verse-91.md_

### 20. Surah Taha, Verse 97

- **Form in this verse:** عَاكِفًۭا ۖ — ʿākifan · "devoted"
  - **Grammar:** noun · active · masculine · accusative case · indefinite

قَالَ فَاذْهَبْ فَاِنَّ لَكَ فِي الْحَيٰوةِ اَنْ تَقُولَ لَا مِسَاسَۖ وَاِنَّ لَكَ مَوْعِداً لَنْ تُخْلَفَهُۚ  وَانْظُرْ اِلٰٓى اِلٰهِكَ الَّذ۪ي ظَلْتَ عَلَيْهِ عَاكِفاًۜ لَنُحَرِّقَنَّهُ ثُمَّ لَنَنْسِفَنَّهُ فِي الْيَمِّ نَسْفاً

Qala fathhab fa-innalaka fee alhayati an taqoola la misasawa-inna laka mawAAidan lan tukhlafahu wanthurila ilahika allathee thaltaAAalayhi AAakifan lanuharriqannahu thummalanansifannahu fee alyammi nasfa

He said: “Then go thou, for in this life it is for thee to say: ‘Outcast!’ And there is for thee an appointment thou canst not fail to keep. And look thou upon thy god to which thou remainedst devoted! We will burn it; then will we scatter it in the sea with a blast.”

_https://quran.so/surah-taha/verse-97.md_

### 21. Surah Al-Anbiya, Verse 52

- **Form in this verse:** عَـٰكِفُونَ — ʿākifūna · "(are) devoted"
  - **Grammar:** noun · active · masculine, plural · nominative case

اِذْ قَالَ لِاَب۪يهِ وَقَوْمِه۪ مَا هٰذِهِ التَّمَاث۪يلُ الَّت۪ٓي اَنْتُمْ لَهَا عَاكِفُونَ

Ith qala li-abeehi waqawmihi mahathihi attamatheelu allatee antum lahaAAakifoon

When he said to his father and his people: “What are these statues to which you are devoted?”

_https://quran.so/surah-al-anbiya/verse-52.md_

### 22. Surah Al-Hajj, Verse 25

- **Form in this verse:** ٱلْعَـٰكِفُ — l-ʿākifu · "(are) the resident"
  - **Grammar:** noun · active · masculine · nominative case

اِنَّ الَّذ۪ينَ كَفَرُوا وَيَصُدُّونَ عَنْ سَب۪يلِ اللّٰهِ وَالْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ الَّذ۪ي جَعَلْنَاهُ لِلنَّاسِ سَوَٓاءًۨ الْعَاكِفُ ف۪يهِ وَالْبَادِۜ وَمَنْ يُرِدْ ف۪يهِ بِـاِلْحَادٍ بِظُـلْمٍ نُذِقْهُ مِنْ عَذَابٍ اَل۪يمٍ۟

Inna allatheena kafaroo wayasuddoonaAAan sabeeli Allahi walmasjidi alharamiallathee jaAAalnahu linnasi sawaanalAAakifu feehi walbadi waman yurid feehibi-ilhadin bithulmin nuthiqhu min AAathabinaleem

Those who ignore warning and turn away from the path of God and the inviolable place of worship which We made for mankind[...]. Alike are the one remaining in it and the one without; and whoso seeks therein deviation by injustice, him will We let taste of a painful punishment.

_https://quran.so/surah-al-hajj/verse-25.md_

### 26. Surah Ash-Shu'ara, Verse 71

- **Form in this verse:** عَـٰكِفِينَ — ʿākifīna · "devoted"
  - **Grammar:** noun · active · masculine, plural · accusative case

قَالُوا نَعْبُدُ اَصْنَاماً فَنَظَلُّ لَهَا عَاكِف۪ينَ

Qaloo naAAbudu asnamanfanathallu laha AAakifeen

They said: “We serve idols, and remain to them devoted.”

_https://quran.so/surah-ash-shuara/verse-71.md_

### 48. Surah Al-Fath, Verse 25

- **Form in this verse:** مَعْكُوفًا — maʿkūfan · "(was) prevented"
  - **Grammar:** noun · passive · masculine · accusative case · indefinite

هُمُ الَّذ۪ينَ كَفَرُوا وَصَدُّوكُمْ عَنِ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَالْهَدْيَ مَعْكُوفاً اَنْ يَبْلُغَ مَحِلَّهُۜ وَلَوْلَا رِجَالٌ مُؤْمِنُونَ وَنِسَٓاءٌ مُؤْمِنَاتٌ لَمْ تَعْلَمُوهُمْ اَنْ تَطَؤُ۫هُمْ فَتُص۪يبَكُمْ مِنْهُمْ مَعَرَّةٌ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍۚ لِيُدْخِلَ اللّٰهُ ف۪ي رَحْمَتِه۪ مَنْ يَشَٓاءُۚ لَوْ تَزَيَّلُوا لَعَذَّبْنَا الَّذ۪ينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْهُمْ عَذَاباً اَل۪يماً

Humu allatheena kafaroo wasaddookumAAani almasjidi alharami walhadyamaAAkoofan an yablugha mahillahu walawla rijalunmu/minoona wanisaon mu/minatun lam taAAlamoohum antataoohum fatuseebakum minhum maAAarratun bighayriAAilmin liyudkhila Allahu fee rahmatihi man yashaolaw tazayyaloo laAAaththabna allatheenakafaroo minhum AAathaban aleema

Those are they who disbelieved, and turned you away from the inviolable place of worship, and the offering was prevented from reaching its place of sacrifice. And were it not for believing men and believing women whom you knew not whom you might have trampled[...] — then had dishonour befallen you on their account without knowledge — that God might make enter into His mercy whom He wills. Had they been separate, We would have punished those who ignore warning among them with a painful punishment.

_https://quran.so/surah-al-fath/verse-25.md_

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Retrieved: 2026-08-16
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