# Kef-Fe-Lam — كفل (kfl)

> Occurs in 10 verses of the Quran.

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

- **Meaning:** To take care of, nourish, bring up for another, be guardian of, be responsible for, entrust, stand security or surety.
- **Derived forms:** أَكْفِلْ (1) · كَفَّلَ (1) · كِفْل (4) · كَفِيل (1) · يَكْفُلُ (3)

## Verses containing this root

### 3. Surah Ali 'Imran, Verse 37

- **Form in this verse:** وَكَفَّلَهَا — wakaffalahā · "and put her in (the) care"
  - **Grammar:** verb · pattern of tef'il · 3rd person, masculine, singular · past tense

فَتَقَبَّلَهَا رَبُّهَا بِقَبُولٍ حَسَنٍ وَاَنْبَتَهَا نَبَاتاً حَسَناًۙ وَكَفَّلَهَا زَكَرِيَّاۜ  كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا زَكَرِيَّا الْمِحْرَابَۙ وَجَدَ عِنْدَهَا رِزْقاًۚ قَالَ يَا مَرْيَمُ اَنّٰى لَكِ هٰذَاۜ قَالَتْ هُوَ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللّٰهِۜ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ يَرْزُقُ مَنْ يَشَٓاءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ

Fataqabbalaha rabbuhabiqaboolin hasanin waanbataha nabatan hasananwakaffalaha zakariyya kullama dakhalaAAalayha zakariyya almihraba wajadaAAindaha rizqan qala ya maryamu annalaki hatha qalat huwa min AAindi Allahi innaAllaha yarzuqu man yashao bighayri hisab

So her Lord accepted her with a comely acceptance, and caused her to grow with a comely growth, and placed her in the charge of Zachariah. Whenever Zachariah entered upon her in the chamber, he found with her provision. He said: “O Mary: whence comes this to thee?” She said: “It is from God; God gives provision to whom He wills without reckoning.”

_https://quran.so/surah-ali-imran/verse-37.md_

### 3. Surah Ali 'Imran, Verse 44

- **Form in this verse:** يَكْفُلُ — yakfulu · "takes charge (of)"
  - **Grammar:** verb · 3rd person, masculine, singular · present tense

ذٰلِكَ مِنْ اَنْـبَٓاءِ الْغَيْبِ نُوح۪يهِ اِلَيْكَۜ وَمَا كُنْتَ لَدَيْهِمْ اِذْ يُلْقُونَ اَقْلَامَهُمْ اَيُّهُمْ يَكْفُلُ مَرْيَمَۖ وَمَا كُنْتَ لَدَيْهِمْ اِذْ يَخْتَصِمُونَ

Thalika min anba-i alghaybinooheehi ilayka wama kunta ladayhim ithyulqoona aqlamahum ayyuhum yakfulu maryama wamakunta ladayhim ith yakhtasimoon

That is from the reports of the Unseen which We reveal to thee. And thou wast not with them when they cast their lots for who should have charge of Mary. And thou wast not with them when they disputed.

_https://quran.so/surah-ali-imran/verse-44.md_

### 4. Surah An-Nisa, Verse 85

- **Form in this verse:** كِفْلٌۭ — kif'lun · "a portion"
  - **Grammar:** noun · masculine · nominative case · indefinite

مَنْ يَشْفَعْ شَفَاعَةً حَسَنَةً يَكُنْ لَهُ نَص۪يبٌ مِنْهَاۚ وَمَنْ يَشْفَعْ شَفَاعَةً سَيِّئَةً يَكُنْ لَهُ كِفْلٌ مِنْهَاۜ وَكَانَ اللّٰهُ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ مُق۪يتاً

Man yashfaAA shafaAAatan hasanatanyakun lahu naseebun minha waman yashfaAA shafaAAatansayyi-atan yakun lahu kiflun minha wakana AllahuAAala kulli shay-in muqeeta

Whoso intercedes in a good cause has a share thereof; and whoso intercedes in an evil cause has a portion thereof; and God is over all things, nourisher.

_https://quran.so/surah-an-nisa/verse-85.md_

### 16. Surah An-Nahl, Verse 91

- **Form in this verse:** كَفِيلًا ۚ — kafīlan · "a surety"
  - **Grammar:** noun · masculine, singular · accusative case · indefinite

وَاَوْفُوا بِعَهْدِ اللّٰهِ اِذَا عَاهَدْتُمْ وَلَا تَنْقُضُوا الْاَيْمَانَ بَعْدَ تَوْك۪يدِهَا وَقَدْ جَعَلْتُمُ اللّٰهَ عَلَيْكُمْ كَف۪يلاًۜ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَفْعَلُونَ

Waawfoo biAAahdi Allahi ithaAAahadtum wala tanqudoo al-aymanabaAAda tawkeediha waqad jaAAaltumu Allaha AAalaykumkafeelan inna Allaha yaAAlamu ma tafAAaloon

And fulfil the covenant of God when you make a covenant; then break not oaths after their confirmation when you have made God your surety; God knows what you do.

_https://quran.so/surah-an-nahl/verse-91.md_

### 20. Surah Taha, Verse 40

- **Form in this verse:** يَكْفُلُهُۥ ۖ — yakfuluhu · "will nurse and rear him"
  - **Grammar:** verb · 3rd person, masculine, singular · present tense

اِذْ تَمْش۪ٓي اُخْتُكَ فَتَقُولُ هَلْ اَدُلُّكُمْ عَلٰى مَنْ يَكْفُلُهُۜ فَرَجَعْنَاكَ اِلٰٓى اُمِّكَ كَيْ تَقَرَّ عَيْنُهَا وَلَا تَحْزَنَۜ وَقَتَلْتَ نَفْساً فَنَجَّيْنَاكَ مِنَ الْغَمِّ وَفَتَنَّاكَ فُتُوناً۠ فَلَبِثْتَ سِن۪ينَ ف۪ٓي اَهْلِ مَدْيَنَ ثُمَّ جِئْتَ عَلٰى قَدَرٍ يَا مُوسٰى

Ith tamshee okhtuka fataqoolu haladullukum AAala man yakfuluhu farajaAAnaka ilaommika kay taqarra AAaynuha wala tahzanawaqatalta nafsan fanajjaynaka mina alghammi wafatannakafutoonan falabithta sineena fee ahli madyana thumma ji/ta AAalaqadarin ya moosa

“When thy sister went and said: ‘Shall I direct you to one who will take care of him?’ So We returned thee to thy mother, that her eye might be comforted and grieve not. And thou didst kill a soul; and We delivered thee from distress, and subjected thee to means of denial by a trial. And thou didst tarry years among the people of Madyan; then camest thou as ordained, O Moses.

_https://quran.so/surah-taha/verse-40.md_

### 21. Surah Al-Anbiya, Verse 85

- **Form in this verse:** ٱلْكِفْلِ ۖ — l-kif'li · "and Dhul-Kifl"
  - **Grammar:** noun · masculine · genitive case

وَاِسْمٰع۪يلَ وَاِدْر۪يسَ وَذَا الْكِفْلِۜ  كُلٌّ مِنَ الصَّابِر۪ينَۚ

Wa-ismaAAeela wa-idreesa wathaalkifli kullun mina assabireen

And Ishmael and Idrīs and Dhūl-Kifl: each was among the patient,

_https://quran.so/surah-al-anbiya/verse-85.md_

### 28. Surah Al-Qasas, Verse 12

- **Form in this verse:** يَكْفُلُونَهُۥ — yakfulūnahu · "who will rear him"
  - **Grammar:** verb · 3rd person, masculine, plural · present tense

وَحَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِ الْمَرَاضِعَ مِنْ قَبْلُ فَقَالَتْ هَلْ اَدُلُّكُمْ عَلٰٓى اَهْلِ بَيْتٍ يَكْفُلُونَهُ لَكُمْ وَهُمْ لَهُ نَاصِحُونَ

Waharramna AAalayhi almaradiAAamin qablu faqalat hal adullukum AAala ahli baytinyakfuloonahu lakum wahum lahu nasihoon

And We had forbidden him wet-nurses before, so she said: “Shall I direct you to the people of a household who will take care of him for you, and will look after him?”

_https://quran.so/surah-al-qasas/verse-12.md_

### 38. Surah Sad, Verse 23

- **Form in this verse:** أَكْفِلْنِيهَا — akfil'nīhā · "Entrust her to me"
  - **Grammar:** verb · pattern of if'al · 2nd person, masculine, singular · imperative mood

اِنَّ هٰذَٓا اَخ۪ي لَهُ تِسْعٌ وَتِسْعُونَ نَعْجَةً وَلِيَ نَعْجَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ فَقَالَ اَكْفِلْن۪يهَا وَعَزَّن۪ي فِي الْخِطَابِ

Inna hatha akhee lahu tisAAunwatisAAoona naAAjatan waliya naAAjatun wahidatun faqalaakfilneeha waAAazzanee fee alkhitab

“This, my brother, has ninety-nine ewes, and I have one ewe; so he said: ‘Place thou her in my charge’; and he overcame me in speech.”

_https://quran.so/surah-sad/verse-23.md_

### 38. Surah Sad, Verse 48

- **Form in this verse:** ٱلْكِفْلِ ۖ — l-kif'li · "and Dhul-kifl"
  - **Grammar:** noun · masculine · genitive case

وَاذْكُرْ اِسْمٰع۪يلَ وَالْيَسَعَ وَذَا الْـكِفْلِۜ وَكُلٌّ مِنَ الْاَخْيَارِۜ

Wathkur ismaAAeelawa-ilyasaAAa watha alkifli wakullun mina al-akhyar

And remember thou Ishmael, and Elisha, and Dhūl-Kifl; and all were among the excellent.

_https://quran.so/surah-sad/verse-48.md_

### 57. Surah Al-Hadid, Verse 28

- **Form in this verse:** كِفْلَيْنِ — kif'layni · "double portion"
  - **Grammar:** noun · masculine, dual · nominative case

يَٓا اَيُّهَا الَّذ۪ينَ اٰمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ وَاٰمِنُوا بِرَسُولِه۪ يُؤْتِكُمْ كِفْلَيْنِ مِنْ رَحْمَتِه۪ وَيَجْعَلْ لَكُمْ نُوراً تَمْشُونَ بِه۪ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْۜ وَاللّٰهُ غَفُورٌ رَح۪يمٌۙ

Ya ayyuha allatheena amanooittaqoo Allaha waaminoo birasoolihi yu/tikumkiflayni min rahmatihi wayajAAal lakum nooran tamshoonabihi wayaghfir lakum wallahu ghafoorun raheem

O you who heed warning: be in prudent fear of God, and believe in His messenger; He will give you a double share of His mercy, and appoint for you a light whereby you will walk, and will forgive you, — and God is forgiving and merciful —

_https://quran.so/surah-al-hadid/verse-28.md_

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Retrieved: 2026-08-15
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