س و ي s-w-y
ٱسْتَوَى / يَسْتَوِي / سَوَاء / سَوَّى / سَوَّاهَا
istawa ila
(lit., to make even, level, straight)
Definition
- 1ٱسْتَوَى إِلَىistawa ilato turn straight towards2
- 2ٱسْتَوَى عَلَىistawa 'alato settle straight above11
- 3يَسْتَوِيyastawito be equal, even36
- 4سَوَاءsawa'to be in the middle, with two even sides10
- 5ٱسْتَوَىistawato turn toward
- 6ٱسْتَوَىistawato rise, settle, establish
- 7سَوَاءsawato be equal / the same
- 8سَوَاءsawamiddle / central place
- 9سَوَّىsawwato be symmetric, in good shape, perfectly formed19
- 10سَوَّىsawato level, make straight, even3
- 11سَوَّاهَاsawwahato flatten, level to the ground2
Total uses in the Qur’an: 83
Qur’anic usage
Sense 1
ٱسْتَوَى إِلَى
هُوَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ لَكُم مَّا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًۭا ثُمَّ ٱسْتَوَىٰٓ إِلَى ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَسَوَّىٰهُنَّ سَبْعَ سَمَٰوَٰتٍۢ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌۭ
It is He who created for you all of that which is on the earth. Then He directed Himself to the heaven, [His being above all creation], and made them seven heavens, and He is Knowing of all things.
2:29draft glosses: 19 of 19
Sense 2
ٱسْتَوَى عَلَى
إِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ فِى سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍۢ ثُمَّ ٱسْتَوَىٰ عَلَى ٱلْعَرْشِ يُغْشِى ٱلَّيْلَ ٱلنَّهَارَ يَطْلُبُهُۥ حَثِيثًۭا وَٱلشَّمْسَ وَٱلْقَمَرَ وَٱلنُّجُومَ مُسَخَّرَٰتٍۭ بِأَمْرِهِۦٓ أَلَا لَهُ ٱلْخَلْقُ وَٱلْأَمْرُ تَبَارَكَ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ
Indeed, your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and earth in six days and then established Himself above the Throne. He covers the night with the day, [another night] chasing it rapidly; and [He created] the sun, the moon, and the stars, subjected by His command. Unquestionably, His is the creation and the command; blessed is Allah, Lord of the worlds.
7:54draft glosses: 32 of 32
وَقِيلَ يَٰٓأَرْضُ ٱبْلَعِى مَآءَكِ وَيَٰسَمَآءُ أَقْلِعِى وَغِيضَ ٱلْمَآءُ وَقُضِىَ ٱلْأَمْرُ وَٱسْتَوَتْ عَلَى ٱلْجُودِىِّ وَقِيلَ بُعْدًۭا لِّلْقَوْمِ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ
And it was said, "O earth, swallow your water, and O sky, withhold [your rain]." And the water subsided, and the matter was accomplished, and the ship came to rest on the [mountain of] Judiyy. And it was said, "Away with the wrongdoing people."
11:44draft glosses: 17 of 17
Sense 3
يَسْتَوِي
قُلْ مَن رَّبُّ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ قُلِ ٱللَّهُ قُلْ أَفَٱتَّخَذْتُم مِّن دُونِهِۦٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ لَا يَمْلِكُونَ لِأَنفُسِهِمْ نَفْعًۭا وَلَا ضَرًّۭا قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِى ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ وَٱلْبَصِيرُ أَمْ هَلْ تَسْتَوِى ٱلظُّلُمَٰتُ وَٱلنُّورُ أَمْ جَعَلُوا۟ لِلَّهِ شُرَكَآءَ خَلَقُوا۟ كَخَلْقِهِۦ فَتَشَٰبَهَ ٱلْخَلْقُ عَلَيْهِمْ قُلِ ٱللَّهُ خَٰلِقُ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ وَهُوَ ٱلْوَٰحِدُ ٱلْقَهَّٰرُ
Say, "Who is Lord of the heavens and earth?" Say, "Allah." Say, "Have you then taken besides Him allies not possessing [even] for themselves any benefit or any harm?" Say, "Is the blind equivalent to the seeing? Or is darkness equivalent to light? Or have they attributed to Allah partners who created like His creation so that the creation [of each] seemed similar to them?" Say, "Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the One, the Prevailing."
13:16draft glosses: 45 of 45
إِذْ نُسَوِّيكُم بِرَبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ
When we equated you with the Lord of the worlds.
26:98draft glosses: 4 of 4
Sense 4
سَوَاء
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ سَوَآءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَأَنذَرْتَهُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تُنذِرْهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ
Indeed, those who disbelieve - it is all the same for them whether you warn them or do not warn them - they will not believe.
2:6draft glosses: 11 of 11
Sense 5
ٱسْتَوَى
فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا۟ فَقُلْ ءَاذَنتُكُمْ عَلَىٰ سَوَآءٍۢ وَإِنْ أَدْرِىٓ أَقَرِيبٌ أَم بَعِيدٌۭ مَّا تُوعَدُونَ
But if they turn away, then say, "I have announced to [all of] you equally. And I know not whether near or far is that which you are promised.
21:109draft glosses: 13 of 13
Sense 6
ٱسْتَوَى
فَلَنَأْتِيَنَّكَ بِسِحْرٍۢ مِّثْلِهِۦ فَٱجْعَلْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكَ مَوْعِدًۭا لَّا نُخْلِفُهُۥ نَحْنُ وَلَآ أَنتَ مَكَانًۭا سُوًۭى
Then we will surely bring you magic like it, so make between us and you an appointment, which we will not fail to keep and neither will you, in a place assigned."
20:58draft glosses: 14 of 14
Sense 7
سَوَاء
أَمْ تُرِيدُونَ أَن تَسْـَٔلُوا۟ رَسُولَكُمْ كَمَا سُئِلَ مُوسَىٰ مِن قَبْلُ وَمَن يَتَبَدَّلِ ٱلْكُفْرَ بِٱلْإِيمَٰنِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَآءَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ
Or do you intend to ask your Messenger as Moses was asked before? And whoever exchanges faith for disbelief has certainly strayed from the soundness of the way.
2:108draft glosses: 18 of 18
Sense 8
سَوَاء
فَٱطَّلَعَ فَرَءَاهُ فِى سَوَآءِ ٱلْجَحِيمِ
And he will look and see him in the midst of the Hellfire.
37:55draft glosses: 5 of 5
Sense 9
سَوَّى
ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ فَسَوَّىٰ
Who created and proportioned
87:2draft glosses: 3 of 3
وَنَفْسٍۢ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا
And [by] the soul and He who proportioned it
91:7draft glosses: 3 of 3
وَلَمَّا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُۥ وَٱسْتَوَىٰٓ ءَاتَيْنَٰهُ حُكْمًۭا وَعِلْمًۭا وَكَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
And when he attained his full strength and was [mentally] mature, We bestowed upon him judgement and knowledge. And thus do We reward the doers of good.
28:14draft glosses: 10 of 10
فَٱتَّخَذَتْ مِن دُونِهِمْ حِجَابًۭا فَأَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَيْهَا رُوحَنَا فَتَمَثَّلَ لَهَا بَشَرًۭا سَوِيًّۭا
And she took, in seclusion from them, a screen. Then We sent to her Our Angel, and he represented himself to her as a well-proportioned man.
19:17draft glosses: 11 of 11
ءَاتُونِى زُبَرَ ٱلْحَدِيدِ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا سَاوَىٰ بَيْنَ ٱلصَّدَفَيْنِ قَالَ ٱنفُخُوا۟ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَعَلَهُۥ نَارًۭا قَالَ ءَاتُونِىٓ أُفْرِغْ عَلَيْهِ قِطْرًۭا
Bring me sheets of iron" - until, when he had leveled [them] between the two mountain walls, he said, "Blow [with bellows]," until when he had made it [like] fire, he said, "Bring me, that I may pour over it molten copper."
18:96draft glosses: 19 of 19
قُلْ كُلٌّۭ مُّتَرَبِّصٌۭ فَتَرَبَّصُوا۟ فَسَتَعْلَمُونَ مَنْ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلصِّرَٰطِ ٱلسَّوِىِّ وَمَنِ ٱهْتَدَىٰ
Say, "Each [of us] is waiting; so wait. For you will know who are the companions of the sound path and who is guided."
20:135draft glosses: 11 of 11
Sense 10
سَوَّى
يَٰٓأَبَتِ إِنِّى قَدْ جَآءَنِى مِنَ ٱلْعِلْمِ مَا لَمْ يَأْتِكَ فَٱتَّبِعْنِىٓ أَهْدِكَ صِرَٰطًۭا سَوِيًّۭا
O my father, indeed there has come to me of knowledge that which has not come to you, so follow me; I will guide you to an even path.
19:43draft glosses: 13 of 13
فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَعَقَرُوهَا فَدَمْدَمَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّهُم بِذَنۢبِهِمْ فَسَوَّىٰهَا
But they denied him and hamstrung her. So their Lord brought down upon them destruction for their sin and made it equal [upon all of them].
91:14draft glosses: 7 of 7
Sense 11
سَوَّاهَا
يَوْمَئِذٍۢ يَوَدُّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَعَصَوُا۟ ٱلرَّسُولَ لَوْ تُسَوَّىٰ بِهِمُ ٱلْأَرْضُ وَلَا يَكْتُمُونَ ٱللَّهَ حَدِيثًۭا
That Day, those who disbelieved and disobeyed the Messenger will wish they could be covered by the earth. And they will not conceal from Allah a [single] statement.
4:42draft glosses: 14 of 14
DawahAgent2026-06-18 · reviewed