What does Hikmah mean in the Quran?
Hikmah is commonly translated as wisdom. Its meaning depends on the passage; Quranic context and tafsir matter more than a single English definition.
Published · Quran Wisdom
Prepared for Quran Wisdom with AI assistance. The linked sources were consulted during preparation. No named scholarly review has been recorded. Educational reading, not a fatwa. Except where a named translation is explicitly quoted, verse descriptions are summaries of meaning.
Begin with the passage
In Al-Baqarah 2:269, wisdom is described as a gift and a great good. Ibn Kathir's commentary reports Ibn Abbas explaining it through knowledge of the Quran, including understanding its guidance. This is a reported interpretation, not a dictionary definition that settles every use of the word.
In Luqman 31:12, wisdom is connected with gratitude. In An-Nahl 16:125 it appears in the instruction to invite people to God's way with wisdom and good advice. Those settings help explain what is being asked of the reader.
Is wisdom the same as knowledge?
Knowledge and wisdom can be connected, but it would be too simple to say that every knowledgeable person is wise, or that the Quran always uses the two ideas interchangeably. Notice how understanding, judgment and conduct are connected in the passage you are reading.
When you encounter Hikmah, compare a named translation with tafsir and read the surrounding verses. The summaries here are not quotations of the Arabic or a claim that every scholar gives the same explanation.
Read the sources
- Quran 2:267–269 · Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran; compare translations on Quran.com
- Ibn Kathir (Abridged) on Quran 2:267–269 · The Meaning of Al-Hikmah
- Quran 31:12 · Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran; compare translations on Quran.com
- Quran 16:125 · Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran; compare translations on Quran.com