'-q-r

Description

The Arabic root ع-ق-ر ('ayn-qāf-rā') carries the core meaning of wounding, cutting, or severing something at its base, which extends to both physical violence and barrenness. In the Quranic context, it appears primarily in reference to the hamstringing (cutting the leg tendons) of the she-camel sent as a divine sign to the people of Thamud, representing their violent rejection of God's messenger and miracle. The root also describes barrenness in women, connecting the concept of cutting off life or potential, whether through destructive action against God's signs or the inability to produce offspring.