The Meanings of بَثَّ
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The Cow (2:164)
إِنَّ فِى خَلْقِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱخْتِلَـٰفِ ٱلَّيْلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ وَٱلْفُلْكِ ٱلَّتِى تَجْرِى فِى ٱلْبَحْرِ بِمَا يَنفَعُ ٱلنَّاسَ وَمَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مِن مَّآءٍۢ فَأَحْيَا بِهِ ٱلْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا وَبَثَّ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ دَآبَّةٍۢ وَتَصْرِيفِ ٱلرِّيَـٰحِ وَٱلسَّحَابِ ٱلْمُسَخَّرِ بَيْنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍۢ لِّقَوْمٍۢ يَعْقِلُونَ ١٦٤
Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of the night and the day, and the [great] ships which sail through the sea with that which benefits people, and what Allāh has sent down from the heavens of rain, giving life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness and dispersing therein every [kind of] moving creature, and [His] directing of the winds and the clouds controlled between the heaven and earth are signs for a people who use reason.
— Saheeh International
بے شک آسمانوں اور زمین کی بناوٹ میں اور رات اور دن کے آنے جانے میں اور ان کشتیوں میں جو انسانوں کے کام آنے والی چیزیں لے کر سمندر میں چلتی ہیں ، اور اس پانی میں جس کو اللہ نے آسمان سے اتارا پھر اس سے مردہ زمین کو زندگی بخشی اور اس نے زمین میں سب قسم کے جانور پھیلادئے اور ہواؤں کی گردش میں اور بادلوں میں جو آسمان اور زمین کے درمیان حکم کے تابع ہیں ، ان لوگوں کے ليے نشانیاں ہیں جو عقل سے کام لیتے ہیں
— Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
The Quran states that the dispersing (بَثَّ) of all kinds of creatures on Earth is among the signs for a nation who uses reason. Then, in Surah Nisa, it uses the same word (بَثَّ) to inform that all humans have been created from a single nafs (feminine noun), her mate created from that single nafs, and then many men and women were dispersed (بَثَّ) from both of them:
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The Women (4:1)
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱتَّقُوا۟ رَبَّكُمُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍۢ وَٰحِدَةٍۢ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًۭا كَثِيرًۭا وَنِسَآءًۭ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِى تَسَآءَلُونَ بِهِۦ وَٱلْأَرْحَامَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًۭا ١
O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women. And fear Allāh, through whom[1] you ask one another,[2] and the wombs.[3] Indeed Allāh is ever,[4] over you, an Observer.[5]
— Saheeh International
[1]In whose name.
[2]i.e., request favors and demand rights.
[3]i.e., fear Allāh in regard to relations of kinship.
[4]When used in conjunction with Allāh's attributes, the word 'ever' (occurring repeatedly throughout this sūrah and elsewhere, such as in sūrah al-Aḥzāb) is quite inadequate in imparting the sense of continuation expressed by the word 'kāna' in Arabic, which indicates 'always was, is, and always will be.'
[5]Ever-present and taking account of everything.
اے لوگو، اپنے رب سے ڈرو جس نے تم کو ایک جان سے پیدا کیا اور اسی سے اس کا جوڑا پیدا کیا اور ان دونوں سے بہت سے مرد اور عورتیں پھیلادیں اور اللہ سے ڈرو جس کے واسطے سے تم ایک دوسرے سے سوال کرتے ہو اور خبردار رہو قرابت والوں سے بے شک اللہ تمھاری نگرانی کر رہا ہے
— Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
The Quran primarily addresses humans (يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ). It informs us that Allah, our Rabb (رَبَّ) has dispersed (بَثَّ) many men and women (رِجَالًۭا كَثِيرًۭا وَنِسَآءًۭ) from one nafs (نَّفْسٍۢ وَٰحِدَةٍۢ), and one set of parents whom He created from one single nafs (رَبَّكُمُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍۢ وَٰحِدَةٍۢ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا). So, we are all one specie. Scientist now believe that all modern humans (Homo sapiens) belong to the same biological family. The Quran informs us that families are forever, and all believers who are reformed will be united with their spouses, parents, and children, in the Gardens in the Hereafter. The Quran also warns of the permanent loss of family and nafs. It guides the believers, and leaves the choice to reform to each individual. There is no compulsion.
Similarly, in Surah Luqman, we read:
Luqman (31:10)
خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ بِغَيْرِ عَمَدٍۢ تَرَوْنَهَا ۖ وَأَلْقَىٰ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ رَوَٰسِىَ أَن تَمِيدَ بِكُمْ وَبَثَّ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ دَآبَّةٍۢ ۚ وَأَنزَلْنَا مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءًۭ فَأَنۢبَتْنَا فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ زَوْجٍۢ كَرِيمٍ ١٠
He created the heavens without pillars that you see and has cast into the earth firmly set mountains, lest it should shift with you, and dispersed therein from every creature. And We sent down rain from the sky and made grow therein [plants] of every noble kind.
— Saheeh International
اللہ نے آسمانوں کو پیدا کیا، ایسے ستونوں کے بغیر جو تم کو نظر آئیں اور اس نے زمین میں پہاڑ رکھ دئے کہ وہ تم کو لے کر جھک نہ جائےاور اس میں ہر قسم کے جاندار پھیلادئےاور ہم نے آسمان سے پانی اتار ا، پھر زمین میں ہر قسم کی عمدہ چیزیں اگائیں
— Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
...
Similarly, is Surah Ash-Shuraa, it states:
The Consultation (42:29)
وَمِنْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ خَلْقُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَثَّ فِيهِمَا مِن دَآبَّةٍۢ ۚ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ جَمْعِهِمْ إِذَا يَشَآءُ قَدِيرٌۭ ٢٩
And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and earth and what He has dispersed throughout them of creatures. And He, for gathering them when He wills, is competent.
— Saheeh International
اور اُسی کی نشانیوں میں سے ہے آسمانوں اورزمین کا پیدا کرنااور وہ جاندار جو اس نے ان کے درمیان پھیلائے ہیں اور وہ ان کو جمع کرنے پر قادر ہے جب وہ ان کو جمع کرنا چاہے
— Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
So, again, in Surah al-Jathiya, it states:
The Crouching (45:4)
وَفِى خَلْقِكُمْ وَمَا يَبُثُّ مِن دَآبَّةٍ ءَايَـٰتٌۭ لِّقَوْمٍۢ يُوقِنُونَ ٤
And in the creation of yourselves and what He disperses of moving creatures are signs for people who are certain [in faith].
— Saheeh International
اور تمھارے بنانے میں اور ان حیوانات میں جو اس نے زمین میں پھیلارکھے ہیں نشانیاں ہیں ان لوگوں کے لیے جو یقین رکھتے ہیں
— Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
So, the translations are fairly consistent so far: disperse in English, and پھیلا in Urdu.
In Surah Yusuf, the father (Jacob (Yaqub عليه السلام)) is quoted thus:
Joseph (12:86)
قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أَشْكُوا۟ بَثِّى وَحُزْنِىٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَأَعْلَمُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ٨٦
He said, "I only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allāh, and I know from Allāh that which you do not know.
— Saheeh International
اس نے کہا، میں اپنی پریشانی اور اپنے غم کا شکوہ صرف اللہ سے کرتا ہوں اور میں اللہ کی طرف سے وہ باتیں جانتا ہوں جو تم نہیں جانتے
— Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
Jacob (Yaqub عليه السلام)'s two youngest sons were no longer with him. He had lost the elder of the two (Joseph (Yusuf عليه السلام)) several years ago, and now his youngest son had also been arrested in a foreign land. His sadness from missing the elder son had now assumed such proportion that his eyes turned white, due to the suppressed grief. The other sons tell him that this missing dearly of Joseph (Yusuf عليه السلام) will eventually cost him his health or his life. So, he replies to them by saying that he is only complaining بَثِّى and حُزْنِىٓ to Allah.
Here, the English translation of بَثِّى has been done as my suffering, and اپنی پریشانی in Urdu.
The English translation (my suffering) seems the probable meaning in context, but the more proper meaning is conveyed by the Urdu (اپنی پریشانی) which in classical Urdu includes the meaning of scattering or dispersing.
In a sense, he is scattered, that is, his family is dispersed and he doesn't know when they will be reunited.
The remaining three usage of the triliteral root bā thā thā (ب ث ث) occurs in Q56:6, Q101:4, and Q88:16, quoted as follows:
The Inevitable (56:6)
فَكَانَتْ هَبَآءًۭ مُّنۢبَثًّۭا ٦
And become dust dispersing,
— Saheeh International
پھر وہ پراگندہ غبار بن جائیں گے
— Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
...
The Calamity (101:4)
يَوْمَ يَكُونُ ٱلنَّاسُ كَٱلْفَرَاشِ ٱلْمَبْثُوثِ ٤
It is the Day when people will be like moths, dispersed,[1]
— Saheeh International
[1]- The people will be as such after having been expelled from their graves.
جس دن لوگ پتنگوں کی طرح بکھرے ہوئے ہوں گے
— Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
...
The Overwhelming (88:16)
وَزَرَابِىُّ مَبْثُوثَةٌ ١٦
And carpets spread around.
— Saheeh International
اور قالین ہرطرف بچھے ہوئے
— Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
Like dust dispersing, like moths dispersed, carpets spread ... its a scattering of sorts.
A typical example of scattering can be observed in the plant world, where the seeds are scattered from the parent plant through various means. Yet, the Quran is informing us of the scattering / dispersing / broadcasting (بَثَّ) of the human specimen, and it is pointing out the scattering / dispersing / broadcasting (بَثَّ) of the moving creatures (animal kingdom) as a sign.
Google Translate:
1) note the list of translations in this screenshot:
Lexicon:
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Last updated on: September 26, 2025
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