How Many Birds Are Named in the Quran?
كم طيراً ورد ذكره في القرآن الكريم بالاسم؟
Three birds were mentioned in the Quran: Quail, crow, and the hoopoe.
(And ˹remember when˺ We shaded you with clouds and sent down to you manna and quails, ˹saying˺, “Eat from the good things We have provided for you.” The evildoers ˹certainly˺ did not wrong Us, but wronged themselves.) [Al-Baqarah 2:57]
(We shaded them with clouds and sent down to them manna and quails, ˹saying˺, “Eat from the good things We have provided for you.” They ˹certainly˺ did not wrong Us, but wronged themselves.) [Al-A'raf 7:160]
(O Children of Israel! We saved you from your enemy, and made an appointment with you on the right side of Mount Ṭûr, and sent down to you manna and quails.) [Ta-Ha 20:80]
(Then Allah sent a crow digging ˹a grave˺ in the ground ˹for a dead crow˺, in order to show him how to bury the corpse of his brother. He cried, “Alas! Have I ˹even˺ failed to be like this crow and bury the corpse of my brother?” So he became regretful.) [Al-Ma'idah 5:31]
(˹One day˺ he inspected the birds, and wondered, “Why is it that I cannot see the hoopoe? Or could he be absent?”) [An-Naml 27:20]
ثلاثة أنواع من الطيور، وهي: السلوى والغراب والهدهد.
(وَظَلَّلْنَا عَلَيْكُمُ الْغَمَامَ وَأَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَنَّ وَالسَّلْوَىٰ ۖ كُلُوا مِن طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ ۖ وَمَا ظَلَمُونَا وَلَٰكِن كَانُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ) [البقرة 2: 57]
(وَظَلَّلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ الْغَمَامَ وَأَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَنَّ وَالسَّلْوَىٰ ۖ كُلُوا مِن طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ ۚ وَمَا ظَلَمُونَا وَلَٰكِن كَانُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ) [الأعراف 7: 160]
(يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ قَدْ أَنجَيْنَاكُم مِّنْ عَدُوِّكُمْ وَوَاعَدْنَاكُمْ جَانِبَ الطُّورِ الْأَيْمَنَ وَنَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَنَّ وَالسَّلْوَىٰ) [طه 20: 80]
(فَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ غُرَابًا يَبْحَثُ فِي الْأَرْضِ لِيُرِيَهُ كَيْفَ يُوَارِي سَوْءَةَ أَخِيهِ ۚ قَالَ يَا وَيْلَتَا أَعَجَزْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِثْلَ هَٰذَا الْغُرَابِ فَأُوَارِيَ سَوْءَةَ أَخِي ۖ فَأَصْبَحَ مِنَ النَّادِمِينَ) [المائدة 5: 31]
(وَتَفَقَّدَ الطَّيْرَ فَقَالَ مَا لِيَ لَا أَرَى الْهُدْهُدَ أَمْ كَانَ مِنَ الْغَائِبِينَ) [النمل 27: 20]
1. The Quail (As-Salwa) | السلوى
Allah sent down manna and quails to the Children of Israel, and as-salwa is named three times: 2:57, 7:160 and 20:80. Ibn Kathir reports from Ibn Abbas, through Ali ibn Abi Talhah: as-salwa is a bird like the quail, which they used to eat; and from Ibn Abbas through another chain: as-salwa is the quail; and so said Mujahid, ash-Sha’bi, ad-Dahhak, al-Hasan, Ikrimah and ar-Rabi’ ibn Anas. Qatadah said: the south wind gathered it for them, and each man would slaughter as much of it as was enough for his day.
وَظَلَّلْنَا عَلَيْكُمُ الْغَمَامَ وَأَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَنَّ وَالسَّلْوَىٰ (سورة البقرة: 57)
أنزل الله تعالى على بني إسرائيل المن والسلوى، وورد اسم السلوى ثلاث مرات: البقرة 2: 57، والأعراف 7: 160، وطه 20: 80، قال ابن كثير: قال علي بن أبي طلحة عن ابن عباس: السلوى طائر شبيه بالسمانى، كانوا يأكلون منه، وعن ابن عباس قال: السلوى: هو السمانى، وكذا قال مجاهد والشعبي والضحاك والحسن وعكرمة والربيع بن أنس، وقال قتادة: السلوى من طير إلى الحمرة، تحشرها عليهم الريح الجنوب، وكان الرجل يذبح منها قدر ما يكفيه يومه ذلك.
2. The Crow (Al-Ghurab) | الغراب
The crow is named twice, both times in one verse: Then Allah sent a crow digging in the ground, in order to show him how to bury the corpse of his brother. He cried: Alas! Have I even failed to be like this crow? (5:31). Ibn Kathir reports from Ibn Abbas, through Ali ibn Abi Talhah, that a crow came to a dead crow and scratched earth over it until it covered it. The story is explained in how the brother knew how to bury his brother.
فَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ غُرَابًا يَبْحَثُ فِي الْأَرْضِ لِيُرِيَهُ كَيْفَ يُوَارِي سَوْءَةَ أَخِيهِ (سورة المائدة: 31)
ورد اسم الغراب مرتين في آية واحدة: (فبعث الله غرابا يبحث في الأرض ليريه كيف يواري سوءة أخيه قال يا ويلتا أعجزت أن أكون مثل هذا الغراب) (المائدة 5: 31)، قال ابن كثير: قال علي بن أبي طلحة عن ابن عباس: جاء غراب إلى غراب ميت، فبحث عليه من التراب حتى واراه.
3. The Hoopoe (Al-Hudhud) | الهدهد
The hoopoe is named once: Sulaiman inspected the birds and said: Why do I not see the hoopoe, or is he among the absent? (27:20). Ibn Kathir reports from Ibn Abbas and others, through Mujahid and Sa’id ibn Jubayr, that the hoopoe guided Sulaiman to water: in open desert it would look for water deep in the earth. Its story is explained in how many times the hoopoe is mentioned in the Quran.
لَأُعَذِّبَنَّهُ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا أَوْ لَأَذْبَحَنَّهُ أَوْ لَيَأْتِيَنِّي بِسُلْطَانٍ مُّبِينٍ (سورة النمل: 21)
ورد اسم الهدهد مرة واحدة: (وتفقد الطير فقال ما لي لا أرى الهدهد أم كان من الغائبين) (النمل 27: 20)، قال ابن كثير: قال مجاهد وسعيد بن جبير وغيرهما عن ابن عباس وغيره: كان الهدهد مهندسا، يدل سليمان عليه السلام على الماء، إذا كان بأرض فلاة طلبه فنظر له الماء في تخوم الأرض.
4. Birds Held Up by the Most Merciful | ما يمسكهن إلا الرحمن
Other verses speak of birds without naming their kind: Do they not see the birds above them, spreading and folding their wings? None holds them up except the Most Compassionate (67:19). Ibn Kathir explains that at times they spread their wings in the air, and at times they fold one wing and spread the other, and that the One who holds them up in the air is the Most Merciful, through the air He subjected to them out of His mercy and kindness. Allah also says: and the birds with wings outspread, each knows its prayer and glorification (24:41); Ibn Kathir explains that in their flight they glorify their Lord and worship Him with a glorification He inspired in them. Ibrahim’s four birds, also unnamed, are explained in what Ibrahim asked Allah to show him.
أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا إِلَى الطَّيْرِ فَوْقَهُمْ صَافَّاتٍ وَيَقْبِضْنَ ۚ مَا يُمْسِكُهُنَّ إِلَّا الرَّحْمَٰنُ (سورة الملك: 19)
وذكر القرآن الطير في آيات أخرى من غير تسمية نوعه، كقوله تعالى: (أولم يروا إلى الطير فوقهم صافات ويقبضن ما يمسكهن إلا الرحمن) (الملك 67: 19)، وبين ابن كثير أن الطير تارة تصف أجنحتها في الهواء، وتارة تجمع جناحا وتنشر جناحا، وأن الذي يمسكها في الجو هو الرحمن بما سخر لها من الهواء من رحمته ولطفه، وقال تعالى: (والطير صافات كل قد علم صلاته وتسبيحه) (النور 24: 41)، قال ابن كثير: أي: في حال طيرانها تسبح ربها وتعبده بتسبيح ألهمها وأرشدها إليه.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
How many birds are named in the Quran?
Three: the quail (as-salwa), the crow and the hoopoe.
What is as-salwa?
Ibn Kathir reports from Ibn Abbas that as-salwa is the quail, sent down with the manna to the Children of Israel (2:57).
Where are the crow and the hoopoe mentioned?
The crow twice in Al-Ma’idah 5:31, in the story of Adam’s two sons, and the hoopoe once in An-Naml 27:20, in the story of Sulaiman.
What holds the birds up in the air?
Allah says: None holds them up except the Most Compassionate (67:19); Ibn Kathir explains: through the air He subjected to them out of His mercy.