'-q-b

Description

The Arabic root ع-ق-ب ('ayn-qaf-ba) fundamentally conveys the concept of following, succession, or coming after, often with implications of consequence or result. In the Quran, this root appears in various forms relating to sequential angels who watch over humans, the ultimate end or final outcome of actions, and punishments that follow transgressions as their natural consequence. The semantic core emphasizes both temporal succession and the notion of accountability, where actions are inevitably followed by their appropriate results in this life or the hereafter.