What Does Qawm (قَوْم) Mean in the Quran?
The root of standing. A qawm is the group that stands together, from the same root as qiyam (standing) and aqim (establish!).
Counted from the Uthmani text bundled with this site: qawm in its written forms with article, prefixes, and attached pronouns. The vocative ya-qawmi (O my people) is written as one fused word in the mushaf and is not included.
Inside the Quran
Every prophet was sent to his qawm, his people. Nuh to qawmihi, Musa to his, and the stories repeat the word so often that it becomes impossible not to learn: qawmun, qawmi, qawmuka.
It is also the word in 13:11, Allah does not change the condition of a qawm until they change what is in themselves. People, nation, community, the word covers them all.
“For him [i.e., each one] are successive [angels] before and behind him who protect him by the decree of Allāh. Indeed, Allāh will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves. And when Allāh intends for a people ill, there is no repelling it. And there is not for them besides Him any patron.”
“O you who have believed, let not a people ridicule [another] people; perhaps they may be better than them; nor let women ridicule [other] women; perhaps they may be better than them. And do not insult one another and do not call each other by [offensive] nicknames. Wretched is the name [i.e., mention] of disobedience after [one's] faith. And whoever does not repent - then it is those who are the wrongdoers.”
“Indeed, We sent Noah to his people, [saying], "Warn your people before there comes to them a painful punishment."”
Arabic quoted letter for letter from the Uthmani text of our Quran reader. Translation: Saheeh International.
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