According to search-discovered classical Islamic scholarship, the concept of Thirst (العطش) in the Quran transcends physical sensation to become a powerful symbol with profound theological and eschatological weight. Across its varied contexts, thirst serves as a multifaceted metaphor for struggle, judgment, and salvation. In his tafsir on Surah At-Tawbah 9:120, Ibn Kathir explains that thirst endured in the cause of Allah is not a forgotten hardship but a righteous deed recorded and rewarded by God. This contrasts sharply with the agonizing, unquenchable thirst of the inhabitants of Hell, as depicted in Surah Al-Waqi'ah, who drink boiling water like 'thirsty camels.' Perhaps its most vivid metaphorical use is in Surah An-Nur 24:39, where, as Al-Tabari clarifies, the deeds of disbelievers are likened to a mirage that a thirsty man chases, only to find it is nothing, symbolizing ultimate futility and false hope. The ultimate divine mercy is a state of perfect contentment where, as promised in Surah Ta-Ha 20:119, the people of Paradise will never suffer from thirst. This thematic synthesis across the verses reveals thirst as a divine measure of reality: its endurance for God is valuable, its absence is a gift of grace, its pursuit of illusion is damnation, and its eternal presence is a form of justice.