40. Surah Ghafir

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن تُرَابٍ...

40: 67. It is He Who has created you from dust,

C4444. Cf. this passage with 22:5 and notes 2773 and 2774.

The various stages of man's physical life are:

- first, simple matter (dust);

- the sperm-drop in the father;

- the fertilised ovum in the mother's womb;

- out into the light, as a human child;

- youth and full maturity;

- decay; and

- death.

In some cases the later stages are curtailed or cut off; but in any case, a Term appointed is reached, so that the higher purpose of Allah's Will and Plan may be fulfilled in each given case, that man "may learn wisdom".

... ثُمَّ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ...

then from a sperm-drop,

... ثُمَّ مِنْ عَلَقَةٍ ...

then from a leech-like clot;

... ثُمَّ يُخْرِجُكُمْ طِفْلًا...

then does He get you out (into the light) as a child:

... ثُمَّ لِتَبْلُغُوا أَشُدَّكُمْ...

then lets you (grow and) reach your age of full strength;

... ثُمَّ لِتَكُونُوا شُيُوخًا...

then lets you become old,

... وَمِنكُم مَّن يُتَوَفَّى مِن قَبْلُ...

though of you there are some who die before;

... وَلِتَبْلُغُوا أَجَلًا مُّسَمًّى...

and lets you reach a Term appointed:

... وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ ﴿٦٧﴾

in order that ye may learn wisdom.

هُوَ الَّذِي يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ...

40: 68. It is He Who gives Life and Death;

C4445. The keys of life and death are in Allah's hands. But He is not dependent on time or place or instruments or materials. All that He has to do is to say "Be", and it comes into existence.

Cf. 16:40, and n. 2066; 36:82, and n. 4029.

Conversely, His Will or Command is sufficient to annihilate Existence into Non-Existence (Life into Death) or determine the limits or conditions of Existence or Non-Existence.

... فَإِذَا قَضَى أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ...

and when He decides upon an affair, He says to it,

... كُن...

"Be,"

... فَيَكُونُ ﴿٦٨﴾

and it is.

Asad’s Version:

40:67 It is He who creates you out of dust, 48 and then out of a drop of sperm, and then out of a germ- cell; and then He brings you forth as children; and then [He ordains] that you reach maturity, and then, that you grow old - though some of you [He causes to] die earlier -: and [all this He ordains] so that you might reach a term set [by Him), 49 and that you might [learn to] use your reason.

40:68 It is He who grants life and deals death; and when He wills a thing to be, He but says unto it, "Be" - and it is.