Al-Qur'an Surah Ar-Ra'd Verse 8

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Allah knows what every female carries and what the wombs decrease or increase. Everything has measure with Him

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Allah knows what every female bears and what increases and decreases in the wombs.[[ He knows whether the egg will be fertilized or not, whether the baby will be born before or after nine months, whether the pregnancy will end with delivery or miscarriage, and whether there will be one baby or more. ]] And with Him everything is determined with precision.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Allah knows what every female bears, and what the wombs may fall short or increase. With Him everything is precisely measured.

A. J. Arberry

God knows what every female bears, and the wombs' shrinking and swelling; everything with Him has its measure --

Abdul Haleem

God knows what every female bears and how much their wombs shrink or swell- everything has its measure with Him;

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Allah knoweth that which each female beareth and that which the wombs want and that which they exceed, and with Him everything is in due measure:

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Allah doth know what every female (womb) doth bear, by how much the wombs fall short (of their time or number) or do exceed. Every single thing is before His sight, in (due) proportion.

Abul Ala Maududi

Allah knows what every female bears; and what the wombs fall short of (in gestation), and what they may add. With Him everything is in a fixed measure.

Ahmed Ali

God is cognisant of what every female carries in her womb, or what the wombs want or exceed (of their disburdening time). With Him all things are in determined measure.

Ahmed Raza Khan

Allah knows all what is inside the womb of every female, and every increase and decrease of the wombs; and all things are with Him by a set measure.

Ali Quli Qarai

Allah knows what every female carries [in her womb], and what the wombs reduce and what they increase, and everything is by [precise] measure with Him,

Ali Ünal

God knows what any female bears (in her womb with all its traits from her conception of it until delivery), and what the wombs diminish and what they increase, (and by how much they may fall short in gestation, and by how much they may increase the average period), and everything with Him is by a determined measure.

Amatul Rahman Omar

Allâh knows what every female carries and (He knows) what the wombs miscarry and what they nourish and help to grow. He has the (proper and fixed) measure of everything.

English Literal

God knows what each female conceives/(is) pregnant with and what the wombs/uteruses miscarries and what it increases/exceeds, and every thing at Him (is) with a value/measure.

Faridul Haque

Allah knows all what is inside the womb of every female, and every increase and decrease of the wombs; and all things are with Him by a set measure.

Hamid S. Aziz

Those who disbelieve say, "Why is no special Sign sent down upon him from his Lord." But you are only a Warner, and for every people a guide.

Hilali & Khan

Allah knows what every female bears, and by how much the wombs fall short (of their time or number) or exceed. Everything with Him is in (due) proportion.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And those who disbelieve say: Why has not a sign been sent down to him from his Lord? Thou art only a Wagner and for every people a guide.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Allah knows what every female bears, and that of which the wombs fall short of completion and that in which they increase; and there is a measure with Him of everything.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Allah knoweth that which every female beareth and that which the wombs absorb and that which they grow. And everything with Him is measured.

Muhammad Sarwar

God knows well what every female conceives. He knows what the wombs spoil and dispose of. In His plans everything has been designed proportionately.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Allah knows what every female bears, and what shrinks and swells the womb. And everything with Him has its measure.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Allah knows what every female bears, and by how much the wombs fall short (of their time or number) or exceed. Everything with Him is in (due) proportion.

Wahiduddin Khan

God knows what every female bears. He knows of every change within the womb. For everything He has a proper measure;

Talal Itani

God knows what every female bears, and every increase and decrease of the wombs. With Him, everything is by measure.

Tafsir jalalayn

God knows what every female bears, of male or female, one or more, and otherwise, and what the wombs reduce, of the time of gestation, and what they increase, of it. And everything with Him is according to a [precise] measure, a [precise] amount and limit which it does not exceed;

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Allah is All-Knower of Al-Ghayb (Unseen)

Allah says;

اللّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَحْمِلُ كُلُّ أُنثَى

Allah knows what every female bears,

Allah affirms His perfect knowledge, from which nothing is hidden, and that He has complete knowledge of whatever every female creature is carrying,

وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِى الاٌّرْحَامِ

And He knows that which is in the wombs. (31;34),

whether male or female, fair or ugly, miserable or happy, whether it will have a long or a short life.

Allah said in other Ayat,

هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِكُمْ إِذْ أَنشَأَكُمْ مِّنَ الاٌّرْضِ وَإِذْ أَنتُمْ أَجِنَّةٌ

He knows you well when He created you from the earth, and when you were fetuses. (53;32)

and,

يَخْلُقُكُمْ فِى بُطُونِ أُمَّهَـتِكُـمْ خَلْقاً مِّن بَعْدِ خَلْقٍ فِى ظُلُمَـتٍ ثَلَـثٍ

He creates you in the wombs of your mother;creation after creation in three veils of darkness. (39;6)

meaning stage after stage.

Allah also said,

وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الاِنْسَـنَ مِن سُلَـلَةٍ مِّن طِينٍ

ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَـهُ نُطْفَةً فِى قَرَارٍ مَّكِينٍ

ثُمَّ خَلَقْنَا النُّطْفَةَ عَلَقَةً فَخَلَقْنَا الْعَلَقَةَ مُضْغَةً فَخَلَقْنَا الْمُضْغَةَ عِظَـماً فَكَسَوْنَا الْعِظَـمَ لَحْماً ثُمَّ أَنشَأْنَـهُ خَلْقاً ءَاخَرَ فَتَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَـلِقِينَ

And indeed We created man out of an extract of clay. Thereafter We made him as a Nutfah in a safe lodging. Then We made the Nutfah into a clot, then We made the clot into a little lump of flesh, then We made out of that little lump of flesh bones, then We clothed the bones with flesh, and then We brought it forth as another creation. So Blessed is Allah, the Best of creators. (23;12-14)

In the two Sahihs it is recorded that Abdullah bin Mas`ud said that the Messenger of Allah said,

إِنَّ خَلْقَ أَحَدِكُمْ يُجْمَعُ فِي بَطْنِ أُمِّهِ أَرْبَعِينَ يَوْمًا ثُمَّ يَكُونُ عَلَقَةً مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ يَكُونُ مُضْغَةً مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ يَبْعَثُ اللهُ إِلَيْهِ مَلَكًا فَيُوْمَرُ بِأَرْبَعِ كَلِمَاتٍ بِكَتْبِ رِزْقِهِ وَعُمْرِهِ وَعَمَلِهِ وَشَقِيٌّ أَوْ سَعِيد

The matter of the creation of one of you is put together in the womb of the mother in forty days, and then he becomes a clot of thick blood for a similar period, and then a piece of flesh for a similar period. Then Allah sends an angel who is ordered to write four things. He is ordered to write down;

his provisions,

his life span,

his deeds, and

whether he will be blessed or wretched."

In another Hadith, the Prophet said,

فَيَقُولُ الْمَلَكُ أَيْ رَبِّ أَذَكَرٌ أَمْ أُنْثَى أَيْ رَبِّ أَشَقِيٌّ أَمْ سَعِيدٌ فَمَا الرِّزْقٌ فَمَا الاَْجَلُ فَيَقُولُ اللهُ وَيَكْتُبُ الْمَلَك

Then the angel asks, "O my Lord! Is it a male or a female, miserable or happy, what is its provisions and life span!"

Allah then ordains and the angel records it.

Allah said next,

وَمَا تَغِيضُ الَارْحَامُ

وَمَا تَزْدَادُ

and by how much the wombs fall short or exceed.

Al-Bukhari recorded that Abdullah bin Umar said that the Messenger of Allah said,

مَفَاتِيحُ الْغَيْبِ خَمْسٌ لَا يَعْلَمُهُنَّ إِلاَّ اللهُ

لَاا يَعْلَمُ مَا فِي غَدٍ إِلاَّ اللهُ

وَلَا يَعْلَمُ مَا تَغِيضُ الاَْرْحَامُ إِلاَّ اللهُ

وَلَا يَعْلَمُ مَتَى يَأْتِي الْمَطَرُ أَحَدٌ إِلاَّ اللهُ

وَلَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ بِأَيِّ أَرْضٍ تَمُوتُ

وَلَا يَعْلَمُ مَتَى تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ إِلاَّ الله

The Keys of the Ghayb (unseen knowledge) are five, nobody knows them but Allah.

Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow except Allah;

nobody knows what is in the womb except Allah;

nobody knows when it will rain except Allah;

no soul knows at what place he will die except Allah; and

nobody knows when the (Final) Hour will begin except Allah.

Al-Awfi reported from Ibn Abbas that he said,

وَمَا تَغِيضُ الَارْحَامُ
(and by how much the wombs fall short),

this refers to miscarriages,

وَمَا تَزْدَادُ
(or exceed),

this refers to carrying her fetus in her womb for the full term. Some women carry their fetus for ten months, while others for nine months. Some terms are longer or shorter than others. This is the falling short or exceeding that Allah the Exalted mentioned, and all this occurs by His knowledge."

وَكُلُّ شَيْءٍ عِندَهُ بِمِقْدَارٍ



Everything with Him is in proportion.

Qatadah commented on Allah's statement,

"For a term appointed. Allah has the records of the provisions and terms of His creation and made an appointed term for everything."

An authentic Hadith mentioned that;

one of the Prophet's daughters sent (a messenger) to him requesting him to come as her child was dying, but the Prophet returned the messenger and told him to say to her,

إِنَّ للهِ مَا أَخَذَ وَلَهُ مَا أَعْطَى وَكُلُّ شَيْءٍ عِنْدَهُ بِأَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى فَمُرُوهَا فَلْتَصْبِرْ وَلْتَحْتَسِب

Verily, whatever Allah takes is for Him and whatever He gives is for Him, and everything with Him has a limited fixed term (in this world), and so she should be patient and hope for Allah's reward.

Allah said next,