Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Baqarah Verse 28

Mufti Taqi Usmani

“How is it that you deny Allah, while you were lifeless and He gave you life; then He will make you die, and then He will make you live again, and then to Him you will be returned?

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

How can you deny Allah? You were lifeless and He gave you life, then He will cause you to die and again bring you to life, and then to Him you will ˹all˺ be returned.

Ruwwad Translation Center

How can you disbelieve in Allah, when you were lifeless then He gave you life, then He will cause you to die, then He will bring you back to life again, then to Him you will be returned?

A. J. Arberry

How do you disbelieve in God, seeing you were dead and He gave you life, then He shall make you dead, then He shall give you life, then unto Him you shall be returned?

Abdul Haleem

How can you ignore God when you were lifeless and He gave you life, when He will cause you to die, then resurrect you to be returned to Him?

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

How will ye disbelieve in Allah whereas ye were lifeless and he quickened you; thereafter He will cause you to die, thereafter He will give you life, thereafter unto Him ye shall be returned!

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

How can ye reject the faith in Allah?- seeing that ye were without life, and He gave you life; then will He cause you to die, and will again bring you to life; and again to Him will ye return.

Abul Ala Maududi

How is it that you adopt the attitude of disbelief towards Allah when the fact is that you were lifeless and He gave you life, and He will take away life from you and will again restore you to life: then you shall ultimately return to Him.

Ahmed Ali

Then how can you disbelieve in God? He gave you life when you were dead. He will make you die again then bring you back to life: To Him then you will return.

Ahmed Raza Khan

What has made you disbelieve in Allah? Whereas you were dead and He gave you life; then He will give you death, then bring you to life again, and then it is to Him you will return!

Ali Quli Qarai

How can you be unfaithful to Allah, [seeing that] you were lifeless and He gave you life, then He will make you die and then bring you to life, and then you will be brought back to Him?

Ali Ünal

How can you disbelieve in God, seeing that you were dead, and He gave you life. Then He causes you to die. Then He will bring you to life again; and then you will be returned to Him.

Amatul Rahman Omar

(O people!) how can you deny Allâh? When you were without life He gave you life, then He will cause you to die and again raise you to life and you shall be made to return to Him.

English Literal

How do you disbelieve with God and you were deads, so He revived you, then He makes you die, then He revives you , then to Him you are being returned.

Faridul Haque

What has made you disbelieve in Allah? Whereas you were dead and He gave you life; then He will give you death, then bring you to life again, and then it is to Him you will return!

Hamid S. Aziz

How can you disbelieve in Allah, when you were dead and He made you alive, and then He will cause you to die, and then make you alive again, and then to Him will you return?

Hilali & Khan

How can you disbelieve in Allah? Seeing that you were dead and He gave you life. Then He will give you death, then again will bring you to life (on the Day of Resurrection) and then unto Him you will return.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

How can you deny Allah and you were without life and He gave you life? Again, He will cause you to die and again bring you to life, then you shall be brought back to Him.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

How do you deny Allah and you were dead and He gave you life? Again He will cause you to die and again bring you to life; then you shall be brought back to Him.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

How disbelieve ye in Allah when ye were dead and He gave life to you! Then He will give you death, then life again, and then unto Him ye will return.

Muhammad Sarwar

How dare you deny the existence of God Who gave you life when you initially had no life. He will cause you to die and bring you to life again. Then you will return to His Presence.

Qaribullah & Darwish

How can you disbelieve Allah? Did He not give you life when you were dead, and He will cause you to die and then restore you to life. Then you will return to Him.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

How can you disbelieve in Allah seeing that you were dead and He gave you life Then He will give you death, then again will bring you to life (on the Day of Resurrection) and then unto Him you will return.

Wahiduddin Khan

How can you disbelieve in God when you were dead [lifeless] and He gave you life? He will let you die once more, then bring you back to life again, whereupon you will be returned to Him.

Talal Itani

How can you deny God, when you were dead and He gave you life, then He will put you to death, then He will bring you to life, then to Him you will be returned?

Tafsir jalalayn

How do you, people of Mecca, disbelieve in God, when you were dead, semen inside loins, and He gave you life, in the womb and in this world by breathing Spirit into you (the interrogative here is either intended to provoke amazement at their [persistent] unbelief despite the evidence established, or intended as a rebuke); then He shall make you dead, after your terms of life are completed, then He shall give you life, at the Resurrection, then to Him you shall be returned!, after resurrection, whereupon He shall requite you according to your deeds; and He states, as proof of the Resurrection, when they denied it;

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Allah testifies to the fact that He exists and that He is the Creator and the Sustainer Who has full authority over His servants,

كَيْفَ تَكْفُرُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَكُنتُمْ أَمْوَاتاً فَأَحْيَاكُمْ ثُمَّ يُمِيتُكُمْ ثُمَّ يُحْيِيكُمْ ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ



How can you disbelieve in Allah seeing that you were dead and He gave you life! Then He will give you death, then again will bring you to life (on the Day of Resurrection) and then unto Him you will return.

How can anyone deny Allah's existence or worship others with Him while;
وَكُنتُمْ أَمْوَاتاً فَأَحْيَاكُمْ
(You were dead and He gave you life),

meaning, He brought them from the state of non-existence to life.

Similarly, Allah said,

أَمْ خُلِقُواْ مِنْ غَيْرِ شَىْءٍ أَمْ هُمُ الْخَـلِقُونَ

أَمْ خَلَقُواْ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضَ بَل لاَّ يُوقِنُونَ

Were they created by nothing! Or were they themselves the creators! Or did they create the heavens and the earth! Nay, but they have no firm belief. (52;35-36)

and,

هَلْ أَتَى عَلَى الاِنسَـنِ حِينٌ مِّنَ الدَّهْرِ لَمْ يَكُن شَيْياً مَّذْكُوراً

Has there not been over man a period of time, when he was not a thing worth mentioning. (76;1)

There are many other Ayat on this subject.

Ibn Jarir reported from Ata that Ibn Abbas said that,
وَكُنتُمْ أَمْوَاتاً فَأَحْيَاكُمْ
(Seeing that you were dead and He gave you life) means,

"You did not exist beforehand. You were nothing until Allah created you; He will bring death to you and then bring you back to life during Resurrection."

Ibn Abbas then said, "This is similar to Allah's statement;

قَالُواْ رَبَّنَأ أَمَتَّنَا اثْنَتَيْنِ وَأَحْيَيْتَنَا اثْنَتَيْنِ

They will say;"Our Lord! You have made us to die twice and You have given us life twice." (40;11)