Al-Qur'an Surah Ar-Rum Verse 54

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Allah is the One who created you in a state of weakness, then He created strength after weakness, then created weakness and old age after strength. He creates what He wills, and He is All-Knowing, All-Powerful.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

It is Allah Who created you in a state of weakness, then developed ˹your˺ weakness into strength, then developed ˹your˺ strength into weakness and old age.[[ lit., grey hair. ]] He creates whatever He wills. For He is the All-Knowing, Most Capable.

Ruwwad Translation Center

It is Allah Who created you in a state of weakness, then after weakness He gave you strength, then after strength He made you weak and old. He creates what He wills, and He is the All-Knowing, the Most Capable.

A. J. Arberry

God is He that created you of weakness, then He appointed after weakness strength, then after strength He appointed weakness and grey hairs; He creates what He will, and He is the All-knowing, the All-powerful.

Abdul Haleem

It is God who creates you weak, then gives you strength, then weakness after strength, together with your grey hair: He creates what He will; He is the All Knowing, the All Powerful.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Allah it is Who created you in weakness, then He appointed strength after weakness, then after strength appointed weakness and grey hair. He createth whatsoever He listeth: and He is Knower, the Potent.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

It is Allah Who created you in a state of (helpless) weakness, then gave (you) strength after weakness, then, after strength, gave (you weakness and a hoary head; He creates as He wills, and it is He Who has all knowledge and power.

Abul Ala Maududi

It is Allah Who created you in a state of weakness; then after weakness He gave you strength, then after strength He made you weak and old. He creates what He pleases. He is All-Knowing, All-Powerful.

Ahmed Ali

It is God who created you of weakness, then after weakness gave you strength, then after strength will give you weakness and grey hair. Surely He makes whatever He wills. He is all-knowing and all-powerful.

Ahmed Raza Khan

It is Allah Who created you weak, then after weakness gave you strength, then after strength gave you weakness and old age; He creates whatever He wills; and only He is the All Knowing, the Able.

Ali Quli Qarai

It is Allah who created you from [a state of] weakness, then He gave you power after weakness. Then, after power, He ordained weakness and old age: He creates whatever He wishes, and He is the All-knowing, the All-powerful.

Ali Ünal

God is He Who creates you in a state of weakness, and then gives you strength after weakness, and then, after a period of strength, ordains weakness (of old age) and grey hair. He creates however He wills. He is the All-Knowing, the All-Powerful.

Amatul Rahman Omar

(It is) Allâh alone Who creates you in (a state of) weakness, He then replaces your weakness with strength (of youth) and again (replaces your) strength with weakness and gray hair (of old age). He creates what He will. He is the All-Knowing, the All-Powerful.

English Literal

God (is) who created you from weakness then He created/put from after weakness power/strength, then He created/put from after power/strength weakness, and white or gray (old aged), He creates what He wills/wants, and He is the knowledgeable, the capable/able .

Faridul Haque

It is Allah Who created you weak, then after weakness gave you strength, then after strength gave you weakness and old age; He creates whatever He wills; and only He is the All Knowing, the Able.

Hamid S. Aziz

Nor can you lead away the blind out of their error. you can not make to hear any but those who believe in Our revelations so that they Surrender (in Islam).

Hilali & Khan

Allah is He Who created you in (a state of) weakness, then gave you strength after weakness, then after strength gave (you) weakness and grey hair. He creates what He wills. And it is He Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Powerful (i.e. Able to do all things).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

So surely thou canst not make the dead to hear, nor canst thou make the deaf to hear the call, when they turn back retreating.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Allah is He Who created you from a state of weakness then He gave strength after weakness, then ordained weakness and hoary hair after strength; He creates what He pleases, and He is the Knowing, the Powerful.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Allah is He Who shaped you out of weakness, then appointed after weakness strength, then, after strength, appointed weakness and grey hair. He createth what He will. He is the Knower, the Mighty.

Muhammad Sarwar

It is God who has created you weak, then, given you strength after your weakness and caused you to become weak and old after being strong. He creates whatever He wants. He is All-knowing and All-powerful.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Allah creates you weak; after weakness He gives you strength and after strength weakness and gray hairs. He creates whatever He will. He is the Knower, the Capable.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Allah is He Who created you in weakness, then gave you strength after weakness, then after strength gave (you) weakness and grey hair. He creates what He wills. And He is the All-Knowing, the All-Powerful.

Wahiduddin Khan

God is the One who has created you in a state of weakness; then He has granted you strength following [your] weakness; later on He has given you infirmity and grey hairs in place of strength. He creates whatever He wishes; He is the All Knowing and All Powerful.

Talal Itani

God is He Who created you weak, then after weakness gave you strength, then after strength gave you weakness and gray hair. He creates whatever He wills. He is the Omniscient, the Omnipotent.

Tafsir jalalayn

God is the One Who created you from [a state of] weakness, [from] a `base fluid' [cf. Q. 32;8], then He ordained after, a second, weakness, which is the weakness of [the period of] childhood, strength, that is, the strength of youth, then after strength He appointed weakness [again] and grey hair, the weakness of old age and the grey hairs of decrepitude (read [vocalised as] du`f, `weakness', in all three places). He creates what He will, of weakness and strength, youth and grey hairs, and He is the Knower, of how to manage His creatures, the Omnipotent.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Different Stages of Man

Allah says;

اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن ضَعْفٍ ثُمَّ جَعَلَ مِن بَعْدِ ضَعْفٍ قُوَّةً

Allah is He Who created you in weakness, then gave you strength after weakness,

Here Allah points out how man passes through different stages of creation, one phase after another.

He is originally created from dust, then from a Nutfah, then from a clot, then from a lump of flesh. Then he becomes bones, then the bones are clothed with flesh, then the soul is breathed into him. Then he emerges from his mother's womb, weak and thin and powerless.

Then he grows up little by little, until he becomes a child, then he reaches the stage of puberty, then he becomes a young man, which is strength after weakness. Then he starts to get older, reaching middle age, then old age and senility, weakness after strength, so he loses his resolve, power of movement and ability to fight, his hair turns grey and his characteristics, both inward and outward, begin to change.

Allah says;

ثُمَّ جَعَلَ مِن بَعْدِ قُوَّةٍ ضَعْفًا وَشَيْبَةً يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَاء

then after strength gave (you) weakness and grey hair. He creates what He wills.

He does whatsoever He wills and controls His servants in whatever way He wants.

وَهُوَ الْعَلِيمُ الْقَدِيرُ



And He is the All-Knowing, the All-Powerful.