Al-Qur'an Surah Az-Zumar Verse 6

Mufti Taqi Usmani

He created you from a single person, then (once this person was created,) He made his match from him, and sent down for you eight pairs of the cattle. He creates you in the wombs of your mothers, creation after creation, in three layers of darkness. That is your Allah, your Lord. To Him belongs the whole Kingdom. There is no god but He. Then, to where are you being diverted (by your whims)?

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

He created you ˹all˺ from a single soul,[[ i.e., Adam (ﷺ).]] then from it He made its mate.[[ i.e., Eve. ]] And He produced for you four pairs of cattle.[[ The four pairs (males and females), as listed in {6:143}-144, are: a pair of sheep, a pair of goats, a pair of camels, and a pair of oxen.]] He creates you in the wombs of your mothers ˹in stages˺, one development after another, in three layers of darkness.[[ The three layers of darkness are: the belly, the womb, and the amniotic sac.]] That is Allah—your Lord! All authority belongs to Him. There is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except Him. How can you then be turned away?

Ruwwad Translation Center

He created you from a single soul, then He made from it its mate, and He created for you eight pairs of livestock. He creates you in the wombs of your mothers [in stages], creation after creation, in three layers of darkness. Such is Allah, your Lord. To Him belongs the dominion; none has the right to be worshiped except Him. So how are you averted?

A. J. Arberry

He created you of a single soul, then from it He appointed its mate; and He sent down to you of the cattle eight couples. He creates you in your mothers' wombs creation after creation in threefold shadows. That then is God, your Lord; to Him belongs the Kingdom; there is no god but He; so how are you turned about?

Abdul Haleem

He created you all from a single being, from which He made its mate; He gave you four kinds of livestock in pairs; He creates you in your mothers’ wombs, in one stage after another, in threefold depths of darkness. Such is God, your Lord; He holds control, there is no god but Him. How can you turn away?

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

He created you Of a Single soul, and made his spouse therefrom; and of the cattle He sent down Unto you eight pairs. He createth you in the bellies of your mothers, one creation after creation, in a threefold darkness. Such is Allah, your Lord. His is the dominion, there is no god but He. Whither then turn ye away?

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

He created you (all) from a single person; then created, of like nature, his mate; and he sent down for you eight head of cattle in pairs; He makes you, in the wombs of your mothers, in stages, one after another, in three veils of darkness. such is Allah, your Lord and Cherisher; to Him belongs (all) dominion. There is no god but He; then how are ye turned away (from your true Centre)?

Abul Ala Maududi

He it is Who created you from a single being, and He it is Who made from it its mate. He it is Who created for you eight heads of cattle in pairs. He creates you in your mothers' wombs, giving you one form after another in threefold depths of darkness. That, then, is Allah, your Lord. His is the kingdom. There is no god but He. So, whence are you being turned astray?

Ahmed Ali

He created you from a single cell, then from it created its mate; arid provided eight varieties of cattle for you. He formed you in the mother's womb, formation after formation in three (veils of) darkness. He is God your Lord. His is the kingdom. There is no god other than He. How then can you turn away?

Ahmed Raza Khan

It is He Who created you from a single being, and then from the same being created its spouse, and sent down for you eight pairs of animals; He creates you in your mothers’ wombs, from one sort to another, in a triple darkness; such is Allah, your Lord – for Him only is the kingship; there is no God except Him; so where are you being turned away?

Ali Quli Qarai

He created you from a single soul, then made from it its mate, and He has sent down for you eight mates of the cattle. He creates you in the wombs of your mothers, creation after creation, in a threefold darkness. That is Allah, your Lord! To Him belongs all sovereignty. There is no god except Him. Then where are you being led away?

Ali Ünal

He has created you from a single human self, and then He has made from it its mate, and He has sent down for you eight in pairs of cattle. He creates you in the wombs of your mothers, one act and phase of creation after another, in three veils of darkness. This is God, your true Lord (Who creates, and sustains you): To Him belongs the sovereignty (absolute ownership and dominion of everything). There is no deity but He. How, then, are you turned about (to different kinds of belief)?

Amatul Rahman Omar

He created you from a single soul, then from that (same stock that He created a human being) He created his spouse. And He has given you eight (varieties of) cattle in pairs. He creates you in the wombs of your mothers, a creation, stage by stage, (making you pass) through three periods of darkness. Such is Allâh your Lord. The sovereignty and power belongs to Him alone. There is no other, cannot be and will never be One worthy of worship but He. Where are you, then, being turned away?

English Literal

He created you from one self , then He made/created from it, its spouse , and He descended for you from the camels/livestock eight pairs/kinds (refer to 6:143 and 6:144), He creates you, in your mothers` bellies/insides, a creation from after a creation, in 3 darknesses (trimesters), that one, (is) God, your Lord, for Him (is) the kingdom/ownership (there is) no god except Him, so how/where (do) you be diverted/misguided ?

Faridul Haque

It is He Who created you from a single being, and then from the same being created its spouse, and sent down for you eight pairs of animals; He creates you in your mothers’ wombs, from one sort to another, in a triple darkness; such is Allah, your Lord – for Him only is the kingship; there is no God except Him; so where are you being turned away?

Hamid S. Aziz

He has created you from a single being, then made its mate of the same (kind), and He has made for you eight of the cattle in pairs. He creates you in the wombs of your mothers, a creation after a creation, in triple darkness; that is Allah your Lord, His is the kingdom; there is no God but He; whence are you then turned away?

Hilali & Khan

He created you (all) from a single person (Adam); then made from him his wife [Hawwa' (Eve)]. And He has sent down for you of cattle eight pairs (of the sheep, two, male and female; of the goats, two, male and female; of the oxen, two, male and female; and of the camels, two, male and female). He creates you in the wombs of your mothers, creation after creation in three veils of darkness, such is Allah your Lord. His is the kingdom, La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He). How then are you turned away?

Maulana Mohammad Ali

He has created the heavens and the earth with truth; He makes the night cover the day and makes the day overtake the night, and He has made the sun and the moon subservient; each one moves on to an assigned term. Now surely He is the Mighty, the Forgiver.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

He has created you from a single being, then made its mate of the same (kind), and He has made for you eight of the cattle in pairs. He creates you in the wombs of your mothers-- a creation after a creation-- in triple darkness; that is Allah your Lord, His is the kingdom; there is no god but He; whence are you then turned away?

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

He created you from one being, then from that (being) He made its mate; and He hath provided for you of cattle eight kinds. He created you in the wombs of your mothers, creation after creation, in a threefold gloom. Such is Allah, your Lord. His is the Sovereignty. There is no Allah save Him. How then are ye turned away?

Muhammad Sarwar

He has created you from a single soul. Out of this He created your spouse. He sent you eight pairs of cattle. He creates you for a second time in the wombs of your mothers behind three curtains of darkness. He is your Lord to whom belongs the Kingdom. He is the only Lord. Where then will you turn away?

Qaribullah & Darwish

He created you from a single soul, then from it He created its spouse. And He sent down to you eight pairs of the cattle. He creates you in your mothers' womb, creation after creation, in three (stages of) darkness. Such then is Allah, your Lord. For Him is the Kingdom. There is no god except Him. How, then, can you turn away?

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

He created you (all) from a single person; then made from him his wife. And He has sent down for you of An`am eight pairs. He creates you in the wombs of your mothers, creation after creation in three veils of darkness. Such is Allah your Lord. His is the kingdom. La ilaha illa Huwa. How then are you turned away

Wahiduddin Khan

He created you from a single soul, then produced its spouse from it, and He has provided for you eight heads of cattle in pairs. He creates you stage by stage in your mothers' wombs in a threefold darkness. Such is God, your Lord. Sovereignty is His. There is no god but Him. So what has made you turn away?

Talal Itani

He created you from one person, then made from it its mate, and brought down livestock for you—eight kinds in pairs. He creates you in the wombs of your mothers, in successive formations, in a triple darkness. Such is God, your Lord. His is the kingdom. There is no god but He. So what made you deviate?

Tafsir jalalayn

He created you from a single soul, namely, Adam, then made from it its mate, Eve; and He sent down for you of the cattle, [of] camels, cows, small cattle, sheep and goats, eight kinds, of each kind a male and a female -- as He makes clear in srat al-An`m [Q. 6;143f.]. He creates you in your mothers' wombs, creation after creation, that is to say, as a sperm-drop, then a blood clot, then a foetus, in a threefold darkness, that is, the darkness of the belly, that of the womb and that of the placenta. That is God, your Lord. To Him belongs [all] sovereignty. There is no god except Him. Why then are you being turned away?, from worshipping Him to worshipping [things] other than Him?

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ

He created you (all) from a single person;

means, He created you, with all your varied races, types, languages and colors, from a single soul, who was Adam, peace be upon him.

ثُمَّ جَعَلَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا

then made from him his wife.

who was Hawwa', peace be upon her.

This is like the Ayah;

يَـأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُواْ رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِى خَلَقَكُمْ مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالاً كَثِيراً وَنِسَأءً

O mankind!

Have Taqwa of your Lord, Who created you from a single person, and from him He created his wife, and from them both He created many men and women. (4;1)

وَأَنزَلَ لَكُم مِّنْ الاْأَنْعَامِ ثَمَانِيَةَ أَزْوَاجٍ

And He has sent down for you of cattle eight pairs.

means, He has created for you from among the cattles, eight pairs. These are the ones that are mentioned in Surah Al-An`am, eight kinds -- a pair of sheep, a pair of goats, a pair of camels and a pair of oxen.

يَخْلُقُكُمْ فِي بُطُونِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ

He creates you in the wombs of your mothers,

means, He forms you in your mothers' wombs.

خَلْقًا مِن بَعْدِ خَلْقٍ

creation after creation.

Everyone of you is originally a Nutfah, then he becomes an `Alaqah, then he becomes a Mudghah, then he is created and becomes flesh and bones and nerves and veins, and the Ruh (soul) is breathed into him, and he becomes another type of creation.

فَتَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَـلِقِينَ

So Blessed is Allah, the Best of creators. (23;14)

فِي ظُلُمَاتٍ ثَلَثٍ

in three veils of darkness,

means, in the darkness of the womb, the darkness of the placenta which blankets and protects the child, and the darkness of the belly.

This was the view of Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, Mujahid, Ikrimah, Abu Malik, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah, As-Suddi and Ibn Zayd.

ذَلِكُمُ اللَّهُ رَبُّكُمْ

Such is Allah your Lord.

means, the One Who created the heavens and the earth and everything in between, and created you and your forefathers, is the Lord.

لَهُ الْمُلْكُ

His is the kingdom,

i.e. To Him belong sovereignty and control over all of that.

لَاا إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ
La ilaha illa Huwa.

means, no one else should be worshipped except Him alone with no partner or associate.

فَأَنَّى تُصْرَفُونَ



How then are you turned away?

means, how can you worship anything besides Him? What has happened to your minds