Al-Qur'an Surah An-Nisa Verse 1

Mufti Taqi Usmani

O men, fear your Lord who created you from a single soul, and from it created its match, and spread many men and women from the two. Fear Allah in whose name you ask each other (for your rights), and fear (the violation of the rights of) the womb-relations. Surely, Allah is watchful over you.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

O humanity! Be mindful of your Lord Who created you from a single soul, and from it He created its mate,[[ i.e., Adam and Eve.]] and through both He spread countless men and women. And be mindful of Allah—in Whose Name you appeal to one another—and ˹honour˺ family ties. Surely Allah is ever Watchful over you.

Ruwwad Translation Center

O mankind, fear your Lord Who created you from a single soul, and created from it its mate, and from both of them created countless men and women. Fear Allah in Whose name you ask one another, and be mindful of your kinship ties, for Allah is ever Watchful over you.

A. J. Arberry

Mankind, fear your Lord, who created you of a single soul, and from it created its mate, and from the pair of them scattered abroad many men and women; and fear God by whom you demand one of another, and the wombs; surely God ever watches over you.

Abdul Haleem

People, be mindful of your Lord, who created you from a single soul, and from it created its mate, and from the pair of them spread countless men and women far and wide; be mindful of God, in whose name you make requests of one another. Beware of severing the ties of kinship: God is always watching over you.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

O ye mankind! fear your Lord; Who created you of a single soul and He created the reef the spouse thereof, and of the twain He spread abroad men manifold and women. And fear Allah by Whom ye importune one anot her, and the wombs. Verily Allah is ever over you a Watcher.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

O mankind! reverence your Guardian-Lord, who created you from a single person, created, of like nature, His mate, and from them twain scattered (like seeds) countless men and women;- reverence Allah, through whom ye demand your mutual (rights), and (reverence) the wombs (That bore you); for Allah ever watches over you.

Abul Ala Maududi

O men! Fear your Lord Who created you from a single being and out of it created its mate; and out of the two spread many men and women. Fear Allah in Whose name you plead for rights, and heed the ties of kinship. Surely, Allah is ever watchful over you.

Ahmed Ali

O MEN, FEAR your Lord who created you from a single cell, and from it created its mate, and from the two of them dispersed men and women (male and female) in multitudes. So fear God in whose name you ask of one another (the bond of) relationships. God surely keeps watch over you.

Ahmed Raza Khan

O mankind! Fear your Lord Who created you from a single soul and from it created its spouse and from them both has spread the multitude of men and women; fear Allah in Whose name you claim (your rights from one another) and be mindful of your blood relations; indeed Allah is always seeing you.

Ali Quli Qarai

O mankind! Be wary of your Lord who created you from a single soul, and created its mate from it, and from the two of them scattered numerous men and women. Be wary of Allah, in whose Name you adjure one another and [of severing ties with] blood relations. Indeed Allah is watchful over you.

Ali Ünal

O humankind! In due reverence for your Lord, keep from disobedience to Him Who created you from a single human self, and from it created its mate, and from the pair of them scattered abroad a multitude of men and women. In due reverence for God, keep from disobedience to Him in Whose name you make demands of one another, and (duly observe) the rights of the wombs (i.e. of kinship, thus observing piety in your relations with God and with human beings). God is ever watchful over you.

Amatul Rahman Omar

O you people! take as a shield your Lord Who created you from a single being. The same stock from which He created the man He created his spouse, and through them both He caused to spread a large number of men and women. O people! regard Allâh with reverence in Whose name you appeal to one another, and (be regardful to) the ties of relationship (particularly from the female side). Verily, Allâh ever keeps watch over you.

English Literal

You, you the people, fear and obey your Lord who created you from one self and He created from it its spouse, and He scattered/distributed from them (B) many men and women, and fear and obey God who you ask each other/make oath to each other with Him, and the wombs/uteruses, that God was/is on you observing .

Faridul Haque

O mankind! Fear your Lord Who created you from a single soul and from it created its spouse and from them both has spread the multitude of men and women; fear Allah in Whose name you claim (your rights from one another) and be mindful of your blood relations; indeed Allah is always seeing you.

Hamid S. Aziz

But if you fear that you cannot do justice by orphans, then marry women who seem good to you, two, three, or four; and if you fear that you cannot be equitable to them, then only one, or what your right hands possess (captives, slaves). This is more likely to keep you from injustice.

Hilali & Khan

O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person (Adam), and from him (Adam) He created his wife [Hawwa (Eve)], and from them both He created many men and women and fear Allah through Whom you demand your mutual (rights), and (do not cut the relations of) the wombs (kinship). Surely, Allah is Ever an All-Watcher over you.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

O you who believe, be steadfast and try to excel in steadfastness and guard (the frontiers). And keep your duty to Allah that you may be successful.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

O people! be careful of (your duty to) your Lord, Who created you from a single being and created its mate of the same (kind) and spread from these two, many men and women; and be careful of (your duty to) Allah, by Whom you demand one of another (your rights), and (to) the ties of relationship; surely Allah ever watches over you.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

O mankind! Be careful of your duty to your Lord Who created you from a single soul and from it created its mate and from them twain hath spread abroad a multitude of men and women. Be careful of your duty toward Allah in Whom ye claim (your rights) of one another, and toward the wombs (that bare you). Lo! Allah hath been a watcher over you.

Muhammad Sarwar

People, have fear of your Lord who has created you from a single soul. From it He created your spouse and through them He populated the land with many men and women. Have fear of the One by whose Name you swear to settle your differences and have respect for your relatives. God certainly keeps watch over you.

Qaribullah & Darwish

O people, fear your Lord, who created you from a single soul. From it He created its spouse, and from both of them scattered many men and women. Fear Allah, by whom you ask one another, and (fear) the wombs (lest you sever its relationship). Allah is ever watching over you.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

O mankind! Have Taqwa of your Lord, Who created you from a single person, and from him He created his mate, and from them both He created many men and women, and have Taqwa of Allah through Whom you demand your mutual (rights), and revere the wombs. Surely, Allah is always watching over you.

Wahiduddin Khan

O mankind! Fear your Lord, who created you from a single soul. He created its mate from it and from the two of them spread countless men and women [throughout the earth]. Fear God, in whose name you appeal to one another, and be mindful of your obligations in respect of ties of kinship. God is always watching over you.

Talal Itani

O people! Fear your Lord, who created you from a single soul, and created from it its mate, and propagated from them many men and women. And revere God whom you ask about, and the parents. Surely, God is Watchful over you.

Tafsir jalalayn

O people, of Mecca, fear your Lord, that is, His punishment by being obedient to Him, Who created you of a single soul, Adam, and from it created its mate, Eve (Haww'), from one of his left ribs, and from the pair of them, Adam and Eve, scattered, separated and spread, many men and, many, women; and fear God by whom you claim [your rights] from one another (tass'alna; the original t' [of tatas'alna] has been assimilated with the sn; a variant reading has tas'alna), so that one of you says to the other, `I ask you, by God...', or `For God's sake...'; and, fear, kinship ties, lest you sever them (a variant reading [of wa'l- arhma, `and kinship ties'] is wa'l-arhmi, as a supplement to the pronoun contained in bihi [sc. God]). They used to implore one another by ties of kinship. Surely God has been watchful over you, heedful of your deeds, for which He will requite you, that is to say, He is ever possessed of such an attribute.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Command to have Taqwa, a Reminder about Creation, and Being Kind to Relatives

Allah says;

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُواْ رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ


O mankind! Have Taqwa of your Lord, Who created you from a single person,

Allah commands His creatures to have Taqwa of Him by worshipping Him Alone without partners.

He also reminds to them of His ability, in that He created them all from a single person, Adam, peace be unto him.

وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا

And from him He created his wife,

Hawwa' (Eve), who was created from Adam's left rib, from his back while he was sleeping. When Adam woke up and saw Hawwa', he liked her and had affection for her, and she felt the same toward him.

An authentic Hadith states,

إِنَّ الْمَرْأَةَ خُلِقَتْ مِنْنِضلَعٍ وَإِنَّ أَعْوَجَ شَيْءٍ فِي الضِّلَعِ أَعْلَهُ فَإِنْ ذَهَبْتَ تُقِيمُهُ كَسَرْتَهُ وَإِنِ اسْتَمْتَعْتَ بِهَا اسْتَمْتَعْتَ بِهَا وَفِيهَا عِوَج

Woman was created from a rib. Verily, the most curved portion of the rib is its upper part, so, if you should try to straighten it, you will break it, but if you leave it as it is, it will remain crooked.

Allah's statement,

وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالاً كَثِيرًا وَنِسَاء

And from them both He created many men and women;

means, Allah created from Adam and Hawwa' many men and women and distributed them throughout the world in various shapes, characteristics, colors and languages. In the end, their gathering and return will be to Allah.

Allah then said,

وَاتَّقُواْ اللّهَ الَّذِي تَسَاءلُونَ بِهِ وَالَارْحَامَ

And have Taqwa of Allah through Whom you demand your mutual (rights) and revere the wombs,

protect yourself from Allah by your acts of obedience to Him.

Allah's statement,
الَّذِي تَسَاءلُونَ بِهِ
(through Whom you demand your mutual (rights)),

According to Ibrahim, Mujahid and Al-Hasan,

is in reference to when some people say, "I ask you by Allah, and then by the relation of the Rahim (the womb, i.e. my relationship to you)."

Ad-Dahhak said;

"Fear Allah Whom you invoke when you conduct transactions and contracts."

Ibn Abbas, Ikrimah, Mujahid, Al-Hasan, Ad-Dahhak, Ar-Rabi, and others have stated,

"And revere the womb by not cutting the relations of the womb, but keep and honor them.

Allah's statement,

إِنَّ اللّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًا



Surely, Allah is always watching over you.

means, He watches all your deeds and sees your every circumstance.

In another Ayah, Allah said;

وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ شَهِيدٌ

And Allah is Witness over all things. (58;6)

An authentic Hadith states,

اعْبُدِاللهَ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاك

Worship Allah as if you see Him, for even though you cannot see Him, He sees you.

This part of the Ayah encourages having a sense of certainty that Allah is always watching, in a complete and perfect manner.

Allah mentioned that He has created mankind from a single father and a single mother, so that they feel compassion for each other and are kind to the weaker among them.

In his Sahih, Muslim recorded that Jarir bin Abdullah Al-Bajali said that;

a delegation from Mudar came to the Messenger of Allah, and he saw their state, wearing striped woolen clothes due to poverty. After the Zuhr prayer, the Messenger of Allah stood up and gave a speech in which he recited,
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُواْ رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ
(O mankind! Have Taqwa of your Lord, Who created you from a single person), until the end of the Ayah. He also recited,
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ امَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَلْتَنظُرْ نَفْسٌ مَّا قَدَّمَتْ لِغَدٍ
(O you who believe! Have Taqwa of Allah. And let every person look to what he has sent forth for the tomorrow). (59;18)

He also encouraged them to give charity, saying,

تَصَدَّقَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ دِينَارِهِ مِنْ دِرْهَمِهِ مِنْ صَاعِ بُرِّهِ مِنْ صَاعِ تَمْرِه

A man gave Sadaqah from his Dinar, from his Dirham, from his Sa` of wheat, from his Sa` of dates... until the end of the Hadith.

This narration was also collected by Ahmad and the Sunan compilers from Ibn Mas`ud