Al-Qur'an Surah Ghafir Verse 68

Mufti Taqi Usmani

He is the One who gives life and brings death, and when He decides to do something, He only says to it: “Be” and it comes to be.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

He is the One Who gives life and causes death. When He decrees a matter, He simply tells it, “Be!” And it is!

Ruwwad Translation Center

It is He Who gives life and causes death. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, “Be,” and it is.

A. J. Arberry

It is He who gives life, and makes to die; and when He decrees a thing, He but says to it 'Be,' and it is.

Abdul Haleem

It is He who gives life and death, and when He ordains a thing, He says only ‘Be’ and it is.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

He it is Who causeth life and death. Then whensoever He decreeth an affair He only saith Unto it: be, and it becometh.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

It is He Who gives Life and Death; and when He decides upon an affair, He says to it, "Be", and it is.

Abul Ala Maududi

He it is Who gives life and causes death. Whenever He decrees a thing, He only commands to it “Be”, and it is.

Ahmed Ali

It is He who gives you life and death. When He creates a thing, He has only to say: "Be," and it is.

Ahmed Raza Khan

It is He Who gives life and death; so whenever He wills a thing, He only says to it “Be” – it thereupon happens!

Ali Quli Qarai

It is He who gives life and brings death. When He decides on a matter, He just says to it, ‘Be!’ and it is.

Ali Ünal

He it is Who gives life and causes to die; and When He decrees a thing to be, He does but say to it "Be!" and it is.

Amatul Rahman Omar

He it is Who gives life and causes death. And when He decides a thing to be, He says to it only, `Be´ and it comes to be (in due course).

English Literal

He is who revives/makes alive, and makes die, so if He passed judgment (in) a matter/affair/order/ command, so but He says to it: "Be." So it becomes."

Faridul Haque

It is He Who gives life and death; so whenever He wills a thing, He only says to it “Be” – it thereupon happens!

Hamid S. Aziz

He it is Who gives life and brings death, so when He decrees an affair, He only says to it, "Be", and it is.

Hilali & Khan

He it is Who gives life and causes death. And when He decides upon a thing He says to it only: "Be!" and it is.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

He it is Who created you from dust, then from a small life-germ, then from a clot, then He brings you forth as a child, then that you may attain your maturity, then that you may be old; and of you are some who die before and that you may reach an appointed term, and that you may understand.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

He it is Who gives life and brings death, so when He decrees an affair, He only says to it: Be, and it is.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

He it is Who quickeneth and giveth death. When He ordaineth a thing, He saith unto it only: Be! and it is.

Muhammad Sarwar

It is He Who gives life and causes things to die. When He decides to do something, He only says, "Exist," and it comes into existence.

Qaribullah & Darwish

It is He who gives life and makes to die, and when He decrees a thing, He says to it: 'Be' and it is!

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

It is He Who gives life and causes death. And when He decides upon a thing He says to it only: "Be!" - and it is.

Wahiduddin Khan

It is He who gives life and death, and when He ordains a thing, He says only, "Be!" and it is.

Talal Itani

It is He who gives life and death; and when He decides on a thing, He just says to it, “Be,” and it comes to be.

Tafsir jalalayn

He it is Who gives life and brings death. So when He decides upon a matter, [when] He wants to bring something into existence, He only says to it `Be!' and it is (read fa-yaknu, or fa-yakna [in the subjunctive] on account of an implied [preceding] an). In other words, it comes into existence after He has willed it, that which is signified by the said words.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

هُوَ الَّذِي يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ

It is He Who gives life and causes death.

meaning, He is the Only One Who does that, and none is able to do that except He.

فَإِذَا قَضَى أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ



And when He decides upon a thing He says to it only;"Be!" -- and it is.

means, He cannot be opposed or resisted. Whatever He wills definitely comes to pass