Al-Qur'an Surah Al-An'am Verse 2

Mufti Taqi Usmani

He is the One who created you from clay, then destined a term. The fixed term lies with Him, yet you are in doubt.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

He is the One Who created you from clay,[[ i.e., created your father, Adam, from clay. Some scholars suggest that if we examine all the minerals found in the earth (potassium, nitrogen, and carbon), we find that these are the same minerals that make up our body. Furthermore when we die, our bodies are absorbed back into the ground. And when we are resurrected, we will be resurrected from the ground (see {20:55}). ]] then appointed a term ˹for your death˺ and another known only to Him ˹for your resurrection˺—yet you continue to doubt!

Ruwwad Translation Center

It is He Who created you from clay, then decreed a term [for your life], and another term [for resurrection] known only to Him – yet you still doubt.

A. J. Arberry

It is He who created you of clay, then determined a term and a term is stated with Him; yet thereafter you doubt.

Abdul Haleem

He is the one who created you from clay and specified a term [for you] and another fixed time, known only to Him; yet still you doubt!

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

He it is who created you of clay and then decreed a term - and a term determined is with Him - yet ye waver.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

He it is created you from clay, and then decreed a stated term (for you). And there is in His presence another determined term; yet ye doubt within yourselves!

Abul Ala Maududi

He it is Who has created you out of clay, and then decreed a term (of life), and has also appointed another term, a term determined with Him. Yet you are in doubt!

Ahmed Ali

It is He who created you from clay then determined a term (of life) for you, and a term (is fixed) with Him. Even then you doubt.

Ahmed Raza Khan

It is He Who has created you from clay, and then decreed a term for you; and it is a fixed promise before Him, yet you still doubt!

Ali Quli Qarai

It is He who created you from clay, then ordained the term [of your life]—the specified term is with Him—and yet you are in doubt.

Ali Ünal

He it is Who has created you from clay (in the beginning, and the material origin of every one of you is clay), and then decreed a term (of life for you), and there is with Him another unchanging term determined by and known to Him. Yet, you are in doubt (concerning these manifest truths, some of which you experience and some others you can deduce).

Amatul Rahman Omar

It is He Who created you from clay, then He determined a term (of this life); and there is (yet another) term (of the life of the life of the Hereafter) stated with Him, still you dispute (being doubtful about the Resurrection).

English Literal

He is who created you from mud/clay , then He passed judgment/ordered a term/time, and (a) term/time identified (specified) at Him, then you are arguing/doubting.

Faridul Haque

It is He Who has created you from clay, and then decreed a term for you; and it is a fixed promise before Him, yet you still doubt!

Hamid S. Aziz

He is Allah in the heavens and the earth. He knows your secret (or hidden) conduct and your public (or manifest) ones, and He knows what you earn.

Hilali & Khan

He it is Who has created you from clay, and then has decreed a stated term (for you to die). And there is with Him another determined term (for you to be resurrected), yet you doubt (in the Resurrection).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Praise be to Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth, and made darkness and light. Yet those who disbelieve set up equals to their Lord.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

He it is Who created you from clay, then He decreed a term; and there is a term named with Him; still you doubt.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

He it is Who hath created you from clay, and hath decreed a term for you. A term is fixed with Him. Yet still ye doubt!

Muhammad Sarwar

It is He who has created you from clay to live for a life-time and the span of your life is only known to Him. You are still suspicious!.

Qaribullah & Darwish

It is He who has created you from clay. He has decreed a term for you and another one set with Him. Yet you are still in doubt.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

He it is Who has created you from clay, and then has decreed a stated term. And there is with Him another determined term, yet you doubt.

Wahiduddin Khan

It is He who has created you out of clay, and then has decreed a term [for you], a term known [only] to Him. Yet you are still in doubt,

Talal Itani

It is He who created you from clay, then decided a term—a term determined by him. Yet you doubt.

Tafsir jalalayn

It is He Who created you from clay, by creating your father Adam from it; then He decreed a term, for [each of] you, at the conclusion of which you die. A term is stated, fixed, with Him, for your resurrection; yet thereafter you, O disbelievers, doubt, you are uncertain about the Resurrection, when you know that it was He Who initiated your creation, and One Who has the power to initiate [creation], is even more capable of bringing you back [to life after death].

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن طِينٍ


He it is Who has created you from clay,

refers to the father of mankind, Adam, from whom mankind originated, multiplied in numbers and spread about, east and west.

Allah said,

ثُمَّ قَضَى أَجَلً وَأَجَلٌ مُّسمًّى عِندَهُ

Then has decreed a stated term. And there is with Him another determined term...

His saying;
ثُمَّ قَضَى أَجَلً
(Then has decreed a stated term),

refers to death,

while,
وَأَجَلٌ مُّسمًّى عِندَهُ
(And there is with Him another determined term...),

refers to the Hereafter,

according to Sa`id bin Jubayr who reported this from Ibn Abbas.

Similar statements were narrated from Mujahid, Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak, Zayd bin Aslam, Atiyah, As-Suddi, Muqatil bin Hayyan and others.

Ibn Abbas and Mujahid said that,
ثُمَّ قَضَى أَجَلً
(And then has decreed a stated term),

is the term of this earthly life,

while,
وَأَجَلٌ مُّسمًّى عِندَهُ
(And there is with Him another determined term),

refers to man's extent of life until he dies as mentioned in Allah's statement;

وَهُوَ الَّذِي يَتَوَفَّاكُم بِاللَّيْلِ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا جَرَحْتُم بِالنَّهَارِ

It is He, Who takes your souls by night (when you are asleep), and has knowledge of all that you have done by day, then He raises (wakes) you up again that a term appointed (life) be fulfilled. (6;60)

The meaning of Allah's statement,
عِندَهُ
(With Him), is that;

none but Him knows when it will occur.

Allah said in other Ayat,

إِنَّمَا عِلْمُهَا عِنْدَ رَبِّي لَا يُجَلِّيهَا لِوَقْتِهَأ إِلاَّ هُوَ

The knowledge thereof is with my Lord. None can reveal its time but He. (7;187)

and,

يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ السَّاعَةِ أَيَّانَ مُرْسَـهَا

فِيمَ أَنتَ مِن ذِكْرَاهَا

إِلَى رَبِّكَ مُنتَهَـهَأ

They ask you about the Hour -- when will be its appointed time! You have no knowledge to say anything about it. To your Lord belongs (the knowledge of) the term thereof. (79;42-44)

Allah said,

ثُمَّ أَنتُمْ تَمْتَرُونَ



Yet you doubt.

According to As-Suddi,

the coming of the (last) Hour.

Allah said next,

وَهُوَ اللّهُ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَفِي الَارْضِ يَعْلَمُ سِرَّكُمْ وَجَهرَكُمْ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا تَكْسِبُونَ