Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Mulk Verse 2

Mufti Taqi Usmani

the One who created death and life, so that He may test you as to which of you is better in his deeds. And He is the All-Mighty, the Most-Forgiving,

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

˹He is the One˺ Who created death and life in order to test which of you is best in deeds. And He is the Almighty, All-Forgiving.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Who created death and life to test you as to which of you is best in deeds, and He is the All-Mighty, the Most Forgiving.

A. J. Arberry

who created death and life, that He might try you which of you is fairest in works; and He is the All-mighty, the All-forgiving --

Abdul Haleem

who created death and life to test you [people] and reveal which of you does best––He is the Mighty, the Forgiving;

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Who hath created death and life that He might prove you, as to which of you is excellent in work. And He is the Mighty, the Forgiver.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

He Who created Death and Life, that He may try which of you is best in deed; and He is the Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving;-

Abul Ala Maududi

Who created death and life that He might try you as to which of you is better in deed. He is the Most Mighty, the Most Forgiving;

Ahmed Ali

Who created death and life in order to try you to see who of you are best of deed. He is all-mighty and forgiving,

Ahmed Raza Khan

The One Who created death and life to test you – who among you has the better deeds; and He only is the Most Honourable, the Oft Forgiving.

Ali Quli Qarai

He, who created death and life that He may test you [to see] which of you is best in conduct. And He is the All-mighty, the All-forgiving.

Ali Ünal

He Who has created death and life, so that He may try you (and demonstrate to yourselves) which of you is better in deeds; and He is the All-Glorious with irresistible might (Whose will none can frustrate), the All-Forgiving (Who forgives many of His servants’ sins so that they learn from being tested).

Amatul Rahman Omar

It is He Who has created death and life so that He may reward you (after trying you as to) which of you excels in doing good deeds. He is the All-Mighty, the Great Protector.

English Literal

Who created the death/lifelessness and the life to test you which of you (is) better (in) deeds, and He is the glorious/mighty , the forgiving.

Faridul Haque

The One Who created death and life to test you - who among you has the better deeds; and He only is the Most Honourable, the Oft Forgiving.

Hamid S. Aziz

Who created death and life that He may try you as to which of you is best in conduct; and He is the Mighty, the Forgiving,

Hilali & Khan

Who has created death and life, that He may test you which of you is best in deed. And He is the All-Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving;

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Then turn the eye again and again -- thy look will return to thee confused, while it is fatigued.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Who created death and life that He may try you-- which of you is best in deeds; and He is the Mighty, the Forgiving,

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Who hath created life and death that He may try you which of you is best in conduct; and He is the Mighty, the Forgiving,

Muhammad Sarwar

It is He who has created death and life to put you to the test and see which of you is most virtuous in your deeds. He is Majestic and All-forgiving.

Qaribullah & Darwish

who created death and life that He might examine which of you is best in deeds, and He is the Almighty, the Forgiving,

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Who has created death and life that He may test you which of you is best in deed. And He is the Almighty, the Oft-Forgiving;

Wahiduddin Khan

He created death and life so that He might test you, and find out which of you is best in conduct. He is the Mighty, the Most Forgiving One.

Talal Itani

He who created death and life—to test you—as to which of you is better in conduct. He is the Almighty, the Forgiving.

Tafsir jalalayn

[He] Who created death, in this world, and life, in the Hereafter -- or both of them in this world, since the sperm-drop is imbued with life, [life being] that [power] by which sensation becomes possible, death being the opposite of this or the non-existence of it -- these being two [alternative] opinions; in the case of the latter [life in the Hereafter], `creation' implies `ordainment' -- that He may try you, that He may test you in [this] life, [to see] which of you is best in conduct, [which of you] is most obedient to God, and He is the Mighty, in His vengeance against those who disobey Him, the Forgiving, to those who repent to Him;

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ وَالْحَيَاةَ

Who has created death and life.

Those who say that death is an existing creation use this Ayah as a proof because it is something that has been created.

This Ayah means that He brought creation into existence from nothing in order to test the creatures. He examines them to see which of them will be best in deeds. This is similar to Allah's statement,

كَيْفَ تَكْفُرُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَكُنتُمْ أَمْوَتًا فَأَحْيَـكُمْ

How can you disbelieve in Allah Seeing that you were dead and He gave you life. (2;28)

In this Ayah Allah named the first stage, which is non-existence, "death." Then he named the origin or beginning of existence, "life."

This is why Allah says,

ثُمَّ يُمِيتُكُمْ ثُمَّ يُحْيِيكُمْ

Then He will give death, then again will bring you to life ( on the Day of Resurrection) (2;28)

Concerning Allah's statement,

لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلً

He may test you which of you is best in deed.

it means best in deeds.

This is as Muhammad bin `Ajlan said.

It should be noted that Allah did not say "which of you does the most deeds."

Allah then says,

وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْغَفُورُ



And He is the Almighty, the Oft-Forgiving.

This means that He is the Almighty, the Most Great, the Most Powerful and the Most Honorable. However, along with this He is Most Forgiving to whoever turns to Him in repentance and seeks His pardon after having disobeyed Him and opposed His commandment. Even though Allah is Almighty, He also forgives, shows mercy, pardons and excuses.

Then Allah says