وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنشَأَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَٰحِدَةٍ فَمُسْتَقَرٌّ وَمُسْتَوْدَعٌ ۗ قَدْ فَصَّلْنَا ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَفْقَهُونَ 98
Translations
And it is He who produced you from one soul and [gave you] a place of dwelling and of storage. We have detailed the signs for a people who understand.
Transliteration
Wa huwa alladhi anshaakum min nafsin wahidatin fa mustaqarrun wa mustawda. Qad fassalna al-ayati liqawmin yafqahun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms that Allah is the One who created all of humanity from a single soul (Adam), establishing the unity of human origin and dignity. The terms 'mustaqarr' (permanent dwelling) and 'mustawda' (temporary trust/deposit) refer to the stages of human life—some souls remain in the womb and are born to live on earth, while others remain in the womb temporarily before returning to Allah. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize this ayah as a profound statement of human equality before Allah, derived from one source, with all distinctions of provision, lifespan, and station being divinely ordained.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Al-An'am, a Meccan surah that frequently addresses the themes of divine creation, monotheism, and refutation of idolatry. The broader context emphasizes Allah's unique powers in creation and sustenance, confronting the Meccan polytheists' rejection of resurrection and divine judgment.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: 'All people are from Adam, and Adam was created from earth' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi). Additionally, in his farewell sermon, the Prophet emphasized: 'O people, your Lord is one and your father is one. All of you are from Adam' (Sunan Ibn Majah and Ahmad), directly connecting to the principle of human unity established in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that all humanity shares a common origin and dignity before Allah, transcending artificial distinctions of race, tribe, or status, while reminding us that our lifespans and circumstances are divinely appointed—encouraging acceptance of Allah's decree with wisdom and compassion toward all people.
Related Ayahs
وَإِن تُطِعْ أَكْثَرَ مَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ يُضِلُّوكَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّ وَإِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَخْرُصُونَ
And if you obey most of those upon the earth, they will mislead you from the way of Allāh. They follow not except assumption, and they are not but misjudging.
وَكَذَٰلِكَ زَيَّنَ لِكَثِيرٍ مِّنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ قَتْلَ أَوْلَـٰدِهِمْ شُرَكَآؤُهُمْ لِيُرْدُوهُمْ وَلِيَلْبِسُوا۟ عَلَيْهِمْ دِينَهُمْ ۖ وَلَوْ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مَا فَعَلُوهُ ۖ فَذَرْهُمْ وَمَا يَفْتَرُونَ
And likewise, to many of the polytheists their partners have made [to seem] pleasing the killing of their children in order to bring about their destruction and to cover them with confusion in their religion. And if Allāh had willed, they would not have done so. So leave them and that which they invent.
۞ وَعِندَهُۥ مَفَاتِحُ ٱلْغَيْبِ لَا يَعْلَمُهَآ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِى ٱلْبَرِّ وَٱلْبَحْرِ ۚ وَمَا تَسْقُطُ مِن وَرَقَةٍ إِلَّا يَعْلَمُهَا وَلَا حَبَّةٍ فِى ظُلُمَـٰتِ ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَا رَطْبٍ وَلَا يَابِسٍ إِلَّا فِى كِتَـٰبٍ مُّبِينٍ
And with Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them except Him. And He knows what is on the land and in the sea. Not a leaf falls but that He knows it. And no grain is there within the darknesses of the earth and no moist or dry [thing] but that it is [written] in a clear record.
وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَكُمْ خَلَـٰٓئِفَ ٱلْأَرْضِ وَرَفَعَ بَعْضَكُمْ فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ دَرَجَـٰتٍ لِّيَبْلُوَكُمْ فِى مَآ ءَاتَىٰكُمْ ۗ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ سَرِيعُ ٱلْعِقَابِ وَإِنَّهُۥ لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌۢ
And it is He who has made you successors upon the earth and has raised some of you above others in degrees [of rank] that He may try you through what He has given you. Indeed, your Lord is swift in penalty; but indeed, He is Forgiving and Merciful.