أَوَلَمْ يَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ كَانَتَا رَتْقًا فَفَتَقْنَـٰهُمَا ۖ وَجَعَلْنَا مِنَ ٱلْمَآءِ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ حَىٍّ ۖ أَفَلَا يُؤْمِنُونَ 30
Translations
Have those who disbelieved not considered that the heavens and the earth were a joined entity, and then We separated them and made from water every living thing? Then will they not believe?
Transliteration
Awalam yara alladhina kafarū anna al-samāwāti wa-al-arda kānatā ratqan fa-fataqnāhumā wa-jaʿalnā min al-māi kulla shay'in ḥayyin a-falā yu'minūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah challenges the disbelievers to observe the signs of Allah's creation: the heavens and earth were once joined together (ratq) and then separated (fatq), and all living things were created from water. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi interpret 'ratq' as the primordial fusion of the heavens and earth, with their separation representing Allah's act of creation and the establishment of the cosmic order. The ayah emphasizes that these manifest signs of divine creation should logically lead to belief in Allah's oneness and power.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Al-Anbya (Meccan chapter), which focuses on the stories of prophets and signs of Allah's existence and power. It is addressed to the disbelievers of Mecca who witnessed clear signs of creation yet refused to acknowledge Allah's existence. The ayah is part of a broader Meccan narrative emphasizing tawhid (monotheism) through observable cosmic and biological evidence.
Related Hadiths
While no hadith directly narrates the revelation of this specific ayah, hadith collections contain numerous traditions about creation. For example, in Sahih Bukhari, the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) is reported to have described creation and Allah's power over all things, reinforcing the theme of divine omnipotence reflected in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah invites believers to contemplate the intricate design of creation—from the cosmos to biological life—as evidence of Allah's existence and wisdom, encouraging us to move from intellectual recognition to sincere faith. In our modern era of scientific advancement, understanding the mechanisms of creation should deepen our awe of the Creator rather than diminish it.