إِن يَشَأْ يُذْهِبْكُمْ وَيَأْتِ بِخَلْقٍ جَدِيدٍ 16
Translations
If He wills, He can do away with you and bring forth a new creation.
Transliteration
In yasha' yudhhbkum wa ya'ti bikalqin jadid
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms Allah's absolute power and sovereignty, stating that if He wills, He can destroy humanity and replace them with a new creation. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari explain this as a warning against arrogance and disobedience, emphasizing that human existence is entirely contingent upon Allah's will. The ayah serves as a reminder that no nation or individual is indispensable to Allah, and that His creative power is limitless—He can easily bring forth new creatures if He chooses.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Fatir (Chapter 35), a Meccan surah that emphasizes Allah's creative power and dominion. The broader context addresses the polytheists' rejection of the message and their arrogance, positioning this statement as a warning against those who deny Allah's signs and persist in disobedience. The surah uses examples from creation to demonstrate Allah's unique attributes.
Related Hadiths
While no hadith directly quotes this verse, the concept relates to Sahih Muslim 2949, where the Prophet (ﷺ) mentions that Allah created creation and that His knowledge encompasses all things. Additionally, this theme connects to hadiths about the Day of Judgment and resurrection, affirming Allah's power to recreate humanity.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers to cultivate humility and God-consciousness by recognizing their absolute dependence on Allah's will, and to understand that disobedience and arrogance carry grave consequences. It serves as a spiritual corrective against self-importance, reminding us that our existence and blessings are entirely gifts from the All-Powerful Creator.
Related Ayahs
قُلِ ٱللَّهُمَّ مَـٰلِكَ ٱلْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِى ٱلْمُلْكَ مَن تَشَآءُ وَتَنزِعُ ٱلْمُلْكَ مِمَّن تَشَآءُ وَتُعِزُّ مَن تَشَآءُ وَتُذِلُّ مَن تَشَآءُ ۖ بِيَدِكَ ٱلْخَيْرُ ۖ إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
Say, "O Allāh, Owner of Sovereignty, You give sovereignty to whom You will and You take sovereignty away from whom You will. You honor whom You will and You humble whom You will. In Your hand is [all] good. Indeed, You are over all things competent.
عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيْرًا مِّنْهُمْ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ
To replace them with better than them; and We are not to be outdone.
وَلِلَّهِ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
And to Allāh belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and Allāh is over all things competent.
أَمْ أَمِنتُم مَّن فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ أَن يُرْسِلَ عَلَيْكُمْ حَاصِبًا ۖ فَسَتَعْلَمُونَ كَيْفَ نَذِيرِ
Or do you feel secure that He who is above would not send against you a storm of stones? Then you would know how [severe] was My warning.