هُوَ ٱلَّذِى يُحْىِۦ وَيُمِيتُ ۖ فَإِذَا قَضَىٰٓ أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُۥ كُن فَيَكُونُ 68
Translations
He it is who gives life and causes death; and when He decrees a matter, He but says to it, "Be," and it is.
Transliteration
Huwa alladhi yuhyi wa yumeetu fa-idha qada amran fa-innama yaqolu lahu kun fayakun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms Allah's absolute power over life and death, and His complete dominion over all creation through His command. When Allah decides upon a matter, He merely says 'Be' (Kun) and it comes into existence (Fayakun) instantly, emphasizing the effortlessness and perfection of His creative will. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir note this demonstrates Allah's unparalleled ability to create without intermediaries, effort, or delay, contrasting human limitation with divine omnipotence.
Revelation Context
Surah Ghafir, revealed in Mecca during the early Islamic period, addresses monotheism and divine attributes against polytheistic beliefs. This ayah appears in a section emphasizing Allah's unique attributes and His incomparability to created beings, serving to strengthen believers' faith in Allah's supremacy and refute idolatrous notions that associates possess any creative power.
Related Hadiths
The hadith recorded in Sahih Muslim (2787) from Abu Hurayrah describes Allah's creation of the heavens and earth in six days, illustrating divine creative power. Additionally, Surah Ya-Sin 36:82 contains the exact phrase 'Kun fayakun' demonstrating this principle as a recurring Quranic theme of Allah's creative command.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that Allah's power transcends all worldly limitations and that He accomplishes whatever He wills instantaneously. Modern readers should find comfort in divine omnipotence during trials, trusting that Allah's decree is always executed with perfect wisdom and timing.