وَمَا خَلَقَ ٱلذَّكَرَ وَٱلْأُنثَىٰٓ 3
Translations
And [by] He who created the male and female,
Transliteration
Wa mā khalaqa adh-dhakara wal-unthā
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms that Allah alone created both males and females, emphasizing the divine origin of human sexual differentiation and the equality of both genders in creation. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari note this is part of Allah's oath in Surah Al-Layl, highlighting that the creation of both sexes is a sign of Allah's power and wisdom, and that both are responsible for their moral choices regardless of gender. The ayah counters pre-Islamic Arabian practices that favored one gender over another, establishing that both males and females share equal human dignity in the eyes of Allah.
Revelation Context
Surah Al-Layl is a Meccan surah revealed in the early period of the Prophet's mission, during a time when the Quran was addressing fundamental beliefs about Allah's oneness and power. This ayah appears in the opening verses where Allah swears by various cosmic phenomena to establish His absolute creative authority, providing context for the subsequent discussion of human moral responsibility that follows in the surah.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: 'Women are the twin halves of men' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi). Additionally, in Sahih Bukhari, the Prophet emphasized the rights and dignity of women in various contexts, reflecting the Quranic principle established in this ayah regarding equal creation and moral standing.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that both men and women are equally created by Allah and bear equal moral responsibility before Him, rejecting any notion of inherent superiority or inferiority based on gender. It calls us to recognize and respect the dignity of all humans regardless of sex, as a fundamental principle rooted in divine creation itself.