هُوَ ٱلَّذِى يُصَوِّرُكُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْحَامِ كَيْفَ يَشَآءُ ۚ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ 6
Translations
It is He who forms you in the wombs however He wills. There is no deity except Him, the Exalted in Might, the Wise.
Transliteration
Huwa alladhee yusawwirakum fee al-arhami kayfa yasha'u, la ilaha illa huwa al-'Azeez al-Hakeem
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms Allah's absolute creative power and wisdom in forming human beings in the wombs according to His will, without any constraint or limitation. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir explain that Allah shapes each fetus with perfect precision—determining their physical features, constitution, and lifespan—demonstrating His complete sovereignty over creation. The attributes 'Al-'Azeez' (The Mighty) and 'Al-Hakeem' (The All-Wise) emphasize that this creative process is both irresistible in power and flawless in wisdom, requiring submission to Allah's decree.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Ali 'Imran (a Medinan surah) within the broader context of affirming Allah's oneness and creative attributes. It follows verses discussing the revelation of the Qur'an and serves as part of a thematic section establishing Allah's absolute control over creation, life, and destiny—themes central to combating idolatry and strengthening monotheistic faith in the early Muslim community.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Each of you is created in the womb of his mother for forty days as a nutfah (drop), then for forty days as an 'alaqah (clot), then for forty days as a mudghah (lump)...' (Sahih Bukhari, Book of Beginning of Creation). This hadith complements the ayah by detailing the stages of fetal development Allah has ordained.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah invites believers to recognize their complete dependence on Allah and to submit humbly to His creative wisdom, whether regarding one's physical nature, circumstances, or destiny. It serves as a reminder that every human being is a sign of Allah's magnificent power and wisdom, encouraging gratitude and acceptance of divine decree.
Related Ayahs
أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ بِٱلْحَقِّ ۚ إِن يَشَأْ يُذْهِبْكُمْ وَيَأْتِ بِخَلْقٍ جَدِيدٍ
Have you not seen [i.e., considered] that Allāh created the heavens and the earth in truth? If He wills, He can do away with you and produce a new creation.
فَقُلْنَا ٱضْرِبُوهُ بِبَعْضِهَا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُحْىِ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ وَيُرِيكُمْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ
So We said, "Strike him [i.e., the slain man] with part of it." Thus does Allāh bring the dead to life, and He shows you His signs that you might reason.
هُوَ ٱلَّذِى يُسَيِّرُكُمْ فِى ٱلْبَرِّ وَٱلْبَحْرِ ۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا كُنتُمْ فِى ٱلْفُلْكِ وَجَرَيْنَ بِهِم بِرِيحٍ طَيِّبَةٍ وَفَرِحُوا۟ بِهَا جَآءَتْهَا رِيحٌ عَاصِفٌ وَجَآءَهُمُ ٱلْمَوْجُ مِن كُلِّ مَكَانٍ وَظَنُّوٓا۟ أَنَّهُمْ أُحِيطَ بِهِمْ ۙ دَعَوُا۟ ٱللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ ٱلدِّينَ لَئِنْ أَنجَيْتَنَا مِنْ هَـٰذِهِۦ لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلشَّـٰكِرِينَ
It is He who enables you to travel on land and sea until, when you are in ships and they sail with them by a good wind and they rejoice therein, there comes a storm wind and the waves come upon them from every place and they expect to be engulfed, they supplicate Allāh, sincere to Him in religion, "If You should save us from this, we will surely be among the thankful."
وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى يُحْىِۦ وَيُمِيتُ وَلَهُ ٱخْتِلَـٰفُ ٱلَّيْلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ ۚ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ
And it is He who gives life and causes death, and His is the alternation of the night and the day. Then will you not reason?