يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱتَّقُوا۟ رَبَّكُمُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَٰحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًا كَثِيرًا وَنِسَآءً ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِى تَسَآءَلُونَ بِهِۦ وَٱلْأَرْحَامَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًا 1
Translations
O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women. And fear Allāh, through whom you ask one another, and the wombs. Indeed Allāh is ever, over you, an Observer.
Transliteration
Ya ayyuha an-nasu ittaqū rabbakum alladhī khalaqakum min nafsin wāhidatin wa khalaqa minhā zawjahā wa baththa minhhumā rijālan kathīran wa nisāan wa ittaqū Allāha alladhī tasā'alūn bihi wa al-arhām inna Allāha kāna alaykum raqībā
Tafsir (Explanation)
This opening ayah of Surah An-Nisa addresses all of humanity, commanding them to fear Allah and reminding them of their common origin from a single soul (Adam) and his spouse (Hawa/Eve), from whom countless men and women have been created. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize that this establishes the fundamental equality and kinship of all humans before Allah. The ayah concludes by commanding awareness of Allah and maintenance of family ties (silat al-rahim), with a reminder that Allah is always watching over human actions.
Revelation Context
This surah was revealed in Medina and addresses legal and social matters affecting the Muslim community. Surah An-Nisa is named 'The Women' as it discusses women's rights, inheritance, and marriage extensively. This opening ayah provides the ethical foundation for all subsequent rulings by grounding them in humanity's shared creation and mutual responsibility before Allah.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'All people are the family (Ādam), and Ādam was created from dust' (Sunan At-Tirmidhi). Additionally, the Prophet emphasized: 'Whoever severs the ties of kinship will not enter Paradise' (Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim), directly reflecting the command to maintain silat al-rahim mentioned in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that fear of Allah should be rooted in recognition of our shared humanity and common divine origin, which naturally leads to compassion, justice, and maintaining family bonds. For modern readers, it emphasizes that true piety encompasses both vertical devotion to Allah and horizontal responsibility toward maintaining family relationships and treating all humans with dignity.
Related Ayahs
وَٱلَّـٰٓـِٔى يَئِسْنَ مِنَ ٱلْمَحِيضِ مِن نِّسَآئِكُمْ إِنِ ٱرْتَبْتُمْ فَعِدَّتُهُنَّ ثَلَـٰثَةُ أَشْهُرٍ وَٱلَّـٰٓـِٔى لَمْ يَحِضْنَ ۚ وَأُو۟لَـٰتُ ٱلْأَحْمَالِ أَجَلُهُنَّ أَن يَضَعْنَ حَمْلَهُنَّ ۚ وَمَن يَتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُۥ مِنْ أَمْرِهِۦ يُسْرًا
And those who no longer expect menstruation among your women - if you doubt, then their period is three months, and [also for] those who have not menstruated. And for those who are pregnant, their term is until they give birth. And whoever fears Allāh - He will make for him of his matter ease.
فَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ
So fear Allāh and obey me.
إِنَّمَا ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ فَأَصْلِحُوا۟ بَيْنَ أَخَوَيْكُمْ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ
The believers are but brothers, so make settlement between your brothers. And fear Allāh that you may receive mercy.
وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَـٰقَكُمْ وَرَفَعْنَا فَوْقَكُمُ ٱلطُّورَ خُذُوا۟ مَآ ءَاتَيْنَـٰكُم بِقُوَّةٍ وَٱذْكُرُوا۟ مَا فِيهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ
And [recall] when We took your covenant, [O Children of Israel, to abide by the Torah] and We raised over you the mount, [saying], "Take what We have given you with determination and remember what is in it that perhaps you may become righteous."