سُوْرَةُ الْمُؤْمِنُوْنَ
Surah Al-Muminoon (23) — Ayah 14
ثُمَّ خَلَقْنَا ٱلنُّطْفَةَ عَلَقَةً فَخَلَقْنَا ٱلْعَلَقَةَ مُضْغَةً فَخَلَقْنَا ٱلْمُضْغَةَ عِظَـٰمًا فَكَسَوْنَا ٱلْعِظَـٰمَ لَحْمًا ثُمَّ أَنشَأْنَـٰهُ خَلْقًا ءَاخَرَ ۚ فَتَبَارَكَ ٱللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ ٱلْخَـٰلِقِينَ ﴿14﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Then We made the Nutfah into a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood), then We made the clot into a little lump of flesh, then We made out of that little lump of flesh bones, then We clothed the bones with flesh, and then We brought it forth as another creation. So Blessed is Allâh, the Best of creators.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
ثُمَّ
thumma
Then
خَلَقْنَا
khalaqnā
We created
ٱلنُّطْفَةَ
l-nuṭ'fata
the semen-drop
عَلَقَةًۭ
ʿalaqatan
(into) a clinging substance
فَخَلَقْنَا
fakhalaqnā
then We created
ٱلْعَلَقَةَ
l-ʿalaqata
the clinging substance
مُضْغَةًۭ
muḍ'ghatan
(into) an embryonic lump
فَخَلَقْنَا
fakhalaqnā
then We created
ٱلْمُضْغَةَ
l-muḍ'ghata
the embryonic lump
عِظَـٰمًۭا
ʿiẓāman
(into) bones
فَكَسَوْنَا
fakasawnā
then We clothed
ٱلْعِظَـٰمَ
l-ʿiẓāma
the bones
لَحْمًۭا
laḥman
(with) flesh
ثُمَّ
thumma
then
أَنشَأْنَـٰهُ
anshanāhu
We produce it
خَلْقًا
khalqan
(as) a creation
ءَاخَرَ ۚ
ākhara
another
فَتَبَارَكَ
fatabāraka
So blessed is
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
أَحْسَنُ
aḥsanu
(the) Best
ٱلْخَـٰلِقِينَ
l-khāliqīna
(of) the Creators
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 14) ➊ The meaning of { ثُمَّ خَلَقْنَا النُّطْفَةَ عَلَقَةً …:’’ عَلَقَةً ‘‘} is also a clot of congealed blood and also a leech. Then Allah Almighty gives the white fluid drop of water the form of a red, congealed, solid piece of blood, which is in the shape of a leech and, like a leech, is attached to the wall of the womb. See also Surah Al-Hajj (5).
➋ { ثُمَّ اَنْشَاْنٰهُ خَلْقًا اٰخَرَ:} That is, then We breathe the soul into it, so it becomes a human being with a very beautiful appearance, able to see, hear, understand, and move. Its form and appearance are entirely different. Now, there is no resemblance to its previous form, that is, it has no distant connection with clay; previously, it was lifeless, now it is living. Previously, it was blind, deaf, and mute; now it has eyes, ears, and a tongue. Previously, it was an insensible piece of flesh; now, in every particle of it, there are Allah Almighty’s amazing subtleties and thousands of kinds of sensations. Every moment brings a new change upon it: first an embryo, then a suckling child, who, as soon as he is born, begins to exercise his will, then a boy, then a youth, then an adult, then middle-aged, then old, then so old that he returns to the weakness of childhood. In any of these stages, death takes him into its embrace.
➌ { فَتَبٰرَكَ اللّٰهُ اَحْسَنُ الْخٰلِقِيْنَ :} Allah Almighty has previously mentioned the creation of man in such a reasoned and beautiful manner that this sentence naturally comes to the tongue: « فَتَبٰرَكَ اللّٰهُ اَحْسَنُ الْخٰلِقِيْنَ» “So blessed is Allah, the best of creators.” In reality, this is the height of eloquence in any speech. Thus, a poet, while praising a few qasidas, has said:
{قَصَائِدٌ إِنْ تَكُنْ تُتْلٰي عَلٰي مَلَإٍ ¤ صُدُوْرُهَا عُلِمَتْ مِنْهَا قَوَافِيْهَا}
“They are such qasidas that if their opening verses are recited before people, their closing verses become known by themselves.” Ghalib has beautifully said:
See the delight of speech, that whatever he said,
I felt as if it was already in my heart.
➍ { الْخٰلِقِيْنَ :} Here, the word {’’خَلْقٌ‘‘} is used in the sense of making an outward form and appearance, as has been said about ‘Isa (peace be upon him): { وَ اِذْ تَخْلُقُ مِنَ الطِّيْنِ كَهَيْـَٔةِ الطَّيْرِ بِاِذْنِيْ } [ المائدۃ : ۱۱۰ ] “And when you made from clay the form of a bird by My command.” And as it is mentioned in the hadith that on the Day of Resurrection, Allah Almighty will say to those who make images: [ أَحْيُوْا مَا خَلَقْتُمْ ] [ بخاري، البیوع، باب التجارۃ فیما یکرہ… ۲۱۰۵، عن عائشۃ رضی اللہ عنھا ] “Give life to what you have created.” In the sense of creating and giving life, the Creator is only Allah Almighty.
➍ In the word {’’ اَحْسَنُ الْخٰلِقِيْنَ ‘‘}, there is also a clear indication towards the beauty and elegance of man. (Biqā‘ī)
➋ { ثُمَّ اَنْشَاْنٰهُ خَلْقًا اٰخَرَ:} That is, then We breathe the soul into it, so it becomes a human being with a very beautiful appearance, able to see, hear, understand, and move. Its form and appearance are entirely different. Now, there is no resemblance to its previous form, that is, it has no distant connection with clay; previously, it was lifeless, now it is living. Previously, it was blind, deaf, and mute; now it has eyes, ears, and a tongue. Previously, it was an insensible piece of flesh; now, in every particle of it, there are Allah Almighty’s amazing subtleties and thousands of kinds of sensations. Every moment brings a new change upon it: first an embryo, then a suckling child, who, as soon as he is born, begins to exercise his will, then a boy, then a youth, then an adult, then middle-aged, then old, then so old that he returns to the weakness of childhood. In any of these stages, death takes him into its embrace.
➌ { فَتَبٰرَكَ اللّٰهُ اَحْسَنُ الْخٰلِقِيْنَ :} Allah Almighty has previously mentioned the creation of man in such a reasoned and beautiful manner that this sentence naturally comes to the tongue: « فَتَبٰرَكَ اللّٰهُ اَحْسَنُ الْخٰلِقِيْنَ» “So blessed is Allah, the best of creators.” In reality, this is the height of eloquence in any speech. Thus, a poet, while praising a few qasidas, has said:
{قَصَائِدٌ إِنْ تَكُنْ تُتْلٰي عَلٰي مَلَإٍ ¤ صُدُوْرُهَا عُلِمَتْ مِنْهَا قَوَافِيْهَا}
“They are such qasidas that if their opening verses are recited before people, their closing verses become known by themselves.” Ghalib has beautifully said:
See the delight of speech, that whatever he said,
I felt as if it was already in my heart.
➍ { الْخٰلِقِيْنَ :} Here, the word {’’خَلْقٌ‘‘} is used in the sense of making an outward form and appearance, as has been said about ‘Isa (peace be upon him): { وَ اِذْ تَخْلُقُ مِنَ الطِّيْنِ كَهَيْـَٔةِ الطَّيْرِ بِاِذْنِيْ } [ المائدۃ : ۱۱۰ ] “And when you made from clay the form of a bird by My command.” And as it is mentioned in the hadith that on the Day of Resurrection, Allah Almighty will say to those who make images: [ أَحْيُوْا مَا خَلَقْتُمْ ] [ بخاري، البیوع، باب التجارۃ فیما یکرہ… ۲۱۰۵، عن عائشۃ رضی اللہ عنھا ] “Give life to what you have created.” In the sense of creating and giving life, the Creator is only Allah Almighty.
➍ In the word {’’ اَحْسَنُ الْخٰلِقِيْنَ ‘‘}, there is also a clear indication towards the beauty and elegance of man. (Biqā‘ī)
