سُوْرَةُ الْاَنْۣبِيَآءِ
Surah Al-Anbiyaa (21) — Ayah 30
أَوَلَمْ يَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ كَانَتَا رَتْقًا فَفَتَقْنَـٰهُمَا ۖ وَجَعَلْنَا مِنَ ٱلْمَآءِ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ حَىٍّ ۖ أَفَلَا يُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿30﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Have not those who disbelieve known that the heavens and the earth were joined together as one united piece, then We parted them? And We have made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
أَوَلَمْ
awalam
Do not
يَرَ
yara
see
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
كَفَرُوٓا۟
kafarū
disbelieved
أَنَّ
anna
that
ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ
l-samāwāti
the heavens
وَٱلْأَرْضَ
wal-arḍa
and the earth
كَانَتَا
kānatā
were
رَتْقًۭا
ratqan
a joined entity
فَفَتَقْنَـٰهُمَا ۖ
fafataqnāhumā
then We parted them
وَجَعَلْنَا
wajaʿalnā
and We made
مِنَ
mina
from
ٱلْمَآءِ
l-māi
[the] water
كُلَّ
kulla
every
شَىْءٍ
shayin
living thing
حَىٍّ ۖ
ḥayyin
living thing
أَفَلَا
afalā
Then will not
يُؤْمِنُونَ
yu'minūna
they believe
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
30. Do the disbelievers not see that the heavens and the earth were joined together [25], then We separated them, and We made every living thing [26] from water? Will they not then believe in the creative power of Allah?
[25]
The Lexical Meaning of "Rataq" and "Fataq":
In this verse, the words "rataq" and "fataq" have been used, and these two words are opposites of each other. "Rataq" means the joining together and merging of two or more things, and "fataq" means to separate such mixed and joined things. In this verse, the point of origin of the universe has been described: in the beginning, there was only a mixed and blended matter of many things. It was this that Allah Almighty opened up, and from it, He created the earth, the heavens, and other celestial bodies.
[26]
The Creation of Everything from Water:
Every thing in which signs of life are found, the cause of its life is water, and this includes plants and animals—all of them. And all such things cannot live without water. Its second meaning is that We have created every living thing from water, as He said: ﴿وَاللّٰهُ خَلَقَ كُلَّ دَابَّةٍ مِّنْ مَّاءٍ﴾ [24: 45] In this sense, it would mean that the presence of water is necessary in the creation of everything, even if it is not the dominant element. For example, in the creation of man, the dominant element is earth, and in the creation of jinn, it is fire. Its third meaning is that the element of water is included in all existents. As is explicitly stated in the Book and Sunnah, there was a time when there was only water, and Allah's Throne was upon the water, and nothing else existed besides water. Then the beginning of every kind of creation was from water. Even in inanimate objects, there is some portion of water, due to which they are joined together; if water is removed from them, that thing will crumble into pieces.
[25]
The Lexical Meaning of "Rataq" and "Fataq":
In this verse, the words "rataq" and "fataq" have been used, and these two words are opposites of each other. "Rataq" means the joining together and merging of two or more things, and "fataq" means to separate such mixed and joined things. In this verse, the point of origin of the universe has been described: in the beginning, there was only a mixed and blended matter of many things. It was this that Allah Almighty opened up, and from it, He created the earth, the heavens, and other celestial bodies.
[26]
The Creation of Everything from Water:
Every thing in which signs of life are found, the cause of its life is water, and this includes plants and animals—all of them. And all such things cannot live without water. Its second meaning is that We have created every living thing from water, as He said: ﴿وَاللّٰهُ خَلَقَ كُلَّ دَابَّةٍ مِّنْ مَّاءٍ﴾ [24: 45] In this sense, it would mean that the presence of water is necessary in the creation of everything, even if it is not the dominant element. For example, in the creation of man, the dominant element is earth, and in the creation of jinn, it is fire. Its third meaning is that the element of water is included in all existents. As is explicitly stated in the Book and Sunnah, there was a time when there was only water, and Allah's Throne was upon the water, and nothing else existed besides water. Then the beginning of every kind of creation was from water. Even in inanimate objects, there is some portion of water, due to which they are joined together; if water is removed from them, that thing will crumble into pieces.
