سُوْرَةُ الرُّوْمِ
Surah Ar-Room (30) — Ayah 54
۞ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكُم مِّن ضَعْفٍ ثُمَّ جَعَلَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ ضَعْفٍ قُوَّةً ثُمَّ جَعَلَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ قُوَّةٍ ضَعْفًا وَشَيْبَةً ۚ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَلِيمُ ٱلْقَدِيرُ ﴿54﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Allâh is He Who created you in (a state of) weakness, then gave you strength after weakness, then after strength gave (you) weakness and grey hair. He creates what He wills. And it is He Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Powerful (i.e. Able to do all things).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
۞ ٱللَّهُ
al-lahu
Allah
ٱلَّذِى
alladhī
(is) the One Who
خَلَقَكُم
khalaqakum
created you
مِّن
min
from
ضَعْفٍۢ
ḍaʿfin
weakness
ثُمَّ
thumma
then
جَعَلَ
jaʿala
made
مِنۢ
min
after
بَعْدِ
baʿdi
after
ضَعْفٍۢ
ḍaʿfin
weakness
قُوَّةًۭ
quwwatan
strength
ثُمَّ
thumma
then
جَعَلَ
jaʿala
made
مِنۢ
min
after
بَعْدِ
baʿdi
after
قُوَّةٍۢ
quwwatin
strength
ضَعْفًۭا
ḍaʿfan
weakness
وَشَيْبَةًۭ ۚ
washaybatan
and gray hair
يَخْلُقُ
yakhluqu
He creates
مَا
mā
what
يَشَآءُ ۖ
yashāu
He wills
وَهُوَ
wahuwa
and He
ٱلْعَلِيمُ
l-ʿalīmu
(is) the All-Knower
ٱلْقَدِيرُ
l-qadīru
the All-Powerful
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.
54. Allah is the One Who created you in a state of weakness, then after weakness He gave you strength, then after strength He made you weak and old [59]. He creates as He wills [60], and He is the All-Knowing, the All-Powerful.
[59]
All Stages of Life Are Compulsory:
In this verse, Allah Almighty has described those gradual states of man in which he is utterly compelled and it is not possible for him to bring about any change in these states by his own will. When he is born, he is so weak that no other living creature’s offspring is born as weak as he is. The offspring of every living creature, as soon as it is born, starts to walk, but the human child cannot even sit, let alone walk, and the stage of walking comes after one and a half to two years. Then after this, the stage of puberty and youth comes upon him, so he becomes physically strong and robust. His intellectual faculties, his understanding and awareness, all are at their peak. After this, the stage of decline comes upon him. His strengths begin to fail. His limbs begin to weaken. Various ailments and diseases beset him, to the extent that even his intellect begins to fade, and all these are such stages of life from which man can neither escape nor can he bring about any change in them. No matter how much he wishes that after old age, the stage of youth should return to him, he cannot make it happen. The gradual process through which Allah makes him pass through these stages, he must inevitably pass through it.
[60]
Exceptional Circumstances by Allah’s Will Apart from Natural Affairs:
The aforementioned stages were such that they were natural requirements, which are the same for everyone. Then there are some matters in which Allah Almighty bestows special attributes upon particular individuals. If He wills, He can create someone weak by nature and the growth rate of his limbs remains very slow. If He wills, He can make someone a dwarf. He can create someone congenitally blind. He can grant someone extraordinary intellect and understanding and make him intelligent and sharp-minded, and if He wills, He can create someone dull-witted. Then, if He wills, He may not even let the stages of youth and old age come upon someone and cause him to die in childhood. And it is also possible that an old man may remain bedridden for years, suffering on his deathbed, yet death does not come to him. And if He wills, He can grant someone a long life and keep him healthy and well. All these matters are within the power of Allah Almighty alone, and man has no authority in them whatsoever. He knows in what condition to keep which person.
[59]
All Stages of Life Are Compulsory:
In this verse, Allah Almighty has described those gradual states of man in which he is utterly compelled and it is not possible for him to bring about any change in these states by his own will. When he is born, he is so weak that no other living creature’s offspring is born as weak as he is. The offspring of every living creature, as soon as it is born, starts to walk, but the human child cannot even sit, let alone walk, and the stage of walking comes after one and a half to two years. Then after this, the stage of puberty and youth comes upon him, so he becomes physically strong and robust. His intellectual faculties, his understanding and awareness, all are at their peak. After this, the stage of decline comes upon him. His strengths begin to fail. His limbs begin to weaken. Various ailments and diseases beset him, to the extent that even his intellect begins to fade, and all these are such stages of life from which man can neither escape nor can he bring about any change in them. No matter how much he wishes that after old age, the stage of youth should return to him, he cannot make it happen. The gradual process through which Allah makes him pass through these stages, he must inevitably pass through it.
[60]
Exceptional Circumstances by Allah’s Will Apart from Natural Affairs:
The aforementioned stages were such that they were natural requirements, which are the same for everyone. Then there are some matters in which Allah Almighty bestows special attributes upon particular individuals. If He wills, He can create someone weak by nature and the growth rate of his limbs remains very slow. If He wills, He can make someone a dwarf. He can create someone congenitally blind. He can grant someone extraordinary intellect and understanding and make him intelligent and sharp-minded, and if He wills, He can create someone dull-witted. Then, if He wills, He may not even let the stages of youth and old age come upon someone and cause him to die in childhood. And it is also possible that an old man may remain bedridden for years, suffering on his deathbed, yet death does not come to him. And if He wills, He can grant someone a long life and keep him healthy and well. All these matters are within the power of Allah Almighty alone, and man has no authority in them whatsoever. He knows in what condition to keep which person.
