Ash-Shuraa 42:50
The Consultation · Juz 25 · Page 488
أَوۡ يُزَوِّجُهُمۡ ذُكۡرَانٗا وَإِنَٰثٗاۖ وَيَجۡعَلُ مَن يَشَآءُ عَقِيمًاۚ إِنَّهُۥ عَلِيمٞ قَدِيرٞ ٥٠
Or He makes them [both] males and females, and He renders whom He wills barren. Indeed, He is Knowing and Competent.
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Ibn Kathir (abridged)
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Commentary on 42:49–50
Allah tells us that He is the Creator, Sovereign and Controller of the heavens and the earth.
Whatever he wills happens, and whatever He does not will does not happen. He gives to whomsoever He wills and withholds from whomsoever he wills; none can withhold what He gives, and none can give what He withholds, and He creates whatever He wills.
يَهَبُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ إِنَثاً
(He bestows female upon whom He wills.) means, He gives them daughters only. Al-Baghawi said, "And among them (those who were given daughters only) was Lut, peace be upon him."
وَيَهَبُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ الذُّكُورَ
(and bestows male upon whom He wills.) means, He gives them sons only. Al-Baghawi said, "Like Ibrahim Al-Khalil, peace be upon him, who did not have any daughters."
أَوْ يُزَوِّجُهُمْ ذُكْرَاناً وَإِنَثاً
(Or He bestows both males and females,) means, He gives to whomsoever He wills both males and females, sons and daughters. Al-Baghawi said, "Like Muhammad ."
وَيَجْعَلُ مَن يَشَآءُ عَقِيماً
(and He renders barren whom He wills. ) means, so that he has no children at all. Al-Baghawi said, "Like Yahya and `Isa, peace be upon them." So people are divided into four categories: some are given daughters, some are given sons, some are given both sons and daughters, and some are not given either sons or daughters, but they are rendered barren, with no offspring.
إِنَّهُ عَلِيمٌ
(Verily, He is the All-Knower) means, He knows who deserves to be in which of these categories.
قَدِيرٌ
(and is Able (to do all things).) means, to do whatever He wills and to differentiate between people in this manner. This issue is similar to that referred to in the Ayah where Allah says of `Isa, peace be upon him:
وَلِنَجْعَلَهُ ءَايَةً لِّلْنَّاسِ
(And (We wish) to appoint him as a sign to mankind) (19:21): i.e., proof for them of His power, for He created people in four different ways. Adam, peace be upon him, was created from clay, from neither a male nor a female. Hawwa', peace be upon her, was created from a male without a female. All other people, besides `Isa, peace be upon him, were created from male and female, and this sign of Allah was completed with the creation of `Isa bin Maryam, may peace be upon them both, who was created from a female without a male. Allah says:
وَلِنَجْعَلَهُ ءَايَةً لِّلْنَّاسِ
(And (We wish) to appoint him as a sign to mankind) (19: 21). This issue has to do with parents, whilst the previous issue has to do with children, and in each case there are four categories. Glory be to the All-Knower Who is Able to do all things.
Page 488
42:45
وَتَرَىٰهُمۡ يُعۡرَضُونَ عَلَيۡهَا خَٰشِعِينَ مِنَ ٱلذُّلِّ يَنظُرُونَ مِن طَرۡفٍ خَفِيّٖۗ وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِنَّ ٱلۡخَٰسِرِينَ ٱلَّذِينَ خَسِرُوٓاْ أَنفُسَهُمۡ وَأَهۡلِيهِمۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِۗ أَلَآ إِنَّ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ فِي عَذَابٖ مُّقِيمٖ ٤٥
And you will see them being exposed to it [i.e., the Fire], humbled from humiliation, looking from [behind] a covert glance. And those who had believed will say, "Indeed, the [true] losers are the ones who lost themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection. Unquestionably, the wrongdoers are in an enduring punishment."
42:46
وَمَا كَانَ لَهُم مِّنۡ أَوۡلِيَآءَ يَنصُرُونَهُم مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِۗ وَمَن يُضۡلِلِ ٱللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُۥ مِن سَبِيلٍ ٤٦
And there will not be for them any allies to aid them other than Allāh. And whoever Allāh sends astray - for him there is no way.
42:47
ٱسۡتَجِيبُواْ لِرَبِّكُم مِّن قَبۡلِ أَن يَأۡتِيَ يَوۡمٞ لَّا مَرَدَّ لَهُۥ مِنَ ٱللَّهِۚ مَا لَكُم مِّن مَّلۡجَإٖ يَوۡمَئِذٖ وَمَا لَكُم مِّن نَّكِيرٖ ٤٧
Respond to your Lord before a Day comes from Allāh of which there is no repelling. No refuge will you have that Day, nor for you will there be any denial.1
1 translator’s note
- Of your sins or "disapproval" of your punishment. ↩
42:48
فَإِنۡ أَعۡرَضُواْ فَمَآ أَرۡسَلۡنَٰكَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ حَفِيظًاۖ إِنۡ عَلَيۡكَ إِلَّا ٱلۡبَلَٰغُۗ وَإِنَّآ إِذَآ أَذَقۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ مِنَّا رَحۡمَةٗ فَرِحَ بِهَاۖ وَإِن تُصِبۡهُمۡ سَيِّئَةُۢ بِمَا قَدَّمَتۡ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ فَإِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ كَفُورٞ ٤٨
But if they turn away - then We have not sent you, [O Muḥammad], over them as a guardian; upon you is only [the duty of] notification. And indeed, when We let man taste mercy from Us, he rejoices in it; but if evil afflicts him for what his hands have put forth, then indeed, man is ungrateful.
42:49
لِّلَّهِ مُلۡكُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ يَخۡلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُۚ يَهَبُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ إِنَٰثٗا وَيَهَبُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ ٱلذُّكُورَ ٤٩
To Allāh belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth; He creates what He wills. He gives to whom He wills female [children], and He gives to whom He wills males.
42:50
أَوۡ يُزَوِّجُهُمۡ ذُكۡرَانٗا وَإِنَٰثٗاۖ وَيَجۡعَلُ مَن يَشَآءُ عَقِيمًاۚ إِنَّهُۥ عَلِيمٞ قَدِيرٞ ٥٠
Or He makes them [both] males and females, and He renders whom He wills barren. Indeed, He is Knowing and Competent.
42:51
۞ وَمَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُكَلِّمَهُ ٱللَّهُ إِلَّا وَحۡيًا أَوۡ مِن وَرَآيِٕ حِجَابٍ أَوۡ يُرۡسِلَ رَسُولٗا فَيُوحِيَ بِإِذۡنِهِۦ مَا يَشَآءُۚ إِنَّهُۥ عَلِيٌّ حَكِيمٞ ٥١
And it is not for any human being that Allāh should speak to him except by revelation or from behind a partition or that He sends a messenger [i.e., angel] to reveal, by His permission, what He wills. Indeed, He is Most High and Wise.
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy