huwa alladhī khalaqakum min nafsin wāḥidatin wajaʿala min'hā zawjahā liyaskuna ilayhā falammā taghashāhā ḥamalat ḥamlan khafīfan famarrat bihi falammā athqalat daʿawā l-laha rabbahumā la-in ātaytanā ṣāliḥan lanakūnanna mina l-shākirīna
Translation
It is He who created you from one soul and created from it its mate that he430 might dwell in security with her. And when he [i.e., man] covers her,431 she carries a light burden [i.e., a pregnancy] and continues therein. And when it becomes heavy, they both invoke Allāh, their Lord, "If You should give us a good432 [child], we will surely be among the grateful."
Notes
[430] i.e., man or every descendent of Adam.
[431] An allusion to sexual intercourse.
[432] Physically sound or righteous.
Verse 189 of Surah Al-A’raf (7:189), a Meccan surah, is in juz 9, on page 175 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 72 reciters.
Listen to verse 189 of Surah Al-A’raf
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Tafsir of verse 189
Al-Mukhtasar
It is He who created you from one soul, Prophet Adam (peace be upon him), and created from Adam (peace be upon him) his wife, Eve, creating her from his rib, so he would be close friends with her, and find peace with her. When he had relations with her she became pregnant with a light load, not noticed because it is at the beginning of the pregnancy. A woman continues with the pregnancy going about things without finding it heavy, until she becomes heavy with it when it has grown in her belly, the two of them call upon their Lord, saying: 'O our Lord, if You grant us a healthy child, we will be thankful for Your blessings.'
It is He Who created you from a single soul, and from it He made its spouse82, so that he may find comfort in her. When he covered her83, she conceived a light burden carrying it with ease. Then when she grew heavy, they called upon Allah, their Lord, “If you give us a healthy child84, we will certainly be grateful.”
Notes
[82] Adam and his mate, Eve.
[83] An allusion to sexual relation.
[84] Physically sound or righteous.
It is He Who has created you from a single person (Adam), and (then) He has created from him his wife [Hawwâ’ (Eve)], in order that he might enjoy the pleasure of living with her. When he (a polytheist from Adam’s offspring - as stated by Ibn Kathir in his Tafsir) had sexual relation with her (the polytheist’s wife), she became pregnant and she carried it about lightly. Then when it became heavy, they both invoked Allâh, their Lord (saying): "If You give us a Sâlih (good in every aspect) child, we shall indeed be among the grateful."
He it is Who did create you from a single soul, and therefrom did make his mate that he might take rest in her. And when he covered her she bore a light burden, and she passed (unnoticed) with it, but when it became heavy they cried unto Allah, their Lord, saying: If thou givest unto us aright we shall be of the thankful.
It is He Who created you from a single person, and made his mate of like nature, in order that he might dwell with her (in love). When they are united, she bears a light burden and carries it about (unnoticed). When she grows heavy, they both pray to Allah their Lord, (saying): "If Thou givest us a goodly child, we vow we shall (ever) be grateful."
He it is Who created you from a single being, and of the same (kind) did He make his mate, that he might incline to her; so when he covers her she bears a light burden, then moves about with it; but when it grows heavy, they both call upon Allah, their Lord: If Thou givest us a good one, we shall certainly be of the grateful ones.
He is The One Who created you of one self, and made of it its spouse that he might serenely dwell with her. Then as soon as he (intimately) enveloped her, she bore a light burden, then she passed by with it; then when she became heavy, they both invoked Allah their Lord, "Indeed in case you bring us a righteous (child), (Or: of righteous disosition.) we indeed will be definitely of the thankful.".
So, [O Muḥammad], We have only made it [i.e., the Qur’ān] easy in your tongue [i.e., the Arabic language] that you may give good tidings thereby to the righteous and warn thereby a hostile people.
O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allāh is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allāh is Knowing and Aware.
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.
And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquility in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought.
Verses with similar wording
They share a sequence of words with this verse: useful for telling them apart when memorising.
He created you from one soul. Then He made from it its mate, and He produced for you from the grazing livestock eight mates. He creates you in the wombs of your mothers, creation after creation, within three darknesses. That is Allāh, your Lord; to Him belongs dominion. There is no deity except Him, so how are you averted?
It is He who created you from dust, then from a sperm-drop, then from a clinging clot; then He brings you out as a child; then [He develops you] that you reach your [time of] maturity, then [further] that you become elders. And among you is he who is taken in death before [that], so that you reach a specified term; and perhaps you will use reason.
