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Surah An-Nahl, Verse 40

سورة النحل، الآية ٤٠

16:40 Juz 14 Hizb 27 Page 271 of the mushaf Meccan surah

Text of verse 16:40

إِنَّمَا قَوْلُنَا لِشَىْءٍ إِذَآ أَرَدْنَٰهُ أَن نَّقُولَ لَهُۥ كُن فَيَكُونُ ۝٤٠

Transliteration

innamā qawlunā lishayin idhā aradnāhu an naqūla lahu kun fayakūnu

Translation

Indeed, Our word to a thing when We intend it is but that We say to it, "Be," and it is.

Translation in another language
Mahmoud Khalil Al-Hussary Read in the surah

Verse 40 of Surah An-Nahl (16:40), a Meccan surah, is in juz 14, on page 271 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 73 reciters.

Listen to verse 40 of Surah An-Nahl

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Tafsir of verse 40

Al-Mukhtasar

Indeed when I want to bring the dead to life and ressurect them then there will be nothing to prevent Me from doing so. When We will something to happen, all that We say is, ‘Be,’ and it definitely becomes.

Tafsir of the whole Surah An-Nahl

Other translations of verse 40

When We intend something, We only say to it, “Be!”, and it is.

Verily! Our Word unto a thing when We intend it, is only that We say unto it: "Be!" - and it is.14

Notes

[14] (V.16:40) See the footnote of (V.51:30)

And Our word unto a thing, when We intend it, is only that We say unto it: Be! and it is.

For to anything which We have willed, We but say the word, "Be", and it is.

Our word for a thing when We intend it, is only that We say to it, Be, and it is.

Surely Our only Saying to a thing when We have willed it, is that We say to it, "Be!" so it is.

Verse 40 word by word

  1. إِنَّمَا innamā Only
  2. قَوْلُنَا qawlunā Our Word ق و ل
  3. لِشَىْءٍ lishayin to a thing ش ي أ
  4. إِذَآ idhā when
  5. أَرَدْنَٰهُ aradnāhu We intend it ر و د
  6. أَن an (is) that
  7. نَّقُولَ naqūla We say ق و ل
  8. لَهُۥ lahu to it
  9. كُن kun Be ك و ن
  10. فَيَكُونُ fayakūnu and it is ك و ن

Hadiths that cite this verse

Authentic Sahih al-Bukhari 7460

I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, "A group of my followers will keep on following Allah's Laws strictly and they will not be harmed by those who will disbelieve them or stand against them till Allah's Order (The Hour) will come while they will be in that state."

لاَ يَزَالُ مِنْ أُمَّتِي أُمَّةٌ قَائِمَةٌ بِأَمْرِ اللَّهِ، مَا يَضُرُّهُمْ مَنْ كَذَّبَهُمْ، وَلاَ مَنْ خَالَفَهُمْ، حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ وَهُمْ عَلَى ذَلِكَ ‏"

Narrated by Mu‘ādh ibn Jabal + 1 other version

Authentic Sahih al-Bukhari 7461

The Prophet (ﷺ) stood before Musailama (the liar) who was sitting with his companions then, and said to him, "If you ask me for this piece (of palm-leaf stalk), even then I would not give it to you. You cannot avoid what Allah has ordained for you, and if you turn away from Islam, Allah will surely…

لَوْ سَأَلْتَنِي هَذِهِ الْقِطْعَةَ مَا أَعْطَيْتُكَهَا، وَلَنْ تَعْدُوَ أَمْرَ اللَّهِ فِيكَ، وَلَئِنْ أَدْبَرْتَ لَيَعْقِرَنَّكَ اللَّهُ ‏"

Narrated by Ibn ‘Abbās + 2 other versions

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih al-Bukhari 7462

While I was walking in company with the Prophet (ﷺ) in one of the fields of Medina, the Prophet (ﷺ) was reclining on a palm leave stalk which he carried with him. We passed by a group of Jews. Some of them said to the others, "Ask him about the spirit." The others said, "Do not ask him, lest he…

وَهْوَ يَتَوَكَّأُ عَلَى عَسِيبٍ مَعَهُ، فَمَرَرْنَا عَلَى نَفَرٍ مِنَ الْيَهُودِ فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ سَلُوهُ عَنِ الرُّوحِ‏.‏ فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ لاَ تَسْأَلُوهُ أَنْ يَجِيءَ فِيهِ بِشَىْءٍ تَكْرَهُونَهُ‏.‏…

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd + 9 other versions

Verses related to verse 40

Cited by Ibn Kathir in his explanation of this verse

  • Al-Qamar 54:50

    وَمَآ أَمْرُنَآ إِلَّا وَٰحِدَةٌ كَلَمْحٍۭ بِٱلْبَصَرِ

    And Our command is but one, like a glance of the eye.

  • Luqman 31:28

    مَّا خَلْقُكُمْ وَلَا بَعْثُكُمْ إِلَّا كَنَفْسٍ وَٰحِدَةٍ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَمِيعٌۢ بَصِيرٌ

    Your creation and your resurrection will not be but as that of a single soul. Indeed, Allāh is Hearing and Seeing.

  • Al-Ma’idah 5:73

    لَّقَدْ كَفَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ثَالِثُ ثَلَٰثَةٍ وَمَا مِنْ إِلَٰهٍ إِلَّآ إِلَٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ وَإِن لَّمْ يَنتَهُوا۟ عَمَّا يَقُولُونَ لَيَمَسَّنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

    They have certainly disbelieved who say, "Allāh is the third of three." And there is no god except one God. And if they do not desist from what they are saying, there will surely afflict the disbelievers among them a painful punishment.

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