The Forgiver, The Forgiving One — Verse 68
40:68 · Ghafir
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هُوَ ٱلَّذِی یُحۡیِۦ وَیُمِیتُۖ فَإِذَا قَضَىٰۤ أَمۡرࣰا فَإِنَّمَا یَقُولُ لَهُۥ كُن فَیَكُونُ ٦٨
huwa alladhī yuḥ'yī wayumītu fa-idhā qaḍā amran fa-innamā yaqūlu lahu kun fayakūn
The Forgiver, The Forgiving One / Ghafir (40:68)
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No verses on this ayah are cited by 2 or more commentators using numeric S:A notation. All extracted references come from a single source's commentary.
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Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) 1 verse
Note: these connections are extracted from numeric S:A references inside the commentary text and are therefore biased toward mufassirun who use that notation. Prose-style references (e.g. "Surat al-Baqarah verse 30") will be added later, which should surface additional multi-source consensus.
It is He who gives life and death, and when He ordains a thing, He says only ‘Be’ and it is
huwa alladhī yuḥ'yī wayumītu fa-idhā qaḍā amran fa-innamā yaqūlu lahu kun fayakūn
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Tafsir Commentary
The Prohibition of Shirk, the Order for Tawhid, and the Evidence
Allah says, `say, O Muhammad, to these idolators, that Allah forbids them to worship anyone, such as these idols and false gods, except Him.' Allah explains that no one apart from Him is deserving of worship, as He says:
هُوَ الَّذِى خَلَقَكُمْ مِّن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ ثُمَّ مِنْ عَلَقَةٍ ثُمَّ يُخْرِجُكُمْ طِفْلاً ثُمَّ لِتَـبْلُغُواْ أَشُدَّكُـمْ ثُمَّ لِتَكُـونُواْ شُيُوخاً
(It is He, Who has created you from dust, then from a Nutfah then from a clot (a piece of coagulated blood), then brings you forth as an infant, then (makes you grow) to reach the age of full strength, and afterwards to be old.) meaning, He is the One Who Alone, with no partner or associate, causes you to pass through these different stages, and this happens in accordance with His command, will and decree.
وَمِنكُمْ مَّن يُتَوَفَّى مِن قَبْلُ
(though some among you die before) means, before being fully formed and emerging to this world; so his mother miscarries him. And there are some who die in infancy or in their youth, or when they are adults but before they reach old age, as Allah says:
لِّنُبَيِّنَ لَكُمْ وَنُقِرُّ فِى الاٌّرْحَامِ مَا نَشَآءُ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى
(that We may make (it) clear to you. And We cause whom We will to remain in the wombs for an appointed term) (22:5).
وَلِتَبْلُغُواْ أَجَلاً مُّسَمًّى وَلَعَلَّـكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ
(and that you reach an appointed term in order that you may understand. ) Ibn Jurayj said, "In order that you may remember the Resurrection." Then Allah says:
هُوَ الَّذِى يُحْىِ وَيُمِيتُ
(It is He Who gives life and causes death.) meaning, He is the Only One Who does that, and none is able to do that except He.
فَإِذَا قَضَى أَمْراً فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُن فيَكُونُ
(And when He decides upon a thing He says to it only: "Be!" -- and it is.) means, He cannot be opposed or resisted. Whatever He wills definitely comes to pass.
He it is Who gives life and brings death. So when He decides upon a matter when He wants to bring something into existence He only says to it ‘Be!’ and it is read fa-yakūnu or fa-yakūna in the subjunctive on account of an implied preceding an. In other words it comes into existence after He has willed it that which is signified by the said words.
هو سبحانه المتفرد بالإحياء والإماتة، فإذا قضى أمرًا فإنما يقول له: "كن"، فيكون، لا رادَّ لقضائه.
قال تعالى "هو الذي يحيى ويميت" أي هو المنفرد بذلك لا يقدر على ذلك أحد سواه "فإذا قضى أمرا فإنما يقول له كن فيكون" أي لا يخالف ولا يمانع بل ما شاء كان لا محالة.
ثم ختم - سبحانه - هذه الآيات الزاخرة بكثير من النعم بقوله - تعالى - ( هُوَ الذي يُحْيِي ) من يريد إحياءه ( وَيُمِيتُ ) من يشاء إماتته .( فَإِذَا قضى أَمْرا ) أى : فإذا أراد إبراز أمر من الأمور إلى هذا الوجود ( فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَه ) أى لهذا الأمر ( كُن فيَكُونُ ) فى الحال بدون توقف على سبب من الأسباب ، أو علة من العلل .
القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : هُوَ الَّذِي يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ فَإِذَا قَضَى أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ (68)يقول تعالى ذكره لنبيه محمد صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم: قل لهم يا محمد: ( هُوَ الَّذِي يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ ) يقول قل لهم: ومن صفته جلّ ثناؤه أنه هو الذي يحيي من يشاء بعد مماته, ويميت من يشاء من الأحياء بعد حياته و ( إِذَا قَضَى أَمْرًا ) يقول: وإذا قضى كون أمر من الأمور التي يريد تكوينها( فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُنْ ) يعني للذي يريد تكوينه كن, فيكون ما أراد تكوينه موجودا بغير معاناة, ولا كلفة مؤنة.
" هو الذي يحيي ويميت فإذا قضى أمراً فإنما يقول له كن فيكون "
هُوَ الَّذِي يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ فَإِذَا قَضَى أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ (68)استئناف خامس ومناسبةُ موقعه من قوله : { هُوَ الذي خَلَقَكم من تُراب } إلى قوله : { ثُمَّ يُخْرِجُكم طِفْلاً } إلى { ومِنكم مَن يُتَوفَّى من قَبْلُ ولتبلغوا أجَلاً مُسَمى ولعلكم تعقِلُون } [ غافر : 67 ] فإن من أول ما يُرجَى أن يعقلوه هو ذلك التصرف البديع بخلق الحياة في الإِنسان عند تكوينه بعد أن كان جثة لا حياة فيها ، وخلق الموت فيه عند انتهاء أجله بعد أن كان حياً متصرفاً بقوته وتدبيره .فمعنى { يحيي } يُوجِد المخلوق حيّا . ومعنى { يميت } أنه يُعدم الحياة عن الذي كان حيّاً ، وهذا هو محل العبرة . وأما إمكان الإِحياء بعد الإِماتة فمدلول بدلالة قياس التمثيل العقلي وليس هو صريح الآية . والمقصود الامتنان بالحياة تبعاً لقوله قبل هذا : { هُوَ الذي خَلَقَكم مِن تُراب } إلى قوله : { ثُمَّ يخرجكم طِفلاً } [ غافر : 67 ] .وفي قوله : { يُحيِي ويُمِيت } المحسن البديعي المسمى الطِّباق . وفرع على هذا الخبر إخبار بأنه إذا أراد أمراً من أمور التكوين من إحياء أو إماتة أو غيرهما فإنه يقْدر على فعله دون تردّد ولا معالجة ، بل بمجرد تعلق قدرته بالمقدور وذلك التعَلق هو توجيه قدرته للإِيجاد أو الإعدام . فالفاء من قوله : { فَإذَا قَضَى } فاء تفريع الإِخبار بما بعدها على الإِخبار بما قبلها .وقول : { كن } تمثيل لتعلق القدرة بالمقدور بلا تَأخير ولا عُدَّة ولا معاناة وعلاج بحال من يرد إذن غيره بعمل فلا يزيد على أن يوجه إليه أمراً فإن صدور القول عن القائل أسرع أعمال الإِنسان وأيسر ، وقد اختير لتقريب ذلك أخصر فعل وهو { كن } المركب من حرفين متحرك وساكن .
قوله تعالى : هو الذي يحيي ويميت زاد في التنبيه أي : هو الذي يقدر على الإحياء والإماتة . فإذا قضى أمرا أي أراد فعله قال : له كن فيكون ونصب " فيكون " ابن عامر على جواب الأمر . وقد مضى في [ البقرة ] القول فيه .
Who were the ones who were happy with untruth and indulged in false pride? These were men who held great stature in their times. They attained some worldly elevation, which alongwith their material possessions made them arrogant and vain. Their success in worldly matters had developed in them a false impression that they were the ones who had attained success, though in actual fact they were the truly deprived people. As the high ranking men of a society become the rejecters of the Truth, the common people also follow them and start denying the Truth. In these verses, a scene of the world Hereafter has been described, when these people will be cast into Hell to be punished for their arrogant behaviour. Their overweening pride would have ultimately dragged them to such low levels that they will find no way to uplift themselves from their position.
In verse 64, it was said: وَصَوَّرَكُمْ فَأَحْسَنَ صُوَرَكُمْ (and shaped you, and made your shapes so good -). Allah Ta’ ala has blessed the human person with the most distinct, superior and better-balanced form and shape out of all animals. He was given reason. He was given such hands and feet that he could get together materials to make things for his needs and comfort. Then, his eating and drinking is different, rather far distinct from common animals. They eat or graze or drink directly with their mouth. He uses hands. Common animals eat singles. Some eat meat, others eat grass or leaves, that too in singles. Contrary to that, man eats by combining different things like meat, vegetables, spices, herbs and fruits. He eats by making his food taste good. His culinary creativity knows no bounds when he would take a single fruit from nature, and turn it into all sorts of delicious eatables like pies, fruit cakes, jams, preserves and chutneys. فَتَبَارَكَ اللَّـهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ (Blessed is Allah, the Best Creator).
(He it is Who quickeneth) for the resurrection (and giveth death) in the life of the world. (When He ordaineth a thing) when He wants to create a child without a father, such is the case with Jesus, (He saith unto it only: Be! and it is) a son without a father! And it is also said that this means: when He wants the Day of Judgement to happen, He simply says: Be! And it is.