Surah Ar-Rum, Ayah 54 (30:54)

ٱلرُّوم

۞ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكُم مِّن ضَعْفٍ ثُمَّ جَعَلَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ ضَعْفٍ قُوَّةً ثُمَّ جَعَلَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ …

Quran 30:54 is ayah 54 of Surah Ar-Rum (“The Romans”), a Meccan surah of 60 ayahs. It is in Juz 21, on page 410 of the Madani Mushaf.

30:54
۞ ٱللَّهُٱلَّذِىخَلَقَكُممِّنضَعْفٍثُمَّجَعَلَمِنۢبَعْدِضَعْفٍقُوَّةًثُمَّجَعَلَمِنۢبَعْدِقُوَّةٍضَعْفًاوَشَيْبَةً ۚيَخْلُقُمَايَشَآءُ ۖوَهُوَٱلْعَلِيمُٱلْقَدِيرُ٥٤
al-lahu alladhī khalaqakum min ḍaʿfin thumma jaʿala min baʿdi ḍaʿfin quwwatan thumma jaʿala min baʿdi quwwatin ḍaʿfan washaybatan yakhluqu mā yashāu wahuwa l-ʿalīmu l-qadīru

Allāh is the one who created you from weakness, then made after weakness strength, then made after strength weakness and white hair. He creates what He wills, and He is the Knowing, the Competent.(54)

Word by word

  1. ۞ ٱللَّهُal-lahuAllah
  2. ٱلَّذِىalladhī(is) the One Who
  3. خَلَقَكُمkhalaqakumcreated you
  4. مِّنminfrom
  5. ضَعْفٍḍaʿfinweakness
  6. ثُمَّthummathen
  7. جَعَلَjaʿalamade
  8. مِنۢminafter
  9. بَعْدِbaʿdiafter
  10. ضَعْفٍḍaʿfinweakness
  11. قُوَّةًquwwatanstrength
  12. ثُمَّthummathen
  13. جَعَلَjaʿalamade
  14. مِنۢminafter
  15. بَعْدِbaʿdiafter
  16. قُوَّةٍquwwatinstrength
  17. ضَعْفًاḍaʿfanweakness
  18. وَشَيْبَةً ۚwashaybatanand gray hair
  19. يَخْلُقُyakhluquHe creates
  20. مَاmāwhat
  21. يَشَآءُ ۖyashāuHe wills
  22. وَهُوَwahuwaand He
  23. ٱلْعَلِيمُl-ʿalīmu(is) the All-Knower
  24. ٱلْقَدِيرُl-qadīruthe All-Powerful

Tafsir (commentary) of 30:54

Available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Russian.

English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

The Different Stages of Man

Here Allah points out how man passes through different stages of creation, one phase after another. He is originally created from dust, then from a Nutfah, then from a clot, then from a lump of flesh. Then he becomes bones, then the bones are clothed with flesh, then the soul is breathed into him. Then he emerges from his mother's womb, weak and thin and powerless. Then he grows up little by little, until he becomes a child, then he reaches the stage of puberty, then he becomes a young man, which is strength after weakness. Then he starts to get older, reaching middle age, then old age and senility, weakness after strength, so he loses his resolve, power of movement and ability to fight, his hair turns grey and his characteristics, both inward and outward, begin to change. Allah says:

ثُمَّ جَعَلَ مِن بَعْدِ قُوَّةٍ ضَعْفاً وَشَيْبَةً يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ

(then after strength gave (you) weakness and grey hair. He creates what He wills.) He does whatsoever He wills and controls His servants in whatever way He wants.

وَهُوَ الْعَلِيمُ الْقَدِيرُ

(And He is the All-Knowing, the All-Powerful.)

Read the full Surah Ar-Rum