Surah Al-Baqarah 2:29
سُورَةُ البَقَرَةِ · Medinan · Verse 29 of 286
هُوَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ لَكُم مَّا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًۭا ثُمَّ ٱسْتَوَىٰٓ إِلَى ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَسَوَّىٰهُنَّ سَبْعَ سَمَٰوَٰتٍۢ ۚ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌۭ
Translation
It was He who created all that is on the earth for you, then turned to the sky and made the seven heavens; it is He who has knowledge of all things.
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
'It is He who created for you all that is on the earth, then turned to the heaven and fashioned it into seven heavens. And He is Knowing of all things.' al-Saadi and Ibn Kathir note the striking phrase, 'khalaqa lakum', He created for you everything on earth: the whole planet and its resources set out as a provision for humankind, a sign of a care that precedes us. Ask yourself: the earth and its bounty were prepared for me, arranged, stocked, and readied before I arrived, like a house furnished for a guest yet to come. That reframes my relationship to the world: not something I conquered but something given, and given with intent. It should produce both gratitude (all this was laid out for me) and responsibility (a gift entrusted, not a possession seized). Do I walk the earth as an heir who inherited a prepared home from a generous Lord, or as a self-made owner who assumes he took it himself?
Grounded in classical tafsir: al-Saadi, Ibn Kathir, Ibn Ashur.
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Al-Baqarah 2:29 is discussed in 12 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
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