Surah Al-Anbiya 21:30
سُورَةُ الأَنبِيَاءِ · Meccan · Verse 30 of 112
أَوَلَمْ يَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ كَانَتَا رَتْقًۭا فَفَتَقْنَٰهُمَا ۖ وَجَعَلْنَا مِنَ ٱلْمَآءِ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ حَىٍّ ۖ أَفَلَا يُؤْمِنُونَ
Translation
Are the disbelievers not aware that the heavens and the earth used to be joined together and that We ripped them apart, that We made every living thing from water? Will they not believe?
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
Wording
This verse opens with a profound challenge to those who disbelieve, drawing their attention to the very fabric of existence. Allah begins by asking, "أَوَلَمْ يَرَ" (Awalam Yará - Did they not see/know?). The initial 'A' (أ) is a rhetorical question, carrying a tone of rebuke and astonishment. It’s as if Allah is saying, "How could they *not* see or know this evident truth?" The word "يَرَ" itself can mean both to see with one's eyes and to know or understand with one's intellect. This dual meaning, as scholars like al-Razi and Ibn Ashur note, urges reflection on both the directly observable phenomena and the deeper implications that should lead to faith.
The United Creation
The verse then presents a fundamental truth: "أَنَّ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ كَانَتَا رَتْقًۭا فَفَتَقْنَٰهُمَا" (that the heavens and the earth were joined together, then We separated them). The word "كانتا" (they both were) uses a dual form, even though "السماوات" (heavens) is plural. This is because the heavens and the earth are treated as two distinct categories, as explained by al-Razi, like saying "two groups" of something.
The key word here is "رَتْقًۭا" (ratqan), which is a verbal noun used to emphasize the state of being completely joined or sealed. It means "sadd" (blocked or closed) or "multasiqatayn" (stuck together). Imagine two things so tightly sealed that nothing can pass between them. Then, Allah states "فَفَتَقْنَاهُمَا" (fa-fataqnāhumā - then We separated them). The particle 'fa' (ف) indicates an immediate consequence, an active separation. "Fatq" is the opposite of "ratq," meaning to open or split apart.
Scholars offer several interpretations for what "ratq" and "fatq" mean here, but two main views are prominent and beautifully illustrate Allah's power:
1. A Single Mass: The heavens and the earth were originally one fused mass or entity, which Allah then separated into distinct realms, as proposed by some early scholars and acknowledged by Ibn Ashur.
2. Sealed for Rain and Growth: A widely accepted interpretation, favored by al-Razi for its connection to the rest of the verse, is that the sky was "closed" (ratq) meaning it held no rain, and the earth was "closed" (ratq) meaning it produced no vegetation. Then, Allah "opened" (fataqa) the sky by sending down rain, and "opened" (fataqa) the earth by causing plants to grow. This is something people witness constantly.
Life from Water
This immediate connection is made explicit in the next phrase: "وَجَعَلْنَا مِنَ ٱلْمَآءِ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ حَىٍّ" (And We made from water every living thing). The word "جَعَلْنَا" (ja'alnā) here means "We created," as Ibn Ashur clarifies. The preposition "مِنَ" (min) emphasizes that water is the origin or fundamental cause for the existence of life. "كُلَّ شَىْءٍ حَىٍّ" (kullu shay'in hayy - every living thing) means all creatures, plants, and indeed most visible forms of life, are dependent on water for their existence and sustenance. This highlights the miraculous role of water, directly linking to the "opening" of the sky for rain and the earth for plants.
A Call to Faith
The verse concludes with another rhetorical question: "أَفَلَا يُؤْمِنُونَ" (Afa lā yu'minūn - So do they not believe?). The 'fa' (ف) here again signifies a consequence, expressing astonishment and deep disapproval. After witnessing such clear, continuous, and vital signs of Allah's creation, power, and sustenance, from the very formation of the cosmos to the life-giving properties of water, how can anyone still refuse to believe in His Oneness? The wording powerfully conveys that their disbelief is not merely a lack of knowledge, but a stubborn rejection of overwhelming evidence.
Sources: al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf), al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi), al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb), Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir), al-Jalalayn
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Al-Anbiya 21:30 is discussed in 14 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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