Quran Universe
24:45

وَٱللَّهُ خَلَقَ كُلَّ دَآبَّةٖ مِّن مَّآءٖۖ فَمِنۡهُم مَّن يَمۡشِي عَلَىٰ بَطۡنِهِۦ وَمِنۡهُم مَّن يَمۡشِي عَلَىٰ رِجۡلَيۡنِ وَمِنۡهُم مَّن يَمۡشِي عَلَىٰٓ أَرۡبَعٖۚ يَخۡلُقُ ٱللَّهُ مَا يَشَآءُۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ قَدِيرٞ

WaAllahu khalaqa kulla dabbatin min main faminhum man yamshee AAala batnihi waminhum man yamshee AAala rijlayni waminhum man yamshee AAala arbaAAin yakhluqu Allahu ma yashao inna Allaha AAala kulli shayin qadeerun

Allah has created every [living] creature from water. And of them are those that move on their bellies, and of them are those that walk on two legs, and of them are those that walk on four. Allah creates what He wills. Indeed, Allah is over all things competent.

Word by word
  1. وَٱللَّهُAnd Allah
  2. خَلَقَcreated
  3. كُلَّevery
  4. دَآبَّةٖmoving creature
  5. مِّنfrom
  6. مَّآءٖۖwater
  7. فَمِنۡهُمOf them
  8. مَّن(is a kind) who
  9. يَمۡشِيwalks
  10. عَلَىٰon
  11. بَطۡنِهِۦits belly
  12. وَمِنۡهُمand of them
  13. مَّن(is a kind) who
  14. يَمۡشِيwalks
  15. عَلَىٰon
  16. رِجۡلَيۡنِtwo legs
  17. وَمِنۡهُمand of them
  18. مَّن(is a kind) who
  19. يَمۡشِيwalks
  20. عَلَىٰٓon
  21. أَرۡبَعٖۚfour
  22. يَخۡلُقُAllah creates
  23. ٱللَّهُAllah creates
  24. مَاwhat
  25. يَشَآءُۚHe wills
  26. إِنَّIndeed
  27. ٱللَّهَAllah
  28. عَلَىٰon
  29. كُلِّevery
  30. شَيۡءٖthing
  31. قَدِيرٞ(is) All-Powerful
An-Nur · 24:45Madinah

One water, and a world of creatures from it.

Bellies, two legs, four legs, as He wills

From the same water
waterone origin
becomes
on bellieslike snakes
on two legshumans, birds
on fourcattle and more
Why the variety
chancethings just turned out
He creates what He willsHe is able to do all

Ibn Kathir notes Allah mentions His power to create all kinds of animals, with their different forms, colors and ways of moving, from one kind of water. What He wills happens, and He is able to do all things.

Your toddler is fascinated by an ant on the pavement. A dog walks past. A pigeon lands. You are rushing to the car. The verse slows you down: all of it came from water, each made differently on purpose. Your child is seeing something true.

Animals are just background to my day.

Every creature, so different, is a sign of the One who creates what He wills.

Try this

Stop for one minute today and really look at an animal. Notice how it moves.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Allah has created every moving creature from water. Of them there are some that creep on their bellies, and some that walk on two legs, and some that walk on four. Allah creates what He wills. Verily, Allah is able to do all things (45)

Allah's Power in His Creation of the Animals

Allah mentions His complete and almighty power to create all the different kinds of animals with their various forms, colors and ways of moving and stopping, from one kind of water.

فَمِنْهُم مَّن يَمْشِي عَلَىٰ بَطْنِهِ 

(Of them there are some that creep on their bellies,) like snakes and so on;

وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَمْشِي عَلَىٰ رِجْلَيْنِ

(and some that walk on two legs,) like humans and birds;

وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَمْشِي عَلَىٰ أَرْبَعٍ

(and some that walk on four,) like cattle and all kinds of animals. Allah says:

يَخْلُقُ اللَّهُ مَا يَشَاءُ

(Allah creates what He wills.) meaning by His power, because what He wills happens and what He does not will does not happen. So he says:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

(Verily, Allah is able to do all things.)