Quran Universe
42:49

لِّلَّهِ مُلۡكُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ يَخۡلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُۚ يَهَبُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ إِنَٰثٗا وَيَهَبُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ ٱلذُّكُورَ

Lillahi mulku alssamawati waalardi yakhluqu ma yashao yahabu liman yashao inathan wayahabu liman yashao alththukoora

To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth; He creates what he wills. He gives to whom He wills female [children], and He gives to whom He wills males.

Word by word
  1. لِّلَّهِTo Allah
  2. مُلۡكُ(belongs the) dominion
  3. ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ(of) the heavens
  4. وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۚand the earth
  5. يَخۡلُقُHe creates
  6. مَاwhat
  7. يَشَآءُۚHe wills
  8. يَهَبُHe grants
  9. لِمَنto whom
  10. يَشَآءُHe wills
  11. إِنَٰثٗاfemales
  12. وَيَهَبُand He grants
  13. لِمَنto whom
  14. يَشَآءُHe wills
  15. ٱلذُّكُورَ[the] males
Ash-Shuraa · 42:49Makkah

Daughters or sons: each child is a gift He chooses.

Children come by His will, not our design

Who decides the gift
Allah owns allheavens and earth
gives
daughtersto whom He wills
sonsto whom He wills
How to see a child
one is betterhoping for the right one
both are giftsthe verse says He grants

The surah closes by reminding the Makkans who rules creation. Ibn Kathir notes some are given daughters only, as Al-Baghawi said of Lut, and some sons only, as of Ibrahim. Both are described with the same word: a gift.

At the baby shower, an aunt says "next time, insha'Allah, a boy." Or the reverse. The parents smile politely. The verse uses one word for both: He grants. Neither is the consolation prize.

Having a certain kind of child would make the family complete.

Every child is a deliberate gift from the Owner of everything.

Try this

Tell a parent you know, sincerely, that their child is a gift. Mean it for whatever child they have.

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

To Allah belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He creates what He wills. He bestows female upon whom He wills, and bestows male upon whom He wills (49)Or He bestows both males and females, and He renders barren whom He wills. Verily, He is the All-Knower and is Able (to do all things)(50)

Allah tells us that He is the Creator, Sovereign and Controller of the heavens and the earth. Whatever he wills happens, and whatever He does not will does not happen. He gives to whomsoever He wills and withholds from whomsoever he wills; none can withhold what He gives, and none can give what He withholds, and He creates whatever He wills.

يَهَبُ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ إِنَاثًا

(He bestows female upon whom He wills.) means, He gives them daughters only. Al-Baghawi said, "And among them (those who were given daughters only) was Lut, peace be upon him."

وَيَهَبُ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ الذُّكُورَ

(and bestows male upon whom He wills.) means, He gives them sons only. Al-Baghawi said, "Like Ibrahim Al-Khalil, peace be upon him, who did not have any daughters."

أَوْ يُزَوِّجُهُمْ ذُكْرَانًا وَإِنَاثًا ۖ 

(Or He bestows both males and females,) means, He gives to whomsoever He wills both males and females, sons and daughters. Al-Baghawi said, "Like Muhammad ﷺ."

وَيَجْعَلُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ عَقِيمًا ۚ 

(and He renders barren whom He wills.) means, so that he has no children at all. Al-Baghawi said, "Like Yahya and 'Isa, peace be upon them." So people are divided into four categories: some are given daughters, some are given sons, some are given both sons and daughters, and some are not given either sons or daughters, but they are rendered barren, with no offspring.

إِنَّهُ عَلِيمٌ

(Verily, He is the All-Knower) means, He knows who deserves to be in which of these categories.

 قَدِيرٌ 

(and is Able (to do all things).) means, to do whatever He wills and to differentiate between people in this manner. This issue is similar to that referred to in the Ayah where Allah says of 'Isa, peace be upon him:

وَلِنَجْعَلَهُ آيَةً لِلنَّاسِ

(And (We wish) to appoint him as a sign to mankind)(19:21): i.e., proof for them of His power, for He created people in four different ways. Adam, peace be upon him, was created from clay, from neither a male nor a female. Hawwa', peace be upon her, was created from a male without a female. All other people, besides 'Isa, peace be upon him, were created from male and female, and this sign of Allah was completed with the creation of 'Isa bin Maryam, may peace be upon them both, who was created from a female without a male. Allah says:

وَلِنَجْعَلَهُ آيَةً لِلنَّاسِ

(And (We wish) to appoint him as a sign to mankind)(19: 21). This issue has to do with parents, whilst the previous issue has to do with children, and in each case there are four categories. Glory be to the All-Knower Who is Able to do all things.