Quran Universe
40:67

هُوَ ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن تُرَابٖ ثُمَّ مِن نُّطۡفَةٖ ثُمَّ مِنۡ عَلَقَةٖ ثُمَّ يُخۡرِجُكُمۡ طِفۡلٗا ثُمَّ لِتَبۡلُغُوٓاْ أَشُدَّكُمۡ ثُمَّ لِتَكُونُواْ شُيُوخٗاۚ وَمِنكُم مَّن يُتَوَفَّىٰ مِن قَبۡلُۖ وَلِتَبۡلُغُوٓاْ أَجَلٗا مُّسَمّٗى وَلَعَلَّكُمۡ تَعۡقِلُونَ

Huwa allathee khalaqakum min turabin thumma min nutfatin thumma min AAalaqatin thumma yukhrijukum tiflan thumma litablughoo ashuddakum thumma litakoonoo shuyookhan waminkum man yutawaffa min qablu walitablughoo ajalan musamman walaAAallakum taAAqiloona

It is He who created you from dust, then from a sperm-drop, then from a clinging clot; then He brings you out as a child; then [He develops you] that you reach your [time of] maturity, then [further] that you become elders. And among you is he who is taken in death before [that], so that you reach a specified term; and perhaps you will use reason.

Word by word
  1. هُوَHe
  2. ٱلَّذِي(is) the One Who
  3. خَلَقَكُمcreated you
  4. مِّنfrom
  5. تُرَابٖdust
  6. ثُمَّthen
  7. مِنfrom
  8. نُّطۡفَةٖa semen-drop
  9. ثُمَّthen
  10. مِنۡfrom
  11. عَلَقَةٖa clinging substance
  12. ثُمَّthen
  13. يُخۡرِجُكُمۡHe brings you out
  14. طِفۡلٗا(as) a child
  15. ثُمَّthen
  16. لِتَبۡلُغُوٓاْlets you reach
  17. أَشُدَّكُمۡyour maturity
  18. ثُمَّthen
  19. لِتَكُونُواْlets you become
  20. شُيُوخٗاۚold
  21. وَمِنكُمand among you
  22. مَّن(is he) who
  23. يُتَوَفَّىٰdies
  24. مِنbefore
  25. قَبۡلُۖbefore
  26. وَلِتَبۡلُغُوٓاْand lets you reach
  27. أَجَلٗاa term
  28. مُّسَمّٗىspecified
  29. وَلَعَلَّكُمۡand that you may
  30. تَعۡقِلُونَuse reason
Ghafir · 40:67Makkah

Dust, a drop, a clot, a child, an adult, an elder.

Every stage of your life is in His hand

Your stages
dust
drop, clot
a child
full strength
an elderif you reach it
Who controls the timeline
I plan my lifeall the way to old age
He sets the termsome leave earlier

Ibn Kathir explains that Allah alone takes you through each stage, by His command and decree. Some die before birth, some in childhood or youth, before old age. Ibn Jurayj said this is so you may remember the Resurrection.

You have a five-year plan, a pension calculator, a bucket list for retirement. Good. But you also know someone who never reached thirty. The term is His. Live today as if it counts.

I will have plenty of time to get serious later.

Every stage is from Allah and the end is set by Him, so today matters.

Try this

Do one thing today you have been saving for when you are older and more serious.

Related22:5
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 40:66)

Say: "I have been forbidden to worship those whom you worship besides Allah, since there have come to me evidences from my Lord; and I am commanded to submit to the Lord of all that exists (66)It is He, Who has created you from dust, then from a Nutfah then from a clot (a piece of coagulated blood), then brings you forth as an infant, then (makes you grow) to reach the age of full strength, and afterwards to be old – though some among you die before – and that you reach an appointed term in order that you may understand (67)It is He Who gives life and causes death. And when He decides upon a thing He says to it only: "Be!" - and it is (68)

The Prohibition of Shirk, the Order for Tawhid, and the Evidence

Allah says, 'say, O Muhammad, to these idolators, that Allah forbids them to worship anyone, such as these idols and false gods, except Him.' Allah explains that no one apart from Him is deserving of worship, as He says:

هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ مِنْ نُطْفَةٍ ثُمَّ مِنْ عَلَقَةٍ ثُمَّ يُخْرِجُكُمْ طِفْلًا ثُمَّ لِتَبْلُغُوا أَشُدَّكُمْ ثُمَّ لِتَكُونُوا شُيُوخًا ۚ 

(It is He, Who has created you from dust, then from a Nutfah then from a clot (a piece of coagulated blood), then brings you forth as an infant, then (makes you grow) to reach the age of full strength, and afterwards to be old.) meaning, He is the One Who Alone, with no partner or associate, causes you to pass through these different stages, and this happens in accordance with His command, will and decree.

وَمِنْكُمْ مَنْ يُتَوَفَّىٰ مِنْ قَبْلُ ۖ 

(though some among you die before) means, before being fully formed and emerging to this world; so his mother miscarries him. And there are some who die in infancy or in their youth, or when they are adults but before they reach old age, as Allah says:

لِنُبَيِّنَ لَكُمْ ۚ وَنُقِرُّ فِي الْأَرْحَامِ مَا نَشَاءُ إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى

(that We may make (it) clear to you. And We cause whom We will to remain in the wombs for an appointed term)(22:5).

وَلِتَبْلُغُوا أَجَلًا مُسَمًّى وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ

(and that you reach an appointed term in order that you may understand.)

Ibn Jurayj said, "In order that you may remember the Resurrection." Then Allah says:

هُوَ الَّذِي يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ ۖ 

(It is He Who gives life and causes death.) meaning, He is the Only One Who does that, and none is able to do that except He.

 فَإِذَا قَضَىٰ أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ

(And when He decides upon a thing He says to it only: "Be!" – and it is.) means, He cannot be opposed or resisted. Whatever He wills definitely comes to pass.