Tafseer of The Romans · Ar-Room · 30:20
And of His signs is that He created you from dust; then, suddenly you were human beings dispersing [throughout the earth].
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The explanation of the saying of the Exalted: وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ إِذَا أَنْتُمْ بَشَرٌ تَنْتَشِرُونَ (30:20) (And among His signs is that He created you from dust; and behold, thereafter you are humans who spread about.)
The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says: And among His proofs that He is the One who is Powerful over whatever He wills — O people — of bringing into existence and causing to perish, calling into being and annihilating, and that all that exists is His creation, is the creation of your forefather from dust. By this He means the creation of Ādam from dust. Thus He described them as having been created by Him from dust, since that was His act toward their forefather Ādam — in accordance with what we have previously expounded concerning the mode of address of the Arabs, that they address a person with that which they did to his forebears, as in their saying: "We have done with you" and "we have done."
And His saying: ثُمَّ إِذَا أنتُمْ بَشَرٌ تَنتَشِرُونَ (and behold, thereafter you are humans who spread about): He says: then, behold, you — O community of the offspring of those whom We created from dust — are بَشَرٌ تَنتَشِرُونَ (humans who spread about); He says: you spread out and go about your ways.
In agreement with what we have said concerning this, the people of exegesis (tafsīr) have spoken.
* Mention of who said that:
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: وَمِنْ آياتِهِ أنْ خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ تُرَابٍ (And among His signs is that He created you from dust): He created Ādam, peace be upon him, from dust. ثُمَّ إِذَا أَنتُمْ بَشَرٌ تَنتَشِرُونَ (and behold, thereafter you are humans who spread about): he means: his offspring.
