khalq jadīd — a new creation
خَلْقٍ جَدِيدٍ
khalqin jadīd — a new creation
Across the eight verses given, the phrase 'a new creation' appears in two distinct frames: as the object of skeptical questioning about being raised after death, and as what God brings if He wills after taking people away. Read together, the occurrences show the phrase consistently marking a creation that follows the end or dissolution of the present one.
In the verses given, the phrase khalq jadīd occurs in two settings. In five verses it occurs inside quoted skeptical speech about being recreated after death or destruction: 'shall we indeed be in a new creation?' (13:5), 'will we indeed be raised as a new creation?' (17:49, 17:98), 'will we indeed be in a new creation?' (32:10), 'you will indeed be in a new creation' (34:7); in 50:15 the text itself comments: 'they are in a confusion regarding a new creation'. In four of these the speakers are identified as those who deny or cover up: 'those are the ones who have denied their Lord' (13:5), 'they covered up (the truth of) Our signs' (17:98), 'those who have covered [the truth]' (34:7), 'they are deniers of the encounter with their Lord' (32:10); the identical question in 17:49 is attributed in 17:98, and 50:15 says only 'they'. The phrase also occurs twice in a different frame: 'If He wills, He can take you away and bring a new creation' (14:19) and 'If He wills, He can remove you and bring a new creation' (35:16), where the new creation is what God brings after removing the present people. Reading the occurrences side by side shows that in every verse given the phrase denotes a creation that comes after the present one has ended — by becoming dust (13:5), bones and fragments (17:49, 17:98), being lost in the earth (32:10), being torn apart (34:7), or being taken away (14:19, 35:16). The verse 50:15 makes this sequence explicit by pairing the phrase with 'the first creation' in the same verse.
Where it occurs
- 13:5 Object of the skeptics' question 'shall we indeed be in a new creation?' after becoming dust.
- 14:19 What God brings after taking people away, if He wills.
- 17:49 Object of the skeptics' question about being raised as a new creation after becoming bones and fragments.
- 17:98 Same question as 17:49, quoted as the reason for the recompense described.
- 32:10 Object of the skeptics' question after being lost in the earth.
- 34:7 What those who have covered the truth say a man informs people of: that when they are torn apart they will be in a new creation.
- 35:16 What God brings after removing people, if He wills.
- 50:15 What the people are said to be in confusion about, set against 'the first creation' in the same verse.
All Qur'anic expressions