Initiating creation and bringing it back
يَبْدَؤُا۟ ٱلْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُۥ
yabdaʾu l-khalqa thumma yuʿīduhu — initiates the creation, then brings it back
In the verses given, the roots ب د ا and ع و د are repeatedly paired in a fixed order: an act of beginning is followed by an act of returning or repeating, applied both to God's action on creation and to human beings' return to Him.
In the verses given, the two roots are set against each other in a fixed sequence: the ب د ا verb comes first, the ع و د verb second — joined by ثُمَّ in (10:4), (10:34), (27:64), (29:19), (30:11) and (30:27), compared by كَمَا in (7:29) and (21:104), and joined by وَ in (34:49) and (85:13). In (10:4), (10:34), (27:64), (29:19), (30:11) and (30:27) the pair is applied to God and the same object, الْخَلْق: He initiates (يَبْدَؤُ / يُبْدِئُ) the creation, then brings it back (يُعِيدُهُ). (21:104) states the same with first-person forms — 'just as We began the first creation, We bring it back' — and (85:13) compresses the pair to its bare verbs, 'it is He who initiates and brings back', with no stated object. (34:49) transfers the pair to falsehood: it 'neither initiates anything nor brings it back', negating both verbs. Two verses extend the pair from God's action to human destiny: in (7:29) 'as He began you, so you return' pairs بَدَأَكُمْ with تَعُودُونَ, and (30:11) adds 'then to Him you are returned' after the divine pair. The pairing is thus directional: beginning precedes return, and the return is presented as the counterpart of the beginning — whether of creation by its Maker or of people to Him.
Where it occurs
- 7:29 Pairs God's beginning of the addressees with their returning: 'as He began you, so you return'.
- 10:4 God initiates the creation then brings it back, as grounds for recompense at the place of return.
- 10:34 The pair is posed as a challenge to the join-partners and then affirmed of Allah, twice in one verse.
- 21:104 First-person pair: 'just as We began the first creation, We bring it back', a promise binding on Us.
- 27:64 The pair identifies 'the one who originates the creation, then brings it back', asked as proof against any god along with Allah.
- 29:19 The pair is what the addressees have not seen: how Allah initiates the creation then brings it back, easy for Him.
- 30:11 The divine pair is followed by the human counterpart: 'then to Him you are returned'.
- 30:27 The pair characterises 'the One who initiates the creation, then brings it back', with the return called easier for Him.
- 34:49 Both verbs are negated of falsehood: it neither initiates anything nor brings it back.
- 85:13 The pair reduced to two bare verbs: 'it is He who initiates and brings back'.
All Qur'anic expressions