Be, and it is
"Be, and it is" (Arabic: كُنْ فَيَكُونُ, romanized: kun fa-yakūn) is a central Quranic phrase denoting God's supreme creative authority, whereby He commands existence into being with a single decree, manifesting His will instantaneously without need for means or process. This expression underscores the omnipotence of God (Allah) in Islamic theology, illustrating that creation—whether the universe, human life, or resurrection—occurs solely at His behest.[1] The phrase recurs eight times across the Quran, appearing in seven surahs to emphasize divine sovereignty in diverse contexts, including the origination of the heavens and earth (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:117), the miraculous conception of Jesus (Surah Ali 'Imran 3:47 and Surah Maryam 19:35), the creation of Adam (Surah Ali 'Imran 3:59), the general process of human creation and resurrection (Surah Ghafir 40:68), and God's command over all affairs (Surah Al-An'am 6:73, Surah An-Nahl 16:40, and Surah Ya-Sin 36:82).[1][2] In each instance, it highlights that God's intent translates directly into reality, reinforcing monotheistic principles against polytheism or anthropomorphic interpretations of divinity. Exegetes interpret kun fa-yakūn not as literal speech but as an analogical representation of God's eternal, unmediated will, avoiding notions of temporal sequence or physical utterance.[1] This concept permeates Islamic thought, influencing discussions on tawhid (the oneness of God), miracles, and eschatology, and it serves as a reminder of human dependence on divine decree. In Sufi mysticism, it symbolizes the soul's alignment with divine command to achieve spiritual realization, while in jurisprudence, it affirms God's transcendence beyond created limitations. The phrase's repetition strategically counters objections to divine power, such as denials of resurrection or prophetic miracles, by affirming that all is subject to God's effortless fiat.Linguistic Aspects
Arabic Phrase and Pronunciation
The Quranic phrase "Be, and it is" is rendered in Arabic as كُنْ فَيَكُونُ (kun fa-yakūn), a concise expression encapsulating divine command.[3] This phrase breaks down into two primary components: "kun" (كُنْ), the imperative form of the verb kāna (to be), directly commanding "Be"; and "fa-yakūn" (فَيَكُونُ), where fa serves as a syndetic conjunction meaning "then" or "so," followed by yakūn, the third-person masculine singular present tense (or jussive mood) indicating "it becomes" or "it is."[3] In classical Arabic phonetics, the phrase is transcribed as /kun fa jaˈkuːn/, featuring short vowels in "kun" (/kun/) and an elongated ū sound in "yakūn" (/jaˈkuːn/), with the ya pronounced as a palatal approximant (/ja/). The initial k is a voiceless velar plosive, articulated with a distinct, emphatic closure typical of Quranic recitation in the tajwīd tradition, emphasizing rhythmic flow and clarity.[2] Grammatically, "kun fa-yakūn" functions as a divine imperative in Arabic rhetoric, structured to convey instantaneous enactment without need for intermediaries or processes, highlighting the immediacy of the command through the juxtaposition of imperative and consequential present forms.[3] This construction recurs across multiple verses in the Quran, underscoring its stylistic consistency.[3]Translations and Interpretations
The phrase "Kun fa yakun" from the Quran has been rendered in English translations with slight variations that reflect debates over conveying immediacy versus a subtle process of realization. The Sahih International translation opts for "Be, and it is," emphasizing the instantaneous effect of the divine command.[4] Similarly, Marmaduke Pickthall's rendering is "Be! and it is," underscoring the directness of creation without intermediary steps. However, some translations, such as those appearing in contextual analyses of verses like 3:47, use "Be, and it becomes" to highlight a nuanced transition from command to existence, sparking scholarly discussion on whether the phrasing prioritizes absolute fiat or a dynamic unfolding.[5] Linguists and classical exegetes interpret "kun" as an imperative form functioning as a creative fiat—an absolute, unqualified command that invokes existence without precondition. The particle "fa" in "fa yakun" serves as a connector denoting causal immediacy, linking the utterance to its instant fulfillment and amplifying the rhetorical elegance of the expression. In his tafsir, Al-Tabari describes this construction as one of the most concise and potent in Arabic rhetoric, where the simplicity of "kun" mirrors the effortless authority of the divine will, drawing on narrations from early scholars like Qatadah to illustrate its unparalleled brevity in conveying cosmic origination.[6] Non-English translations often adapt the phrase to capture its existential essence while aligning with idiomatic structures. In French, a common rendering is "Sois, et cela est," which stresses the declarative act of being brought into reality.[7] This variation preserves the focus on immediate instantiation, akin to the English forms, but employs "sois" (an imperative of "to be") to evoke a philosophical undertone of pure existence.Quranic Occurrences
List of Verses
The phrase "كُنْ فَيَكُونُ" (kun fayakūn), rendered in English as "Be, and it is," appears in eight verses of the Quran, underscoring the immediacy of divine will in bringing things into existence. The following table enumerates these occurrences by surah and ayah, with the full Arabic text of each verse for reference:| Surah and Ayah | Arabic Text |
|---|---|
| Al-Baqarah (2:117) | بَدِيعُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۖ وَإِذَا قَضَىٰ أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ[8] |
| Al-Imran (3:47) | قَالَتْ رَبِّ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِي وَلَدٌ وَلَمْ يَمْسَسْنِي بَشَرٌ ۖ قَالَ كَذَٰلِكِ اللَّهُ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَاءُ ۚ إِذَا قَضَىٰ أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ[9] |
| Al-Imran (3:59) | إِنَّ مَثَلَ عِيسَىٰ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ آدَمَ ۖ خَلَقَهُ مِنْ تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ[10] |
| Al-An'am (6:73) | وَهُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ بِالْحَقِّ ۖ وَيَوْمَ يَقُولُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ ۚ قَوْلُهُ الْحَقُّ ۚ وَلَهُ الْمُلْكُ يَوْمَ يُنْفَخُ فِي الصُّورِ ۚ عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ ۚ وَهُوَ الْحَكِيمُ الْخَبِيرُ[11] |
| Al-Nahl (16:40) | إِنَّمَا قَوْلُنَا لِشَيْءٍ إِذَا أَرَدْنَاهُ أَنْ نَقُولَ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ[12] |
| Maryam (19:35) | مَا كَانَ لِلَّهِ أَنْ يَتَّخِذَ مِنْ وَلَدٍ ۖ سُبْحَانَهُ ۚ إِذَا قَضَىٰ أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ[13] |
| Ya-Sin (36:82) | إِنَّمَا أَمْرُهُ إِذَا أَرَادَ شَيْئًا أَنْ يَقُولَ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ[4] |
| Ghafir (40:68) | هُوَ الَّذِي يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ ۖ فَإِذَا قَضَىٰ أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ[14] |