Different translation of هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ ثُمَّ مِنْ عَلَقَةٍ ثُمَّ يُخْرِجُكُمْ طِفْلًا ثُمَّ لِتَبْلُغُوا أَشُدَّكُمْ ثُمَّ لِتَكُونُوا شُيُوخًا ۚ وَمِنكُم مَّن يُتَوَفَّىٰ مِن قَبْلُ ۖ وَلِتَبْلُغُوا أَجَلًا مُّسَمًّى وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ

 Different translation of هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ ثُمَّ مِنْ عَلَقَةٍ ثُمَّ يُخْرِجُكُمْ طِفْلًا ثُمَّ لِتَبْلُغُوا أَشُدَّكُمْ ثُمَّ لِتَكُونُوا شُيُوخًا ۚ وَمِنكُم مَّن يُتَوَفَّىٰ مِن قَبْلُ ۖ وَلِتَبْلُغُوا أَجَلًا مُّسَمًّى وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ

Here are several well-known English translations of Qur’an 40:67 (Huwa alladhī khalaqakum min turābin thumma min nuṭfatin thumma min ʿalaqatin thumma yukhrijukum ṭiflan thumma litablughū ashuddakum thumma litakūnū shuyūkhā wa minkum man yutawaffā min qablu wa litablughū ajalan musamman walaʿallakum taʿqilūn):

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1. Sahih International

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 elderly. And among you is he who is taken in death before [that], so that you may reach a specified term; and perhaps you will use reason.

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2. Pickthall

He it is Who created you from dust, then from a drop (of seed) then from a clot, then bringeth you forth as a child, then (ordaineth) that ye attain full strength and afterward that ye become old men — though some among you die before — and that ye reach an appointed term, that haply ye may understand.

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3. Yusuf Ali (revised)

It is He Who created you from dust, then from a sperm-drop, then from a leech-like clot; then He brings you forth as a child; then that you may attain your full strength; then that you may become old—though some among you are called to die before—and that you may reach a Term appointed; in order that you may learn wisdom.

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4. Muhammad Asad

He it is who creates you out of dust, and then out of a drop of sperm, and then out of a germ-cell; then He brings you forth as an infant, and then He lets you grow [and reach] maturity, and then [He lets you live on] until you become old—though some of you are caused to die earlier—so that you might reach a term set [by Him], and that you might [learn to] use your reason.

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5. Abdel Haleem

It is He who created you from dust, then from a drop of fluid, then from a clinging form; He then brings you out as an infant, then He lets you grow to maturity, then to old age—though some of you die sooner—so that you may reach your appointed term and grow in understanding.

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If you want, I can also give you a word-for-word breakdown of this verse showing how each Arabic term maps into the translation. That would make the differences in meaning clearer. Would you like me to do that next?

You said:

If we say 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 elderly. And among you is he who is taken in death before [that], and (some are left among you) so that they may reach a specified term; and perhaps you will use reason. in place of 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 elderly. And among you is he who is taken in death before [that], so that you may reach a specified term; and perhaps you will use reason. then the meaning become clear. Is there any alternative translation.

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ChatGPT said:

Yes — your rewording is trying to make explicit something that is only implied in the original Arabic.

In وَمِنكُم مَّن يُتَوَفَّىٰ مِن قَبْلُ ۖ وَلِتَبْلُغُوا أَجَلًا مُّسَمًّى, the وَ at the start of وَلِتَبْلُغُوا can be understood as:

• “and so that” (directly connected to what precedes), or

• “and [some are left among you] so that” (elliptical — implied subject, not explicitly stated).

Your version — “and (some are left among you) so that they may reach a specified term” — makes that ellipsis explicit, which does help clarity for English readers.

Here are a couple of alternative renderings that preserve that idea:

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Alternative 1 (explicit group distinction)

It is He who created you from dust, then from a sperm-drop, then from a clinging clot; then He brings you forth as an infant; then He allows you to reach maturity, and then further, to old age. And among you is he who is taken in death before this, while others are left so that they may reach an appointed term — and perhaps you will use reason.

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Alternative 2 (keeping flow but clarifying ellipsis)

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 enables you to reach your full strength, then to grow old. And among you is he who dies before that, and among you is he who is spared so that he may reach a fixed term — so that you may understand.

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Alternative 3 (slightly more literal but adding implied meaning)

He is the One who created you from dust, then from a sperm-drop, then from a clot; then He brings you forth as an infant; then He lets you reach your maturity, and then your old age. Some of you die before this, and some are allowed to live so that they may reach a predetermined term — so that you might reason.