Surah Al-Ahqaf · Ayah 3·Makkī

3

مَا وَمَا إِلَّا وَٱلَّذِينَ عَمَّآ ﴿٣﴾

Translation

Saheeh International

We did not create the heavens and earth and what is between them except in truth and [for] a specified term. But those who disbelieve, from that of which they are warned, are turning away.

Compare all 34 translations →

Tafsīr

No commentary indexed for this ayah yet.

Verse DNA · this āyah at a glance

Vocabulary and recitation are counted from the morphology and the Uthmani marks; commentary reports whether an authored tafsīr entry reaches this āyah. A structural read, not a judgement — a denser strip is not a weightier verse.

Vocabulary · 9 roots in 10 of 15 words

Recitation · 23 points across 6 rule families

  • Madd ṭabīʿī10
  • Qalqalah1
  • Lām shamsiyyah3
  • Idghām (with ghunnah)3
  • Ghunnah3
  • Heavy rāʾ3

Commentary

No tafsīr entry reaches this āyah yet — the interpretive layer covers a pilot, not the whole Book.

Shape

15 words · 70 letters · āyah 3 of 35

once in the Qurʾān2–10×11–50×51–300×300+×

Similar verses by meaning

Ranked by semantic similarity over translation embeddings — a model’s proxy for meaning, not a claim about it, and not tafsīr. Verses may be kin in theme while differing entirely in wording.

  • Quran 38:27 · Saadvery close

    وَمَا خَلَقْنَا ٱلسَّمَآءَ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا بَٰطِلًا ذَٰلِكَ ظَنُّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ فَوَيْلٌ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِنَ ٱلنَّارِ

    And We did not create the heaven and the earth and that between them aimlessly. That is the assumption of those who disbelieve, so woe to those who disbelieve from the Fire.

  • Quran 32:10 · As-Sajdaclose

    وَقَالُوٓا۟ أَءِذَا ضَلَلْنَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ أَءِنَّا لَفِى خَلْقٍ جَدِيدٍۭ بَلْ هُم بِلِقَآءِ رَبِّهِمْ كَٰفِرُونَ

    And they say, "When we are lost within the earth, will we indeed be [recreated] in a new creation?" Rather, they are, in [the matter of] the meeting with their Lord, disbelievers.

  • Quran 15:85 · Al-Hijrclose

    وَمَا خَلَقْنَا ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَآ إِلَّا بِٱلْحَقِّ وَإِنَّ ٱلسَّاعَةَ لَـَٔاتِيَةٌ فَٱصْفَحِ ٱلصَّفْحَ ٱلْجَمِيلَ

    And We have not created the heavens and earth and that between them except in truth. And indeed, the Hour is coming; so forgive with gracious forgiveness.

  • Quran 21:30 · Al-Anbiyaaclose

    أَوَلَمْ يَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ كَانَتَا رَتْقًا فَفَتَقْنَٰهُمَا وَجَعَلْنَا مِنَ ٱلْمَآءِ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ حَىٍّ أَفَلَا يُؤْمِنُونَ

    Have those who disbelieved not considered that the heavens and the earth were a joined entity, and We separated them and made from water every living thing? Then will they not…

  • Quran 44:38 · Ad-Dukhaanclose

    وَمَا خَلَقْنَا ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا لَٰعِبِينَ

    And We did not create the heavens and earth and that between them in play.

  • Quran 10:101 · Yunusclose

    قُلِ ٱنظُرُوا۟ مَاذَا فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا تُغْنِى ٱلْـَٔايَٰتُ وَٱلنُّذُرُ عَن قَوْمٍ لَّا يُؤْمِنُونَ

    Say, "Observe what is in the heavens and earth." But of no avail will be signs or warners to a people who do not believe

Verses built from the same roots

Ranked by shared vocabulary (idf-cosine over each verse’s root-set). Shared words are a fact about form — they do not by themselves mean two verses are about the same thing.

  • Ar-Room 30:85 shared roots

    أَوَلَمْ يَتَفَكَّرُوا۟ فِىٓ أَنفُسِهِم مَّا خَلَقَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَآ إِلَّا بِٱلْحَقِّ وَأَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِ بِلِقَآئِ رَبِّهِمْ لَكَٰفِرُونَ

    أ-ج-لخ-ل-قح-ق-قس-م-وأ-ر-ض

  • Al-Ankaboot 29:444 shared roots

    خَلَقَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ بِٱلْحَقِّ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَةً لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

    خ-ل-قح-ق-قس-م-وأ-ر-ض

  • Ash-Shu'araa 26:1152 shared roots

    إِنْ أَنَا۠ إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ

    ن-ذ-رب-ي-ن

  • Al-Kahf 18:1002 shared roots

    وَعَرَضْنَا جَهَنَّمَ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْكَٰفِرِينَ عَرْضًا

    ع-ر-ضك-ف-ر

  • Yaseen 36:703 shared roots

    لِّيُنذِرَ مَن كَانَ حَيًّا وَيَحِقَّ ٱلْقَوْلُ عَلَى ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ

    ن-ذ-رح-ق-قك-ف-ر

  • Al-Hijr 15:892 shared roots

    وَقُلْ إِنِّىٓ أَنَا ٱلنَّذِيرُ ٱلْمُبِينُ

    ن-ذ-رب-ي-ن

Questions

Which verses are similar to Quran 46:3?

Verses close in meaning to Quran 46:3 include Quran 38:27 (Surah Saad), Quran 32:10 (Surah As-Sajda), Quran 15:85 (Surah Al-Hijr), and Quran 21:30 (Surah Al-Anbiyaa). For example, 38:27 reads: “And We did not create the heaven and the earth and that between them aimlessly. That is the assumption of those who disbelieve, so woe to those who disbelieve from the Fire.” These are ranked by comparing translations of every verse in the Qurʾān, so they are a measure of similar wording and theme — not a tafsīr ruling.

What does Quran 46:3 say?

In Saheeh International, Quran 46:3 (Surah Al-Ahqaf, The Dunes) reads: “We did not create the heavens and earth and what is between them except in truth and [for] a specified term. But those who disbelieve, from that of which they are warned, are turning away.”

Which surah is verse 46:3 in?

Quran 46:3 is āyah 3 of Surah Al-Ahqaf (The Dunes), chapter 46 of the Qurʾān — a Meccan (Makkī) surah of 35 verses.

In how many languages can I read Quran 46:3?

Tartīl presents Quran 46:3 in the original Arabic alongside 34 translations, with audio recitation.