Kun Fayakun Meaning (Context: Rockstar song)

If you Google for the meaning of Kun Fayakun, you would somewhere find the words 'Be! And it is' and probably the detail that it's from Arabic.

Well, the meaning, which is literal, has something to do with the creation of this world, as per the Holy Qur'an. Even though Qur'an at various places says that the Earth and Heaven were created in six days, the part that mentions Kun Fayakun goes something like 'When He decrees a thing, He says to it only: "Be!" And it is.'

And it seems that as per the holy book that is how this world was created, instantly, with the phrase Kun Fayakun.

Also the song says jab kahin pe kuch nahi bhi nahi tha, vahi tha vahi tha, that is, when there was not even nothing, He alone was there.

This is what I have been able to find with the various resources available at the point. Any suggestions/discussions are welcome.

More from Rockstar:



For the complete translation of the song, check This Link, courtesy The Bollywood Fan.

67 comments:

Sam said...

This was very useful. I was just about to Google the meaning of the phrase kun faya kun, when I saw this link.

Prakash Khanchandani said...

This meaning seems right to me. I remember a poem by Javed Akhtar named 'Waqt' which uses the word "Kun" ... http://web.archive.org/web/20090106131847/http://www.javedakhtar.com/tarkash/waqt5.htm

asif said...

i don't know upto how much extentit is correct,but i like it

adnan.mustafa73 said...

"Kun fayakun" is a word from the Arabic language.
It appears several times in the Holy Qur'an for example in Chapter 2,Verse 117 where Almighty Allaah says
"... and when He decrees a matter to be, He only says to it ' Be' and it is."
The explanation is that whenever Allaah Wills something to happen it takes place immediately.There is no time lag,not even a moment.
It is a common misconception that the Qur'an says that the earth & the heaven were created in six days.
However when we cross-check from the Qur'an, we see that the Arabic word used is 'six Aiyyaam' which means several hundred thousand worldly years.
And this is a scientifically established fact.

Anonymous said...

adnan.mustafa73 absolutely right. the world was created in six 'yawm'- six equal periods of time. we dont really know how long a yawm is. one is talking about time before time.

Anonymous said...

adnan.mustafa73 ..absolutely right.
The explanation is that whenever Allaah Wills something to happen it takes place immediately.There is no time lag,not even a moment.
It is a common misconception that the Qur'an says that the earth & the heaven were created in six days.

Alok said...

phrase / kun fayakun / ('Be! 'and it is) is not that Allah issues a verbal command with the word 'Be', but the reality is

that when He wills something to exist it exists. There will be no time between that Will and its existence, not even a moment.

in simple words Kun fayakun mean ... jo bhi hai woh uski marji se hai

Anonymous said...

i just love this song n fter knowing exact meaning of these words i fall in love more n more

Anonymous said...

This two words also stats that God made world and other things by making this two words, but when God created man, they used hands to create. This stats how much God loves mankind in front of whole world as creation.

Anonymous said...

nice song..its like getting closer to the supreme..

MAQ Unleashed said...

@adnan.mustafa73
Brother, a day refferred by almight is not the day(time) in the todays world.According to ahadith 1 day equals thousands of days of this world. sittah ayyam is 6 days exactly. which is 6thousands of years.there is no misconception. it depends on how you are explained things.
For almighty he can also create the universe in 6seconds or 6 minutes.

9145 said...

can somebody post the whole meaning of the song - line by line

Anonymous said...

I really love this very much guys who gave the thnx alott i hope da meaning is corrct ....bt aftr knwing the meaning i love thiss much moree ..m still very anxious to knw the meaning of full song plss any1 humble requst pls post it....

Anonymous said...

so true... for it is said.. it's a live example everyone can experience in it's own life!!

Anonymous said...

Such farmaya Allah ne jo Azmat wala hai :) i love dis song only 1 verse itni beautiful hai to Pura Qur'an kitna Beautiful Hoga :) awesome song ...

Anonymous said...

ya the meanin z quite apt....in context f the sng...

Anonymous said...

it would be great if someone could explain this awesome song line by line...
this song certainly has deep essence within it... it imbibes a feeling of acceptance of almighty and his world... and that feeling has been so nicely depicted through lyrics and video. i simply super love it!!

Anonymous said...

I was searching for meaning for this word from so many days. got all answers here. thanxs all :)

Sadiq said...

Here is my take on the song,

Kun FaYaKun full lyrics and translated in english

Anonymous said...

well said adnan.mustafa73

vinay said...

m telling u all peoples that according to best of my understanding meaning of 'kun fyakun' is God is every where and u just have to believe and wait,God made this world n it can change ur life in any moment.And v should thx to our sacrosanct Quran ..........

Nitin said...

Guys, read this explanation on Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kun_%28Islamic_term%29

Anonymous said...

The correct meaning of "Kun Fa ya Kun" is translated as "Be! And it is!," or in some translations, "Be! and it comes into being." The translation into urdu/hindi is "Ho! aur woh ho jaata hai".

'Kun' in Arabic refers to the act of being. And whenever God wants to create a thing, he only has to say 'Kun' (Be) and it comes into being ("fa ya kun" fa means something similar to 'and' ).


Source: Translations of Holy Qur'an in English & Urdu

geetanjali kapoor said...

great song..all comments mean the same, i feel!

Amit Valmiki said...

well,thanks for such updates...

Anonymous said...

These are the words of Holy Quran in surah yasin..kun fayakun..be and it is....urdu meaning...jab allah kuch karne ka iraada karta hai toh usay der nahi lagti wo kehta hai wajood mein aja aur wo ajata hai..

Anonymous said...

thanks man. had been wondering all this while what it is. this was useful.

Mohit said...

Beautiful song" thanx all 4 gr8 explanation. Rehman & Javed ali Rocks!!!!

Anonymous said...

In the name of ALLAH, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

The phrase "Kun Faya Kun" in Quran simply reflects the MAGNIFICENCE of ALLAH, the TRUE GOD. But it is not so simple to understand HIS MAGNIFICENCE.

As the phrase means: "When HE wills something to happen, HE says it to BE, and it is."

Such is the MAGNIFICENCE of TRUE LORD that for HIM is the GREATNESS and POWER, that as soon as HE WILLS something to happen, HE just orders it to BE, and IT is. To HIM belong all the TREASURES and the RESOURCES, and they themselves are due to HIM. Everything is due to HIM. HE is the Creator and the Sustainer, and everything exist simply because of HIS WILL and HIS WILL POWER.

Mystics of the CHISHTI ORDER would simply define all this existence and creation thing as living in HIS MIND and in HIS THOUGHTS.

David said...

Bakwas ...
Statement 1: Allah 'will's and it gets created ... instantly!
Statement 2: 'sittah aiyyam' is not 6 days ... as it literally means but several thousands of years.

This is the kind of skulldugglary that religions indulge in today ... so what was Allah doing toying for 1000s of years with his incredible powers to materialize entire heaven and earth instantly? ... working in super slow motion is it? Stop kidding yourselves and make up your mind guys ... either decide to stick to your granny's story about his ridiculous powers ... or stick to what we all now know as scientific truth ... don't try to give new meanings to defunct texts in a pathetic attempt to bridge the gaping hole between myth and fact. Also did you notice that this creation story sounds so close to another older storybook ... called the bible?

Anonymous said...

Kun fayakun fayakun faykun

to get better, elevated & more accurate feeling of this Arabi words, I translate & put it like this

If we filter the whole existence, the net outcome will be Allah

if we break down & analyse everything into smallest pieces, very basic chemicle of smallest creation will be Allah

If everything is demolished & destroyed, then also something remains which was already there before anything came into reality, that is Allah

Anonymous said...

Most Sufi songs always rock. Iss gane ko sunn kr aakho se tears nikal aaye. Aur ab title ka meaning bhi jaan gaya. Kun fa yakun = be and it is. perhaps

Anonymous said...

@david ... All religions teach us the same thng be it holy bible or holy quran ... Its peoples belief which one to follow .. U being frm a diff religion go for the holy bible and so is the case with ppl frm diff religion ....

Anonymous said...

Guys,The meaning of the song has nothing to do with religion. The song beautifully depicts the truth about origin of the universe. The same is explained in The Bible, Gita, Quran and Science(The Big Bang Theory). Kudos to A R Rehman that his version of the truth is so soothing to heart.

tarana said...

wanted to know the meaning of Kun Faya Kun when i got this link..thanx fr d updates..feels grt to know such beautiful meaning s

Nilotpal said...

I love this song very much!

Khuzaima said...

http://kho4blogging.blogspot.com/2011/11/kun-fayakun.html

Must read. Any comments are welcome. Ty

Anonymous said...

the meaning of words kun faya kun r very well explained......

Anonymous said...

Great song and nice translation, it kinda make u feel happy and get u in peace with ur self just by saying this words.

Anonymous said...

@ David,

Pleas see the link below:
http://www.questionsonislam.com/question/how-many-days-did-it-take-create-heavens-and-earth

Also, this is about a very melodius song and if you want to discuss religions, there are plenty of other websites and forum to do that.

Superb, Melodius, mesmerizing, Amazing bollywood song, I specially love the part by Mohit Chohan.

Anonymous said...

Thanks man. good work

Anonymous said...

david agar tumhe quran ke bare mei nahi pata tho comment kar na chhod do.......

Anonymous said...

stop fighting guys....

Anonymous said...

http://www.mysticsaint.info/2011/10/kun-fayakun-full-meaning-rock-star.html

Anonymous said...

@david: Holy Bible and Holy Quran looks similar because they are from the same GOD or ALLAH...or whatever you can call him..
Christians have hundreds of versions of bible..
You guys try to refine god's words.. Thats impossible...
And you say what we believe is myth... And what scientists says is truth..
THE BIG BANG THEORY... That is yet to be proved...
I dont believe this theory.. A single particle explodes and the whold universe is created...
Ha ha ha...

Anonymous said...

Full explaination of songs

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w-6iOuSRZD4/TofrJk6cwRI/AAAAAAAAHNI/QejEAobTPXY/s1600/translation.jpg

Anonymous said...

Here is the context in which the verse Kun Fa Ya Kun appears: Does man not consider that We created him from a [mere] sperm-drop - then at once he is an open disputant? And he presents an (argument of) likeness for Us and forgets his own creation. He asks (in confusion): "Who will give life to the bones when they are disintegrated?" Say: "He will give life to them Who brought them into existence in the first place, and He is cognizant of all creation." He Who has made for you, from the green tree, fire. and then from it you kindle (fire). Is not He Who created the heavens and the earth able to create the like of them? Yes Indeed! and He is the Superb Creator (of all), the Ever- Knowing.

Anonymous said...

this song had made great impact on my life,thanks to irshad kamil for writing such a wonderful n thoughtful lyrics n rehman for his great composition ,thanks from the dept of my heart

Prashanth said...

@David: I strongly agree with you.
However, I like this song the most.
Hats off, Irshad Kamil !!! Keep going...

Anonymous said...

Yes the words means Be! And it is. But for those of u who have brains so small to understand a concept so simple that there is a Almighty who had created this wirld n its creation as he willed it.@ David n other atheists like him......hv u ever seen anything kept on the table like clay transform into a shape or face by itself without any hands manipulating it.NEVER!! So how come the hands that u use,the brain that thinks that there is no God can exsist on its own,just from nothingness or stupid theories of scientists.Use ur super brains that there is a God;Allah who created these brains and hand n Satan is the manipulator who made u idiots atheist by playing with ur weak hearts and brains.WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!

Anonymous said...

@david
its your view ur believe wouldnt fight with you about that! But when u dnt blv u didnt hav to coment out of all the logics u comenting on a thing u thnk is baqwas is ilogical!
Nd abt the sng its rather spiritual than religious! It has deep meanings in a spiritual way!
The one thing that makes us alive or fr the fact makes al the thngs alive is energy! If energy is thr world is thr...thats hw i would explain kun faya kun. Its like a source is everything that it can be changed into

Anonymous said...

David, Christian philosophers - St. Thomas Aquinas and Aristotle - spent centuries trying to understand the concept of "being." Through this concept - they reached to the understanding that God has subsistent being, contains all the being or goodness within himself. Something that took tons of years for the Christian philosophers to come up with was in the Quran centuries in advance. This song is mere proof of that.

When it comes to mixing Islam and Science: I suggest you do some simple research before you ignorantly post comments against other people's religions. I am a scientist and a proud Muslim. I can genuinely say that there is tons of literature on scientific discoveries that were in the Quran long before their time (the big bang theory actually being one).

And seriously, why be so bashful on a site that is created to appreciate music? If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.

Anonymous said...

@Alok : Well said !!

Bicky said...

What non sense..
I spent my 5 years in college learning that Earth was created b4 4-6 crore years ago by this theory, that theory, may be by that theory and that theory is accepted by every1.. Blah! Blah! Blah!!
But didn't get any theory which said God created everything by sayin 'kun'.. Lolz..
You all shud learn those geography books to know the truth.. Not these funny story books like Quran and Bibal as David said.. Lolz.. Hahahaha!!

Rauf Kalim said...

I read how you are trying to explain كُن فَيَكُونُ (SURA AL-BAQARAH: Verses-117) This says when ALLAH wants to create anything this is how easy it is for HE(ALLAH) to bring it into existence كُن فَيَكُونُ .
And then you quoted another Aya from the Quran that ALLAH created the heavens and the earth in six days --which is true,
Actually what you were trying to say is that ALLAH can do anything by saying كُن فَيَكُونُ then why it took ALLAH 6 days or in other words you are connecting the two Aya which are completly from different Surahs(Chapters) and you can't take half Aya from one Surah and put it with another Aya it changes the whole context and meaning. So what I mean for sure ALLAH can كُن فَيَكُونُ anything the Earth and the heavens but instead he created it in 6 days that's because he is the Lord and he does whatever pleases him He has the knowledge to everything so ALLAH knows best.
-----------------------------------
2.But if you want to make it more logical time frame difference between the earth time and the heaven time is huge 1 day equal to almost 1000 days might be why. I hope it satisfy the topic. Thank you write back if you feel there's still confusion

Anonymous said...

lyrics are all right and meaning too is right

Arman 1337 said...

David: Well to start off would you mind telling me when God/Allah created the dinosaurs given that 65 million years ago the Yucatan extinction occurred as has been scientifically proven... And stop this christian bullshit... We all know that: "What christianity hasn't been able to achieve in 2000 years, Science achieved in less than 200 years".. Indeed if the Roman backed book burning of certain ancient so called 'Pagan Literature' and the heinous Inquisition did not occur we would have achieved the impossible already... Besides its no use trolling against a fellow Abrahamic religion like Islam because if it were not for the Arabs we would still be in The Dark Middle Ages... So suck it up and stop your trolling... So long....

nomijeee said...

Assalam-u-Alaikum guys!
This song is definitely a sufi song that exclaims many spiritual secrets that cant be understood an ordinary person. Besides to be a music blockbuster, this song is astonishing with its meanings. The word " Kun (be or ho ja), fa (then, tou, pass), yakoon (ho jati hai, happens, occurs). This quality is only possessed by the Almighty because only He has the infinite and ultimate power to manage the universe.
All the posts above has revealed the meanings but i want to expose another spiritual truth. If you listening the part "mujhe kr de mujhse hi reha" and mujhe bhi ho deedar mera". this phrase has a secret, if you are familiar with " hamzaad" then you will get the point. Hamzaad is our hidden part inside us like soul. It is 10000 times more powerful than us. It professionals must understand it like a pointer. We are variables and Hamzaad is our pointer. When Sufis practice the muraqba or Zikr "Ya Lateefu Talattuf Al-Lutfu fee Lutoofikum ya Lateef", then after 41 days it appears before you in your own image. But please dont try to capture it withour permission and supervision of a great Sufi, as Hamzaad tries to kill the person who is capturing it. "ab mujhko bhi ho deedar mera" Wassalaam

Chinmay Joshi said...

Here is the translation given by the lyricist himself: http://www.irshadkamil.com/translationsdetails/455

Unknown said...

God created the world in six days.

God created those six days in instant.

The first and second day already gone thousands of years ago.

The third day is the time of "prophet Muhammed's life at the Arab".

The fourth day being the arrival and life span of Isa Ruh Allah who is also called as master Nijananda.The fourth day of God begin 990 and 9 months after Rasul's demise.

The fifth day of Allah is the arrival and re-estabilishment of Islam by Imam Mahdi who is also called as Mahamati Prannath.

The sixth day is day of revelation of Haqqiqat and Marifat of the Koran after 1100 years of Rasul's demise. The sixth day is of importance because it is the sixth day,the day of prayers! The sixth day is also called the day of Fajr as the revelation of Marifat completed after 1100 years time span of Rasul's demise.

For more information, visit www.sanandhonline.blogspot.com

Allah said kun faya kun and created everything that we know exists.

Xulfi said...

I will just discuss the idea of instantaneous creation and creation over. when it is said that when God wants to create something,it materializes, but here you have to think that God is timeless and independent of time and space, this space and time exist inside the will of allah so when allah willed or should i say he is willing,,, the world started and ended!!! but we are not out of this world so we are experiencing space and by having space we have time. Now this time is for me and you.so technically where there is no space their is no time and that why the world is being created, developed,destroyed at the same reference but for us, who are in-between-ers the time exist. that'all.

Unknown said...

To all my friends...thats not a song..this is called kalaam or qawwali..

Anonymous said...

Indeed its qawalli enjoy some 1 wrote it because he is calling him when he is lost

Anonymous said...

This is against the Islamic teaching. To merge the words of Allah with music is a huge sin.

Anonymous said...

Yawm in the context if the sura that this phrase comes from is referring to the etymological meaning which is "phase" or "stage" as in the creation of the earth was done in 6 stages or phases of given independent timings. This is just what i have heard, if I'm wrong please give proof.

Anonymous said...

Beautifully said sir

Unknown said...

jab kahin pe kuch nahi bhi nahi tha, vahi tha vahi tha is a text from Prophet Muhammed hadees in sahih bukhari : "Allah was when there was nothing else than Him

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