Ayah 55:26 — Central Message

كُلُّ مَنْ عَلَيْهَا فَانٍ

“Everyone on it (i.e., the earth) will cease to exist”.

Life’s temporariness and inevitable end

Language and Morphology

مَنْ vs مَا

مَنْ indicates beings with intellect

  • مَنْ is used for those who possess ʿaql (mind and intellect), unlike مَا used for non-intelligent entities.
  • Thus, the verse refers to the demise of every human upon the earth; it is not speaking about the destruction of the earth itself.
Scope: humans on earth Focus: mortality
Morphology

فَانٍ — Active participle with a strong implication

  • فَانٍ is the ism al-fāʿil (active participle) from فَنِيَ – يَفْنَى – فناء.
  • This form is used to describe someone very old and on the verge of death, signalling the cessation of prior function.
  • It implies that everyone on earth is proceeding toward ceasing to exist.
  • This word appears once in the Qur’an.
Unique occurrence Semantic: nearing an end

The Designed Temporariness of Life

Creation perspective

A third dimension in creation

After balance in the heavens and beauty on earth, this verse highlights a third dimension: things in this world—including ourselves—were created to perish.

Human condition

Aging, weakening, and perishing

Human life was designed to be temporary. We are made to age, weaken, and ultimately die, despite the wish to resist aging and prolong life.

Flow of time

Inevitable progression to an end

Existence in this world carries a built-in direction toward cessation; everyone is proceeding toward death.

Contextual Insight (Ibn ‘Ashour)

Blessings and inevitability

Blessings don’t shield from decreed ends

  • After mentioning ships that sail and provide safety, a reminder follows: worldly blessings do not shield people from what Allah has decreed—death and ceasing to exist.
  • The placement subtly signals that worldly blessings will ultimately cease.
Benefit and orientation

Toward the enduring life

  • The reminder of universal perishing helps people prepare for the enduring life—the hereafter—by performing righteous deeds.
  • It prompts reflection on Allah’s immense power, turning toward His oneness and seeking His pleasure.
Destiny and recompense

The fate of everyone upon the earth

The destiny of everyone upon the earth is to cease to exist. This is a sober reminder of death and what comes after it in terms of recompense.

Key Takeaways

Scope and meaning

  • مَنْ targets humans with intellect; the verse is about human mortality, not earth’s annihilation.
  • فَانٍ conveys an imminent end of function and a steady movement toward cessation.

Perspective and response

  • Worldly blessings are temporary and do not prevent death.
  • Remember temporariness to prepare for the hereafter, perform righteous deeds, and seek Allah’s pleasure.
Ayah 26