Adh-Dhariyat 51:21
The Winnowing Winds · Juz 26 · Page 521
وَفِيٓ أَنفُسِكُمۡۚ أَفَلَا تُبۡصِرُونَ ٢١
And in yourselves. Then will you not see?
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 51:21
Thus Allah says: وَفِي أَنفُسِكُمْ أَفَلَا تُبْصِرُونَ (... and in your own selves! So, do you not perceive? ....51:21). Out of the innumerous signs of Allah's power which are present everywhere in the universe, including the heavenly and celestial beings and creatures, only those signs are referred to here which are available on earth, because they are very close to man's experience, and he resides and moves about among them. The present verse now speaks of man himself. Man is required to ponder on his own body, its limbs and organs. Every single part of the body testifies to the boundless Wisdom of Allah, and it will make him realize that his small being represents and encompasses almost all the divine signs that are scattered in the vast universe. That is why man is termed as 'the universe in miniature', because all types of creation are present in his existence. If a man thinks of all phases he has passed through right from his birth till his death, he may perceive the power of Allah Ta’ ala as if he discerns Him clearly.
The Development of the Sperm and Embryo in the Womb
Human microscopic sperm and egg is an amazing phenomenon. It is made up of foodstuff and tenuous particles from various parts of the world. If the sperm establishes itself in the mother's womb, then more material is added to it, and it changes into a red clot. It then changes and becomes a shapeless lump of flesh, like a piece of meat with no form or shape. Then out of this shapeless lump bones are fashioned; then the bones are clothed with flesh; and it starts to take on a form and shape, developing a head, arms, chest, stomach, thighs, legs, feet and all its members. A wonderful brain is placed under its skull in whose complicated layers lie all mental abilities. Thus equipping it, Allah sends an angel to it who breathes the soul into it. After the completion of its creation, it is brought into this world where he develops from infancy to full adulthood to old age. Then he gradually progresses from zero level of knowledge and consciousness to an intelligent, rational and active being. The human forms and shapes are so different that no two faces are identical in millions and billions of people even in a small area. Furthermore, there are differences in their temperaments, dispositions and habits. There is unity in this diversity. All this is the marvel of the perfect power of Allah who has neither partners nor rivals: فَتَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِينَ "So blessed is Allah, the Best Creator!" (23:14)Man experiences all this not from outside himself, but within himself, day and night. Only a person who is absolutely blind and senseless will ever deny the existence of Allah. Therefore, at the conclusion of the verse, the Qur'an poses the rhetorical question: "So, do you not perceive?" (21) A person need not be very intelligent to understand the facts of life. If his sight is intact, he can arrive at the right conclusion.
Page 521
51:7
وَٱلسَّمَآءِ ذَاتِ ٱلۡحُبُكِ ٧
By the heaven containing pathways,1
1 translator’s note
- Explained as tracks, layers or orbits. ↩
51:8
إِنَّكُمۡ لَفِي قَوۡلٖ مُّخۡتَلِفٖ ٨
Indeed, you are in differing speech.1
1 translator’s note
- About Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ) and the Qur’ān. ↩
51:9
يُؤۡفَكُ عَنۡهُ مَنۡ أُفِكَ ٩
Deluded away from it [i.e., the Qur’ān] is he who is deluded.
51:10
قُتِلَ ٱلۡخَرَّٰصُونَ ١٠
Destroyed are the misinformers1
1 translator’s note
- Or "May they be destroyed" or "cursed." ↩
51:11
ٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ فِي غَمۡرَةٖ سَاهُونَ ١١
Who are within a flood [of confusion] and heedless.
51:12
يَسۡـَٔلُونَ أَيَّانَ يَوۡمُ ٱلدِّينِ ١٢
They ask, "When is the Day of Recompense?"
51:13
يَوۡمَ هُمۡ عَلَى ٱلنَّارِ يُفۡتَنُونَ ١٣
[It is] the Day they will be tormented over the Fire
51:14
ذُوقُواْ فِتۡنَتَكُمۡ هَٰذَا ٱلَّذِي كُنتُم بِهِۦ تَسۡتَعۡجِلُونَ ١٤
[And will be told], "Taste your torment. This is that for which you were impatient."
51:15
إِنَّ ٱلۡمُتَّقِينَ فِي جَنَّٰتٖ وَعُيُونٍ ١٥
Indeed, the righteous will be among gardens and springs,
51:16
ءَاخِذِينَ مَآ ءَاتَىٰهُمۡ رَبُّهُمۡۚ إِنَّهُمۡ كَانُواْ قَبۡلَ ذَٰلِكَ مُحۡسِنِينَ ١٦
Accepting what their Lord has given them. Indeed, they were before that doers of good.
51:17
كَانُواْ قَلِيلٗا مِّنَ ٱلَّيۡلِ مَا يَهۡجَعُونَ ١٧
They used to sleep but little of the night,1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., spending a portion of the night in prayer and supplication. ↩
51:18
وَبِٱلۡأَسۡحَارِ هُمۡ يَسۡتَغۡفِرُونَ ١٨
And in the hours before dawn they would ask forgiveness,
51:19
وَفِيٓ أَمۡوَٰلِهِمۡ حَقّٞ لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلۡمَحۡرُومِ ١٩
And from their properties was [given] the right of the [needy] petitioner and the deprived.
51:20
وَفِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ ءَايَٰتٞ لِّلۡمُوقِنِينَ ٢٠
And on the earth are signs for the certain [in faith]
51:21
وَفِيٓ أَنفُسِكُمۡۚ أَفَلَا تُبۡصِرُونَ ٢١
And in yourselves. Then will you not see?
51:22
وَفِي ٱلسَّمَآءِ رِزۡقُكُمۡ وَمَا تُوعَدُونَ ٢٢
And in the heaven is your provision and whatever you are promised.
51:23
فَوَرَبِّ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ إِنَّهُۥ لَحَقّٞ مِّثۡلَ مَآ أَنَّكُمۡ تَنطِقُونَ ٢٣
Then by the Lord of the heaven and earth, indeed, it is truth - just as [sure as] it is that you are speaking.
51:24
هَلۡ أَتَىٰكَ حَدِيثُ ضَيۡفِ إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ ٱلۡمُكۡرَمِينَ ٢٤
Has there reached you the story of the honored guests of Abraham?1 -
1 translator’s note
- Who were angels given honored positions by Allāh. ↩
51:25
إِذۡ دَخَلُواْ عَلَيۡهِ فَقَالُواْ سَلَٰمٗاۖ قَالَ سَلَٰمٞ قَوۡمٞ مُّنكَرُونَ ٢٥
When they entered upon him and said, "[We greet you with] peace." He answered, "[And upon you] peace; [you are] a people unknown."
51:26
فَرَاغَ إِلَىٰٓ أَهۡلِهِۦ فَجَآءَ بِعِجۡلٖ سَمِينٖ ٢٦
Then he went to his family and came with a fat [roasted] calf.
51:27
فَقَرَّبَهُۥٓ إِلَيۡهِمۡ قَالَ أَلَا تَأۡكُلُونَ ٢٧
And placed it near them; he said, "Will you not eat?"
51:28
فَأَوۡجَسَ مِنۡهُمۡ خِيفَةٗۖ قَالُواْ لَا تَخَفۡۖ وَبَشَّرُوهُ بِغُلَٰمٍ عَلِيمٖ ٢٨
And he felt from them apprehension.1 They said, "Fear not," and gave him good tidings of a learned boy.
1 translator’s note
- See footnote to 11:70. ↩
51:29
فَأَقۡبَلَتِ ٱمۡرَأَتُهُۥ فِي صَرَّةٖ فَصَكَّتۡ وَجۡهَهَا وَقَالَتۡ عَجُوزٌ عَقِيمٞ ٢٩
And his wife approached with a cry [of alarm] and struck her face and said, "[I am] a barren old woman!"
51:30
قَالُواْ كَذَٰلِكِ قَالَ رَبُّكِۖ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ ٱلۡعَلِيمُ ٣٠
They said, "Thus has said your Lord; indeed, He is the Wise, the Knowing."
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy