Al-Ma'arij 70:19
The Ascending Stairways · Juz 29 · Page 569
۞ إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا ١٩
Indeed, mankind was created anxious:
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 70:19
إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا (Indeed man is created weak in courage...70:19). The halu`, literally, means 'one who is greedy, impatient, lacking courage'. Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ says that the word halu' in the verse refers to a 'person who is greedy about unlawful wealth'. Sayyidna Said Ibn Jubair ؓ says that the word refers to a 'miserly person'. Muqatil says that it refers to a 'person who is impatient and miserly'. All meanings attached assigned to this word are near-synonyms. The word halu' comprehends all these meanings. The verses that follow elaborate on the meaning of this word. In the meantime a doubt might arise here which needs to be disposed of. If it is objected that, according to this verse of the Holy Qur'an, man is created weak in courage, in other words, it is man's nature or his natural weakness, to be impatient, greedy and miserly - then it is not his fault, and why is he declared 'guilty'? This doubt may be allayed thus: Allah has created human nature such that it has the innate capacity to do good as well as evil. He has endowed him with intellect and intelligence. He has raised His Prophets with His Message and sent down His Books clearly stating the consequences of every action chosen by his free will. He has the right to choose between good and bad. Man, in this sense, will be declared 'guilty', and consequently punished on account of freely choosing to do the wrong deed, not on account of his inborn capacity. This interpretation is confirmed by the following verses that speak only of actions of choice.
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70:11
يُبَصَّرُونَهُمۡۚ يَوَدُّ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمُ لَوۡ يَفۡتَدِي مِنۡ عَذَابِ يَوۡمِئِذِۭ بِبَنِيهِ ١١
They will be shown each other. The criminal will wish that he could be ransomed from the punishment of that Day by his children
70:12
وَصَٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِيهِ ١٢
And his wife and his brother
70:13
وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِي تُـٔۡوِيهِ ١٣
And his nearest kindred who shelter him
70:14
وَمَن فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ جَمِيعٗا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ ١٤
And whoever is on earth entirely [so] then it could save him.
70:15
كـَلَّآۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ ١٥
No!1 Indeed, it is the Flame [of Hell],
1 translator’s note
- An emphatic refusal meaning "It is not to be." ↩
70:16
نَزَّاعَةٗ لِّلشَّوَىٰ ١٦
A remover of exteriors.1
1 translator’s note
- This refers to the skin of the head or of the body or to the body extremities - which will be burned away. ↩
70:17
تَدۡعُواْ مَنۡ أَدۡبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ ١٧
It invites he who turned his back [on truth] and went away [from obedience]
70:18
وَجَمَعَ فَأَوۡعَىٰٓ ١٨
And collected [wealth] and hoarded.
70:19
۞ إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا ١٩
Indeed, mankind was created anxious:
70:20
إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعٗا ٢٠
When evil touches him, impatient,
70:21
وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلۡخَيۡرُ مَنُوعًا ٢١
And when good touches him, withholding [of it],
70:22
إِلَّا ٱلۡمُصَلِّينَ ٢٢
Except the observers of prayer -
70:23
ٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمۡ دَآئِمُونَ ٢٣
Those who are constant in their prayer
70:24
وَٱلَّذِينَ فِيٓ أَمۡوَٰلِهِمۡ حَقّٞ مَّعۡلُومٞ ٢٤
And those within whose wealth is a known right1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., a specified share, meaning the obligatory zakāh. ↩
70:25
لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلۡمَحۡرُومِ ٢٥
For the petitioner and the deprived -
70:26
وَٱلَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ ٢٦
And those who believe in the Day of Recompense
70:27
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنۡ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشۡفِقُونَ ٢٧
And those who are fearful of the punishment of their Lord -
70:28
إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمۡ غَيۡرُ مَأۡمُونٖ ٢٨
Indeed, the punishment of their Lord is not that from which one is safe -
70:29
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِفُرُوجِهِمۡ حَٰفِظُونَ ٢٩
And those who guard their private parts
70:30
إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزۡوَٰجِهِمۡ أَوۡ مَا مَلَكَتۡ أَيۡمَٰنُهُمۡ فَإِنَّهُمۡ غَيۡرُ مَلُومِينَ ٣٠
Except from their wives or those their right hands possess,1 for indeed, they are not to be blamed -
1 translator’s note
- i.e., female slaves. ↩
70:31
فَمَنِ ٱبۡتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡعَادُونَ ٣١
But whoever seeks beyond that, then they are the transgressors -
70:32
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِأَمَٰنَٰتِهِمۡ وَعَهۡدِهِمۡ رَٰعُونَ ٣٢
And those who are to their trusts and promises attentive
70:33
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَٰدَٰتِهِمۡ قَآئِمُونَ ٣٣
And those who are in their testimonies upright
70:34
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمۡ يُحَافِظُونَ ٣٤
And those who [carefully] maintain their prayer:
70:35
أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ فِي جَنَّٰتٖ مُّكۡرَمُونَ ٣٥
They will be in gardens,1 honored.
1 translator’s note
- In Paradise. ↩
70:36
فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ قِبَلَكَ مُهۡطِعِينَ ٣٦
So what is [the matter] with those who disbelieve, hastening [from] before you, [O Muḥammad],
70:37
عَنِ ٱلۡيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ ٣٧
[To sit] on [your] right and [your] left in separate groups?1
1 translator’s note
- They sat at a distance in order to oppose and mock the Prophet (ﷺ), claiming that they would enter Paradise before the believers. ↩
70:38
أَيَطۡمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمۡرِيٕٖ مِّنۡهُمۡ أَن يُدۡخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٖ ٣٨
Does every person among them aspire to enter a garden of pleasure?
70:39
كـَلَّآۖ إِنَّا خَلَقۡنَٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعۡلَمُونَ ٣٩
No! Indeed, We have created them from that which they know.1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., a liquid disdained. So how can they expect to enter Paradise except by the will of their Creator? ↩