بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Al-Insan 76:1
The Man · Juz 29 · Page 578
هَلۡ أَتَىٰ عَلَى ٱلۡإِنسَٰنِ حِينٞ مِّنَ ٱلدَّهۡرِ لَمۡ يَكُن شَيۡـٔٗا مَّذۡكُورًا ١
Has there [not] come upon man a period of time when he was not a thing [even] mentioned?
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 76:1
Commentary
Surah Ad-Dahr has also been called Surah Al-Insan (Man) and Surah Al-Abrar (The Righteous) [ Ruh ]. The Surah describes in a very effective, eloquent and elegant style the inception and end of human creation, reward and punishment of deeds, and the conditions of the Hereafter, Paradise and Hell.
هَلْ اَتٰى عَلَي الْاِنْسَانِ حِيْنٌ مِّنَ الدَّهْرِ لَمْ يَكُنْ شَئًْا مَّذْكُوْرًا (There has come upon man a period of time in which he was nothing worth mentioning 76:1). The interrogative particle hal is used [ linguistically ] to introduce an interrogative sentence. Often, however, an interrogative construction is used to emphasise a self-evident truth. Such an interrogative means that whenever this question is put to anyone at anytime, the same answer is likely to come forth. There can be no other possibility. For instance, if a question is posed to anyone in the middle of day 'Is it not a day?', it is an interrogative sentence, but the answer is predictable and will emphasise its obviousness. Therefore, some scholars say that the particle hal is used here in the sense of qad 'indeed'. In both cases, the verse signifies that there has come upon man a period of time in which he was nothing worth mentioning. The word hinun with nunation [ which is the sign of 'indefiniteness'] signifies 'a long indefinite period of time; The verse mentions that a long period of time came upon man. This indicates that man essentially did exist at that time in one form or another, (but he was not worth mentioning), because time could not have come upon 'man' if he was in a state of pure non-existence [ Al-'adam-ul- mahd ]. Therefore, most commentators say that the 'period of time' here refers to the period when he was conceived in the mother's womb till his birth, which normally is nine months. This period covers all the stages of his creation, right from his being a sperm-drop up to his having a body and organs, and then his acquiring life and soul. During this time, he is thought existent, neither his gender is known to anyone, nor his name or his shape or size. Therefore, he is unmentionable.
The statement of the verse may also be taken in a wider sense. The inception of human creation takes place with the sperm that is produced by food. This food and its source and substance was existent in one or other form. If the period of that time is calculated, this long indefinite period of time can stretch into thousands of years. In any case, Allah has drawn man's attention in this verse to a particular fact. If he uses his sense, he will discover his own reality. In addition, he will have no choice but to have complete faith and unshaken belief in the Allah, His Omniscience and His Omnipotence. Suppose, a person of seventy years reflects that he was unmentionable in any way about seventy-one years ago, even his and parents had not imagined his particular existence, though they might have had a general concept of a child, then what caused his creation, what bewildering power drew together particles from different parts of the world to form a perfect human being, making him an intelligent, a hearing and seeing creature? Such a reflection will spontaneously force such a person to confirm the Persian poet who says:
ما نبودیم وتقاضا مانبود، لطف تو ناگفتہ مامی شنود
Page 578
75:20
كـَلَّا بَلۡ تُحِبُّونَ ٱلۡعَاجِلَةَ ٢٠
No! But you [i.e., mankind] love the immediate
75:21
وَتَذَرُونَ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةَ ٢١
And leave [i.e., neglect] the Hereafter.
75:22
وُجُوهٞ يَوۡمَئِذٖ نَّاضِرَةٌ ٢٢
[Some] faces, that Day, will be radiant,
75:23
إِلَىٰ رَبِّهَا نَاظِرَةٞ ٢٣
Looking at their Lord.1
1 translator’s note
- The people of Paradise will actually see their Creator in the Hereafter. ↩
75:24
وَوُجُوهٞ يَوۡمَئِذِۭ بَاسِرَةٞ ٢٤
And [some] faces, that Day, will be contorted,
75:25
تَظُنُّ أَن يُفۡعَلَ بِهَا فَاقِرَةٞ ٢٥
Expecting that there will be done to them [something] backbreaking.
75:26
كـَلَّآ إِذَا بَلَغَتِ ٱلتَّرَاقِيَ ٢٦
No! When it [i.e., the soul] has reached the collar bones1
1 translator’s note
- At the time it is about to leave the body when one is on the verge of death. ↩
75:27
وَقِيلَ مَنۡۜ رَاقٖ ٢٧
And it is said, "Who will cure [him]?"
75:28
وَظَنَّ أَنَّهُ ٱلۡفِرَاقُ ٢٨
And he [i.e., the dying one] is certain that it is the [time of] separation
75:29
وَٱلۡتَفَّتِ ٱلسَّاقُ بِٱلسَّاقِ ٢٩
And the leg is wound about the leg,1
1 translator’s note
- From the difficulties the person faces at death or his sudden awareness of the realities of both this world and the Hereafter. It may also refer to his shrouding after death. ↩
75:30
إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ يَوۡمَئِذٍ ٱلۡمَسَاقُ ٣٠
To your Lord, that Day, will be the procession.1
1 translator’s note
- Literally, "driving" or "herding" or "the place to which one is driven." ↩
75:31
فَلَا صَدَّقَ وَلَا صَلَّىٰ ٣١
And he [i.e., the disbeliever] had not believed, nor had he prayed.
75:32
وَلَٰكِن كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ ٣٢
But [instead], he denied and turned away.
75:33
ثُمَّ ذَهَبَ إِلَىٰٓ أَهۡلِهِۦ يَتَمَطَّىٰٓ ٣٣
And then he went to his people, swaggering [in pride].
75:34
أَوۡلَىٰ لَكَ فَأَوۡلَىٰ ٣٤
Woe to you, and woe!
75:35
ثُمَّ أَوۡلَىٰ لَكَ فَأَوۡلَىٰٓ ٣٥
Then woe to you, and woe!
75:36
أَيَحۡسَبُ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ أَن يُتۡرَكَ سُدًى ٣٦
Does man think that he will be left neglected?1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., to no end, without responsibility, or without being returned to the Creator for judgement. ↩
75:37
أَلَمۡ يَكُ نُطۡفَةٗ مِّن مَّنِيّٖ يُمۡنَىٰ ٣٧
Had he not been a sperm from semen emitted?
75:38
ثُمَّ كَانَ عَلَقَةٗ فَخَلَقَ فَسَوَّىٰ ٣٨
Then he was a clinging clot, and [Allāh] created [his form] and proportioned [him]
75:39
فَجَعَلَ مِنۡهُ ٱلزَّوۡجَيۡنِ ٱلذَّكَرَ وَٱلۡأُنثَىٰٓ ٣٩
And made of him two mates, the male and the female.
75:40
أَلَيۡسَ ذَٰلِكَ بِقَٰدِرٍ عَلَىٰٓ أَن يُحۡـِۧيَ ٱلۡمَوۡتَىٰ ٤٠
Is not that [Creator] Able to give life to the dead?
سورة الانسان
Al-Insan
The Man · Medinan · 31 ayahs
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
76:1
هَلۡ أَتَىٰ عَلَى ٱلۡإِنسَٰنِ حِينٞ مِّنَ ٱلدَّهۡرِ لَمۡ يَكُن شَيۡـٔٗا مَّذۡكُورًا ١
Has there [not] come upon man a period of time when he was not a thing [even] mentioned?
76:2
إِنَّا خَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ مِن نُّطۡفَةٍ أَمۡشَاجٖ نَّبۡتَلِيهِ فَجَعَلۡنَٰهُ سَمِيعَۢا بَصِيرًا ٢
Indeed, We created man from a sperm-drop mixture1 that We may try him; and We made him hearing and seeing.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., a combination of the male and female substance, within the womb. ↩
76:3
إِنَّا هَدَيۡنَٰهُ ٱلسَّبِيلَ إِمَّا شَاكِرٗا وَإِمَّا كَفُورًا ٣
Indeed, We guided him to the way, be he grateful or be he ungrateful.
76:4
إِنَّآ أَعۡتَدۡنَا لِلۡكَٰفِرِينَ سَلَٰسِلَاْ وَأَغۡلَٰلٗا وَسَعِيرًا ٤
Indeed, We have prepared for the disbelievers chains and shackles and a blaze.
76:5
إِنَّ ٱلۡأَبۡرَارَ يَشۡرَبُونَ مِن كَأۡسٖ كَانَ مِزَاجُهَا كَافُورًا ٥
Indeed, the righteous will drink from a cup [of wine] whose mixture is of Kāfūr,1
1 translator’s note
- A sweet-smelling spring in Paradise. ↩