بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Al-Insan 76:3
The Man · Juz 29 · Page 578
إِنَّا هَدَيۡنَٰهُ ٱلسَّبِيلَ إِمَّا شَاكِرٗا وَإِمَّا كَفُورًا ٣
Indeed, We guided him to the way, be he grateful or be he ungrateful.
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Ibn Kathir (abridged)
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Commentary on 76:1–3
Which was revealed in Makkah
The Recitation of Surat As-Sajdah and Al-Insan in the Morning Prayer on Friday
It has been mentioned previously that it is recorded in Sahih Muslim from Ibn `Abbas that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to recite in the Morning prayer on Friday:
الم تَنزِيلَ
(Alif Lam Mim. The revelation...)(32) and;
هَلْ أَتَى عَلَى الإِنسَنِ
(Has there not been over man...) (76)
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Allah created Man after he did not exist
Allah informs that He brought man into existence after he was not even a thing worth mentioning, due to his lowliness and weakness. Allah says,
هَلْ أَتَى عَلَى الإِنسَنِ حِينٌ مِّنَ الدَّهْرِ لَمْ يَكُن شَيْئاً مَّذْكُوراً
(Has there not been over man a period of time, when he was not a thing worth mentioning) Then Allah explains this by saying,
إِنَّا خَلَقْنَا الإِنسَنَ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ أَمْشَاجٍ
(Verily, We have created man from Nutfah Amshaj,) meaning, mixed. The words Mashaj and Mashij mean something that is mixed together. Ibn `Abbas said concerning Allah's statement,
مِن نُّطْفَةٍ أَمْشَاجٍ
(from Nutfah Amshaj,) "This means the fluid of the man and the fluid of the woman when they meet and mix." Then man changes after this from stage to stage, condition to condition and color to color. `Ikrimah, Mujahid, Al-Hasan and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas all made statements similar to this. They said, "Amshaj is the mixing of the man's fluid with the woman's fluid." Concerning Allah's statement,
نَّبْتَلِيهِ
(in order to try him,) means, `We test him.' It is similar to Allah's statement,
لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلاً
(That He may test you which of you is best in deed.) (67:2) Then Allah says,
فَجَعَلْنَهُ سَمِيعاً بَصِيراً
(so, We made him hearer and seer.) meaning, `We gave him the faculties of hearing and sight so that he would be able to use them for obedience and disobedience.'
Allah guided Him to the Path, so Man is either Grateful or Ungrateful
Allah says,
إِنَّا هَدَيْنَهُ السَّبِيلَ
(Verily, We guided to him the way,) meaning, `We explained it to him, made it clear to him and showed it to him.' This is as Allah says,
وَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَهَدَيْنَهُمْ فَاسْتَحَبُّواْ الْعَمَى عَلَى الْهُدَى
(And as for Thamud, We guided them but they preferred blindness to guidance.) (41:17) Allah also said,
وَهَدَيْنَهُ النَّجْدَينِ
(And We guided him to the two ways.) (90:10) meaning, `We explained to him the path of good and the path of evil.' This is the statement of `Ikrimah, `Atiyah, Ibn Zayd and Mujahid from what is well-known from him and the majority. Allah then says,
إِمَّا شَاكِراً وَإِمَّا كَفُوراً
(Whether he be grateful or ungrateful.) This is his decree. Thus, with this he is either wretched or happy. This is like what has been recorded by Muslim in a Hadith from Abu Malik Al-Ash`ari. He said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«كُلُّ النَّاسِ يَغْدُو فَبَائِعٌ نَفْسَهُ، فَمُوبِقُهَا أَوْ مُعْتِقُهَا»
(All of mankind wakes up in the morning the merchant of his own soul. So he either imprisons it or sets it free. )
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?
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. ↩
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy