Tazkirul Quran · Tafsir · in English
الانسان
Al-Insan
The Man · Medinan · 31 ayahs
76:1–3Page 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?
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.
إِنَّا هَدَيۡنَٰهُ ٱلسَّبِيلَ إِمَّا شَاكِرٗا وَإِمَّا كَفُورًا ٣
Indeed, We guided him to the way, be he grateful or be he ungrateful.
The Quran was revealed in the seventh century A.D. At that time nobody in the whole world knew that the formation of a human being in the mother’s womb started with a drop or clot. It was only in the twentieth century that man came to know that a human being’s (as well as an animal’s) initial creative clot was formed by a combination of two parts—the ovum of a woman and the sperm of a man. When these two microscopic elements combined, that living thing started forming in the mother’s womb which finally took the shape of a human being. The occurrence of the expression, ‘a drop of mingled fluid’ (min nutfatin amshajin) in the Quran one thousand five hundred years ago proves that the Quran is the Book of God. There are many such examples in the Quran. These exceptional cases clearly establish that the Quran was divinely inspired. And when it has once been established that the Quran is the Book of God, its every statement has to be accepted as true, solely on the basis of its having been recorded in the Quran.
76:4–5Page 578
إِنَّآ أَعۡتَدۡنَا لِلۡكَٰفِرِينَ سَلَٰسِلَاْ وَأَغۡلَٰلٗا وَسَعِيرًا ٤
Indeed, We have prepared for the disbelievers chains and shackles and a blaze.
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
Camphor—a sweet smelling herb.
76:6–16Page 579
عَيۡنٗا يَشۡرَبُ بِهَا عِبَادُ ٱللَّهِ يُفَجِّرُونَهَا تَفۡجِيرٗا ٦
A spring of which the [righteous] servants of Allāh will drink; they will make it gush forth in force [and abundance].
يُوفُونَ بِٱلنَّذۡرِ وَيَخَافُونَ يَوۡمٗا كَانَ شَرُّهُۥ مُسۡتَطِيرٗا ٧
They [are those who] fulfill [their] vows and fear a Day whose evil will be widespread.
وَيُطۡعِمُونَ ٱلطَّعَامَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِۦ مِسۡكِينٗا وَيَتِيمٗا وَأَسِيرًا ٨
And they give food in spite of love for it1 to the needy, the orphan, and the captive,
إِنَّمَا نُطۡعِمُكُمۡ لِوَجۡهِ ٱللَّهِ لَا نُرِيدُ مِنكُمۡ جَزَآءٗ وَلَا شُكُورًا ٩
[Saying], "We feed you only for the face [i.e., approval] of Allāh. We wish not from you reward or gratitude.
إِنَّا نَخَافُ مِن رَّبِّنَا يَوۡمًا عَبُوسٗا قَمۡطَرِيرٗا ١٠
Indeed, We fear from our Lord a Day austere and distressful."
فَوَقَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ شَرَّ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡيَوۡمِ وَلَقَّىٰهُمۡ نَضۡرَةٗ وَسُرُورٗا ١١
So Allāh will protect them from the evil of that Day and give them radiance and happiness
وَجَزَىٰهُم بِمَا صَبَرُواْ جَنَّةٗ وَحَرِيرٗا ١٢
And will reward them for what they patiently endured [with] a garden [in Paradise] and silk [garments].
مُّتَّكِـِٔينَ فِيهَا عَلَى ٱلۡأَرَآئِكِۖ لَا يَرَوۡنَ فِيهَا شَمۡسٗا وَلَا زَمۡهَرِيرٗا ١٣
[They will be] reclining therein on adorned couches. They will not see therein any [burning] sun or [freezing] cold.
وَدَانِيَةً عَلَيۡهِمۡ ظِلَٰلُهَا وَذُلِّلَتۡ قُطُوفُهَا تَذۡلِيلٗا ١٤
And near above them are its shades, and its [fruit] to be picked will be lowered in compliance.
وَيُطَافُ عَلَيۡهِم بِـَٔانِيَةٖ مِّن فِضَّةٖ وَأَكۡوَابٖ كَانَتۡ قَوَارِيرَا۠ ١٥
And there will be circulated among them vessels of silver and cups having been [created] clear [as glass],
قَوَارِيرَاْ مِن فِضَّةٖ قَدَّرُوهَا تَقۡدِيرٗا ١٦
Clear glasses [made] from silver of which they have determined the measure.
Man has been created free in this world and then he has been shown two paths leading respectively towards a life of gratitude and a life of ingratitude. Now, it is for the concerned person to choose either of the two paths. For one who adopts the way of ingratitude, there will be the punishment of Hell in the Hereafter, and for one who adopts the way of gratitude, there will be the bounties of Paradise.
76:17–22Page 579
وَيُسۡقَوۡنَ فِيهَا كَأۡسٗا كَانَ مِزَاجُهَا زَنجَبِيلًا ١٧
And they will be given to drink a cup [of wine] whose mixture is of ginger
عَيۡنٗا فِيهَا تُسَمَّىٰ سَلۡسَبِيلٗا ١٨
[From] a fountain within it [i.e., Paradise] named Salsabeel.
۞ وَيَطُوفُ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وِلۡدَٰنٞ مُّخَلَّدُونَ إِذَا رَأَيۡتَهُمۡ حَسِبۡتَهُمۡ لُؤۡلُؤٗا مَّنثُورٗا ١٩
There will circulate among them young boys made eternal. When you see them, you would think them [as beautiful as] scattered pearls.
وَإِذَا رَأَيۡتَ ثَمَّ رَأَيۡتَ نَعِيمٗا وَمُلۡكٗا كَبِيرًا ٢٠
And when you look there [in Paradise], you will see pleasure and great dominion.
عَٰلِيَهُمۡ ثِيَابُ سُندُسٍ خُضۡرٞ وَإِسۡتَبۡرَقٞۖ وَحُلُّوٓاْ أَسَاوِرَ مِن فِضَّةٖ وَسَقَىٰهُمۡ رَبُّهُمۡ شَرَابٗا طَهُورًا ٢١
Upon them [i.e., the inhabitants] will be green garments of fine silk and brocade. And they will be adorned with bracelets of silver, and their Lord will give them a purifying drink.
إِنَّ هَٰذَا كَانَ لَكُمۡ جَزَآءٗ وَكَانَ سَعۡيُكُم مَّشۡكُورًا ٢٢
[And it will be said], "Indeed, this is for you a reward, and your effort has been appreciated."
This is the description of a higher plane of Paradise where people of a higher level of faith will be settled. Royal bounties will fall to the lot of the inhabitants of this Paradise.
76:23–31Page 579
إِنَّا نَحۡنُ نَزَّلۡنَا عَلَيۡكَ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ تَنزِيلٗا ٢٣
Indeed, it is We who have sent down to you, [O Muḥammad], the Qur’ān progressively.
فَٱصۡبِرۡ لِحُكۡمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تُطِعۡ مِنۡهُمۡ ءَاثِمًا أَوۡ كَفُورٗا ٢٤
So be patient for the decision of your Lord and do not obey from among them a sinner or ungrateful [disbeliever].
وَٱذۡكُرِ ٱسۡمَ رَبِّكَ بُكۡرَةٗ وَأَصِيلٗا ٢٥
And mention the name of your Lord [in prayer] morning and evening
وَمِنَ ٱلَّيۡلِ فَٱسۡجُدۡ لَهُۥ وَسَبِّحۡهُ لَيۡلٗا طَوِيلًا ٢٦
And during the night prostrate to Him and exalt [i.e., praise] Him a long [part of the] night.
إِنَّ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ يُحِبُّونَ ٱلۡعَاجِلَةَ وَيَذَرُونَ وَرَآءَهُمۡ يَوۡمٗا ثَقِيلٗا ٢٧
Indeed, these [disbelievers] love the immediate and leave behind them1 a grave Day.
نَّحۡنُ خَلَقۡنَٰهُمۡ وَشَدَدۡنَآ أَسۡرَهُمۡۖ وَإِذَا شِئۡنَا بَدَّلۡنَآ أَمۡثَٰلَهُمۡ تَبۡدِيلًا ٢٨
We have created them and strengthened their forms, and when We will, We can change their likenesses with [complete] alteration.
إِنَّ هَٰذِهِۦ تَذۡكِرَةٞۖ فَمَن شَآءَ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِۦ سَبِيلٗا ٢٩
Indeed, this is a reminder, so he who wills may take to his Lord a way.
وَمَا تَشَآءُونَ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمٗا ٣٠
And you do not will except that Allāh wills. Indeed, Allāh is ever Knowing and Wise.
يُدۡخِلُ مَن يَشَآءُ فِي رَحۡمَتِهِۦۚ وَٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ أَعَدَّ لَهُمۡ عَذَابًا أَلِيمَۢا ٣١
He admits whom He wills into His mercy; but the wrongdoers - He has prepared for them a painful punishment.
There are two particular reasons for the denial of Truth. Either man has his worldly interests in view, and the fear of being deprived of these prevents him from going ahead towards the Truth. Or man’s false pride prevents him from recognising greatness in anyone other than his own self. Both types of people create obstacles in the way of the mission of Truth. But the preacher of Truth has been commanded to carry on his work with patience and without paying any heed to the hurdles he must surmount.
Text: through the Quran Foundation. The ayahs: Quran Foundation. Sources and licences