Man (Al-Insân or Ad-Dahr)

In the name of Allah, Gracious, Merciful.

¹Has there not been over man a long period of time when he was nothing mentioned?¹

²Verily, We created man from a drop of mingled sperm in order to try him: so We gave him hearing and sight.²

³We showed him the way: whether he be grateful or ungrateful.

⁴For the rejecters We have prepared chains, yokes, and a blazing fire.

⁵As to the righteous, they shall drink of a cup mixed with Kafur³

⁶A fountain where the devotees of Allah do drink, making it flow in unstinted abundance.

Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim

¹Hal ata alalinsani himun minad dahri lam yakun saiam mazkura

²Inna halaqnal insana minutfatin amsyajin nabtalihi fajaalnahu samian basira

³Inna hadainahus sabila imma sya kira wa imma kafura

⁴Inna atadna likafirina salasila wa aqhlala wa saira

⁵Innal abrara yasyrabuna minkasin kana mizajuha kafura

⁶Aina yasyrabu biha ibadul lahi yufa jirunaha tafjira

1. That was in eternity past, before the creation of man, when only God Almighty and His fullness existed, before the creation of the heavenly hosts, the heavens and the earth. Before the mountains were formed, the waters separated from the earth, the sky suspended with invisible pillars. That was when man was nothing, because he did not exist, but since his creation, he has been something good and wonderfully made for the glory of God (Genesis 1:27,31; Psalm 139:14).

2. Maulana Ali, Yusuf Ali and the editors of the Noble Qur’an believe that the mingled sperm speaks of the ovum of the woman and the sperm of the coming together to form the foetus.

Farid’s understanding is that the sperm drop is a mixture of several things, an implication that man is endowed with various natural powers. George Sale points out the Muslim’s view of the process of the creation of man. “They say the angels, Gabriel, Michael, and Israfil, were sent by God, one after the another, to fetch for that purpose seven handful of earth from different depths, and of different colours whence some account for the different complexions of mankind (Al Termedi, from a tradition of Abu Musa al Ashari); but the earth being apprehensive of the consequence, and desiring them to represent her fear to God that the creature he designed to form would rebel against him, and draw down his curse upon her, they returned without performing God’s command; whereupon he sent Azrael on the same errand, who executed his mission without remorse, for which reason God appointed that angel to separate the souls from the bodies, being therefore called the angel of death. The earth he had taken was carried into Arabia, to a place between Mecca and Tayef, where, first being kneaded by the angels,it was afterwards fashioned by God himself into a human form, and left to dry ... for the space of forty days, or, as others say, as many years (forty years), the angels in the meantime often visiting it, and Eblis (then one of the angels who are nearer to God’s presence, afterwards the devil) among the rest; but he, not contented with looking on it, kicked it with his foot till it rung, and knowing God designed that creature to be his superior, took a secret resolution never to acknowledge him as such. After this, God animated the figure of clay and endued it with an intelligent soul, and when he had placed him in paradise, formed Eve out of his left side. (Khondamir. Jallalo’ddin. Comment in Koran, &c. D’Herbelot, Biblioth. Orient. P.55.) To the theory man is the highest animal is the fact he alone has the gift of knowledge, sight and hearing. Although modern man is trying to proof that other animals such as the dolphin is also highly intelligent. The difference is that they were not made in the image of God as such they will not stand in judgment in the last day.

3. Please refer to verse 5. Kafur (Cafur) is claimed to be a fountain in paradise which is white and its odor is like camphor, hence the name. In Africa and I am sure in the Middle east as well, in the days before refrigeration, earthen wares were made for water storing. These pots are often baked and smoked with fiber from the palm nut for cool and refreshing taste, others put camphor in these pots to act as alum (ammonium aluminum sulfate) producing a peculiar taste in the water.

⁷They perform vows and they fear a day whose evil flies far and wide.

⁸And they feed for the love of Allah, the indigent, the orphan, and the captive.

⁹“We feed you for the sake of Allah alone: No reward do we desire from you nor thanks.

¹⁰“We only fear a day of distressful wrath from the side of our Lord.”

¹¹But Allah will deliver them from the evil of that day and will shed over them a light of beauty and a joy.

¹²And because they were patient and constant, He will reward them with a garden and garments of silk.

¹³Reclining in the garden, on raised thrones, they will see there neither the sun’s excessive heat nor the moon’s excessive cold.

⁷Yufuna binazri wa yakhafuna yauman kana syar ruhu mustathira

⁸Wa yuthimuna thaama ala hubihi miskina wa yatima wa asira

⁹Innama nuthimukum liwajhil lahi lanuridu minkum jaza aw wa la syukura

¹⁰Inna nakhafu mirah bina yauman abusan qamtharira

¹¹Fawaqahumul lahu syara zalikal yaumi wa laq qahum nadhata wa surura

¹²Wa jazahum bima sabarujan nata wa harira

¹³Mutaki inna fiha alal ara iki layarauna fiha syamsaw wa la zamharira

[Commentary continues below.]

[Commentary continues below.]

¹⁴And the shades of the garden will come low over them and the bunches of fruit there will hang low in humility.

¹⁵And amongst them will be passed round vessels of silver and goblets of crystal

¹⁶Crystal clear made of silver: they will determine the measure thereof.

¹⁷And they will be given to drink there of a cup mixed with Zanjabil.⁴

¹⁸A fountain there called Salsabil.⁵

¹⁹And round about them will serve youths of perpetual freshness: if you see them you would think them scattered pearls.

²⁰And when you look, it is there you will see a bliss and a realm magnificent.

¹⁴Wa daniyatan alaihim zilaluha wa zulilat qutufuha tazlila

¹⁵Wa yutafu alaihim bi aniyati wa akwabin kanar qawarira

¹⁶Qawarira min fidatin qadaruha taqdira

¹⁷Wa yusqauna fiha kasan kana mizajuha zanjabila

¹⁸Ainan fiha tusam ma salsabila

¹⁹Wa yatufu alaihim wildanum mukal laduna iza ra aitahum hasibtahum luluam mansura

²⁰Wa iza ra aita samma ra aita naimaw wa mulkan kabira

4. Zanjabil is ginger.

5. Maulana Ali explains that it is a compound word sal and sabil and it means (sal) ask thou, and (sabil) way. Farid says it means “enquire about the way.” Now if one is in paradise, would it not be because one has found the way? But if one continuously asks for the way, does it mean that one has not found it yet?

²¹Upon them will be green garments of fine silk and heavy brocade and they will be adorned with bracelets of silver; and their Lord will give to them to drink of a wine pure and holy.

²²“Verily this is a reward for you and your endeavor is accepted and recognized.”

²³It is We who have sent down the Qur’an to you by stages.

²⁴Therefore be patient with constancy to the command of your Lord and hearken not to the sinner or the ingrate among them.

²⁵And celebrate the name of your Lord morning and evening.

²⁶And part of the night prostrate yourself to Him; and glorify Him a long night through.

²⁷As to these, they love the fleeting life and put away behind them a day that will be hard.

²⁸It is We who created them and We have made their joints strong; but when We will We can substitute the like of them by a complete change.

²¹Aliyahum siyabu sundusin hudruw wa istabraquw wa hullu asawira min fidah wa saqahum rabbuhum saraban tahura

²²Inna haza kana lakum jaza aw wa kana sayukum maskura

²³Inna nahnu nazalna alaikal qurana tanzila

²⁴Fashbir lihukmi rabbika wa la tuthi minhum atsiman au kafura

²⁵Wadzkurisma rabbika bukrataw wa ashila

²⁶Wa minal laili tasjud lahuwa sabbihu lailan thawila

²⁷Inna haula I yuhub bunal ajilata wa yadzaruna wa ra ahum yauman tsaqila

²⁸Nahnu khalaqnahum wa syadadna asrahum wa iza syina badalna amtsalahum tabdila

²⁹This is an admonition: whosoever will, let him take a path to his Lord.

³⁰But you will not, except as Allah wills; for Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom.

³¹He will admit to His mercy whom He will; but the wrongdoers, for them has He prepared a grievous penalty.

²⁹Inna hazihi tazkiratun faman syaat takhadza ila rabbihi sabila

³⁰Wa ma tsya una illa ayasya allah, innalaha kana aliman hakima

³¹Yudkhilu mayasya ufi rahmatihi wazhalimina aada lahum aza ban alima