The Morningstar (At-Târiq)

In the name of Allah, Gracious, Merciful.

¹By the sky and the night visitant.

²And what will explain to you what the night visitant is?

³The star of piercing brightness.

⁴There is no soul but has a protector over it.

⁵Now let man but think from what he is created!

⁶He is created from a drop emitted.

⁷Proceeding from between the backbone and the ribs:¹

⁸Surely (Allah) is able to bring him back!

⁹The day that secret things will be tested.

¹⁰Man will have no power and no helper.

¹¹By the firmament which returns.

¹²And by the earth which opens out.

¹³Behold this is the word that distinguishes:

¹⁴It is not a thing for amusement.

¹⁵As for them they are but plotting a scheme.

¹⁶And I am planning a scheme.

¹⁷Therefore grant a delay to the unbelievers: Give respite to them gently.

Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim

¹Wa samai wathariqi

²Wa ma adraika ma tariq

³Anajmut saqib

⁴Inkulu nafsil lama alaiha hafiz

⁵Fal yanzhuri linsanu mima khuliqa

⁶Khulika mimain dafiq

⁷Yakhruju minbainis sulbi wataraib

⁸Innahu ala rajihi laqadir

⁹Yauma tublas sarair

¹⁰Fama lahu min quwatiwa la nasir

¹¹Was samai zatiraji

¹²Wal ardhi zatish sadi

¹³Innahu laqaulun fasi

¹⁴Wa ma huwa bilhazi

¹⁵Innahum yakiduna kaida

¹⁶Wa akidu kaida

¹⁷Fa mahilil kafirina amhihum ruwaida

1. Man, after Adam, is created from sperm but to say that the sperm comes from between the backbone and the ribs is false medically, biological or otherwise logically. It is a well known documented fact that sperm are made in the testicles. For Allah not to know this fact makes him less than a god because God Almighty is All-Knowing. He knows everything there is to know about anything in this world. Here, Allah has fallen short in saying that sperm are made from between the backbone and the ribs.

Yusuf Ali, in trying to defend Allah, has this to say “A man’s seed is the quintessence of his body. It proceeds from his loins, i.e., from his back between the hip-bones and his ribs. His back-bone is the source and symbol of his strength and personality. In the spinal cord and in the brain is the directive energy of the central nervous system, and this directs all action, organic and psychic. The spinal cord is continuous with the Medulla Oblongata in the brain.”

George Sale quoting from Al Beidawi and Yahya says “From the loins of the man, and the breast-bone of the woman”. Incidentally Farid agrees with him almost word for word. In other words, the meeting of the male and female seeds gives place to conception. Maulana Ali on the other hand thinks it is used as a euphemism.