76:3 Al-Insaan (Man)

ثم أرسل إليه الرسل، وأنزل عليه الكتب، وهداه الطريق الموصلة إلى الله ، ورغبه فيها، وأخبره بما له عند الوصول إلى الله.ثم أخبره بالطريق الموصلة إلى الهلاك، ورهبه منها، وأخبره بما له إذا سلكها، وابتلاه بذلك، فانقسم الناس إلى شاكر لنعمة الله عليه، قائم بما حمله الله من حقوقه، وإلى كفور لنعمة الله عليه، أنعم الله عليه بالنعم الدينية والدنيوية، فردها، وكفر بربه، وسلك الطريق الموصلة إلى الهلاك.ثم ذكر تعالى حال الفريقين عند الجزاء فقال:

أي بيناه له ووضحناه وبصرناه به كقوله جل وعلا "وأما ثمود فهديناهم فاستحبوا العمى على الهدى" وكقوله جل وعلا "وهديناه النجدين" أي بينا له طريق الخير وطريق الشر وهذا قول عكرمة وعطية وابن زيد ومجاهد في المشهور عنه والجمهور وروي عن مجاهد وأبي صالح والضحاك والسدي أنهم قالوا في قوله تعالى "إنا هديناه السبيل" يعني خروجه من الرحم وهذا قول غريب والصحيح المشهور الأول وقوله تعالى "إما شاكرا وإما كفورا" منصوب على الحال من الهاء في قوله "إنا هديناه السبيل" تقديره فهو في ذلك إما شقي وإما سعيد كما جاء في الحديث الذي رواه مسلم عن أبي مالك الأشعري قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم "كل الناس يغدو فبائع نفسه فموبقها أو معتقها" وقال الإمام أحمد حدثنا عبدالرزاق حدثنا معمر عن ابن خثيم عن عبدالرحمن بن سابط عن جابر بن عبدالله أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال لكعب بن عجرة "أعاذك الله من إمارة السفهاء" قال وما إمارة السفهاء؟ قال "أمراء يكونون من بعدي لا يهتدون بهداي ولا يستنون بسنتي فمن صدقهم بكذبهم وأعانهم عل ظلمهم فأولئك ليسوا مني ولست منهم ولا يردون على حوضي ومن لم يصدقهم بكذبهم ولم يعنهم على ظلمهم فأولئك مني وأنا منهم وسيردون علي حوضي يا كعب ابن عجرة: الصوم جنة والصدقة تطفيء الخطيئة والصلاة قربات - أو قال برهان - يا كعب بن عجرة: إنه لا يدخل الجنة لحم نبت من سحت النار أولى به يا كعب: الناس غاديان فمبتاع نفسه فمعتقها وبائع نفسه فموبقها" ورواه عن عفان بن وهيب عن عبدالله بن خثيم به وقد تقدم في سورة الروم عند قوله جل جلاله "فطرة الله التي فطر الناس عليها" من رواية جابر بن عبدالله رضي الله تعالى عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم "كل مولود يولد على الفطرة حتى يعرب عنه لسانه إما شاكرا وإما كفورا" وقال الإمام أحمد حدثنا أبو عامر حدثنا عبدالله بن جعفر عن عثمان بن محمد عن المقبري عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال "ما من خارج يخرج إلا ببابه رايتان: راية بيد ملك وراية بيد شيطان فإن خرج لما يحب الله اتبعه الملك برايته فلم يزل تحت راية الملك حتى يرجع إلى بيته وإن خرج لما يسخط الله اتبعه الشيطان برايته فلم يزل تحت راية الشيطان حتى يرجع إلى بيته".

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 الإِنسَـنِ

(Has there not been over man...) (76)

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ 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 الإِنسَـنِ 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 الإِنسَـنَ 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,

فَجَعَلْنَـهُ 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 هَدَيْنَـهُ 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 فَهَدَيْنَـهُمْ فَاسْتَحَبُّواْ الْعَمَى عَلَى الْهُدَى

(And as for Thamud, We guided them but they preferred blindness to guidance.) (41:17) Allah also said,

وَهَدَيْنَـهُ 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. )

Verily We have guided him to the way We have pointed out to him the path of guidance by sending messengers to mankind whether he be grateful that is to say whether he be a believer or ungrateful both shākiran and kafūran are circumstantial qualifiers referring to the direct object; in other words We have pointed out to him in both presupposed states whether his gratefulness or his unthankfulness; immā is used to list the ‘states’.

Neither we were there, nor was there any demand from us. It is only Your mercy that listened to what we never said.

Verse [ 2] describes the inception of human creation thus:

اِنَّا خَلَقْنَا الْاِنْسَانَ مِنْ نُّطْفَةٍ اَمْشَاجٍ (We have created man from a mixed sperm-drop __76:2). The word amshaj is the plural of mashj or mashj which means a 'mixture'. Here obviously it refers to the male and female gametes according to most commentators, but some commentators say, as cited in Ruh-ul-Ma` ni, that amshaj refers to the four fluids of the body [ blood, phlegm, choler and melancholy ] of which the sperm is composed.

Man Is Made up of Particles from Different Parts of the World

If we reflect carefully, the cardinal fluids are made up of various kinds of nutriment. If we reflect further on man's food, it contains elements of water and air from distant parts of the globe. Thus, if we were to analyse man's present body, we will discover that it is composed of elements and particles that were scattered in every nook and corner of the world. A marvellous system set by Allah has, in a wonderful way, put them together in human structure. If this sense of amshaj 'mixed' is taken into account here, it allays the greatest doubt of the rejecters of Resurrection. Their main objection is that when they are dead, reduced to crumbled bones and dust, how will they be raised to life again? They thought this was impossible.

The interpretation of amshaj as 'cardinal humours/fluids' allays their doubt once and for all. At the inception, when man was created, he was composed of particles and elements from all parts of the world. Allah did not find this difficult the first time. Why should He find its recreation difficult the second time. According to this interpretation, the addition of the word 'amshaj' (mixed) could have a special significance of its own. And Allah knows best!

نَّبْتَلِيْهِ (to put him to a test...76:2). The Arabic verb is derived from ibtila' which means 'to put to test'. This phrase puts forward the Wisdom underlying human creation. Allah has created man to put him to a test. This test is defined in forthcoming verses. Allah sent Prophets and celestial Books for the purpose of showing him both ways, one leading to Paradise, and the other to Hell. Man has been given a choice to adopt any one of the two ways. This led mankind into two groups, thus:

اِنَّا هَدَيْنٰهُ السَّبِيْلَ اِمَّا شَاكِرًا وَّاِمَّا كَفُوْرًا (We have shown him the way to (let him) become either grateful or ungrateful...76:3). The first group was of those who, appreciating Allah's bounties, offered gratitude to Allah, and believed in Him, while the second group was of those who remained ungrateful to Allah's favours, disbelieved. After the description of the two groups, the next verse describes the punishment and evil consequences of the disbelievers. Allah has prepared, for the disbelievers, shackles and iron-collars and a blazing Fire. On the other hand, huge bounties are mentioned for the believers and righteous people. Out of these bounties, drinkables are mentioned first. They will have a drink from a goblet, blended with (a drink from) Camphor.

اِنَّ الْاَبْرَارَ يَشْرَبُوْنَ مِنْ كَاْسٍ كَانَ مِزَاجُهَا كَافُوْرًا (The righteous will have a drink from a goblet, blended; with [ a drink from ] Camphor....76:5). Some of the commentators say that kar (Camphor) refers to a fountain in Paradise. In order to enhance the taste and pleasure of this drink, it will be mixed with water from this spring. If the word 'camphor' is taken in its popular sense, it does not necessarily signify that the camphor of Paradise be equated with the camphor available in this world, because the latter is not palatable.