Surah 76. Al-Insan

HAS THERE [not] been an endless sup of time¹ before man [appeared - a time] when he was not yet a thing to be thought of?²

  - Mohammad Asad

Implying, according to all the classical commentators, "there has indeed been an immensely long [or "endless"] span of time" - the interrogative particle hal having here the positive meaning of qad. However, this meaning can be brought out equally well by interpolating the word "not".

Lit., "a thing mentioned" or "mentionable" - i.e., non-existent even as a hypothetical concept. The purport of this statement is a refutation of the blasphemous "anthropocentric" world-view, which postulates man as he exists - and not any Supreme Being - as the centre and ultimate reality of all life.

Has there not passed over man a period of time when he was nothing- -not even mentioned?

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Hath there come upon man (ever) any period of time in which he was a thing unremembered?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Verily, it is We who have created man out of a drop of sperm intermingled,³ so that We might try him [in his later life]: and therefore We made him a being endowed with hearing and sight.

  - Mohammad Asad

Sc., "with the female ovum": cf. {86:6-7}.

Indeed, We have created man from the sperm drop containing both sexes, so that We may test him. Therefore, We gave him the faculties of hearing and sight.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lo! We create man from a drop of thickened fluid to test him; so We make him hearing, knowing.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Verily, We have shown him the way:⁴ [and it rests with him to prove himself] either grateful or ungrateful.

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., God has not only endowed man with "hearing and sight", i.e., with reason and the instinctive ability to discern between right and wrong, good and evil (cf. 90:10 ), but He also actively guides him by means of the revelation bestowed on the prophets.

Then We guided him to the Way: Now, it is his choice either to be grateful or to be a disbeliever.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lo! We have shown him the way, whether he be grateful or disbelieving.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[Now,] behold, for those who deny the truth⁵ We have readied chains and shackles, and a blazing flame⁶ -

  - Mohammad Asad

In this context, the "denial of the truth" (kufr) apparently relates to man's deliberate suppression of his inborn cognition of God's existence (cf. 7:172 and the corresponding note [139]) as well as to his disregard of his own instinctive perceptions of good and evil.

Sc., "of despair". For the metaphor of "shackles and chains" - i.e., the consequence of the sinners' blind surrender to their own passions and to false values, and the resulting enslavement of their spirit - see surah {34}, note [44]; also Razi's elaborate comments (quoted in note [7] on {73:12-13}) on this allegory of suffering in the hereafter.

For the disbelievers, We have prepared chains, fetters and a blazing fire.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lo! We have prepared for disbelievers manacles and carcans and a raging fire.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[whereas,] behold, the truly virtuous shall drink from a cup flavoured with the calyx of sweet smelling flowers:⁷

  - Mohammad Asad

The Lisan al-'Arab gives "the calyx (kimm) of the grape before its flowering" as the primary significance of kafur; according to other lexicologists (e.g., Taj al-'Arus), it denotes "the calyx of any flower"; Jawhari applies it to the "spathe of a palm tree". Hence, this - and not "camphor" - is evidently the meaning of kafur in the above context: an allusion to the sweet, extremely delicate fragrance of the symbolic "drink" of divine knowledge (cf. {83:25-28} and the corresponding notes [8] and [9]).

The righteous shall be in paradise drinking from a cup of wine mixed with Kafoor (camphor-water),

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lo! the righteous shall drink of a cup whereof the mixture is of water of Kafur,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

a source [of bliss] whereof God's servants shall drink, seeing it flow in a flow abundant.⁸

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "making [or "letting"] it flow...", etc.: i.e., having it always at their disposal.

from a gushing spring at which the servants of Allah will refresh themselves, and shall be able to take out its channels from place to place at their will.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

A spring wherefrom the slaves of Allah drink, making it gush forth abundantly,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[The truly virtuous are] they [who] fulfil their vows,⁹ and stand in awe of a Day the woe of which is bound to spread far and wide,

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., the spiritual and social obligations arising from their faith.

They are those who keep their vows and dread the Day of widespread terror,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Because they perform the vow and fear a day whereof the evil is wide-spreading,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

and who give food - however great be their own want of it¹⁰ - unto the needy, and the orphan, and the captive,¹¹

  - Mohammad Asad

Or, as in 2:177 , "however much they themselves may cherish [i.e., "need"] it"; cf. also {90:14-16}. It is to be noted that in this context the concept of "giving food" comprises every kind of help and care, both material and moral.

The term asir denotes anyone who is a "captive" either literally (e.g., a prisoner) or figuratively, i.e., a captive of circumstances which render him helpless; thus, the Prophet said, "Thy debtor is thy captive; be, therefore, truly kind to thy captive" (Zamakhshari, Razi, et al.). The injunction of kindness towards all who are in need of help - and therefore "captive" in one sense or another - applies to believers and non-believers alike (Tabari, Zamakhshari), and apparently also to animals dependent on man.

who feed the poor, the orphan and the captive for the love of Allah,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And feed with food the needy wretch, the orphan and the prisoner, for love of Him,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[saying, in their hearts,] "We feed you for the sake of God alone: we desire no recompense from you, nor thanks:

  - Mohammad Asad

saying: "We feed you for the sake of Allah Alone; we seek from you neither reward nor thanks,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

(Saying): We feed you, for the sake of Allah only. We wish for no reward nor thanks from you;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

behold, we stand in awe of our Sustainer's judgment¹² on a distressful, fateful Day!,

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "we fear our Sustainer".

for we dread from our Rabb's torment of a very distressful Day."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lo! we fear from our Lord a day of frowning and of fate.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall