76:1. Was there not a period of time when man was nothing worth mentioning?

76:2. Verily We have created man from a drop of mingled fluid, in order to test him. So We gave him hearing and sight.

76:3. Verily We have shown him the way, whether he is grateful or ungrateful.

In this soorah, Allah tells us of the beginning, middle and end of man’s existence. He tells us that a long time passed - before man existed - when he was nothing and was not even mentioned.

Then when it was Allah’s will to create man. He created his father Adam from clay, then He made his offspring c-jfrom a dropof mingled fluid﴿ that is, an insignificant fluid that is regarded as off-putting

﴾in order to test him﴿ thereby, to see whether he would pay attention to how he was in his initial state, or he would forget it and become arrogant.

Then Allah caused him to develop and created for him hidden and visible faculties, such as hearing, sight and all the other faculties that He perfected for him and made them sound, so that man could attain thereby that which is beneficial for him.

Then He sent the Messengers to him, and sent down the Books, and guided him to the path that leads to Him; He explained it and urged man to follow it, and told him of what he would have when he reaches Allah.

Then He told him of the path that leads to doom, warned him against it, and told him of what would happen to him if he followed it, and He tested him thereby.

So people are divided into two categories: those who are grateful for the blessings that Allah bestows upon them and do the duties that Allah has enjoined upon them; and those who are ungrateful for the blessings that Allah has bestowed upon them, both spiritual and worldly, so they reject them, disbelieve in their Lord, and follow the path that leads to doom.

Then Allah describes the two groups at the time of requital, as He says:

76:4. Verily We have prepared for the disbelievers chains, iron collars and a raging fire.

76:5. Verily the righteous will drink from a cup [of wine] mixed with camphor,

76:6. [drawn from] a spring from which the slaves of Allah will drink, making it flow wherever they wish.

That is, We have prepared and made ready for those who disbelieve in Allah, reject His Messengers and dare to commit sin ﴾chains﴿ in the fire of hell, as Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says elsewhere: tffThen bind him in a chain the length of which is seventy cubits.﴿ ﴾iron collars﴿ by means of which their hands are fastened to their necks fjand a raging fire﴿ that is, it will increase in flames, fuelled by their bodies;

﴾j...as often as their skins are burnt through, We will replace them with fresh skins, so that they may continue to taste the punishment... h

This punishment is ongoing and eternal; they will abide therein forever.

As for ﴾the righteous﴿, who are the ones whose hearts are pure because of what they contain of love of Allah and knowledge of Him, and because of their good manners, and because of their having purified themselves physically by using their faculties in doing righteous deeds,

Allah tells us that they ﴾will drink from a cup [of wine]﴿ that is, a delicious drink of wine ﴾mixed with camphor﴿ to cool it down and reduce the sharpness of its taste. This camphor will be extremely delicious, free of any contamination and unpalatability, as is the case with the camphor of this world, because whatever Allah tells us of thatwhich is in paradise of things that have earthly counterparts, they will be free of any of the problematic elements that they have in this world. As Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) tells us elsewhere:

﴾[They will be] amidst thornless lote-trees, and banana trees laden with fruit.b (al-Wdqi'ah 56: 28-29) d... with pure spouses ...p (Al Imran 3 15)

﴾For them will be an abode of peace with their Lord...﴿ (al-Anam

﴾...[there will be] therein all that souls may desire and all that eyes may delight in...8 (az-Zukhruf 4S: 71)

﴾[drawn from] a spring from which the slaves of Allah will drink﴿ that is, they will have no fear about that delicious cup from which they will drink ever running out, for it has a source that will never end; it comes from a spring that flows constantly, and the slaves of Allah will make it flow wherever and however they wish.

If they wish, they will be able to direct it towards beautiful gardens full of blossoms, or make it run between the palaces and adorned dwellings, or in any direction they want.

76:7. They fulfil their vows and fear a day the evil of which will be widespread,

76:8. and they give food, despite their love for it, to the needy, orphans and captives,

76:9. [saying]: We feed you only for the sake of Allah; we seek of you neither recompense nor thanks.

76:10. Verily we fear from our Lord a grim and awful day.

Here Allah tells us about some of their deeds:

﴾They fulfil their vows) that is, they fulfil what they commit themselves to for the sake of Allah.

If they fulfil vows, which are not obligatory upon them unless they take that upon themselves, it is more likely that they will fulfil their commitment to basic obligatory duties.

﴾and fear a day the evil of which will be widespread﴿ that is, it will spread and reach everywhere, so they fear that its evil may reach them, therefore they avoid everything that may lead to that.

﴾and they give food, despite their love for it﴿ that is, although they love wealth and food, they give precedence to love of Allah over love of themselves, and they try to give their food to those who are most deserving and most in need of it, ﴾the needy, orphans and captives﴿.

By spending and feeding others, they seek the pleasure of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى), implicitly saying: ﴾We feed you only for the sake of Allah; we seek of you neither recompense nor thanks﴿ that is, we seek neither financial recompense nor verbal praise.

﴾Verily we fear from our Lord a grim﴿ that is. very hard and evil ﴾and awful﴿ that is, stressful and miserable ﴾day﴿.

76:11. Therefore Allah will protect them from the evil of that day, and will bestow upon them radiance and joy,

76:12. and will reward them for their patience and steadfastness with paradise and garments of silk.

76:13. wherein they will recline on couches; they will feel neither scorching heat nor bitter cold.

﴾Therefore Allah will protect them from the evil of that day﴿ so the greatest terror will not grieve them; and the angels will welcome them (saying): This is your day, that you were promised (21:103).

﴾and will bestow upon them﴿ that is, He will honour them and give them

﴾radiance﴿ in their faces

﴾and joy﴿ in their hearts, thus combining both outward and inward bliss.

﴾and will reward them for their patience and steadfastness﴿ in obeying Allah, for they strove as much as they could; in avoiding disobedience towards Allah, so they refrained from sin; and in accepting the painful decrees of Allah, so they did not complain about them.

﴾with paradise﴿ that contains all bliss and is free of all troubles and problems

﴾and garments of silk﴿, as Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says elsewhere:

﴾.. .and their garments therein will be of silk.﴿ (Faiir 35. 33)

Perhaps Allah singled out silk for mention because their outward dress will be indicative of the condition of the wearer.

﴾wherein they will recline on couches﴿ - reclining means sitting comfortably, with ease and in a relaxed manner. The word translated here as ﴾couches)﴿ refers to couches covered with adorned cloths.

﴾they will feel﴿ in paradise ﴾neither scorching heat﴿ that would cause them harm ﴾nor bitter cold﴿. At all times they will be in shade, with no heat or cold, so that they may feel physical enjoyment with no pain or discomfort caused by heat or cold.

76:14. Its shady branches will come down low over them, and its clusters [of fruit] will hang within easy reach.

That is, its fruits will be near at hand for anyone who wants them, so that he may take them whether he is standing, sitting or lying on his side.

76:15. Vessels of silver and goblets of crystal will be passed around among them,

76:16. crystal-clear, made of silver, filled to exact measure.

There will be passed around among the people of paradise by their servants ﴾Vessels of silver and goblets of crystal... crystal-clear, made of silver]* that is, they will be made of silver but they will be as clear as crystal. This is something most amazing, that something as dense and opaque as silver will be as clear as crystal because it is so pure.

﴾filled to exact measure﴿. They will be filled to the exact measure as desired by the people of paradise, the amount that will be most pleasing to them, so it will come to them exactly as they thought of it in their minds.

76:17. Therein they will be given to drink a cup [of wine] mixed with ginger,

76:18. [drawn from] a spring therein called Salsabeel.^{1The name Salsabeel comes from a root meaning soft or delicious, and refers to the palatability of the drink.}

﴾Therein﴿ in paradise, ﴾they will be given to drink a cup﴿ of wine and nectar ﴾mixed with ginger﴿ to make its taste and scent good.

﴾[drawn from] a spring therein﴿ in paradise ﴾called Salsabeel﴿ it is called this because it is palatable, delicious and wholesome.

76:19. Immortal [servant] boys will circulate among them; if you saw them, you would think they were scattered pearls,

76:20. and if you were to look there [paradise], you would see bliss and a vast domain.

﴾Immortal [servant] boys﴿, who are created in paradise to remain therein; they will never change or grow old, and they are very handsome﴾will circulate among them﴿ that is, among the people of paradise, with their food and drink, to serve them.

﴾if you saw them﴿ spreading out to serve the people, t-fyou would think﴿, because of their beauty, that tfthey were scattered pearls﴿. This is part of the pleasure of the people of paradise, that their servants will be immortal boys who are a pleasure to look at. They will enter their houses in complete safety, and will bring whatever they ask for and want.

﴾fand if you were to look there [paradise]﴿ and you observed the bliss in which they live,

﴾you would see bliss and a vast domain﴿. You would see that one of them possesses palaces, dwellings and chambers that are adorned and decorated in a manner that can barely be described. He will have blooming gardens, delicious fruits hanging within easy reach, flowing rivers, amazing gardens, and birds that sing in an enchanting manner, such as moves the heart and brings joy to the soul. He will have wives who are extremely beautiful and kind, combining inner and outer beauty, such as fills the heart with joy and brings great pleasure and delight.

Around him will be immortal boys and eternal servants, bringing ease and comfort; thus they will enjoy a life of complete pleasure and perfect joy.

Over and above all that will be the greatest joy of seeing the Most Merciful Lord, hearing His words, delighting in closeness to Him and rejoicing in attaining His pleasure and eternal life that constantly increases in bliss at every moment.

Glory be to the Sovereign Lord, the clear Truth, Whose stores never run out and Whose generosity never decreases. Just as there is no end to His attributes, there is no end to His kindness and generosity.

76:21. They will wear green garments of fine silk and heavy brocade, and will be adorned with bracelets of silver, and their Lord will give them to drink a pure beverage.

﴾They will wear green garments of fine silk and heavy brocaded that is, they will be covered in green garments of fine silk and heavy brocade, which are the finest types of silk.

﴾and will be adorned with bracelets of silver﴿ that is, they will wear bracelets of silver on their arms, both males and females. This is a promise that Allah has made to them, and His promise will come to pass, because no one is truer in speech or in word than Him.

﴾and their Lord will give them to drink a pure beverage﴿ that is, one in which there is no impurity or contamination; it will cleanse their hearts of all hurt and pain.

76:22. [It will be said to them:] This is your reward, for your endeavours are appreciated.

﴾[It will be said to them:] This is your reward﴿ that is, this great reward and beautiful gift is yours, for what you sent on ahead of good deeds tffor your endeavours are appreciated﴿ that is, for a little effort Allah has granted you eternal bliss that cannot be enumerated.

76:23. Verily, it is We Who have sent down the Qur’an to you piecemeal.

Having mentioned the bliss of paradise, Allah te) now says, Verily, it is We Who have sent down the Qur’an to you piecemeal;-) which contains a promise and a warning, and an explanation of all that people need to know.

It contains instructions to comply with Allah’s commands and laws in the most perfect manner, to strive to implement them, and to be patient and steadfast in doing so. Hence Allah says:

76:24. So be patient with the decree of your Lord, and do not yield to any sinner or disbeliever among them.

That is, be patient in accepting the decree of Allah without complaining about it, and in accepting His religious rulings, and comply with them, and do not let any obstacle prevent you from doing so.

﴾fand do not yield﴿ to anyone among the stubborn, who want to bar you from His path ﴾to any sinner﴿ that is, one who commits sin and does acts of disobedience

﴾or disbeliever﴿. For yielding to the disbelievers, evildoers and mischief-makers will inevitably have to do with sin, for they do not enjoin anything but what they themselves desire.(rx-xo uuytijy.)

76:25. And remember the name of your Lord morning and afternoon,

76:26. and during the night prostrate to Him, and glorify Him a long part of the night.

Because patience would help him to worship Allah and remember Him a great deal, Allah enjoined that upon him and said: ﴾And remember the name of your Lord morning and afternoon﴿ that is, at the beginning and end of the day, which includes the obligatory prayers and what accompanies them of supererogatory prayers, as well as dhikr (remembering Allah), glorifying Allah, proclaiming His oneness and magnifying Him at those times.

﴾and during the night prostrate to Him﴿ that is, prostrate to Him a great deal, and that can only be done by offering a lot of prayers. ﴾fand glorify Him a long part of the night﴿. We have seen above specific mention of the length of time which is referred to here in general terms:

you who are enwrapped [in garments], stand up in prayer throughout the night, except a little.﴿ (al-Muzzammit 73:1-2)

76:27. Verily these [disbelievers] love this present life and pay no heed to a day that will be arduous.

c-jVerily these [disbelievers]﴿ who reject you, O Messenger, after you explained the revelations to them and after they received promises and warnings, yet they did not benefit from that at all; rather they continued to give precedence to c-ithis present life﴿ and remained content with it.

cjandj﴿ they ﴾-(pay no heed﴿ that is, they fail to strive and they neglect e(a day that will be arduous)﴿ namely the Day of Resurrection, the length of which is fifty thousand years according to your reckoning. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says elsewhere:

﴾.. .Thedisbelievers will say: This will be a hard day!﴿ (al-Qamar54:8) So it is as if they were only created for this world, to settle in it. Then Allah gives them rational ev idence for the resurrection, which is the evidence of their initial creation:

76:28. It is We Who created them and made them strong. If We so willed. We could replace them completely with others like them.

﴾It is We Who created them﴿ from nothing t-jand made them strong﴿ that is. We made them strong and perfected their creation, with sinews, veins, arteries and visible and hidden strengths, until their bodies were perfected and completed, and they were able to do anything they wanted. The One Who created them in this manner is able to recreate them after their death in order to requite them, and it is not appropriate that the One Who caused them to pass through these stages would leave them unchecked.with no commands or prohibitions, no reward or punishment. Hence He says:

﴾If We so willed, We could replace them completely with others like them﴿ that is, we could resurrect them in a different form, or recreate them exactly.

76:29. Verily this is a reminder; so let him who will, start his journey towards his Lord.

76:30. But you cannot w ill it unless Allah so wills. Verily Allah is All- Knowing, Most Wise.

76:31. He admits whomever He wills to His mercy, and for the wrongdoers He has prepared a painful punishment.

﴾Verily this is a reminders that is, to remind the believer so that he may benefit from what it contains of warnings and encouragement, (fso let him who will, start his journey towards his Lord﴿ that is, let him follow a path that leads to Him, for Allah explains the truth and guidance, then He gives people the choice between following that guidance or turning away from it, whilst establishing proof against them.

﴾But you cannot will it unless Allah so wills!) for Allah’s will is always done.

﴾Verily Allah is All-Knowing, Most Wisei); He is possessed of great wisdom with regard to those whom He guides and those whom He leaves to stray.

﴾He admits whomever He wills to His mercy﴿ so He bestows His care upon him and guides him to the means and paths that lead to bliss, ﴾and for the wrongdoers﴿ who choose doom over guidance ﴾He has prepared a painful punishment﴿ because of their wrongdoing and transgression.

This is the end of the commentary on Soorat al-lnsan.

All praise and thanks are for Allah, and may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). his family, and his Companions abundantly until the Day of Judgement.