Al-Insaan

هَلْ أَتَىٰ عَلَى ٱلْإِنسَـٰنِ حِينٌ مِّنَ ٱلدَّهْرِ لَمْ يَكُن شَيْـًٔا مَّذْكُورًا 1

{ هل } قد { أتى على الإنسن } آدم { حين من الدهر } أربعون سنة { لم يكن } فيه { شيئا مذكورا } كان فيه مصورا من طين لا يذكر أوالمراد بالإنسان الجنس وبالحين مدة الحمل.

Has there [ever] been — there has indeed [been] — for man, Adam, a period of time, forty years, in which he was a thing unmentioned? — he was during this [period] a fashioned in clay and not mentioned; alternatively what is meant by insān, ‘man’, is the generic noun and by hīn, ‘a period of time’, the period of gestation.

إِنَّا خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ أَمْشَاجٍ نَّبْتَلِيهِ فَجَعَلْنَـٰهُ سَمِيعًۢا بَصِيرًا 2

{ إنا خلقنا الإنسن } الجنس { من نطفة أمشاج } أخلاط، أي من ماء الرجل وماء المرأة المختلطين الممتزجين { نبتليه } نختبره بالتكليف والجملة مستأنفة أو حال مقدرة، أي مريدين ابتلاءه حين تأهله { فجعلنه } بسبب ذلك { سميعا بصيرا }.

Verily We created man, the species, from a drop of mixed fluid, [from] a mixture, that is from the [seminal] fluid of the man and the [ovarian] fluid of the woman that have mixed and blended, so that We may test him, trying him with the moral obligations [of religion] (nabtalīhi is either a new sentence [‘We will test him’], or an implied circumstantial qualifier, meaning ‘intending to test him when he is ready’). So We made him, for that [very] reason, hearing, seeing.

إِنَّا هَدَيْنَـٰهُ ٱلسَّبِيلَ إِمَّا شَاكِرًا وَإِمَّا كَفُورًا 3

{ إنا هدينه السبيل } بينا له طريق الهدى ببعث الرسل { إما شاكرا } أي مؤمنا { وإما كفورا } حالان من المفعول،أي بيناه له في حال شكره أو كفره المقدرة وإما لتفصيل الأحوال.

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’).

إِنَّآ أَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَـٰفِرِينَ سَلَـٰسِلَا۟ وَأَغْلَـٰلًا وَسَعِيرًا 4

{ إنا أعتدنا } هيأنا { للكفرين سلسلا } يسحبون بها في النار { وأغللا } في أعناقهم تشد فيها السلاسل { وسعيرا } نارا مسعرة، أي مهيجة يعذبون بها.

We have assuredly prepared for the disbelievers chains, with which they are dragged through the Fire, and fetters, around their necks to which the chains will be attached, and a hell-fire, a fire set ablaze, burning fiercely, in which they shall be chastised.

إِنَّ ٱلْأَبْرَارَ يَشْرَبُونَ مِن كَأْسٍ كَانَ مِزَاجُهَا كَافُورًا 5

{ إن الأبرار } جمع بر أو بار وهم المطيعون { يشربون من كأس } هو إناء شرب الخمر وهي فيه والمراد من خمر تسمية للحال باسم المحل و من للتبعيض { كان مزاجها } ما تمزج به { كافورا }.

Truly the righteous (abrār is the plural of barr or bārr), namely, the obedient ones, will drink from a cup (ka’s is a vessel for drinking wine and this [wine] will be in it; what is meant is [that they will drink] from ‘wine’, [a case where] the actuality is referred to by the name of the locus [in which it is found]; min, ‘from, is partitive) whose mixture, that with which it is mixed, is camphor;

عَيْنًا يَشْرَبُ بِهَا عِبَادُ ٱللَّهِ يُفَجِّرُونَهَا تَفْجِيرًا 6

{ عينا } بدل من «كافورا» فيها رائحته { يشرب بها } منها { عباد الله } أولياؤه { يفجرونها تفجيرا } يقودونها حيث شاؤوا من منازلهم.

a spring (‘aynan substitutes for kāfūran), containing the scent thereof, from which the servants of God, His friends, drink, making it gush forth plenteously, directing it to wherever they wish of their dwellings.

يُوفُونَ بِٱلنَّذْرِ وَيَخَافُونَ يَوْمًا كَانَ شَرُّهُۥ مُسْتَطِيرًا 7

{ يوفون بالنذر } في طاعة الله { ويخافون يوما كان شره مستطيرا } منتشرا.

They fulfil their vows, [pledged] in obedience to God, and fear a day the evil of which will be widespread.

وَيُطْعِمُونَ ٱلطَّعَامَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِۦ مِسْكِينًا وَيَتِيمًا وَأَسِيرًا 8

{ ويطعمون الطعام على حبه } أي الطعام وشهوتهم له { مسكينا } فقيرا { ويتيما } لا أب له { وأسيرا } يعني المحبوس بحق.

And they give food, despite [their] love of it, that is to say, [despite their love] of food and their craving for it, to the needy, the poor, and the orphan, who does not have a father, and the prisoner, meaning the one who has been rightly imprisoned.

إِنَّمَا نُطْعِمُكُمْ لِوَجْهِ ٱللَّهِ لَا نُرِيدُ مِنكُمْ جَزَآءً وَلَا شُكُورًا 9

{ إنما نطعمكم لوجه الله } لطلب ثوابه { لا نريد منكم جزاء ولا شكورا } شكرا فيه علة الإطعام، وهل تكلموا بذلك أو علمه الله منهم فأثنى عليهم به؟ قولان.

‘We feed you only for the sake of God, seeking His reward. We do not desire any reward from you, nor any thanks: this contains the reason for the giving of the food. Now, do they actually say this, or is it that God knows this [to be true] of them and has thus praised them by [mentioning] it? The two are different opinions [regarding this matter].

إِنَّا نَخَافُ مِن رَّبِّنَا يَوْمًا عَبُوسًا قَمْطَرِيرًا 10

{ إنا نخاف من ربنا يوما عبوسا } تكلح الوجوه فيه أي كريه المنظر لشدته { قمطريرا } شديدا في ذلك.

Indeed we fear from our Lord a day of frowning, one in which faces scowl, in other words, a horrid day to observe on account of its severity, calamitous’, severe in that respect.

فَوَقَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ شَرَّ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمِ وَلَقَّىٰهُمْ نَضْرَةً وَسُرُورًا 11

{ فوقهم الله شر ذلك اليوم ولقهم } أعطاهم { نضرة } حسنا وإضاءة في وجوههم { وسرورا }.

God has therefore shielded them from the evil of that day, and has granted them radiance, fairness and resplendence in their faces, and joy.

وَجَزَىٰهُم بِمَا صَبَرُوا۟ جَنَّةً وَحَرِيرًا 12

{ وجزهم بما صبروا } بصبرهم عن المعصية { جنة } ادخلوها { وحريرا } البسوه.

And He has rewarded them for their patience, for their steadfastness in refraining from disobedience, with a Garden, into which they are admitted, and silk, which they are given to wear;