English Translation of Surah Al-Insan Ayah 1-3
The creation of Man
76:1 Has there come on man a while of time when he was a thing unremembered?
76:2 Verily, We created man from a drop of sperm, a mingling that We may test him, and We made him hearing, seeing.
76:3 Verily, We guided him on the way to be either thankful or unthankful.
Tafsir
76:1 Has there come on man a while of time when he was a thing unremembered?
The interrogation in the ayah is for affirmation. Man refers to any human being in general.
Has there come on man a while of time in the life of this world when he was an unremembered thing among his fellows? Man was an unknown thing except in the knowledge of Allah, Exalted be He. Then, Allah created man from a drop of sperm and made his creation in the best form.
In other words, the ayah refers to an aspect of the perfect ability of Allah, who created man from nothing. Thus, the One, Who is able to do so, is able to recreate him after he died for reckoning and recompense on the Day of Judgment.
76:2 Verily, We created man from a drop of sperm, a mingling that We may test him, and We made him hearing, seeing.
The ayah gives a detailed description of the stages of the creation of man the stages of the creation of man.
Allah, the Able, created man Allah, the Able, created man from nothing. He created him from a drop of sperm sperm, namely, a mixture of fluid of the male and the female. Allah created man in such a condition to test him by enjoining on him certain obligations. And Allah, Exalted Him, provided man with tools of perception. He made him able to hear and see and listen and know the truth and recognize the signs that denote the existence and Oneness of Allah when he follows his natural disposition and turns away from following the steps of Satan.
Allah, Exalted be He, especially, mentions the hearing and the seeing because they are the most beneficial senses of man. By hearing, man can listen to the truth, and by seeing, man can see the different signs that indicate the existence and Oneness of Allah, and recognize the truthfulness of the Prophets and Messengers of Allah.
76:3 Verily, We guided him on the way to be either thankful or unthankful.
Allah, out of His bounty and mercy, guided man to what would lead him to the right path and He showed him the path of guidance by sending him His Messengers to invite him to follow the path of guidance. In addition, Allah provided him with the intellect, which enables man to think and reflect on the signs denoting the existence and Oneness of Allah.
[to be either thankful or unthankful] Allah, Exalted be He, guided man and showed him what would lead him to the straight path whether he followed the path of guidance or the path of misguidance. The right path and means leading to it exist at all times, but only the thankful benefit from its guidance.
For example, if there are two men, who do not know the path of salvation, and find a person, who guides them to it. One of them may follow the path of salvation, so he will be saved from danger, and the other may not follow it, so he will go astray. The intended meaning is to close the door of excuses to the wicked and evil-doers, who commit sins, and then make the decree of Allah an excuse for their sins. They say that we have become wrongdoers because Allah decreed that we would become so, which is a sheer lie.
Learned Lessons from Surah Al-Insan Ayah 1-3
• Man was nothing before Allah, Exalted be He, created him, and he remained in such a condition for an unknown time.
• Allah, Exalted be He, created man from the dust, and then the soul was breathed into him. After that, procreation began from the mingling of the fluid of the male and the female.
• Allah, Exalted be He, created man and provided him with means of perception, namely, the hearing and the sight, so that he can hear the truth and see the signs denoting the existence and Oneness of Allah. Allah also endowed man with the intellect whereby he can distinguish the path of guidance from the path of misguidance.
• After providing man with means of perception and understanding, Allah made the path of guidance and misguidance clear before man and sent him His Messengers to invite him to follow the path of guidance and warn him of the evil consequence of following the path of misguidance.
• Man, whether the thankful or the unthankful, has no excuse as Allah makes all that he needs to know the path of guidance clear before him.
• The thankful slaves of Allah are those who acknowledge His OnenessHis Oneness, obey His commands, and avoid His prohibitions. On the other hand, the unthankful slaves of Allah are those who disbelieve in His Oneness and disobey His commands.
