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huwa lladhī khalaqakum min ṭīnin thumma qaḍā ʾajalan wa-ʾajalun musamman ʿindahū thumma ʾantum tamtarūna
It is He who created you from clay, then ordained the term [of your life]—the specified term is with Him—and yet you are in doubt.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah Al-‘An’am, Verse 2
2. "He it is Who created you from clay, then decreed a term (for your life) and the term is fixed with Him, yet still you doubt."
In the previous verse, extroversive phenomena and the creation of the heavens and the earth were mentioned. Here, in this verse, the creation of Man and the innate affairs are referred to. More than twenty times the term of /ajalin musamma/ (the appointed end) have been stated in the Qur'an. Concerning the life's final term, Allah has appointed two kinds of time for humankind. One of them is so certain that if all protections be fulfilled, too, the course of lifetime will be consumed and, like the oil of a torch, it will be finished.
The second divine appointed time is concerned to our own conduct. It is like an oil lamp that contains enough oil but we put it in the current of a storm. In the Islamic literature, deeds such as visiting ones kin, free will offering, alms, and supplications are recorded as the factors that cause the lifetime to be prolonged; while some actions like break off connection with one's kindred and injustice have been introduced as the cause of shortening the lifetime of the one.
It is narrated from Ibn- 'Abbas that Allah has set two kinds of 'appointed end' for humankind. One of them is from birthday until death, and the other is from death until the day of Resurrection. By his deeds, a person may sometimes decrease from one and increase the time of the other. Therefore, the conclusion of the life's final term of no person is changeable. The verse, addressing the infidels, implies that such people, who are polytheists, are doubtful about the Creator Who has created man from this worthless origin, viz. clay, and Who has passed him from these amazing and wonderful stages.
Imam Sadiq (as) said:
" Allah has created Adam from clay, and He has prohibited clay for his progeny to eat."
In another tradition the Imam (as) has said:
"The one who is greedy in eating clay, he has surely taken part in shedding his own blood." 3
Footnotes