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naḥnu khalaqnāhum wa-shadadnā ʾasrahum wa-ʾidhā shiʾnā baddalnā ʾamthālahum tabdīlan
We created them and strengthened their joints, and We will replace them with others like them whenever We like.
— Ali Quli Qarai
76Al-InsānالإنسانVerse 28 of 31
Man76. Al-Insānالإنسان
al-Insān
The Man
MedinanVerse 28 of 31
Surah al-Insan, Verses 27 - 31
27. “They love the fleeting life and put away behind them a Day (that will be) hard and grievous."
28.”It is We Who created them and strengthened their joints and when We will We can substitute the like of them (in their place) by a complete change.”
29. “Surely this is an admonishment, that whosoever will, (taking this straight way) may take a path unto his Lord.”
30. “Yet you will not, unless Allah Wills; surely Allah is All‑knowing, All‑wise.”
31. “He will admit to His Mercy whom He will, but (as for the) evildoers, He has prepared a painful penalty.”
This Is An Admonition; But It Is You Who Choose the Way
In the aforementioned verses, the Prophet was admonished and told that he should never be affected by offenders and pagans. Historical evidences exist which confirm that there were some people who wanted to have an effect on the Prophet's thoughts by alluring him to change his decision. They made offers of wealth, high social rank and beautiful women. The following verse indicates the above and says:
The scope of their thought is open only to eating, sleeping and sensuality. These bodily enjoyments are their ideal. They weigh the Prophet's great soul with the same criterion. They are some blind‑hearted people who are not aware of their future hard day. And what a hard day it will be! Hard from the point of punishment; hard from the point of reckoning, and hard from the point of the length of time of being dishonored and bearing the responsibility of spreading scandals for their vices.
In fact, they will have the day in front of them but, here, using the term
instead of in ‘front of them' is to denote carelessness, as if they put away the day behind them. But, some interpreters have said that the Arabic word /wara'/ has the meaning of 'behind' in some texts and of ‘forward' in some others.31 In the next verse they are warned not to be proud of their strength, because it is Allah who gave it, and other faculties, to them so whenever He Wills He can take these back at once. Look again at the sentiments of the verse:
The term /asr/, in Arabic etymology, means: ‘to fasten with a chain' and that is why 'captives' are called 'asir' in Arabic. In the old days, captives were fastened with chains. But, here in this verse, 'asr' means 'to firm the joints' of man which strengthens him to move about and enables him to carry out his activities, efficiently. Certainly, the Qur'an has touched on a most fascinating point: 'firming the different joints of man', which consists of small and large nerves; connecting tissues that bind muscles to each other; rope‑like ligaments and the various muscles themselves.
Small and large pieces of bone, clothed in flesh, comprise the body and are so uniquely tied together that it totally forms a complete unit (man), which is able to do almost anything. On the whole, the statement is about man's strength. This verse also makes it clear that Allah is self‑sufficient (free from want) and is not in need of their faith and their obedience but, it is only to make them understand. If the verse insists on their faith, it is a grace from Allah’s favor to them.
There is a similar sense in Surah An'am No. 6, verse 133, which says:
The next verse covers the general idea which the Surah conveys and, on the whole, it is a complete program for the happiness of man:
It is for Us to show you the Way. There is no compulsion on you to choose it. It is you, using your wisdom, that must distinguish between right and wrong and of your own free‑will decide which way to follow. In fact, this is an emphasis on what was stated at the beginning of the Surah:
ie.
Since some feeble‑minded persons may think of the verse as meaning absolute free‑will for the servants, the next verse negates their claim by adding:
This is the confirmation of the principle of the medium status between, fatalism and the idea of chaotic free‑will. On the one hand, it remarks that
On the other hand, there is another fact added to it that
that is, you are not completely independent, but your power and your free‑will depends on Allah’s Will. It is He who has given them to you and whenever He Wills, He can take them back. Thus, there is neither an absolute free‑will nor an absolute compulsion, but it is a fine, subtle line between them. In other words there is a kind of freedom which depends on Allah’s Will; that at any moment He can take it back, if He Wills. In such a way, the servants are able to fulfill their responsibility, which is the secret of their improvement, while at the same time, they do not feel any independence or self‑sufficiency.
In brief, the reason for this idea is so that the servants will not feel independent divine providence, but are in need of His guidance and support. When they‑are making a decision to do something, they call on his support. Some of the commentators who believe in fatalism have taken this verse as an evidence of their doctrine. Among them is Fakhr‑i‑Razi; who said:
“Take note that this verse is one of the versa in which the waves of fatalism surge”. 32
Yes, if we separate this verse from the former ones, this statement can be right, but paying attention to the fact that in one verse the possibility of the influence of man's 'free‑will' is pointed out, and in another one the recognition of Allah’s Will is mentioned, the same 'variety of conditions clearly approves these conditions, (a place between them; a place between two extreme ends). It is ironic that those who believe in ‘free‑will' have seriously taken to heart this verse, to denote absolute free‑will, and those who believe in fatalism have taken stock in the next verse, which addresses only fatalism.
Each of these two groups tries to explain away its own idea with that single verse that it has chosen, but, when a correct understanding of a statement in Qur'an (as in any other text) is read, it is meant to be read in relationship to the other statements around it, without any prejudice. The sentence:
at the end of the verse, may be a point with the same understanding. Allah’s knowledge and wisdom is necessary for the servants' freedom on their way to success, otherwise there must be a compulsory success which cannot be a lasting one. Furthermore, His knowledge and wisdom does not compel some individuals to do only good deeds and some others to do evil, so that He would reward the former group and punish the latter one. Finally, in the last verse, of this Surah, a short and meaningful statement refers to the happy end of the righteous and dreadful destiny of the evildoers.
It says:
It is worth noting that at the beginning of the verse it is said:
but at the end of the verse it concentrates on the painful penalty for the evildoers. This shows that His Will for distributing pain, follows the individual's Will for seeking to commit sin and also the contrary is true: His Will for bestowing blessings, follows the individual's Will for perfecting their faith in Allah and in doing good deeds. This is the very thing that is expected from Allah. Though these clear evidences are available, there are some persons, such as Fakhr‑i‑Razi, who have taken the first part of the verse as an evidence for fatalism, and in so doing they have neglected the last part of the verse, which addresses free‑will and the deeds of the evildoers.
Supplication
O Lord! Admit as to your mercy, and keep us away from the painful penalty prepared for the evildoers.
O Lord! You showed us the way and we will follow Please help us to stay firm and constant along Your way.
O Lord! We may not be of the righteous, but we love them. Please count us among them.
Footnotes