Surah Al-Hajj (22) — Ayah 5

(Ayah 5) ➊ { يٰۤاَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اِنْ كُنْتُمْ فِيْ رَيْبٍ مِّنَ الْبَعْثِ … :} That is, if you have doubt about being resurrected in the Hereafter, then the way to remove this doubt is to reflect on the beginning of your own creation; from this you will know that the One who created you the first time is also capable of creating you a second time, and the One who brings forth vegetation from the earth after it has died is also capable of bringing you out from your graves.
➋ { مِنْ تُرَابٍ:} In this, the tanween is for belittlement, so it has been translated as "insignificant clay." This is a reference to the creation of Adam (peace be upon him), and the meaning of all people being created from clay is that they are all descendants of Adam (peace be upon him), who was created from this lifeless and trampled clay. The evidence for this is Allah Almighty’s statement: «{ الَّذِيْۤ اَحْسَنَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقَهٗ وَ بَدَاَ خَلْقَ الْاِنْسَانِ مِنْ طِيْنٍ (7) ثُمَّ جَعَلَ نَسْلَهٗ مِنْ سُلٰلَةٍ مِّنْ مَّآءٍ مَّهِيْنٍ }» [ السجدۃ : ۷، ۸ ] "He (the Pure Being) who made excellent everything He created, and He began the creation of man from insignificant clay, then made his progeny from an extract of a despised fluid." In the verse under commentary, seven stages of human life are mentioned.
➌ { ثُمَّ مِنْ نُّطْفَةٍ :} Then from a drop of fluid. Modern science has proven that in a single drop of semen there are millions of sperm, of which only one sperm joins with the woman’s egg to become part of the pregnancy. This matter is even more amazing than clay, that from a fluid, sticky, microscopic particle, a beautiful and handsome human is created; for the One who creates it, recreating it is not difficult. Shaykh Saadi said:
"He gave a drop the form of a fairy,
Who else but He can shape on water?"
That is, Allah Almighty grants a drop the form of a fairy; who else can shape on water?
➍ { ثُمَّ مِنْ عَلَقَةٍ : ’’ عَلَقَةٍ ‘‘} Its meaning is also "congealed blood" and "leech," that is, then that fluid becomes a clot of congealed blood, whose shape resembles a leech.
➎ {ثُمَّ مِنْ مُّضْغَةٍ مُّخَلَّقَةٍ …:’’مَضَغَ يَمْضَغُ ‘‘} (f) To chew. {’’ مُضْغَةٍ ‘‘} A piece of flesh that is chewed. Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "When the drop settles in the woman’s womb, it continues to develop in that state for forty days, then by Allah’s command it becomes a red clot of congealed blood, then it continues to develop in that state for forty days. Then it changes into {’’ مُضْغَةٍ ‘‘} that is, a piece of flesh, in which there is neither any form nor shape, then form and shape begin to develop in it, so its head, hands, chest, belly, legs, feet, and other parts begin to take shape. Sometimes, before the form and shape develop, the woman miscarries it, and sometimes after the form and shape develop, as is observed in cases of miscarriage. Therefore, it is said: «{ ثُمَّ مِنْ مُّضْغَةٍ مُّخَلَّقَةٍ وَّ غَيْرِ مُخَلَّقَةٍ }» that some are fully formed and some are not fully formed." This detail is also mentioned in Surah Al-Mu’minun (12 to 14). Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to us: [ إِنَّ خَلْقَ أَحَدِكُمْ يُجْمَعُ فِيْ بَطْنِ أُمِّهٖ أَرْبَعِيْنَ يَوْمًا وَأَرْبَعِيْنَ لَيْلَةً ثُمَّ يَكُوْنُ عَلَقَةً مِثْلَهٗ ثُمَّ يَكُوْنُ مُضْغَةً مِثْلَهٗ ذٰلِكَ ثُمَّ يُبْعَثُ إِلَيْهِ الْمَلَكُ فَيُؤْذَنُ بِأَرْبَعِ كَلِمَاتٍ فَیَکْتُبُ رِزْقَهٗ وَ أَجَلَهُ وَعَمَلَهٗ وَ شَقِيٌّ أَمْ سَعِيْدٌ ثُمَّ يُنْفَخُ فِيْهِ الرُّوْحُ ] [ بخاري، التوحید، باب: «ولقد سبقت کلمتنا …» : ۷۴۵۴۔ مسلم : ۲۶۴۳ ] "The creation of each one of you is gathered in his mother’s womb (as a drop) for forty days and forty nights, then he remains as a clot for the same period, then as a piece of flesh for the same period, then an angel is sent to him, who is commanded with four things: his provision, his lifespan, his deeds, and whether he is wretched or blessed are written, then the soul is breathed into him."
➏ { لِنُبَيِّنَ لَكُمْ :} So that We may make clear to you that when We make a drop of fluid into a fully formed piece of flesh, then for Us to recreate you and bring you out of your graves alive for reckoning is not difficult.
➐ { وَ نُقِرُّ فِي الْاَرْحَامِ مَا نَشَآءُ …:} That is, whom We will, We preserve from miscarriage and keep in the womb. {’’ اِلٰۤى اَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى ‘‘ } That is, at least six months and as much as We will. This depends on Our will, how long We keep it in the womb. {’’ ثُمَّ نُخْرِجُكُمْ طِفْلًا ‘‘} Then We bring it out from the mother’s womb in the form of a child.
➑ After { ثُمَّ لِتَبْلُغُوْۤا اَشُدَّكُمْ … : ’’ ثُمَّ ‘‘} some words are omitted which are understood, that is, then We bring you out from your mother’s womb as a child, who is weak in body, hearing, sight, strength, and intellect. {’’ ثُمَّ لِتَبْلُغُوْۤا اَشُدَّكُمْ ‘‘} Then Allah Almighty gradually gives him strength, his parents show him compassion day and night and serve him, he grows, so that passing through childhood and adolescence, he reaches the full strength and beauty of youth.
➒ {وَ مِنْكُمْ مَّنْ يُّتَوَفّٰى …:} That is, among you are some who, after reaching youth or before it, are caused to die. {’’ وَ مِنْكُمْ مَّنْ يُّرَدُّ اِلٰۤى اَرْذَلِ الْعُمُرِ لِكَيْلَا يَعْلَمَ مِنْۢ بَعْدِ عِلْمٍ شَيْـًٔا ‘‘} This is the seventh stage, that is, some are returned to the most decrepit age, that is, extreme old age in which all the powers of intellect, thought, and body become weak. A person who was once a great scholar remembers nothing, neither memory remains nor intellect functions. He becomes weak and devoid of intellect and thought like a child again. Allah Almighty said: «{ وَ مَنْ نُّعَمِّرْهُ نُنَكِّسْهُ فِي الْخَلْقِ }» [یٰسٓ : ۶۸ ] "And whom We grant long life, We reverse him in creation." And He said: «{ اَللّٰهُ الَّذِيْ خَلَقَكُمْ مِّنْ ضُؔعْفٍ ثُمَّ جَعَلَ مِنْۢ بَعْدِ ضُؔعْفٍ قُوَّةً ثُمَّ جَعَلَ مِنْۢ بَعْدِ قُوَّةٍ ضُؔعْفًا وَّ شَيْبَةً }» [ الروم : ۵۴ ] "Allah is He who created you from weakness, then made after weakness strength, then after strength made weakness and old age." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to seek refuge with Allah from the most decrepit age, as Amr bin Maymun narrates that Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) used to teach his sons these words as a teacher teaches boys to write, and used to say that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to seek refuge after prayer with these words: [ اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّيْ أَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْجُبْنِ وَ أَعُوْذُ بِكَ أَنْ أُرَدَّ إِلٰی أَرْذَلِ الْعُمُرِ وَأَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْ فِتْنَةِ الدُّنْيَا وَ أَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ ] [ بخاري، الجھاد والسیر، باب ما یتعوذ من الجبن : ۲۸۲۲ ] "O Allah! I seek refuge with You from cowardice, and I seek refuge with You from being returned to the most decrepit age, and I seek refuge with You from the trials of the world, and I seek refuge with You from the punishment of the grave." In the narration of Mus’ab bin Sa’d, after {’’ اَللّٰهُمَّ اِنِّيْ أَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْجُبْنِ ‘‘} there is also {’’ وَأَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْبُخْلِ ‘‘} that I seek refuge with You from miserliness. [ بخاري، الدعوات، باب الاستعاذۃ من أرذل العمر… : ۶۳۷۴ ]
➓ {وَ تَرَى الْاَرْضَ هَامِدَةً …: ’’ اهْتَزَّتْ ‘‘ ’’هَزَّ يَهُزُّ هَزًّا‘‘} To move, to shake. {’’اِهْتَزَّ يَهْتَزُّ اِهْتِزَازًا‘‘} (Iftiaal) To move, the waving of crops. {’’ رَبَتْ ‘‘ ’’رَبَا يَرْبُوْ‘‘} (n) To grow, to swell. This is the second proof of life after death. Seeds of various plants and crops are scattered in the earth, which the winds or birds have spread everywhere. Similarly, countless roots of things are buried in the soil, in which there is no sign of life, but as soon as raindrops fall on them, life begins to wave everywhere. Every dead root comes to life from its grave, and every useless, lifeless seed takes the form of a living plant. This is a process of reviving the dead which every person observes himself in the spring and rainy season. The same is the case with the human body; its rising also has a season, which is the second blowing of the trumpet. When that season comes, every person will be raised alive from the place where he was buried. (Tayseer al-Qur’an)