سُوْرَةُ الْوَاقِعَةِ
Surah Al-Waaqia (56) — Ayah 58
أَفَرَءَيْتُم مَّا تُمْنُونَ ﴿58﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Then tell Me (about) the (human) semen that you emit.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
أَفَرَءَيْتُم
afara-aytum
Do you see
مَّا
mā
what
تُمْنُونَ
tum'nūna
you emit
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 59,58) {اَفَرَءَيْتُمْ مَّا تُمْنُوْنَ … : ’’ تُمْنُوْنَ ‘‘ ’’أَمْنٰي يُمْنِيْ إِمْنَاءً ‘‘} (af‘aal) (to drop, to drip) is the second-person plural masculine present active verb. In {’’ اَفَرَءَيْتُمْ ‘‘}, the meaning of “seeing” is intellectual perception, because this is not something visible to the eyes. (See Surah Ya-Sin: 77) The fact that the creation of man from a drop of semen is proof of the Resurrection is something that every person is obliged to ponder, because Allah Almighty has commanded it, He said: « فَلْيَنْظُرِ الْاِنْسَانُ مِمَّ خُلِقَ (4) خُلِقَ مِنْ مَّآءٍ دَافِقٍ» [الطارق : ۵،۴ ] “So let man observe from what he was created. He was created from a gushing fluid.” For details, see the commentary of Surah At-Tariq (5 to 8).
Commentator Abdul Rahman Kilani writes: “The first point to ponder is, what exactly is the human sperm? What is it made of? Then, were the things it is made from alive or dead? And did you have any role or authority in the making or formation of this sperm? Then, up to the point of depositing the sperm in the womb, man has some control, but after that, his authority is completely terminated. A drop of sperm contains millions of germs, organisms, which can only be seen with a powerful microscope. Similarly, the existence of the female ovum in the womb cannot be seen without a microscope. When one sperm enters the female ovum, a small living cell is formed from the union of the two, and this is the starting point of human life, and this is called conception. Up to the point of depositing the sperm, the man has authority, but neither the man nor the woman nor any other being in the world has the power to ensure conception from the sperm. Then, from this starting point, the gradual nurturing of the child in the darkness of the mother’s womb, the unique shaping of each child, the placement of different mental and physical abilities in each child in a specific proportion so that he emerges as a distinguished human being—can this be the work of anyone other than a Creator? Or does anyone else (doctor, saint, spiritual leader, or anyone else) have even the slightest role in this? Then, it is also Allah’s decision whether the child will be a boy or a girl, handsome or unattractive, whether his features will be sharp or full, whether he will be strong and tall or weak, frail, and of low weight, healthy or blind, deaf, lame, intelligent or dull-minded. All these are matters that are purely in the control of Allah, the Creator of the universe. After understanding all these things, can man still not affirm that the One who created him is the sole Lord of all worlds, and that the One who creates millions upon millions of humans and other living beings every day from dead sperm can also give life again to the lifeless particles of humans after death?”
(Tayseer al-Qur’an) Allah Almighty has, in many places, presented the first creation as proof of the recreation. See Surah Ar-Rum (27), Al-Anbiya (104), Al-Hajj (5), Ya-Sin (77 to 79), Bani Isra’il (51), Maryam (67), and Surah Al-Qiyamah (36 to 40).
Commentator Abdul Rahman Kilani writes: “The first point to ponder is, what exactly is the human sperm? What is it made of? Then, were the things it is made from alive or dead? And did you have any role or authority in the making or formation of this sperm? Then, up to the point of depositing the sperm in the womb, man has some control, but after that, his authority is completely terminated. A drop of sperm contains millions of germs, organisms, which can only be seen with a powerful microscope. Similarly, the existence of the female ovum in the womb cannot be seen without a microscope. When one sperm enters the female ovum, a small living cell is formed from the union of the two, and this is the starting point of human life, and this is called conception. Up to the point of depositing the sperm, the man has authority, but neither the man nor the woman nor any other being in the world has the power to ensure conception from the sperm. Then, from this starting point, the gradual nurturing of the child in the darkness of the mother’s womb, the unique shaping of each child, the placement of different mental and physical abilities in each child in a specific proportion so that he emerges as a distinguished human being—can this be the work of anyone other than a Creator? Or does anyone else (doctor, saint, spiritual leader, or anyone else) have even the slightest role in this? Then, it is also Allah’s decision whether the child will be a boy or a girl, handsome or unattractive, whether his features will be sharp or full, whether he will be strong and tall or weak, frail, and of low weight, healthy or blind, deaf, lame, intelligent or dull-minded. All these are matters that are purely in the control of Allah, the Creator of the universe. After understanding all these things, can man still not affirm that the One who created him is the sole Lord of all worlds, and that the One who creates millions upon millions of humans and other living beings every day from dead sperm can also give life again to the lifeless particles of humans after death?”
(Tayseer al-Qur’an) Allah Almighty has, in many places, presented the first creation as proof of the recreation. See Surah Ar-Rum (27), Al-Anbiya (104), Al-Hajj (5), Ya-Sin (77 to 79), Bani Isra’il (51), Maryam (67), and Surah Al-Qiyamah (36 to 40).
