سُوْرَةُ الدَّهْرِ
Surah Al-Insaan (76) — Ayah 1
هَلْ أَتَىٰ عَلَى ٱلْإِنسَـٰنِ حِينٌ مِّنَ ٱلدَّهْرِ لَمْ يَكُن شَيْـًٔا مَّذْكُورًا ﴿1﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Has there not been over man a period of time, when he was not a thing worth mentioning?
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
هَلْ
hal
Has
أَتَىٰ
atā
(there) come
عَلَى
ʿalā
upon
ٱلْإِنسَـٰنِ
l-insāni
man
حِينٌۭ
ḥīnun
a period
مِّنَ
mina
of
ٱلدَّهْرِ
l-dahri
time
لَمْ
lam
not
يَكُن
yakun
he was
شَيْـًۭٔا
shayan
a thing
مَّذْكُورًا
madhkūran
mentioned
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.
This Surah is also called { ”سُوْرَةُ الإِْنْسَانِ“ } and {’’سُوْرَةُ هَلْ أَتٰي‘‘}. (Qasimi) Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: [ کَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّی اللّٰہُ عَلَیْہِ وَسَلَّمَ یَقْرَأُ فِي الْجُمُعَۃِ فِيْ صَلاَۃِ الْفَجْرِ: « الٓمّٓ (1) تَنْزِيْلُ » [ السجدۃ : ۱،۲ ] وَ «هَلْ اَتٰى عَلَى الْاِنْسَانِ » [ الإنسان : ۱ ] ] [ بخاري، الجمعۃ، باب ما یقرأ في صلاۃ الفجر یوم الجمعۃ : ۸۹۱ ] "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite Surah Sajdah and Surah Dahr in the Fajr prayer on Friday."
(Ayah 1) ➊ {هَلْ اَتٰى عَلَى الْاِنْسَانِ …: ’’ هَلْ ‘‘} is used for asking a question. Sometimes this questioning is to obtain some information, such as {’’هَلْ فِي الدَّارِ زَيْدٌ‘‘} "Is Zaid in the house?" Allah Almighty has no need for this. Sometimes this question is for negation, such as: {’’وَ هَلْ يَسْتَطِيْعُ ذٰلِكَ أَحَدٌ‘‘} "Can anyone do this work?" meaning no one can do it. In Arabic, besides negation, this is also called "juhd." Sometimes this questioning is to make someone acknowledge something, which in Arabic is called "taqreer," such as if you have given something to someone or honored him, then you say {’’هَلْ أَعْطَيْتُكَ‘‘} "Did I give you?" and {’’هَلْ أَكْرَمْتُكَ‘‘} "Did I honor you?" At that time, this {’’هَلْ‘‘} is in the meaning of {’’ قَدْ‘‘}, that is, certainly I gave you and certainly I honored you. In this verse, {’’ هَلْ ‘‘} has come in this last meaning. Many commentators have translated it as "certainly" or "indeed," but even if the meaning of {’’ هَلْ ‘‘} remains as its original "did," the intended meaning is still that certainly such a time passed over him.
➋ Some people think that they will not be resurrected after death; in their view, it is not possible that after a human has turned to dust, he can be created again. Here, to convince such people, the question is asked: Has there passed over man a period of time when he was not even a thing mentioned? It is clear that their answer will be that certainly such a time has passed over man. So when Allah Almighty created him at that time when he was nothing, and there was not even any mention of him, then why can He not create him again after having created him once? Elsewhere Allah Almighty has said: « وَ يَقُوْلُ الْاِنْسَانُ ءَاِذَا مَا مِتُّ لَسَوْفَ اُخْرَجُ حَيًّا (66) اَوَ لَا يَذْكُرُ الْاِنْسَانُ اَنَّا خَلَقْنٰهُ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَ لَمْ يَكُ شَيْـًٔا » [ مریم : 67،66 ] "And man says, 'When I have died, will I really be brought forth alive?' Does he not remember that We created him before, while he was nothing?"
➌ By {’’ الْاِنْسَانِ ‘‘} here is not meant only Adam (peace be upon him) but the human race, because in the next verse the creation of man from a drop of fluid is mentioned.
(Ayah 1) ➊ {هَلْ اَتٰى عَلَى الْاِنْسَانِ …: ’’ هَلْ ‘‘} is used for asking a question. Sometimes this questioning is to obtain some information, such as {’’هَلْ فِي الدَّارِ زَيْدٌ‘‘} "Is Zaid in the house?" Allah Almighty has no need for this. Sometimes this question is for negation, such as: {’’وَ هَلْ يَسْتَطِيْعُ ذٰلِكَ أَحَدٌ‘‘} "Can anyone do this work?" meaning no one can do it. In Arabic, besides negation, this is also called "juhd." Sometimes this questioning is to make someone acknowledge something, which in Arabic is called "taqreer," such as if you have given something to someone or honored him, then you say {’’هَلْ أَعْطَيْتُكَ‘‘} "Did I give you?" and {’’هَلْ أَكْرَمْتُكَ‘‘} "Did I honor you?" At that time, this {’’هَلْ‘‘} is in the meaning of {’’ قَدْ‘‘}, that is, certainly I gave you and certainly I honored you. In this verse, {’’ هَلْ ‘‘} has come in this last meaning. Many commentators have translated it as "certainly" or "indeed," but even if the meaning of {’’ هَلْ ‘‘} remains as its original "did," the intended meaning is still that certainly such a time passed over him.
➋ Some people think that they will not be resurrected after death; in their view, it is not possible that after a human has turned to dust, he can be created again. Here, to convince such people, the question is asked: Has there passed over man a period of time when he was not even a thing mentioned? It is clear that their answer will be that certainly such a time has passed over man. So when Allah Almighty created him at that time when he was nothing, and there was not even any mention of him, then why can He not create him again after having created him once? Elsewhere Allah Almighty has said: « وَ يَقُوْلُ الْاِنْسَانُ ءَاِذَا مَا مِتُّ لَسَوْفَ اُخْرَجُ حَيًّا (66) اَوَ لَا يَذْكُرُ الْاِنْسَانُ اَنَّا خَلَقْنٰهُ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَ لَمْ يَكُ شَيْـًٔا » [ مریم : 67،66 ] "And man says, 'When I have died, will I really be brought forth alive?' Does he not remember that We created him before, while he was nothing?"
➌ By {’’ الْاِنْسَانِ ‘‘} here is not meant only Adam (peace be upon him) but the human race, because in the next verse the creation of man from a drop of fluid is mentioned.
