سُوْرَةُ قٓ
Surah Qaaf (50) — Ayah 16
وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ وَنَعْلَمُ مَا تُوَسْوِسُ بِهِۦ نَفْسُهُۥ ۖ وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ ٱلْوَرِيدِ ﴿16﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And indeed We have created man, and We know what his ownself whispers to him. And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein (by Our Knowledge).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلَقَدْ
walaqad
And certainly
خَلَقْنَا
khalaqnā
We created
ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ
l-insāna
man
وَنَعْلَمُ
wanaʿlamu
and We know
مَا
mā
what
تُوَسْوِسُ
tuwaswisu
whispers
بِهِۦ
bihi
to him
نَفْسُهُۥ ۖ
nafsuhu
his soul
وَنَحْنُ
wanaḥnu
and We
أَقْرَبُ
aqrabu
(are) nearer
إِلَيْهِ
ilayhi
to him
مِنْ
min
than
حَبْلِ
ḥabli
(his) jugular vein
ٱلْوَرِيدِ
l-warīdi
(his) jugular vein
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
16. We created man, and We know what his soul whispers to him [18], and We are closer to him than his jugular vein [19].
[18]
Satan Running Through Man Like Blood in the Veins:
Since We alone have created man, who else can know his nature better than Us? We even know the thoughts of his heart and the evil notions or whispers that arise within it. By the way, how do these whispers arise? Observe this in the following hadith: Umm al-Mu’minin Sayyidah Safiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that she came to meet the Prophet ﷺ in the Prophet’s Mosque while he ﷺ was observing i‘tikaf during the last ten days of Ramadan. When I was about to leave, he ﷺ stood up with me (to escort me home). When we reached near the door of Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her), two Ansari men (Usayd bin Hudayr and ‘Ammar bin Bashr, may Allah be pleased with them) met us. They greeted the Prophet ﷺ and moved ahead. The Prophet ﷺ said to them: “Wait a moment, (this woman is my wife).” They said: “Subhan Allah! O Messenger of Allah,” and your clarification was hard on them. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Satan reaches every vein of the human body like blood. I feared that he might cast some suspicion into your hearts.” [بخاری۔ کتاب الجہاد باب بیوت ازواج النبی ]
[19]
Allah Being Closer Than the Jugular Vein:
This nearness of Allah is in terms of His knowledge and His power, not in terms of His essence, because His essence is above the entire universe, upon the Throne. The abode of man’s soul or self or spirit is the human heart. So when Allah, in terms of His knowledge, knows even the thoughts of man’s heart and the ideas that arise within it, then the jugular vein, which is at the front of the neck, is quite far from the heart. In this sense, Allah is even closer to him than his jugular vein.
[18]
Satan Running Through Man Like Blood in the Veins:
Since We alone have created man, who else can know his nature better than Us? We even know the thoughts of his heart and the evil notions or whispers that arise within it. By the way, how do these whispers arise? Observe this in the following hadith: Umm al-Mu’minin Sayyidah Safiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that she came to meet the Prophet ﷺ in the Prophet’s Mosque while he ﷺ was observing i‘tikaf during the last ten days of Ramadan. When I was about to leave, he ﷺ stood up with me (to escort me home). When we reached near the door of Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her), two Ansari men (Usayd bin Hudayr and ‘Ammar bin Bashr, may Allah be pleased with them) met us. They greeted the Prophet ﷺ and moved ahead. The Prophet ﷺ said to them: “Wait a moment, (this woman is my wife).” They said: “Subhan Allah! O Messenger of Allah,” and your clarification was hard on them. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Satan reaches every vein of the human body like blood. I feared that he might cast some suspicion into your hearts.” [بخاری۔ کتاب الجہاد باب بیوت ازواج النبی ]
[19]
Allah Being Closer Than the Jugular Vein:
This nearness of Allah is in terms of His knowledge and His power, not in terms of His essence, because His essence is above the entire universe, upon the Throne. The abode of man’s soul or self or spirit is the human heart. So when Allah, in terms of His knowledge, knows even the thoughts of man’s heart and the ideas that arise within it, then the jugular vein, which is at the front of the neck, is quite far from the heart. In this sense, Allah is even closer to him than his jugular vein.
