Tafseer of The Pilgrimage · Al-Hajj · 22:5
O People, if you should be in doubt about the Resurrection, then [consider that] indeed, We created you from dust, then from a sperm-drop, then from a clinging clot, and then from a lump of flesh, formed and unformed - that We may show you. And We settle in the wombs whom We will for a specified term, then We bring you out as a child, and then [We develop you] that you may reach your [time of] maturity. And among you is he who is taken in [early] death, and among you is he who is returned to the most decrepit [old] age so that he knows, after [once having] knowledge, nothing. And you see the earth barren, but when We send down upon it rain, it quivers and swells and grows [something] of every beautiful kind.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
This is an argument from Allah against the one among mankind whose condition He described as disputing about Allah without knowledge, in imitation of the rebellious devil, and an indication to him of the places where his words go astray and his denial of the power of his Lord. He said: O mankind, if you doubt Our power to raise you up from your graves after your death and your decomposition — because you regard that as something tremendous — then in Our beginning the creation of your father Ādam ﷺ from earth, then Our bringing you to life from a drop of Ādam, and then Our passing you through the conditions — state after state, from a drop of sperm to a clot, then from a clot to a lump of flesh — there is for you a lesson and an instruction from which you can take heed, so that you may know that He who is capable of that, it is not difficult for Him to bring you back to life after your decay, just as you were alive before the decay.
The exegetes differed among themselves concerning the explanation of the words makhlaqa and ghayra mukhallaqa. Some said: this describes the drop of sperm. They said: the meaning is: We created you from earth, then from a drop of sperm — formed and unformed. They said: the formed is that which was a perfected formation; and the unformed is that which the womb cast out of the drops of sperm and expelled before it became a formation.
Mentioned are those who said that: Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Abū Muʿāwiya related to us, on the authority of Dāwūd ibn Abī Hind, on the authority of ʿĀmir, on the authority of ʿAlqama, on the authority of ʿAbd Allāh, who said: when the drop of sperm settles in the womb, Allah sends an angel who says: Lord, formed or unformed? If He says: unformed, the womb casts it out as blood. And if He says: formed, he says: Lord, what are the characteristics of this drop of sperm — male or female? What is its provision, its lifespan? Is it wretched or happy? Then he is told: go to the Mother of the Book and copy from it the characteristics of this drop of sperm! He said: the angel then goes and copies, and he remains with it until he reaches the end of its characteristics.
Others said: the meaning is: complete and incomplete.
Mentioned are those who said that: Ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: Sulaymān related to us, saying: Abū Hilāl related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning the words of Allah مُخَلَّقَةٍ وَغَيْرِ مُخَلَّقَةٍ — he said: complete and incomplete.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: مُخَلَّقَةٍ وَغَيْرِ مُخَلَّقَةٍ — he mentioned the same.
Others said: the meaning is that the lump of flesh is formed as a human and unformed; when it is formed, it is formed (makhlaqa), and when it is not formed, it is unformed (ghayra makhlaqa).
Mentioned are those who said that: Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Ḥakkām related to us, on the authority of ʿAnbasa, on the authority of Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, on the authority of al-Qāsim ibn Abī Bizza, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning the words مُخَلَّقَةٍ — he said: the miscarriage; مُخَلَّقَةٍ وَغَيْرِ مُخَلَّقَةٍ .
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning the words of Allah مُخَلَّقَةٍ وَغَيْرِ مُخَلَّقَةٍ — he said: the miscarriage — formed and unformed.
Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Mujāhid — with similar import.
Ibn al-Muthannā related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Dāwūd related to us, on the authority of ʿĀmir, who said concerning the drop of sperm and the lump of flesh: when it is turned about into the fourth state of creation, it is a formed living being; and when it casts this out before that time, it is unformed.
He said: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Mahdī related to us, on the authority of Ḥammād ibn Abī Salama, on the authority of Dāwūd ibn Abī Hind, on the authority of Abū al-ʿĀliya: مُخَلَّقَةٍ وَغَيْرِ مُخَلَّقَةٍ — he said: the miscarriage.
The most correct opinion on this matter is that of the one who said: the formed is the formation completely shaped as a human, and the unformed is the miscarriage before the completion of its creation. For the formed and the unformed are qualities of the lump of flesh and the drop of sperm after it has become a lump of flesh — there remains for it only the forming before it becomes a sound formation. That is what is meant by مُخَلَّقَةٍ وَغَيْرِ مُخَلَّقَةٍ — formed as a sound formation, and unformed in that the mother casts it out as a lump of flesh without it being formed and without a spirit being breathed into it.
His words لِنُبَيِّنَ لَكُمْ — Allah, exalted is His mention, says: We made the lump of flesh partly formed and complete and partly a miscarriage that is not complete, in order to make clear to you Our power over what We will, and to make you know how We began your creation.
His words وَنُقِرُّ فِي الأَرْحَامِ مَا نَشَاءُ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى — Allah, exalted is His mention, says: whom We have written to let live on and live until a limit and end, him We let remain in the womb of his mother until the time We have appointed for him to remain in her womb; she does not cast him out and he does not come out until his term is reached. When the time of his coming out of her womb arrives, We give him permission to come out of her, and he comes out.
In accordance with what We have said on this, the exegetes also spoke.
Mentioned are those who said that: Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His words وَنُقِرُّ فِي الأَرْحَامِ مَا نَشَاءُ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى — he said: the bringing to term.
Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Mujāhid — with similar import.
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb related to us, saying: Ibn Zayd said, concerning His words وَنُقِرُّ فِي الأَرْحَامِ مَا نَشَاءُ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى — he said: the named term is the remaining in the womb until it comes out.
His words ثُمَّ نُخْرِجُكُمْ طِفْلا — Allah, exalted is His mention, says: then We bring you out of the wombs of your mothers when you have reached the term We have appointed for your coming out — as a child, small. The word ṭifl is in the singular while it is a description for the whole group, because it is a plural form like ʿadl and zawr.
His words ثُمَّ لِتَبْلُغُوا أَشُدَّكُمْ — he said: then so that you reach the full maturity of your intellect and the limits of your strength in your age.
I have already mentioned earlier the disagreements of the scholars concerning the meaning of al-ashudd and the correct opinion therein with proofs, in such a way that there is no need to repeat this here.
"5"
The explanation of the words of Allah, the Exalted: وَمِنْكُمْ مَنْ يُتَوَفَّى وَمِنْكُمْ مَنْ يُرَدُّ إِلَى أَرْذَلِ الْعُمُرِ لِكَيْلا يَعْلَمَ مِنْ بَعْدِ عِلْمٍ شَيْئًا وَتَرَى الأَرْضَ هَامِدَةً فَإِذَا أَنْزَلْنَا عَلَيْهَا الْمَاءَ اهْتَزَّتْ وَرَبَتْ وَأَنْبَتَتْ مِنْ كُلِّ زَوْجٍ بَهِيجٍ
Allah, exalted is His mention, says: and among you, O mankind, is he who dies before he reaches his ripest age, so that he dies; and among you is he who is pushed far on in his lifespan so that he grows old, and after reaching the bloom of his youth and the peak of his ripest age is brought back to the lowest phase of his life — that is old age — until he returns to the condition of his childhood, no longer understanding anything after his former understanding.
The meaning of the words is: and among you is he who is brought back to the lowest phase of life after reaching his ripest age لِكَيْلا يَعْلَمَ مِنْ بَعْدِ عِلْمٍ — which he formerly knew شَيْئًا .
His words وَتَرَى الأَرْضَ هَامِدَةً — Allah, exalted is His mention, says: and you see the earth, O Muhammad, dry, with the traces of vegetation and growth wiped out. The original meaning of humūd is wiping out and perishing. One says: hamadati al-arḍu tahmadu humūdan. An example of this is the verse of al-Aʿshā Maymūn ibn Qays:
Qutayla said: why is your body pale, and I see your garments worn out and crumbled — (hamada)
Al-Humad is the plural form of hāmid, just as rukkaʿ is the plural of rākiʿ.
In accordance with what We have said on this, the exegetes also spoke.
Mentioned are those who said that: al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, concerning His words وَتَرَى الأَرْضَ هَامِدَةً — he said: there is no vegetation in it.
His words فَإِذَا أَنـزلْنَا عَلَيْهَا الْمَاءَ اهْتَزَّتْ — Allah, exalted is His mention, says: when We send down upon this barren earth that has no vegetation the rain from the sky, اهْتَزَّتْ — he said: it moves through the vegetation. وَرَبَتْ — he said: and the vegetation doubles through the coming of the rain.
In accordance with what We have said on this, the exegetes also spoke.
Mentioned are those who said that: Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda: اهْتَزَّتْ وَرَبَتْ — he said: the rain was recognized by its swelling.
Al-Ḥasan ibn Yaḥyā related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Razzāq related to us, saying: Maʿmar related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: اهْتَزَّتْ وَرَبَتْ — he said: it became beautiful, and the rain was recognized by its swelling.
Some said: the meaning is: when We send down upon it the rain, it became alive — and they referred the meaning to the crops, even though the wording of the statement is about the earth. The readers of the great cities read وَرَبَتْ with the meaning of rabw, i.e. growth and increase.
Abū Jaʿfar al-Qāriʾ read this as وَرَبَأَتْ with a hamza. This was conveyed to me on the authority of al-Farrāʾ, on the authority of Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Tamīmī, from him; but that is an error, for there is no reason for rabāʾ here. One says rabāʾa with a hamza only in the meaning of watching, from rabīʾa; and watching has no meaning here. The correct reading is that of the readers of the great cities.
His words وَأَنْبَتَتْ مِنْ كُلِّ زَوْجٍ بَهِيجٍ — Allah, exalted is His praise, says: and this barren earth brought forth through that rain, of every kind that is bahīj — i.e. bahj, which means beautiful.
In accordance with what We have said on this, the exegetes also spoke.
Mentioned are those who said that: Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda: وَأَنْبَتَتْ مِنْ كُلِّ زَوْجٍ بَهِيجٍ — he said: beautiful.
Al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Razzāq related to us, saying: Maʿmar related to us, on the authority of Qatāda — with similar import.
