Al-Hajj (22:5-7)

Recitations and Readings

The reading of {مِنَ الْبَعْثِ} (from the resurrection) by Al-Hasan is with a dammah (vowelization) on the bā’ (ب), similar to al-ḥalb (milking) and al-ṭard (driving away) in the context of milking.

Regarding {مُخَلَّقَةً وَغَيْرَ مُخَلَّقَةٍ} (formed and unformed), Ibn Abī ‘Abilah read it with the kasrah (vowelization) on the tā’ (ت) and rā’ (ر). The well-known reading is with the fatḥah (vowelization) on the tā’ and rā’.

The known reading for {لَنُبَيِّنَ} (We will make clear), {وَنُقِرُّ} (and We cause to remain), and {ثُمَّ نُخْرِجُكُم طِفْلًا} (then We bring you out as infants) is with the nūn (ن). Ibn Abī ‘Abilah read these three with the yā’ (ي).

Regarding the reading with nūn (ن):

1. The famous reading.
2. Al-Sīrāfī narrated from Dāwūd from Ya‘qūb the reading {وَنَقِرُّ} (and We cause to remain) with fatḥah on the nūn and ḍammah on the qāf and rā’, derived from qara (to pour water). Another narration from MS6404 has fatḥah on the rā’ as well.
3. {وَنَقِرُّ وَنُخْرِجُكُم} with fatḥah on the rā’ and jīm (ج).

Regarding the reading with yā’ (ي):

1. {يُقِرُّ وَيُخْرِجُكُم} with fatḥah on the qāf, rā’, and jīm.
2. {يُقِرُّ وَيُخْرِجُكُم} with ḍammah on the qāf and rā’ and jīm.
3. With fatḥah on the yā’, kasrah on the qāf, and ḍammah on the rā’.

Abū Ḥātim read {وَمِنكُم مَّن يُتَوَفَّى} (And among you is he who is caused to die) with fatḥah on the yā’, meaning Allāh causes him to die. Ibn ‘Umar and Al-A‘mash read {الْعُمُرَ} (the age) with sukūn on the mīm (M), which is the known reading.

In ‘Abdullāh’s copy, it is: {وَمِنكُم مَّن يُتَوَفَّى وَمِنكُم مَّن يُرَدُّ إِلَى أَرْذَلِ الْعُمُرِ} (And among you is he who is caused to die, and among you is he who is returned to the worst of age), but without the known reading for the latter part.

Abū Ja‘far read {وَرَبَتْ} (and it grew) as {وَرَبَأَتْ} (it rose/increased), and Al-‘Umarī narrated from him softening the hamzah. It was also recited as {وَأَنَّهُ بَاعِثٌ} (and that He is the Raiser).

Meanings and Exegesis (Tafsīr)

Know that when the Almighty recounted their argumentation without knowledge concerning the establishment of resurrection and chastised them for it, He then presented the evidence for its truth from two aspects:

First Aspect: Argumentation based on the initial creation of living beings. This aligns with what was summarized in His saying: {قُلْ يُحْيِيهَا الَّذِي أَنشَأَهَا أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ} (Say, "He will give life to them who produced them the first time") (Yā Sīn: 79), and {فَسَيَقُولُونَ مَن يُعِيدُنَا ۖ قُلِ الَّذِي فَطَرَكُمْ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ} (And they will say, "Who will restore us?" Say, "He who created you the first time") (Al-Isrā’: 51).

It is as if the Almighty is saying: If you are in doubt about what We promised you regarding the Resurrection, then remember your first creation, so you may know that the One capable of creating you the first time is capable of creating you a second time.

Then, the Almighty mentioned seven stages of the initial creation:

The First Stage: {فَإِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن تُرَابٍ} (For We have created you from dust). There are two interpretations for this:

1. We created your origin, Adam (peace be upon him), from dust, based on {خَلَقَهُ مِن تُرَابٍ} (He created him from dust) (Āl ‘Imrān: 59) and {مِنْهَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ} (From it We created you) (Ṭā Hā: 55).
2. Human creation originates from semen (manī) and menstrual blood, which are derived from nourishment. This nourishment is either animal or plant-based. Animal nourishment ultimately traces back to plants (to avoid infinite regress). Plants originate from the earth and water. Thus, the statement {مِّن تُرَابٍ} is correct.

The Second Stage: {ثُمَّ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ} (Then from a drop of fluid). Nuṭfah means a small amount of water, which here refers to the male's semen. It is as if the Almighty is saying: I transformed that dry dust into a subtle fluid, despite the complete lack of similarity between them.

The Third Stage: {ثُمَّ مِنْ عَلَقَةٍ} (Then from a clinging clot). ‘Alaqah is a piece of coagulated blood. There is no doubt about the intense difference between the fluid (nuṭfah) and the coagulated blood (‘alaqah).

The Fourth Stage: {ثُمَّ مِن مُّضْغَةٍ مُّخَلَّقَةٍ وَغَيْرِ مُخَلَّقَةٍ لِّنُبَيِّنَ لَكُمْ وَنُقِرُّ فِي الْأَرْحَامِ مَا نَشَاءُ} (Then from a lump of flesh, partly formed and partly unformed, that We may make clear to you. And We cause to remain in the wombs what We will to a specified term). Muḍghah is a small piece of flesh, the size of what can be chewed. Mukhallaqah (formed) means shaped, smooth, and free from defect or deficiency. It is said of a siwāk (tooth-stick) or a piece of wood that is smoothed (khalaqahu). A smooth rock is called ṣakhrah khalqā’.

Interpretations of Mukhallaqah and Ghayr Mukhallaqah:

1. It refers to stages of formation: Those in whom the stages of creation are complete, and those in whom they are not. The Almighty created some clots perfectly formed with features and senses, and others lacking these. This is the view of Qatādah and Al-Ḍaḥḥāk. The variation in the muḍghah leads to the variation in people’s creation, form, height, shortness, completeness, and deficiency.
2. It refers to viability: Mukhallaqah is the fetus that exits alive, and ghayr mukhallaqah is the miscarriage (saqṭ). This is the view of Mujāhid.
3. It refers to external shaping: Mukhallaqah is the shaped one, and ghayr mukhallaqah is the unshaped one, which remains as mere flesh without features or configuration. They cite the narration from ‘Alqamah on the authority of ‘Abdullāh: When the nuṭfah settles in the womb, Allāh sends an angel and asks, "O Lord, is it mukhallaqah or ghayr mukhallaqah?" If He says ghayr mukhallaqah, the womb expels it as blood. If He says mukhallaqah, the angel asks, "O Lord, what are its attributes? Male or female? What is its provision? What is its term? Wretched or fortunate?" Allāh then says, "Go to the Preserved Tablet (Umm al-Kitāb) and copy the description of this nuṭfah." The angel goes and copies it, remaining with it until the last of its description is recorded.
4. Al-Qaffāl’s view: Takhliq (the process of forming) is derived from khalq (creation). That which undergoes successive stages and repeated creation is mukhallaqah. Thus, what is complete is mukhallaqah, and what is not complete is ghayr mukhallaqah because the repeated shaping has not occurred.

The first view is closer because the verse begins by referring to people ({فَإِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم}), so mukhallaqah and ghayr mukhallaqah should apply to those who will become human. This makes the miscarriage (saqṭ) less likely, as it might be expelled before full formation. If one argues that the miscarriage is implied by {وَنُقِرُّ فِي الْأَرْحَامِ مَا نَشَاءُ} (what We will to remain), suggesting some things are not retained, we say this does not negate the validity of the first interpretation. Even after completing the formation of some and leaving others incomplete, Allāh may choose to retain some and expel others, meaning the miscarriage can still fall under the category of ghayr mukhallaqah in terms of incomplete formation, even if it showed signs of human form.

Regarding {لِنُبَيِّنَ لَكُمْ} (that We may make clear to you):

1. To clarify that the transformation of the muḍghah into the mukhallaqah is by the choice of the choosing Agent. Were it not for Him, some would not become formed while others remained unformed.
2. The implied meaning is: If you are in doubt about the Resurrection, We have informed you that We created you from such and such stages to remove that doubt concerning your resurrection, as the One capable of these things cannot be incapable of re-creation.

Regarding {وَنُقِرُّ فِي الْأَرْحَامِ مَا نَشَاءُ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى} (And We cause to remain in the wombs what We will to a specified term): This refers to those whom Allāh causes to reach the stage of birth. The specified term (ajal musammā) is the time set for delivery, which could be the end of six months, nine months, four years, or whatever Allāh wills and decrees. If He decrees it, it becomes the specified term.

The Fifth Stage: {ثُمَّ نُخْرِجُكُم طِفْلًا} (Then We bring you out as infants). The singular form (ṭiflan) is used because the purpose is to indicate the genus (humanity). It is also possible that each one of you exits as an infant, similar to {وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ ظَهِيرٌ} (and the angels thereafter are supporters) (Al-Taḥrīm: 4).

The Sixth Stage: {ثُمَّ لِتَبْلُغُوا أَشُدَّكُمْ} (Then [We cause you to grow] until you reach your full strength). Al-Ashudd (full strength) is the perfection of power, intellect, and discernment. It is a plural noun for which no singular is used, perhaps because strength is multifaceted, hence the plural form. The meaning, Allāh knows best, is that We then facilitated matters for your upbringing and nourishment so that you may reach your full strength. This points to the stages between exiting the mother's womb and reaching al-ashudd, with intermediate steps between these two states. Some mentioned that there is no intermediate stage between infancy and the beginning of al-ashudd, allowing a person to reach maturity in age while still being an infant in disposition, before entering the stage of al-ashudd.

The Seventh Stage: {وَمِنكُم مَّن يُتَوَفَّىٰ وَمِنكُم مَّن يُرَدُّ إِلَىٰ أَرْذَلِ الْعُمُرِ لِكَيْلَا يَعْلَمَ مِن بَعْدِ عِلْمٍ شَيْئًا} (And among you is he who is caused to die [in youth or maturity], and among you is he who is returned to the worst of age, so that he may know nothing after [having had] knowledge). This means some of you die while in strength and completeness, and some of you are returned to the worst of age, which is old age and senility (kharf), becoming like they were in the beginning of infancy: weak in body, feeble in mind, and lacking in understanding.

If it is asked: How can He say {لِكَيْلَا يَعْلَمَ مِن بَعْدِ عِلْمٍ شَيْئًا} (so that he may know nothing after having had knowledge), when the senile person still knows some things like a child? The answer is that the meaning is that his intellect vanishes, making it as if he knows nothing, as such phrasing is sometimes used in negation for emphasis. Some scholars say this state does not happen to believers due to {ثُمَّ رَدَدْنَاهُ أَسْفَلَ سَافِلِينَ * إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ} (Then We return him to the lowest of the low, Except for those who believe and do righteous deeds) (Al-Tīn: 5-6). This view is weak because the meaning of {ثُمَّ رَدَدْنَاهُ أَسْفَلَ سَافِلِينَ} is a condemnation, implying a punishment. That is why He added the exception for those who believe and do righteous deeds, for whom there is a reward that is never cut off.

This concludes the argumentation based on the stages of animal creation proving the truth of the Resurrection.

Second Aspect: Argumentation based on the creation of plants. This is in His saying: {وَتَرَى الْأَرْضَ هَامِدَةً} (And you see the earth barren). Its barrenness (humūd) is its dryness and lack of vegetation and greenery. {فَإِذَا أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْهَا الْمَاءَ اهْتَزَّتْ وَرَبَتْ} (But when We send down rain upon it, it stirs and grows). Ihtizāz (stirring) is movement accompanied by joy. One rarely says someone ihtazza for something unless it is beneficial or pleasing. Thus, {اهْتَزَّتْ وَرَبَتْ} means it moved with vegetation and swelled.

Regarding {وَأَنبَتَتْ مِن كُلِّ زَوْجٍ بَهِيجٍ} (And it brings forth every kind of beautiful growth): This is a metaphor, as the earth is the place from which things sprout, but Allāh is the true Grower. The attribution to the earth is figurative. {مِن كُلِّ زَوْجٍ بَهِيجٍ} means every type of plant, whether sown or grown. Bahjah means beauty and freshness, and bahīj means delightful. Al-Mubarrad said it means something bright and beautiful.

Then, after establishing these two proofs, the Almighty followed them with the required conclusion, mentioning five points:

1. {ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْحَقُّ} (That is because Allāh is the Truth). The Truth is the existing, established reality. It is as if the Almighty clarified that these evidences point to the existence of the Creator, and the essence is that the successive appearance of these varied forms indicates the existence of the Maker.
2. {وَأَنَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ} (And that He is capable of all things). This is a reminder that since the creation of these things is not deemed impossible for the Deity, how can the re-creation of the dead be deemed impossible?
3. {وَأَنَّ السَّاعَةَ آتِيَةٌ لَّا رَيْبَ فِيهَا وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ يَبْعَثُ مَن فِي الْقُبُورِ} (And that the Hour is coming, there is no doubt about it, and that Allāh will resurrect those who are in the graves). Since He established the evidence that re-creation is possible in itself, and that He is capable of all possibilities, certainty must be established regarding His capability for re-creation. Since possibility is proven, and the Truthful One informed of its occurrence, certainty of its occurrence is necessary.

The Scholarly Formulation of this Proof: We state: Re-creation is possible in itself, and the Truthful One has informed of its occurrence, so certainty of its occurrence is necessary.

Proof of Possibility: After these bodies disperse, they are still capable of possessing the attributes that characterized them when they were living and rational. The Creator is knowledgeable of all knowables and capable of all possible things. This necessitates certainty of the possibility of re-creation, because those bodies, even after dispersion, remain capable of those attributes. If they were not capable of them at one time, they would never be capable of them, as essential matters do not vanish. Since they were living and rational, they must always be capable of these attributes.

Furthermore, the Creator is capable of bringing about this possibility because He is Omniscient of all particulars of every accountable being, and He is capable of all possibilities, thus He is capable of bringing those attributes back to those entities. Therefore, re-creation is possible in itself, and the Creator is capable of achieving that possibility.

Since possibility is established, and the Truthful One has informed of its occurrence, certainty of its occurrence is necessary. This is the discussion regarding establishing this principle.

If it is asked: What is the benefit of mentioning the stages of animal and plant creation in this proof? We reply: They demonstrate that He is capable of all possibilities and knowledgeable of all knowables. Once this is established, the possibility of re-creation is established, because the opponent denies the Hereafter only by denying one of these two principles (Capability or Knowledge). This is why, wherever Allāh establishes evidence for the Resurrection in His Book, He mentions His being Capable and Knowledgeable, as in: {قُلْ يُحْيِيهَا الَّذِي أَنشَأَهَا أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ خَلْقٍ عَلِيمٌ} (Say, "He will give life to them who produced them the first time, and He is Knower of all creation") (Yā Sīn: 79). {الَّذِي أَنشَأَهَا أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ} is evidence of Power, and {وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ خَلْقٍ عَلِيمٌ} is evidence of Knowledge. And Allāh knows best.

Verse 7 Translation

{وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يُجَادِلُ فِي اللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ وَلَا هُدًى وَلَا كِتَابٍ مُّنِيرٍ * ثَانِيَ عَطْفِهِ لِيُضِلَّ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ۚ لَهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا خِزْيٌ ۖ وَنُذِيقُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ عَذَابَ الْحَرِيقِ * ذَٰلِكَ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ يَدَاكَ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ لَيْسَ بِظَلَّامٍ لِّلْعَبِيدِ}

"And among people is he who disputes concerning Allāh without knowledge, nor guidance, nor an illuminating Book, turning his side [in arrogance] to mislead from the way of Allāh. For him in this world is disgrace, and We will make him taste on the Day of Resurrection the punishment of the Burning Fire. That is because of what your hands have put forth, and because Allāh is never unjust to His servants."