| Al-Insan (Man): (2) Indeed, We created man...

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His saying, the Exalted: {Indeed, We created man from a mixed drop (nutfa amshaj)}—in this, there are several issues:

Issue 1: The Meaning of Amshaj

In language, mashj means mixing. It is said, mashaja yamshuju mashjan if something is mixed. Al-amshaj are the mixtures. Ibn al-A'rabi said: its singular form is mashj or mashij. Something that is mixed is called mashij, like saying khalit (mixed), and mamshuj, like saying makhlut (blended).

The poet of Hudhayl said:

As if the feathers and the lower parts of it Contrasting the arrowhead, a mixture has carried it far.

He describes an arrow that has gone far in its flight, so its feathers and lower parts are smeared with a little blood.

The author of Al-Kashshaf said: Al-amshaj is a singular noun, not a plural, evidenced by it being an adjective for the singular noun, which is His saying: {a mixed drop (nutfa amshaj)}. It is also said: nutfa mashij (a mixed drop). It is not correct for amshaj to be the plural of mashj; rather, they are similar examples in being singular forms, like burma a'shar (pieces of intoxicating things), thawb akhlaq (tattered garments), and ard subasib (vast lands).

There is a difference of opinion regarding the meaning of the drop being mixed:

1. The Majority View: It refers to the mixing of the man's semen with the woman's semen, as in His saying: {that which comes forth from between the loins and the ribs} (At-Tariq: 7). Ibn Abbas said: It is the mixing of the man's fluid, which is white and thick, with the woman's fluid, which is yellow and thin. They mix, and the child is created from them. What pertains to sinew, bone, and strength comes from the man's drop, and what pertains to flesh and blood comes from the woman's fluid.
2. Mujahid's View: It refers to the colors of the drop; the man's drop is white, and the woman's drop is yellow.
3. Abdullah's View: Its amshaj (mixtures) are its veins.
4. Al-Hasan's View: It means from a drop mixed with blood, which is the menstrual blood. This is because when the woman receives the man's fluid and becomes pregnant, her menstruation stops, and the drop mixes with the blood.
5. Qatadah's View: Al-amshaj means that the water and blood mix first, then it becomes a clinging clot (alaqa), then a chewed lump (mudgha). In summary, it is an expression for the transition of that body from one state to another, and from one condition to another.
6. Another Group's View: God Almighty placed in the drop mixtures of the temperaments that exist in humans: heat, cold, moisture, and dryness. The implied meaning is: "from a drop possessing mixtures (dhat amshaj)," where the possessive noun is omitted, and the sentence is complete.

Some scholars said: The first view (mixing of male and female fluids) is preferable because God Almighty described the drop as amshaj, and once it becomes a clinging clot (alaqa), the description of it being a drop no longer applies. However, this argument does not invalidate the interpretation that it means mixtures of earth, water, air, and heat.

Regarding His saying, the Exalted: {We test him} (naptalihi):

Issue 1: The Meaning of Naptalihi

Naptalihi means li-naptalihi (so that We may test him). This is like a man saying, "I came to you to settle your right" (aqdi haqqak), meaning "so that I may settle your right." Similarly, {We test him} means "so that We may test him." An analogous example is His saying: {and do not confer favor seeking to gain more} (wa la tamnun tastakthir) (Ad-Dathir: 6), meaning "so that you may seek more."

Issue 2: The Grammatical Position of Naptalihi

Naptalihi is in the position of a circumstantial clause (hal), meaning: "We created him while intending to test him," i.e., desiring to test him.

Issue 3: Interpretation of the Verse Structure

There are two views regarding this verse:

1. View 1 (Fronting/Rearrangement): There is a transposition (taqdeem wa ta'kheer). The meaning is: "{So We made him hearing and seeing} so that We may test him."
2. View 2 (No Rearrangement): There is no need for this change. The meaning is: "Indeed, We created him from these mixtures not for resurrection, but for testing and trial."

Then He mentioned that He gave him what makes testing valid, which is hearing and sight, saying: {So We made him hearing and seeing}.

Hearing and sight are metaphors for understanding and discernment, as He Almighty narrated from Abraham, peace be upon him: {Why do you worship that which does not hear nor see?} (Maryam: 42).

Furthermore, hearing might mean obedience, as in the phrase sam'an wa ta'atan (hearing and obedience). Sight might mean knowledge; it is said, "So-and-so is insightful (baseer) in this matter." Some scholars maintained that hearing and sight refer only to the two known senses. God Almighty singled them out because they are the greatest and noblest of the senses.

! 7 < {Indeed, We guided him to the way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful.} > 7

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