23. [al-Muminun, Mecca 74]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَلَقَدْ
خَلَقْنَا
الْإِنسَانَ
مِن سُلَالَةٍ
مِّن طِينٍ
﴿١٢﴾
23: 12. Man We did create from a quintessence (of clay);
C2872. In this beautiful passage, Allah's creative work, as far as man is concerned, is recapitulated, in order to show man's real position in this life, and the certainty of the future: to which he was referred for his reward in verses 10-11 above.
For the various stages of creation, see n. 120 to 2:117.
Here we are not concerned with the earliest stage, the creation of primeval matter out of nothing. It is also a process of creation when inorganic matter becomes living matter. Thus inorganic constituents of the earth are absorbed into living matter by way of food and living matter reproduces itself by means of sperm. This is deposited in the ovum and fertilises it and rests for a time in security in the mother's womb.
The first change in the fertilised ovum is the conversion into a sort of clot of thickly congealed blood; the zygote cells grow by segmentation; then the mass gradually assumes shape in its growth as a foetus. From the lump develop bones and flesh and organs and a nervous system.
So far man's growth is like that of an animal, but a further process takes place which makes the infant animal into the infant man. This is the breathing from Allah's spirit into him (15:29). It may be a continuous process parallel to that of physical growth.
The child is born; it grows; it decays and dies; but after death another chapter opens for the individual, and it is to remind us of this most momentous chapter that the previous stages are recapitulated.
ثُمَّ
جَعَلْنَاهُ
نُطْفَةً فِي
قَرَارٍ مَّكِينٍ
﴿١٣﴾
23: 13. Then We placed him as (a drop of) sperm in a place of rest, firmly fixed;
C2873. The growth in the foetal stage is silent and unseen. The foetus is protected in the mother's womb like a king in a castle; it is firmly fixed, and gets the protection of the mother's body, on which it depends for its own growth until birth.
ثُمَّ
خَلَقْنَا
النُّطْفَةَ
عَلَقَةً...
23: 14. Then We made the sperm into a clot of congealed blood;
...فَخَلَقْنَا الْعَلَقَةَ مُضْغَةً...
then of that clot We made a (foetus) lump;
...فَخَلَقْنَا الْمُضْغَةَ عِظَامًا...
then We made out of that lump bones
...فَكَسَوْنَا الْعِظَامَ لَحْمًا...
and clothed the bones with flesh;
...ثُمَّ أَنشَأْنَاهُ خَلْقًا آخَرَ...
then We developed out of it another creature:
C2874. From a mere animal, we now consider man as man.
Is it not a Sign of wonder in itself that from dry dust (turab, 22:5) or inorganic matter should be made protoplasm (moist clay or organic matter); from it should grow a new animal life; and out of it should grow human life, with all its capacities and responsibilities?
Man carries within himself Signs of Allah's wisdom and power, and he can see them every day in the universe around him.
...فَتَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِينَ ﴿١٤﴾
so blessed be Allah, the Best to create!
Asad’s Version:
23:12
NOW, INDEED, We create man out of the essence of clay,"
(23: 13) and then We cause him to remain as a drop of sperm in [the womb's) firm keeping,
(23: 14) and then We create out of the drop of sperm a germ-cell, and then We create out of the germ-cell an embryonic lump, and then We create within the embryonic lump bones, and then We clothe the bones with flesh -and then We bring [all) this into being as a new creation: 5 hallowed, therefore, is God, the best of artisans! 6
[[Asad’s note –
4 The frequent Qur'anic references to maris being "created out of clay" or "out of dust" or (as in this instance) "out of the essence (sulalah) of clay" point to the fact that his body is composed of various organic and inorganic substances existing on or in the earth, as well as to the continuous transmutation of those substances, through the intake of earth-grown food, into reproductive cells
(Razi) - thus stressing man's humble origin, and hence the debt of gratitude which he owes to God for having endowed him with a conscious soul. The past tense inverses 12-14 (lit., "We have created", "We have caused him to remain", etc.) emphasizes the fact that all this has been ordained by God and has been happening again and again ever since man was brought into being by Him; in the above context, this recurrence is brought out best by the use of the present tense.
5 Lit., "as another creature", i.e., existing independently of the mother's body.
6 Lit., "the best of creators". As Tabari points out, the Arabs apply the designation "creator" to every artisan (sani 1 ) - a usage also current in European languages with reference to the "creation"
of works of art and imagination. Since God is the only Creator in the real, primary sense of this word, the phrase ahsan al-khaliqin must be understood in this secondary sense of the term khaliq (cf Taj al-'Arus, art. khalaqa). ]]
وَلَقَدْ
خَلَقْنَا
الْإِنسَانَ
مِن سُلَالَةٍ
مِّن طِينٍ
﴿١٢﴾
Walaqad khalaqna al-insana min sulalatin min teenin |
Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning |
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NOW, INDEED, We create man out of the essence of clay, |
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Verily We created man from a product of wet earth; |
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And certainly We created man of an extract of clay, |
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Man We did create from a quintessence (of clay); |
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And, certainly, We created the human being from an extraction of clay. |
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We created man from an essence of clay, |
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We created man from an extract of clay; |
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In point of fact We brought man to being by special creation from a line of wet and soft earth matter |
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We have created mankind from a structure derived from mud. |
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[Yusuf Ali’s translation – 23:12
12. Man We did create from a quintessence (of clay);
C2872. In this beautiful passage, Allah's creative work, as far as man is concerned, is recapitulated, in order to show man's real position in this life, and the certainty of the future: to which he was referred for his reward in verses 10-11 above.
For the various stages of creation, see n. 120 to 2:117.
Here we are not concerned with the earliest stage, the creation of primeval matter out of nothing. It is also a process of creation when inorganic matter becomes living matter. Thus inorganic constituents of the earth are absorbed into living matter by way of food and living matter reproduces itself by means of sperm. This is deposited in the ovum and fertilises it and rests for a time in security in the mother's womb.
The first change in the fertilised ovum is the conversion into a sort of clot of thickly congealed blood; the zygote cells grow by segmentation; then the mass gradually assumes shape in its growth as a foetus. From the lump develop bones and flesh and organs and a nervous system.
So far man's growth is like that of an animal, but a further process takes place which makes the infant animal into the infant man. This is the breathing from Allah's spirit into him (15:29). It may be a continuous process parallel to that of physical growth.
The child is born; it grows; it decays and dies; but after death another chapter opens for the individual, and it is to remind us of this most momentous chapter that the previous stages are recapitulated.
ثُمَّ
جَعَلْنَاهُ
نُطْفَةً فِي
قَرَارٍ مَّكِينٍ
﴿١٣﴾
Thumma jaAAalnahu nutfatan fee qararin makeenin |
Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning |
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and then We cause him to remain as a drop of sperm in [the wombs] firm keeping, |
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Then placed him as a drop (of seed) in a safe lodging; |
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Then We made him a small seed in a firm resting-place, |
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Then We placed him as (a drop of) sperm in a place of rest, firmly fixed; |
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Again, We made him into seminal fluid in a stopping place, secure. |
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then We placed him as a drop of fluid in a safe place, |
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then We placed him as a drop of semen in a secure resting-place. |
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Then We made him evolve from a Notfa Amshag (union of male & female seeds) the Zygot which We embedded in the depth of a safe and secure position, the womb |
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Then We made him a seed in a safe lodging. |
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13. Then We placed him as (a drop of) sperm in a place of rest, firmly fixed;
C2873. The growth in the foetal stage is silent and unseen. The foetus is protected in the mother's womb like a king in a castle; it is firmly fixed, and gets the protection of the mother's body, on which it depends for its own growth until birth.
ثُمَّ
خَلَقْنَا
النُّطْفَةَ
عَلَقَةً...
Thumma khalaqna alnnutfata AAalaqatan |
Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning |
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and then We create out of the drop of sperm a germ-cell, and then We create out of the germ-cell an embryonic lump, and then We create within the embryonic lump bones, and then We clothe the bones with flesh - and then We bring [all] this into being as a new creation: hallowed, therefore, is God, the best of artisans! |
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Then fashioned We the drop a clot, then fashioned We the clot a little lump, then fashioned We the little lump bones, then clothed the bones with flesh, and then produced it as another creation. So blessed be Allah, the Best of creators! |
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Then We made the seed a clot, then We made the clot a lump of flesh, then We made (in) the lump of flesh bones, then We clothed the bones with flesh, then We caused it to grow into another creation, so blessed be Allah, the best of the creators. |
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Then We made the sperm into a clot of congealed blood; then of that clot We made a (foetus) lump; then we made out of that lump bones and clothed the bones with flesh; then we developed out of it another creature. So blessed be Allah, the best to create! |
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Again, We created a clot from seminal fluids. Then, We created tissue from the clot. Then, We created bones from tissue. Then, We clothed the bones with flesh. Again, We caused another creation to grow. So blessed be God, the Fairer of the ones who are creators! |
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then We developed that drop into a clinging form, and We developed that form into a lump of flesh, and We developed that lump into bones, and clothed the bones with flesh. Then We brought him into being as a new creationglory be to God, the best of creators |
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Then We turned the semen into a clot; next We turned the clot into tissue; and then We turned the tissue into bones and clothed the bones with flesh. Then We reproduced him as a fresh creation. Blessed be God, the Best of Creators! |
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Then We made the Notfa develop into a clinging organism*, Then We made the clinging organism develop into a bolus** -like mass of coherent body of matter. Then We made the bolus- like mass develop into bones and We clothed the bones with flesh. Out of this We raised a different being. Glorified be Allah and extolled be His glorious attributes; He is the Unique Creator. |
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Then We created the seed into an embryo, then We created the embryo into a fetus, then We created the fetus into bone, then We covered the bone with flesh, then We brought forth a new creation. So glory be to God, the best of creators. |
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14. Then We made the sperm into a clot of congealed blood;
...فَخَلَقْنَا الْعَلَقَةَ مُضْغَةً...
fakhalaqna alAAalaqata mudghatan
then of that clot We made a (foetus) lump;
...فَخَلَقْنَا الْمُضْغَةَ عِظَامًا...
fakhalaqna almudghata AAithaman
then We made out of that lump bones
...فَكَسَوْنَا الْعِظَامَ لَحْمًا...
fakasawna alAAithama lahman
and clothed the bones with flesh;
...ثُمَّ أَنشَأْنَاهُ خَلْقًا آخَرَ...
thumma ansha/nahu khalqan akhara
then We developed out of it another creature:
C2874. From a mere animal, we now consider man as man.
Is it not a Sign of wonder in itself that from dry dust (turab, 22:5) or inorganic matter should be made protoplasm (moist clay or organic matter); from it should grow a new animal life; and out of it should grow human life, with all its capacities and responsibilities?
Man carries within himself Signs of Allah's wisdom and power, and he can see them every day in the universe around him.
فَتَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِينَ ﴿١٤﴾
fatabaraka Allahu ahsanu alkhaliqeena
so blessed be Allah, the Best to create!
ثُمَّ
إِنَّكُمْ
بَعْدَ
ذَلِكَ لَمَيِّتُونَ
﴿١٥﴾
15. After that, at length, ye will die.
C2875. Our physical death in this mortal life seems to make a break. But if it were the end of all, our life becomes meaningless. Our own instinct tells us that it cannot be so, and Allah assures us that there will be a resurrection for judgment.
ثُمَّ
إِنَّكُمْ
يَوْمَ
الْقِيَامَةِ
تُبْعَثُونَ
﴿١٦﴾
