Appearance
Verses 1–6
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ
الم ١ اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ ٢ نَزَّلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ مُصَدِّقًا لِمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَأَنْزَلَ التَّوْرَاةَ وَالْإِنْجِيلَ ٣ مِنْ قَبْلُ هُدًى لِلنَّاسِ وَأَنْزَلَ الْفُرْقَانَ ۗ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ ذُو انْتِقَامٍ ٤ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَخْفَىٰ عَلَيْهِ شَيْءٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي السَّمَاءِ ٥ هُوَ الَّذِي يُصَوِّرُكُمْ فِي الْأَرْحَامِ كَيْفَ يَشَاءُ ۚ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ ٦
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
- Alif lām mīm
- Allah is He besides Whom there is no god, the Ever-living, the Self-subsisting by Whom all subsist
- He has revealed to thee the Book with truth, verifying that which is before it, and He revealed the Torah and the Injīl
- aforetime, a guidance for the people, and He sent down the al-Furqān. Surely they who disbelieve in the signs of Allah—they shall have a severe chastisement; and Allah is Mighty, the Lord of retribution.
- Allah, surely nothing is hidden from Him in the earth or in the heaven.
- He it is Who shapes you in the wombs as He likes; there is no god but He, the Mighty, the Wise.
Introduction
This chapter aims at exhorting the believers to remain united in religion and to defend its cause with patience, forbearance and determination. It makes them aware of the dangers surrounding them: Their enemies, the Jews, the Christians and the polytheists, have made their preparations, and are determined to extinguish the Light of God with their hands and mouths.
In all likelihood, the chapter was revealed all together; its verses—200 in all—seem to be well connected and adhere to a laid down scheme. From the beginning to the end, the verses are related to one another and have consistent aims.
It looks as if this chapter was revealed when Islam had begun to spread in Arabia but had not yet established a firm foothold outside Medina. It mentions the battle of Uḥud, describes the planned imprecation with the Christians of Najrān; speaks about the Jews and exhorts the believers against the polytheists; and in all these discourses, there is a constant refrain telling them to remain patient and united. It supports the view that this chapter was revealed at a time when the Muslims were engaged in defense of religion with all their might and when all their resources were devoted to this one task. On one side, they had to remain alert against internal sabotage planned by the Jews and the Christians; the believers had not only to refute their arguments, but also to neutralize their craftily-planned subterfuges to demoralize the Muslims. On the other, they had to fight the polytheists; they lived in a state of war, and peace seemed a forlorn hope. The call of Islam was reaching far and wide; this had prompted the enemies of truth—the Jews, the Christians and the Arabian polytheists—to attack the Muslims, in order to annihilate them before it was too late. Beyond the boundary of Arabia, the Byzantines and the Persians had the same design.
God in this chapter reminds the believers of the realities of religion that would make them happy and remove from their hearts the rust of doubts and satanic suggestions; and will keep them on guard against the deceptions of the People of the Book. He makes it clear that He has not relinquished the management of His kingdom for a single moment; nor have His creatures made Him weary. He has chosen the religion for them, and has guided a group of His servants to it—according to His established system: the system of cause and effect. Believer and unbeliever both walk on this very path. One day it is the unbeliever that looks victorious, the other day the believer vanquishes the unbeliever. The world is the place of tests and trials; the time is the time of action; and the result will be known tomorrow—not today.
Commentary
الم ١ اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ ٢
(3:1-2) Alif lām mīm. Allah is He besides Whom there is no god, the Ever-living, the Self-subsisting by Whom all subsist.
Its explanation has been given in “the verse of the Chair” (). It might be inferred from it that God looks after the affairs of creation and management in the most comprehensive and perfect way. The whole universe, all the things and their actions and reactions, are managed by God. This management is not like that of the physical and natural causes that create an effect on an object but have no sense or understanding themselves. His management is that of “life” that entails knowledge and power. The Divine knowledge is comprehensive—nothing is hidden from Him; the Divine power controls everything—nothing can happen unless He intends it to happen and allows it to appear.
That is the reason why, after two more verses, it has been said: Allah, surely nothing is hidden from Him in the earth or in the heaven (). He it is Who shapes you in the wombs as He likes … ().
These six verses are a sort of prologue of this chapter, giving in a nutshell what the chapter contains in detail. Of these verses, this one is a sort of introducing speech, describing a basic truth that leads to the intended result. And the fifth and sixth verses, mentioned above, give the reason of the preceding verses. Therefore, the main theme of the prologue is contained in the two verses of the middle: He has revealed to you the Book with truth, verifying that which is before … and Allah is Mighty, the Lord of retribution.
According to these verses, the believers must remember that God, in Whom they believe, is One in His Godhead, maintains the creation and manages its affairs—a living management; He cannot be overpowered in His kingdom, nor there happens anything therein except what He intends and allows to happen: If they believe in it, they shall know that it is He Who has revealed the Book that guides to the truth; the Separator that distinguishes the right from the wrong. They shall appreciate that in this matter also, He has decreed the same system of cause and effect, and has therefore given the man freedom of choice; he who believes shall have his reward; he who disbelieves, shall get its chastisement, because God is Mighty, the Lord of retribution. It is because He is God, besides Whom there is no god to decide in these affairs; nothing of His servants’ affairs is hidden from Him; their belief and disbelief is not independent of His will and decree.
نَزَّلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ مُصَدِّقًا لِمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَأَنْزَلَ التَّوْرَاةَ وَالْإِنْجِيلَ ٣ مِنْ قَبْلُ هُدًى لِلنَّاسِ وَأَنْزَلَ الْفُرْقَانَ ۗ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ ذُو انْتِقَامٍ ٤
(3:3-4) He has revealed to thee the Book with truth (bi al-ḥaqq), verifying that which is before it, and He revealed the Torah and the Injīl aforetime, a guidance for the people, and He sent down the al-Furqān. Surely they who disbelieve in the signs of Allah—they shall have a severe chastisement; and Allah is Mighty, the Lord of retribution.
The word translated as “revealed” is a verbal form of al-tanzīl. It was explained in the second volume that al-tanzīl (to send down) implies gradualness, while al-inzāl shows sending down all at once.
It may be argued that the following verses go against this implied gradualness: … Why has not the Qur’an been revealed to him all at once? (); … Is thy Lord able to send down to us food from heaven? (); … Why has not a sign been sent down to him from his Lord? Say: Surely Allah is able to send down a sign … (). In all the four instances, verbs derived from al-tanzīl have been used, but they do not mean gradual descent.
An exegete has tried to overcome this difficulty by suggesting that the words, “sent down (that is, revealed) to you the Book,” means, sent it down sending after sending.
Reply: Gradualness in revelation (sending down) does not necessarily mean considerable gap between revelation of one part and the other. There are composite things whose existence is the same as that of their parts, like rain. Sometimes the speaker looks at the rain as a whole, and treats it as one undivided thing—it is quite in order, in this case, to describe it with the verb al-inzāl (sending down all at once), as God says using this same verb: He sends down water from the heavens (). At other times, He looks at its parts, that is, drops of water, descending one after the other—it does not matter whether the gap between two drops is considerable or minimal—and then it may be described with the verb al-tanzīl (sending down gradually), as God has done in another verse: And He it is Who sends down the rain … ().
It appears from above that the verses, put forth against our explanation that al-tanzīl is for sending down gradually, are not against it at all. For example, the verse, … why has not the Qur’an been revealed to him all at once means: Why has not the Qur’an been revealed to him verse after verse at one stretch without considerable gaps between their revelation? Other verses may be correctly understood in this light. So far as the said exegete’s proposed meaning is concerned, it, first of all, necessitates inventing a meaning according to one’s own liking, and it is not permissible in any language. And even then the suggested meaning does not remove the objection in any way.
God frequently uses the words, al-tanzīl and al-inzāl when describing the revelation of the Book to the Prophet. “Coming down” requires a higher level from which a thing departs and a lower level where it reaches and settles. God has used for His Person the attribute of highness, as He says, for example: … surely He is High, Wise (). And He has said about His Book that it is from Him: And when there came to them a Book from Allah verifying that which they have … (). Therefore, it is very appropriate to use the word, “coming down,” when describing the revelation settling down into the heart of the Messenger of God.
al-Ḥaqq and al-ṣidq both are translated as “truth.” But al-ḥaqq is the information inasmuch as there is an established fact in front of it; and al-ṣidq is the information in as much as it conforms with such a fact. The emphasis in the former is on the established fact, while in the latter it is on conformity.
According to this explanation, the word al-ḥaqq is used for God and for other existing realities, because they are true and actual facts about which the information is given. Anyhow, the word “truth,” as used in this verse, means an established fact that cannot be invalidated.
The preposition bi (with) in bi al-ḥaqq (with truth) is for togetherness. The verse, therefore, means: He has revealed to you the Book, a revelation accompanied by truth. Naturally, this accompanying would mean that untruth and falsehood could never mix with it; it is always safe from falling a prey to falsity and lie. The verse, thus, hints at this fact obliquely.
Some other exegetes have explained the preposition, “with,” in some other ways; but none of them is free from defects.
al-Taṣdīq is derived from al-ṣidq (truth) and means to verify, to acknowledge the truth of, to believe one to be truthful in the given information. “That which is before it,” refers to the Torah and Injīl. God says: Surely We sent down the Torah in which was guidance … and We gave [Jesus] the Injīl in which was guidance … And We have revealed to you the Book with the truth, verifying what is before it of the book and a guardian over it … (). These verses show that the Old and the New Testaments that are today in the hands of the Jews and the Christians contain between them some of the revelations sent to Moses and Jesus, although they are not free from omissions and alterations. The Torah and the Injīl found in the days of the Messenger of God were the same Pentateuch and the same four Gospels that are known to us today; and the Qur’an verifies the same scriptures that were in existence then and have continued to our days. But this verification is partial, not total. There are many Qur’anic verses that speak of omission and alteration in these two scriptures. God says: … We cursed [the Jews] and made their hearts hard; they alter the words from their places, and have forgotten a part of what they were admonished with; … And of those who say, Verily, we are Nazarenes [Naṣārā, Christians], We did take their covenant, but they forgot a portion of what they were admonished with … ().
… and He revealed the Torah and the Injīl, aforetime, a guidance for the people: Torah is a Hebrew word for “law.” Injīl is the Arabic rendering of a Greek word, meaning ‘good news’. Some people say that it is derived from a Persian word. We shall discuss in detail about these two books under the verse: Surely We sent down the Torah in which was guidance and light … ().
The Qur’an insists on naming the book of Jesus as Injīl (Gospel, in singular) and on saying that it was sent down from God. It is in spite of the fact that there are several Gospels, and the four attributed to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, existed since before the revelation of the Qur’an, and were well-known at that time. These two factors—the use of singular, Gospel, and the declaration that it was sent down from God—clearly show the Qur’anic belief that there was a Gospel, revealed to Jesus that was later altered and deleted.
Anyhow, the references to these two books so early in the beginning is an allusion to the Jews and the Christians, hinting that the affairs of these two groups (including the story of Jesus) are to be described in this chapter.
… and He sent down the al-Furqān: al-Furqān as explained in al-Ṣiḥiḥ, is what distinguishes truth from falsehood. The word, literally means “that which distinguishes one thing from another.” God says: … on the day of distinction, the day on which the two parties met … (); … He will grant you a distinction … (). The distinction and discrimination, that God approves in matter of guidance, is the distinction between truth and falsehood in belief and knowledge, and between what constitutes the duty of a servant of God and what does not do so. Thus, al-Furqān (distinction) may correctly be used for all basic principles and adjunct matters revealed by God to His prophets—whether it is in form of a book or not. God says: And certainly We gave to Moses and Aaron the al-Furqān … (); And when We gave Moses the Book and the distinction (al-Furqān)… (); Blessed is He Who sent down the al-Furqān upon His servant that he may be a warner to the nations ().
God has also described the same meaning with the word, al-mīzān (weighing scale, balance) in the verse: Certainly We sent Our apostles with clear arguments, and sent down with them the Book and the balance that men may conduct themselves with equity (). This verse has the same import as the verse: Mankind was but one people; so Allah sent the prophets as bearers of good news and as warners, and He sent down with them the Book with truth, so that it might judge between the people in that in which they had differed (). The balance, like the distinction, is the religion that decides between the people with equity, and contains the true knowledge and explains the duties of the servants towards their Lord.
Others have interpreted the word ‘distinction’ in various ways: It has been said that the word means the Qur’an; the proof that separates right from wrong; the convincing argument of the Prophet against those who talked with him about Jesus; the (Divine) help; or the wisdom. But what we have said gives the basic meaning and implication of the word.
Surely they who disbelieve in the signs of Allah—they shall have a severe chastisement; and Allah is Mighty, the Lord of retribution: al-Intiqām (retribution) is said to mean punishing the wrong-doer for his wrong. It is not done necessarily to satisfy the feeling of the wronged party. Of course, this happens in man’s retribution; when one does a wrong to us, it causes a damage or shortcoming on our side, and we make that up by severe retribution that assuages our heart feelings. But God is too great to get any profit or loss from any action of His servants. Yet, He has given us a promise—and His promise is true—that He shall surely judge between His servants with truth, and will give them their dues—if good, then good, and if evil, then evil. He has said: And Allah judges with the truth (); … that He may reward those who do evil according to what they do, and [that] He may reward those who do good with goodness (). He is Mighty in the most comprehensive meaning of the might, nobody and nothing can do any harm to Him. (It has been said that the basic meaning of the “might” is invincibility)
The verse says that surely those who disbelieve in the signs of God—they shall have a severe chastisement. The chastisement is not restricted to the Day of Resurrection or to the next world. The verse, therefore, may refer to chastisement in both worlds—this life as well as the life hereafter. This is a Qur’anic dictum to which the scholars have paid little attention. This neglect betrays a basic misunderstanding of ours: We never think that a thing is a chastisement unless it inflicts pain upon our body or causes decrease or deterioration in our material belongings. Loss of property, death of kith and kin and weakness or sickness of body are the examples of chastisement in our eyes. But the Qur’an gives us a totally different concept of chastisement.
Discourse
The discussion “Chastisement as Explained by the Qur’an” appears here in the printed volume. Read it in the Al-Mizan App.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَخْفَىٰ عَلَيْهِ شَيْءٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي السَّمَاءِ ٥
(3:5) Allah, surely nothing is hidden from Him in the earth or in the heaven.
In the preceding verse, God mentioned, as the reason of His punishing the disbelievers, the fact that He “is Mighty, the Lord of retribution.” But there was a possibility of misunderstanding there—someone might think that the Mighty Lord of retribution might remain unaware of one’s disbelief and thus one might escape His retribution. Hence, this verse that shows that He is such a Mighty One that nothing is hidden from Him.
Possibly, what is “in the earth” and “in the heaven” may refer to the actions done by the body’s organs, and the ideas settled in the mind, respectively, as we had hinted in commentary of the verse: … and whether you manifest what is in your souls or hide it, Allah will call you to account for it ().
هُوَ الَّذِي يُصَوِّرُكُمْ فِي الْأَرْحَامِ كَيْفَ يَشَاءُ ۚ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ ٦
(3:6) He it is Who shapes you in the wombs as He likes; there is no god but He, the Mighty, the Wise.
al-Taṣwīr is to give form (ṣūrah) t0 a thing. “Form” means two-dimensional pictures as well as three-dimensional objects—or, as they say in Arabic, that which does not have a shadow, and that which has; “womb” is uterus, the organ in female mammal in which child or young is conceived and nourished till birth.
This verse takes the discourse to a level higher than the preceding two. First it was said that God would chastise those who disbelieve in His signs, because He is Mighty, Lord of retribution Who knows what is hidden and what is manifest; He is not overpowered in His affairs; He it is Who dominates everything. Now this verse says that the reality is even greater than that. The one who rejects God’s signs and disobeys His commandments has no power of his own to do any work—even when He disbelieves in Divine signs and thinks that he is independent of God in his actions, he does so by the power given to him by none other than God. It is not that he overpowers the decree of God, nor that he disturbs the fine system which God has established for His creatures; nor does his will overcome the will of God. The fact is that God Himself has given him the latitude to do as he wishes—whether he walks on the straight path of belief and obedience or wanders away in the wilderness of disbelief and disobedience. God has given this freedom of choice to man so that the test may be meaningful; so that whosoever wishes so, may believe, and whosoever wishes so, may disbelieve. And they do not wish except that God wishes, the Lord of the universe.
Everything—including the belief and disbelief—is from a Divine decree: God has created everything and programmed it in such a way that it smoothly proceeds towards its intended goal and acquires its objective. And this Divine decree is all-encompassing and predominates all wills and power. And God is Predominant in His affairs, Overpowering in His will, Guardian over His creatures. Man, in his ignorance, thinks that he does what he does, by his own will and choice, and that when he goes against the commandments of God, he disturbs the system which God has established. But the reality is otherwise. Man is irremovably imprisoned in the above-mentioned Divine system; and even this transgression and rebellion is governed by that very system—the system of free will and choice. To this hints the sentence, He it is Who shapes you in the wombs as He likes. Your existence is so programmed from the earliest days of your foetal life that you irresistibly proceed on the road God has opened for you—opened it by giving you freedom of will, not by compelling you to follow a certain path.
The verse only mentions the decree so far as man is concerned; it does not involve itself with other things; thus it keeps itself confined to the topic at hand. Also, it is an oblique hint against the Christians concerning their belief about Jesus Christ; even the Christians do no deny Christ’s development inside the womb; and that he did not make himself.
God changed the pronoun from singular (revealed to “thee”) to plural (shape “you”) in this verse to show that even the belief of the believers, just like the disbelief of the disbelievers, is not independent of that decree. By appreciating this truth, the believers will be happy with the mercy and bounties that God has bestowed on them; and will not be depressed on hearing about the retribution that shall be meted out to disbelievers.
…there is no god but He, the Mighty, the Wise: The verse reverts to the initial topic, that is, monotheism. It, in a way, condenses the arguments for the sake of emphasis. The topics described in the preceding verses—guiding the creatures after creating them, revealing the book and establishing a criterion for discrimination between right and wrong, confirming the arrangement by punishing the disbelievers—all need a god to manage them; and as there is no god except God, then it is He Who guides the people, reveals the Book and sends down the distinction, and chastises those who disbelieve in His signs; and whatever He does, He does it by His Might and His wisdom.
Examining Narrations
- It is reported in Majmaʿ al-bayān, from al-Kalbī, Muḥammad Ibn Isḥāq and al-Rabīʿ b. Anas that eighty odd verses from the beginning of the chapter were revealed about the delegation of Najrān. And they were sixty riders; they came to the Messenger of God; and among them were fourteen persons from their nobles; and three among those fourteen had the final authority in their hands: (1) al-ʿĀqib, the leader of his people and their counsellor, they did nothing without his advice, and his name was ʿAbdu al-Masīḥ; (2) al-Sayyid, their patron and leader of their caravan, and his name was al-Ayham; and (3) Abū Ḥārithah bin ʿAlqamah, their bishop, prelate, religious leader, and head of their schools; he had very high prestige in their eyes and had studied their books; the Byzantine emperors accorded him great respect, and had built for him many churches; all this was because of his learning and energetic efforts.
So they came to the Messenger of God in Medina, and entered his mosque when he had finished the afternoon prayer. They had put on fine Yemenite clothes: cloaks and mantles; (they were) handsome like the people of Balḥārith b. Kaʿb. Some of the companions of the Messenger of God; who had seen them, have said: “We never saw a delegation like them.” Then the time of their prayer came, and they started ringing their bell and stood up and prayed in the Mosque of the Messenger of God. The companions said: “O Messenger of God. This (is happening) in your mosque?” The Messenger of God said: “Do not disturb them.” So they prayed facing towards the east. Then al-Sayyid and al-ʿĀqib had a talk with the Messenger of God. The Messenger of God then invited them to become Muslim. They replied: “We had been Muslims (that is, believers) before you.”
He said: “You both tell wrong. What prevents you from accepting Islam is your claim that God has a son, and your worship of the cross and your eating the pig.”
They said: “If he (that is, Jesus Christ) was not son of God, then who was his father?”
Then they all started arguing about Jesus. Thereupon, the Prophet told them: “Do you not know that there is no son but that he resembles his father?”
They said: “Yes.”
He said: “Do you not know that our Lord is Ever-living, He shall not die? And that Jesus will die?”
They said: “Yes.”
He said: “Do you not know that our Lord is the Guardian of everything; He protects it and gives it sustenance?”
They said: “Yes.”
He said: “Does Jesus possess any such power?”
They said: “No.”
He said: “Do you not know that nothing is hidden from Him in the earth or in the heaven?”
They said: “Yes.”
He said: “Then does Jesus know anything of it except that which he was taught?”
They said: “No.”
He said: “So our Lord shaped Jesus in the womb as He liked; and our Lord neither eats, drinks nor does He discharge excrement?”
They said: “Yes.”
He said: “Do you not know about Jesus that his mother kept him (in womb) as a woman does, and gave birth to him as a woman does; then he was fed as a child is fed; then he used to eat, drink and discharge excrement?”
They said: “Yes.”
He said: “Then how can it be as you think?”
Thereupon, they remained silent. Then God revealed about them eighty odd verses from the beginning of the Chapter of “The Family of ʿImrān.”
Author’s comment: The same thing has been narrated by al-Suyūṭī in al-Durr al-manthūr from Abū Isḥāq, Ibn Jarīr and Ibn al-Mundhir from Muḥammad b. Jaʿfar b. al-Zubayr; and also from Ibn Isḥāq from Muḥammad b. Sahl b. Abī Amāmah.
The story shall be quoted later; as regards their claim that (only) the first eighty odd verses were revealed in this connection, it appears that it was their personal opinion; otherwise, as earlier explained, the context and style obviously show that the whole chapter was revealed all together.
- It is narrated from the Prophet: The unfortunate is he who became unfortunate in the womb of his mother; and the fortunate is he who became fortunate in the womb of his mother.
- It is narrated in al-Kāfī from al-Bāqir that he said: “When God wants to create a semen—and it is among that from which covenant was taken from the loin of Adam—(or as He may decide later); and (wants) to put it in the womb, He excites the man for sexual intercourse, and reveals to the womb, ‘Open thy door so that My creature and My firm decree may enter into thee.’ So it opens its door. The sperm reaches the womb, and moves therein for forty days: then it becomes a clot for forty days; then becomes a lump of flesh for forty days, then flow in it interlaced veins. Then God sends two creator angels who make in the wombs what God wishes; they enter into the belly of the woman, from the woman’s mouth; so they reach the womb, and in it is the ancient spirit, that was transferred into loins of men and wombs of women. Then they blow in it the spirit of life and eternity, and they create openings for his hearing and sight, and (make) his limbs and all that is in the stomach, by permission of God. Then God reveals to the two angels: ‘Write on him My decree and My destiny and firm order; and write down that I may change that which you write.’ They say: ‘O Lord! what are we to write?’ Thereupon God reveals to them to raise their heads towards the head of the mother. They raise their heads, and lo! there is a tablet striking the mother’s forehead. They look into it and find in it his features, his embellishment, his death time, his covenant—whether he shall be a fortunate or an unfortunate one, and all his affairs. Thereupon, one of them dictates to the other; thus they write down all that is in the tablet, and make it conditional on the final decision (of God). Then they seal the writing and put it between his eyes. Then they make him stand upright in the womb of his mother.” (The Imam) said: “Sometimes he disobeys and turns upside down, and it does not happen except in case of an arrogant and rebellious one. And when time comes for the foetus to come out, developed or undeveloped, God reveals to the womb: ‘Open thy door so that My creature may go out to My earth, and My order may be enforced about him, because now time has come for him to go out.’ ” (The Imam) said: “Then the womb opens the door of the child; so he turns upside down, his feet go over his head, his head reaches the lower part of the (mother’s) stomach. (It is done) so that delivery may be easier for the woman and the child. Then God sends to him an angel, named ‘the Admonisher,’ who sternly tells him to go out; the child becomes frightened; when it delays some more, the angel tells him once again to get out; the child becomes (even more) frightened and falls on the earth crying, terrified because of that rebuke.”
Author’s comment: The words of the Imam, “When God wants to create a semen,” means, when God wants to create a well-made perfect human being from a semen. The parenthetic sentence, “it is among that from which covenant was taken” alludes to the fact that man before coming into this world existed in a world, called in the traditions as “the world of motes” and “the world of covenant”; and this life follows the pattern of that one. Whatever soul made covenant in that world must surely be born in this world well-made and perfect. The other parenthetic sentence, “or as He may decide later,” refers to that foetus that is not from among those who had covenanted in that world; such foetus does not develop to its perfection and is miscarried. The phrase, “and to put it in the womb” is in conjunction with the preceding words, “when God wants to create.” “They enter into the belly of the woman, from the woman’s mouth”: There is a possibility that the phrase, “from the woman’s mouth,” is an explanatory note added by the narrator of the tradition; this possibility is supported by the fact that the word “woman’s” has been repeated instead of saying “from her mouth.” But if it is the word of the Imam then it shows that their entrance is not as a body enters into another body. The way into the womb is from vagina; the only other way may be through blood-vessels including that through which menstrual blood reaches uterus. Surely, this passage is not easier than the vagina. And it proves that their entering through mouth has some reason other than the ease of passage. “And in it is the ancient spirit that was transferred into loins of men and wombs of women”: Probably it is the spirit of vegetation that is the source of nourishment and growth. “Then they blow in it the spirit of life and eternity”: Apparently, the pronoun, “it,” refers to the ancient spirit; accordingly, the spirit of life and eternity is blown into the spirit of vegetation. If the pronoun stands for the “lump of flesh,” then it would mean that the spirit of life and eternity is blown into the lump of flesh that has already got vegetative life. In any case, it shows that flowing of human spirit into foetus is a forward step of vegetative life; and that at that stage it gets a new vigor and vitality.
The above explanation also throws light on transference of the ancient spirit into loins of men and wombs of women. The spirit exists with the body, that is, the semen and the menstrual blood that feeds the foetus; and these two things are parts of the bodies of the parents. Thus, the foetus has its share from the lives of its parents, and they in their turn are parts of the lives of their parents, and so on. Whatever happens to a man is somewhat a reflection of the lives of his father and mother. In a miniature form he represents all his ancestors—he is in a way the “contents” of the book that existed before him.
This also may explain the sentence, “God reveals to (the angels) to raise their heads towards the head of the mother.” So far as the decrees concerning the child are concerned, their link with his father was disconnected when the semen separated from him; now his only relation is with the mother. It is referred to in these words: “and lo! there is a tablet striking the mother’s forehead.” The forehead is centre of perceptive powers and a main feature of one’s appearance. The angels on studying it find in it the child’s features, appearance and life as well as his covenant, whether he will be a fortune or an unfortunate person; in short, they see in it all his affairs; one of the angels dictates it all to the other—their mutual relationship is like that of an active agent and a passive one. They write all that is in the tablet. “And make it conditional on the final decision of God”: The feature does not contain all the causes and factors affecting a man’s life. External events and circumstances also play important part in it. Hence the need of this conditional phrase.
This tradition attributes to God all the details of conception and birth of a child: God excites the man; reveals to the womb, sends two angels to shape the child, and another angel to get him out of the womb, and so on. The tradition does not deny the existence of natural causes for these events. According to Islam, there are two sets of perfect causes for every happening—one metaphysical and the other physical. They are not against one another; nor do they together constitute a joint perfect cause. Both are perfect causes—each on its own level.
God sends the prophets and Imams, to guide the people to their spiritual bliss and happiness; and to lead them to their spiritual perfection, The path laid down for it is spiritual. It is those divine leaders’ duty to talk to their people in a way that they may proceed and progress on this path. For this purpose, it is essential that the people be reminded of their Lord at every step. That is why the religious guides attribute man’s all affairs to God, mention the agency of angels and explain that good fortune and felicity depend on their help; and that misfortunes and trouble are caused by the satans and their deception; then they remind that ultimately everything is attributed to God, so far as it is proper for His sanctity and sublimity. Thus, the people come to understand guidance and misguidance, profit and harm and, in short, every affair of the life hereafter.
But those leaders did not deny the natural causes, nor did they put it in second place. Physical and natural causes are one of the two pillars of human life; they are the foundations upon which is based the life of this world. It is essential for man to know all about these causes too as it is for him to know all about metaphysical and spiritual causes. Only then he will know his own “self”; and that will lead him to know his Lord.
Greek word, evangelion, means “good news.” In old English it was translated to ‘gospell’ (good tidings, good news) which later became gospel, a name now used in English for the Injīl. (Trans.) ↩︎
There is no evidence to support this claim (Trans.). ↩︎
Probably, this phenomenon may be illustrated by DNA, the hereditary material of life, found in chromosomes, in viruses, and in bacteria. This microscopic compound is the instrument through which hereditary characteristics are transmitted to the next generation. (Trans.) ↩︎
Probably, the author wants to say that the angels write down his affairs as much as his hereditary characteristics reveal; but leave out the changes that may be affected in it by factors of environment. (Trans.) ↩︎