24. How did man’s existence come about on this earth? This is a very important question which concerns not only man’s history but also the reality of his existence. And it is necessary for man to know the reality of his own existence so that he may carry on the life’s journey in full light of knowledge. Qur’an has provided a clear answer to this question here and at other places. The under mentioned realities come out of the statement made by Qur’an in this respect:

First, man has not come into existence automatically as an accident, but was created by the Creator of the universe according to His definite wise planning.

Secondly, Man has been created from clay, and the details of his creation are that man’s frame was made out of rotten clay, and when it dried up and became a statue of dry, sounding clay, life was breathed in it.

Thirdly, creation of the best creature from the rotten clay is the proof of the perfect artistry of the Creator. He can transform the lowest particle of dust into a blazing sun.

Fourthly, when man is created out of the rotten clay, it does not behove him to walk proudly and act vainly. His is the place of meekness and humbleness before Allah, because he is the created one and Allah is the Creator, and he is merely a slave and not god.

These realities refute the theory of Darwin that man has descended from ape. The fact is that there is no foolproof argument in favour of this theory, and that this is only a result of guess work. In the face of the statement of the Creator, the guess work of the created person, however big a thinker he may be, is false and absolutely wrong. When the Creator of man has clearly stated that He has created man from clay, then not to give importance to this statement and to be influenced and impressed by the statement of a thinker that man has descended from ape, is obviously a foolish act, which might befit an ape and not a man.

It is noteworthy that in the Torah also it is stated that man was created from clay:

“Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life: and man became a living being.” Gen 2:7)

In other words, the Statement of the Torah is in harmony with the statement of Qur’an, however Qur’an has provided further information as to the kind of the clay used, and how man’s form was moulded.

25. As in the foregoing ayah the word ‘alinsan’ means the first man, who was created from clay and from then onwards the generations of human race emerged, similarly in this ayah the word ‘al-jann’ means the first jinn, who was created from the flame of fire, and then onwards the generations of jinn emerged. The literal meaning of the word ‘jinn’ is ‘hidden, i.e. the hidden creatures. Since jinn have been created from intangible material, they are not visible to us. By giving information about these creatures Allah has not only added to our knowledge but also informed us about our hidden enemy— Iblis, who belongs to the group of jinns.

It is not correct to deny the existence of jinn because we are unable to see them, when the information about their existence is being given by the Creator who has created us and also the jinns. There are innumerable things in the world about whose existence men knew nothing before the invention of microscope and telescope, for example, man did not know that there were creatures like germs, which enter men’s blood stream and cause a number of diseases.

It is remarkable that there is no elucidation about the creation of jinns in the Torah, but Qur’an has added to the knowledge of men by providing some elucidation about their creation. It contradicts the charge of the opponents that Qur’an is a copy of the Torah.

26. That is: (Wait till) I may give it a human shape and give it final touches.

27. In this ayah a very important reality has been narrated concerning the creation of man, and that is man’s existence is not merely material or of matter alone, but it is a compound of matter and spirit. This spirit is a gossamer, intangible thing, which has the attributes of knowledge, intelligence, speech and distinguishing between good and evil, and because of this very characteristic man has been declared as the best of all creatures. In other words, this is the internal man who sees, hears, speaks and understands. Eyes, ears, tongue, and brain are mere instruments and means or agents, and so long as man does not realize this reality about himself, he cannot get to the objective of his existence. Materialists who consider man to be a mere bundle of flesh and skin degrade man from his high position, who then becomes a mere economic animal.

It should be noted that the reference in the ayah to breathing spirit into the frame of man showing the relation of the spirit to Allah is merely for bestowing honour to man, it does not mean that a part of godhood has been injected into man. Allah is free from and above the possibility of anything going out of Him or anything being transferred from Him. He is Unique and Alone having no part, nor can anything be like Him (Surah Ikhlas). As in the Qur’an a reference to the House of Ka’ba (Baitullah ) in relation to Allah is for expressing honour for the place and it does not mean that Allah is confined in that house. In the same way here the relationship of the spirit with Allah is made to express honour and greatness. To understand the correct meaning of an ayah it is absolutely necessary to take into consideration the occasion where it has been stated, and also the various instructions and basic realities which Qur’an has been giving from time to time.

28. This has been explained in Surah Baqarah Note No.⁴⁷

29. This has been explained in Surah Baqarah, Note No.⁴⁸

30. On this occasion Note No. ¹⁶, Surah A’raf be kept in view.

31. Please see Surah A’raf Note No.¹⁷

32. You will be deprived of good and mercy till the Doomsday, and on the Doomsday the judgment will be given and punishment awarded.

33. It has been explained in Note No.¹⁸, Surah A’raf.

34. That is: Till the Day of Resurrection.

35. It has been explained in Surah A’raf, Note No.¹⁹

36. That is: I will present the world before them in such an alluring and beautiful way that they will forget God and the Hereafter and I will entice them in such a way that they will follow me.

37. That is: My magic will have no effect on those of your slaves whom you have made especially devoted to Yourself, which means that with Allah’s guidance they have lived as His slaves exclusively, and this guidance is received by only those who make themselves deserving of it.

38. By the straight path is meant the path of Allah’s devoted and favourite slaves, as is clear from the foregoing and the following verses, and in the Surah Fatiha this path has been described as “the path of those whom Allah has blessed”. This is the path of monotheism (Tawheed) and of Allah’s obedience and devotedness to Him, which is Islam. The meaning of this path leading up to Allah is that by following this path a man can find God, and there is no other path which can lead man up to God.

39. That is: Those who would remain sincere slaves of Allah, Satan will not be able to mislead them. It thus becomes clear that the task of Satan is merely to prompt men or to entice them to do evil acts. If a man really wants to become righteous, then Satan cannot force him to go astray.

40. Prey to Devil’s deception will be only those who have deviated from the path, i.e. those who have placed themselves at the mercy of their desires and have begun following devil. ‘Ghava’ deviating or going stray means following the dictates of one’s carnal desires and to indulge in ignorant acts, which is going astray.

41. However big their number may be.

42. Straying and sinning are of different kinds, e.g. non-belief in God, polytheism, hypocrisy, killing, illegal sex, etc. Therefore, the punishment for them will also be different. The ayah hints that the gates of the Hell are different according to the nature of the punishment to be given. On the Day of Judgment, the guilty will be grouped in various groups on the basis of their straying and sins, and each group will enter the Hell from the gate reserved for that group according to the punishment to be received by it.