Surah 76 · Medinan · 31 Verses
الإنسان
SURAH AL-INSAN
Man
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
هَلْ أَتَىٰ عَلَى ٱلْإِنسَٰنِ حِينٌۭ مِّنَ ٱلدَّهْرِ لَمْ يَكُن شَيْـًۭٔا مَّذْكُورًا
Has there [not] come upon man a period of time when he was not a thing [even] mentioned?
إِنَّا هَدَيْنَٰهُ ٱلسَّبِيلَ إِمَّا شَاكِرًۭا وَإِمَّا كَفُورًا
Indeed, We guided him to the way, be he grateful or be he ungrateful.
إِنَّآ أَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَٰفِرِينَ سَلَٰسِلَا۟ وَأَغْلَٰلًۭا وَسَعِيرًا
Indeed, We have prepared for the disbelievers chains and shackles and a blaze.
عَيْنًۭا يَشْرَبُ بِهَا عِبَادُ ٱللَّهِ يُفَجِّرُونَهَا تَفْجِيرًۭا
A spring of which the [righteous] servants of Allāh will drink; they will make it gush forth in force [and abundance].
يُوفُونَ بِٱلنَّذْرِ وَيَخَافُونَ يَوْمًۭا كَانَ شَرُّهُۥ مُسْتَطِيرًۭا
They [are those who] fulfill [their] vows and fear a Day whose evil will be widespread.
إِنَّمَا نُطْعِمُكُمْ لِوَجْهِ ٱللَّهِ لَا نُرِيدُ مِنكُمْ جَزَآءًۭ وَلَا شُكُورًا
[Saying], "We feed you only for the face [i.e., approval] of Allāh. We wish not from you reward or gratitude.
إِنَّا نَخَافُ مِن رَّبِّنَا يَوْمًا عَبُوسًۭا قَمْطَرِيرًۭا
Indeed, We fear from our Lord a Day austere and distressful."
فَوَقَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ شَرَّ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمِ وَلَقَّىٰهُمْ نَضْرَةًۭ وَسُرُورًۭا
So Allāh will protect them from the evil of that Day and give them radiance and happiness
وَجَزَىٰهُم بِمَا صَبَرُوا۟ جَنَّةًۭ وَحَرِيرًۭا
And will reward them for what they patiently endured [with] a garden [in Paradise] and silk [garments].
مُّتَّكِـِٔينَ فِيهَا عَلَى ٱلْأَرَآئِكِ ۖ لَا يَرَوْنَ فِيهَا شَمْسًۭا وَلَا زَمْهَرِيرًۭا
[They will be] reclining therein on adorned couches. They will not see therein any [burning] sun or [freezing] cold.
وَدَانِيَةً عَلَيْهِمْ ظِلَٰلُهَا وَذُلِّلَتْ قُطُوفُهَا تَذْلِيلًۭا
And near above them are its shades, and its [fruit] to be picked will be lowered in compliance.
وَيُطَافُ عَلَيْهِم بِـَٔانِيَةٍۢ مِّن فِضَّةٍۢ وَأَكْوَابٍۢ كَانَتْ قَوَارِيرَا۠
And there will be circulated among them vessels of silver and cups having been [created] clear [as glass],
قَوَارِيرَا۟ مِن فِضَّةٍۢ قَدَّرُوهَا تَقْدِيرًۭا
Clear glasses [made] from silver of which they have determined the measure.
وَيُسْقَوْنَ فِيهَا كَأْسًۭا كَانَ مِزَاجُهَا زَنجَبِيلًا
And they will be given to drink a cup [of wine] whose mixture is of ginger
عَيْنًۭا فِيهَا تُسَمَّىٰ سَلْسَبِيلًۭا
[From] a fountain within it [i.e., Paradise] named Salsabeel.
۞ وَيَطُوفُ عَلَيْهِمْ وِلْدَٰنٌۭ مُّخَلَّدُونَ إِذَا رَأَيْتَهُمْ حَسِبْتَهُمْ لُؤْلُؤًۭا مَّنثُورًۭا
There will circulate among them young boys made eternal. When you see them, you would think them [as beautiful as] scattered pearls.
وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَ ثَمَّ رَأَيْتَ نَعِيمًۭا وَمُلْكًۭا كَبِيرًا
And when you look there [in Paradise], you will see pleasure and great dominion.
عَٰلِيَهُمْ ثِيَابُ سُندُسٍ خُضْرٌۭ وَإِسْتَبْرَقٌۭ ۖ وَحُلُّوٓا۟ أَسَاوِرَ مِن فِضَّةٍۢ وَسَقَىٰهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ شَرَابًۭا طَهُورًا
Upon them [i.e., the inhabitants] will be green garments of fine silk and brocade. And they will be adorned with bracelets of silver, and their Lord will give them a purifying drink.
إِنَّ هَٰذَا كَانَ لَكُمْ جَزَآءًۭ وَكَانَ سَعْيُكُم مَّشْكُورًا
[And it will be said], "Indeed, this is for you a reward, and your effort has been appreciated."
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ تَنزِيلًۭا
Indeed, it is We who have sent down to you, [O Muḥammad], the Qur’ān progressively.
فَٱصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تُطِعْ مِنْهُمْ ءَاثِمًا أَوْ كَفُورًۭا
So be patient for the decision of your Lord and do not obey from among them a sinner or ungrateful [disbeliever].
وَٱذْكُرِ ٱسْمَ رَبِّكَ بُكْرَةًۭ وَأَصِيلًۭا
And mention the name of your Lord [in prayer] morning and evening
وَمِنَ ٱلَّيْلِ فَٱسْجُدْ لَهُۥ وَسَبِّحْهُ لَيْلًۭا طَوِيلًا
And during the night prostrate to Him and exalt [i.e., praise] Him a long [part of the] night.
نَّحْنُ خَلَقْنَٰهُمْ وَشَدَدْنَآ أَسْرَهُمْ ۖ وَإِذَا شِئْنَا بَدَّلْنَآ أَمْثَٰلَهُمْ تَبْدِيلًا
We have created them and strengthened their forms, and when We will, We can change their likenesses with [complete] alteration.
إِنَّ هَٰذِهِۦ تَذْكِرَةٌۭ ۖ فَمَن شَآءَ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِۦ سَبِيلًۭا
Indeed, this is a reminder, so he who wills may take to his Lord a way.
وَمَا تَشَآءُونَ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًۭا
And you do not will except that Allāh wills. Indeed, Allāh is ever Knowing and Wise.
يُدْخِلُ مَن يَشَآءُ فِى رَحْمَتِهِۦ ۚ وَٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ أَعَدَّ لَهُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًۢا
He admits whom He wills into His mercy; but the wrongdoers - He has prepared for them a painful punishment.
About This Surah
Surah Al-Insan presents human creation as a test of gratitude and describes righteous people fulfilling vows, fearing judgment, and feeding the poor, orphan, and captive solely for God. It then portrays reward and sustained remembrance. The feeding passage protects human dignity across social boundaries, while paradise descriptions remain revelation rather than consumer promises. Good deeds are not a mechanical purchase of salvation.
Al-Insan begins with a time when the human being was not a mentioned thing, then describes creation from a mixed drop and the gifts of hearing and sight. The path is shown, and people respond with gratitude or ingratitude. These verses frame moral testing and are not a complete reproductive-science account.
The righteous fulfill vows, fear a widespread day, and feed poor people, orphans, and captives despite loving the food themselves. They seek neither reward nor thanks from recipients. Including the captive widens the ethical horizon beyond one’s own group and prevents charity from becoming status performance.
Fulfilling vows requires legal and ethical context; harmful, impossible, or unlawful vows are not validated by a summary. Feeding and generosity do not mechanically purchase salvation, guarantee wealth, or erase wrongdoing against victims.
The reward section describes shade, vessels, drink, clothing, and peace in vivid Quranic language. These images belong to the chapter’s promise of divine reward and do not turn people into objects for sexual or commercial exploitation. The chapter then commands remembrance morning and evening, prostration, and part of the night while recognizing that human will operates under God’s will.
The final warning and mercy hold responsibility and dependence together. No special time, count, or guaranteed worldly outcome for reciting the surah is asserted.
Core Themes
- Human creation and moral testing
- Gratitude and responsible choice
- Feeding the poor, orphan, and captive
- Service without seeking social reward
- Paradise described with dignity
- Human willing under divine will
Structure
Verses 1-3: Human origin, faculties, and the shown path — 1-3
Verses 1-3 focus on human origin, faculties, and the shown path.
Verses 4-12: Judgment, vows, feeding, and sincere service — 4-12
Verses 4-12 focus on judgment, vows, feeding, and sincere service.
Verses 13-22: Quranic descriptions of reward — 13-22
Verses 13-22 focus on quranic descriptions of reward.
Verses 23-31: Gradual revelation, remembrance, will, and mercy — 23-31
Verses 23-31 focus on gradual revelation, remembrance, will, and mercy.
Key Passages
Human origin, faculties, and the shown path — 1-3
Verses 1-3 address human origin, faculties, and the shown path.
Judgment, vows, feeding, and sincere service — 4-12
Verses 4-12 address judgment, vows, feeding, and sincere service.
Quranic descriptions of reward — 13-22
Verses 13-22 address quranic descriptions of reward.
Gradual revelation, remembrance, will, and mercy — 23-31
Verses 23-31 address gradual revelation, remembrance, will, and mercy.
Recitation Note
No exclusive time, fixed repetition count, or guaranteed worldly outcome is asserted here for reciting Surah Al-Insan. Reading it is worship and study; any claim about protection, healing, provision, family outcomes, or a prescribed number requires separate exact evidence and narrow wording.
Interpretation Limits
- Human-creation verses are not a complete reproductive or medical account.
- Vow language does not validate harmful, unlawful, coerced, or impossible vows.
- Charity does not mechanically purchase salvation, wealth, or cancellation of victims’ rights.
- Paradise descriptions must not be sexualized, sensationalized, or used as commercial clickbait.