Sura al-Mu’minun
23
Introduction of Surah
al-Mu’minun is the 23rd sura of the Qur’an, which means ‘The Believers. The chapter derives its name from verse 1, which proclaims the guaranteed triumph of the believers. This chapter belongs to the Meccan period and comprises 118 verses, 1,240 words, 4,801 letters, and six segments. It is the 74th sura in chronological order, revealed after Sura al-Anbiya’.
The chapter begins by declaring the guaranteed success and triumph of the believers. The chapter out-lines the various traits and virtues of the believers. The believers are humble; they refrain from idle-talk and frivolous actions; they give charity; they protect their decency and chastity; they keep their trust and honour their pledges; they guard their prayers; and they abstain from all acts of transgression. According to this chapter, these virtues shall assist believers in their entrance into the Gardens of Heaven.
The chapter then offers reminders to human beings about their origin. The process of the human being’s biological creation is detailed; beginning as a fertilised egg (zygote) in their mother’s womb, developing into a clinging mass, becoming a lump of flesh, growing into a skeletal structure of bones, then forming flesh and muscles over the skeletal structure, and all of it culminating into a new form of human creation. This miraculous description of the biological creation of a human being serves to exhibit God Almighty’s di-vinity, His Oneness, His absolute Power to create, to perish, and then resurrect.
The chapter describes elements of the universe and the functioning of the atmosphere to illustrate the divinity and Oneness of Allah. The formation of the seven tracks is exhibited in this chapter, which may also be a reference to seven magnetic fields which surround the vast atmospheric expanse of planet earth, for the safeguarding of the cosmic system. The chapter then describes the regulation of the hydrosphere and the descent of water from the clouds, which is also a reference to the shaping of preliminary oceans on earth. The chapter then describes the growth of gardens, plantation, and vegetation on earth, as a way to describe the vast signs of God’s Might; the Creator and the Sustainer of the Universe.
The chapter provides an account of the story of Prophet Nuh (Noah [peace be upon him]) and his people and their denial of the Oneness of God Almighty. The chapter describes Prophet Nuh’s ascent upon the Ark, the gathering of a pair of each species alongside to ensure its continuity, and the safe journey conducted by Prophet Nuh (Noah [peace be upon him]). The chapter speaks about the importance of cattle and animal species to human beings.
The chapter continues by describing the frequency of opposition to prophets by the influential and af-fluent elite of their communities and nations. The chapter addresses idolaters through a passage of questions and answers regarding the relationship between the Creator and the creation. The chapter concludes by signalling a warning to the disbelievers who will lament their faithlessness and desire to return to this world to proclaim the truth and perform good deeds. But it will be too late for them and they shall meet their fate on the Day of Resurrection. The chapter ends by declaring the Oneness of God Almighty; the Real Sover-eign; the only One worthy of worship; and a message of divine mercy and forgiveness.
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In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the All-Merciful
23:1. Indeed, the believers have prospered.
قد أفلح المؤمنون
(al-Mu’minun, 23 : 1)
23:2. Those who are humble in their prayers,
الذين هم في صلاتهم خاشعون
(al-Mu’minun, 23 : 2)
23:3. who turn away from idle talk,
والذين هم عن اللغو معرضون
(al-Mu’minun, 23 : 3)
23:4. who give the alms (i.e. mandatory charity),
والذين هم للزكاة فاعلون
(al-Mu’minun, 23 : 4)
23:10. these are the ones who will be the heirs;
أولئك هم الوارثون
(al-Mu’minun, 23 : 10)
23:12. Indeed, We created human being from an extract (i.e. the chemical ingredients) of clay.*
* Dust comprises minerals, metals, salts and other chemical elements such as calcium, sodium, phosphorus, potassium, silicon, chlorine, iodine, fluorine, magnesium, zinc, sulphur, iron, etc. These and other clay elements also form a balanced diet essential for nourishment. The animals whose meat and milk we consume graze upon vegetation. The grains, vegetables and fruits that constitute our diet benefit from the soil they grow in and absorb all its chemicals.
ولقد خلقنا الإنسان من سلالة من طين
(al-Mu’minun, 23 : 12)
23:13. Then, We placed him as a fertilised egg (i.e. a zygote*) in a secure abode (of the mother’s womb).
* In Arabic, the word ‘al-nutfa’ is mentioned, and it refers to a zygote, which is a mixture of male and female gametes. It is the new single cell formed after the union of a sperm and ovum.
ثم جعلناه نطفة في قرار مكين
(al-Mu’minun, 23 : 13)
23:14. Then We made that zygote a clinging mass.* Then We developed that clinging mass into a lump of flesh (chewed with teeth). Then, out of this chewed lump, We developed a structure of bones and clothed the bones with flesh (and muscle). Later, We developed it (gradually) into a new form. So blessed is Allah, the Best of creators.
* The word ‘alaqa’ in this verse describes the human embryo from days 7–24, which clings to the endometrium of the uterus in the same way that a leech clings to the skin. Just as the leech derives blood from the host, the human embryo derives blood from the decidua or pregnant endometrium. It is remarkable how much the embryo of 23–24 days resembles a leech. No microscopes were available in the 7th century, so none would have known that the human embryo at this stage was clinging to the endometrium and had a leech-like appearance.
ثم خلقنا النطفة علقة فخلقنا العلقة مضغة فخلقنا المضغة عظاما فكسونا العظام لحما ثم أنشأناه خلقا آخر فتبارك الله أحسن الخالقين
(al-Mu’minun, 23 : 14)
23:15. Then, after that, you will surely die.
ثم إنكم بعد ذلك لميتون
(al-Mu’minun, 23 : 15)
23:17. And certainly, We have created above you seven tracks.* And We have never been heedless of (Our) creation.
* Seven tracks may refer to the seven heavens, being above one another, according to the description of traditional cosmology. It may also refer to the paths of the five visible planets, including the sun and the moon, or the celestial spheres in which the sun and the planets move, traditionally known as ‘aflak’. Another possible meaning could be the seven magnetic fields around the vast atmospheric expanse of the earth for safeguarding the cosmic system.
