English Translation of Al-Quran
[39].Surah Al-Zumar [The Groups]
Ayat 6. Allah created you (all) from a single person (Adam PBUH); then made from him his wife [Hawwa’ (Eve)]. And He has sent down for you eight pairs of cattle (of the sheep, two, male and female; of the goats, two, male and female; of the oxen, two, male and female; and of the camels, two, male and female). He created you in the wombs of your mothers, creation after creation in three veils of darkness, such is Allah your Lord. His is the kingdom, La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He). How then are you turned away?
Tafseer of Surah Al Zumar Ayat 6. He created you (all) from a single Person: then created, of like nature, his mate; and he sent down for you eight head of cattle in pairs: He makes you, in the wombs of your mothers, in stages, one after another, in three veils of darkness, such is Allah, your Lord and Cherisher: to Him belongs (all) dominion. There is no god but He: then how are ye turned away (from your true Centre)? Cf. 4:1, See 6:143-144, where four kinds of cattle are mentioned in pairs in connection with certain Arab superstitions which are condemned there. Here the same four kinds are mentioned as representative of domesticated cattle given by Allah as useful to man. These are sheep, goats, camels, and oxen. In Arab idiom the horse is not included among “cattle”. For the wisdom and goodness of Allah in granting man dominion over cattle, see 36:71-73. See 22:5, where the gradual physical growth of man in several successive stages is mentioned as one of the Signs of Allah’s creative Power and cherishing care. The three veils of darkness which cover the unborn child are: the caul or membrane, the womb, and the hollow in which the womb is enclosed. But we might understand “three” in a cumulative rather than a numerical sense. It is clear that you owe your very existence and your maintenance, growth, and preservation, to Allah; how is it that you are turned away by chance things from Him?
English Translation of Hadith
Hazrat Abdullah bin Masud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah [SAWW](PBUH), the truthful and the receiver of the truth informed us, saying, “The creation of you (humans) is gathered in the form of semen in the womb of your mother for forty days, then it becomes a clinging thing in similar (period), then it becomes a lump of flesh like that, then Allah sends an angel who breathes the life into it; and (the angel) is commanded to record four things about it: Its provision, its term of life (in this world), its conduct; and whether it will be happy or miserable. By the One besides Whom there is no true god! Verily, one of you would perform the actions of the dwellers of Jannah until there is only one cubit between him and it (Jannah), when what is foreordained would come to pass and he would perform the actions of the inmates of Hell until he entered it. And one of you would perform the actions of the inmates of Hell, until there is only one cubit between him and Hell. Then he would perform the acts of the dwellers of Jannah until he would enter it.”
[Muslim Book 33, Chapter 01, Hadith # 6930].
Lesson: as mentioned above in Surah Al-Zumar Ayat 06. “He created you in the wombs of your mothers” This Hadith deals with the problem of fate in which Faith is essential. What it means is that Almighty Allah already knows about every person, whether he will be pious or impious, whether he will go to Jannah or Hell. He has already recorded all this. But it does not mean that man is absolutely helpless and is deprived of will and power, as is believed by some deviant sects who have gone astray. Fate is in fact a manifestation of the Knowledge of Allah and it has nothing to do with the will and intention of a person. Allah has not created man as a helpless creature, but has endowed him with the freedom of will and action, because in the absence of these two qualities, there would be no justification for his trial. He could only be put to test if he was granted not only the ability to choose between good and evil but also the freedom to act. For this purpose, Almighty Allah, has clearly indicated to man both the paths and granted him freedom to choose whichever he likes. He has also told him the ultimate end of each. The Noble Qur’an says: “Verily, We showed him the way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful”. {76}Surah Al-Insan [Man]: Ayat 3) “Then whosoever wills, let him believe; and whosoever wills, let him disbelieve”. {18} Surah Al-Kahf [The Cave]: Ayat 29). But by mentioning this Hadith in the chapter relating to the fear of Allah, Imam An-Nawawi has warned that we should be fearful of Allah, pray for His Help, and an auspicious end of our life. He has advised us to adopt whatever means are available to us. In other words, we should make Faith and piety a way of life because one can find the means and resources according to one’s capacity. Since nobody knows the result of his endeavors, one should leave it to Allah and rest assured that He Who has created him with a purpose will also create the ways and means to attain it. He who adopts piety, the ways to piety will open for him; and he who adopts evil, the ways to evil will open for him. A Muslim should never go towards evil at any stage of his life, lest his life comes to an end suddenly and he is deprived of the reward of all the good deeds he has done during his life and consequently he is consigned to Hell rather than Jannah. May Allah save us from a bad end and such actions which lead one to Hell.
