076- AL-INSAN
MAN
According to most scholars, al-Insān was revealed in Madinah, although some maintain that all but v. 24 were revealed in Madinah, and others maintain that vv. 23–31 were revealed in Makkah (Q, Ṭs). A minority maintain that the entire sūrah was revealed in Makkah. The sūrah takes its title from the mention of man in the first verse. It is also commonly called, after its first two words, Hal atā, “Has There Not Come,” and is sometimes known as al-Dahr, “Endless Time.” Another name is al-Abrār, “The Pious,” for its discussion of the rewards due to the pious in vv. 5–22. It is reported that the Prophet would often recite this sūrah along with Sūrah 32, al-Sajdah, during the early morning prayer (fajr) on Friday.
According to most Shiite and some Sunni sources, vv. 5–22 were revealed in relation to the family of the Prophet: ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, Fāṭimah, Ḥasan, and Ḥusayn. The account related with slight variation by al-Ṭabrisī, al-Qurṭubī, al-Ālūsī, and others is that Āli’s sons Ḥasan and Ḥusayn were sick, and the Prophet and a group of followers came to visit them. They suggested that ʿAlī make a vow to God in supplicating for their recovery. So ʿAlī, Fāṭimah, and Fizzah, their house helper, vowed that if Ḥasan and Ḥusayn recovered, they would fast for three days (according to some, Ḥasan and Ḥusayn made the same vow). After a short while both of them recovered.
Therefore, the family fasted the first day. As they were in dire need of food, ʿAlī borrowed some barley with which they would break the fast, and Fāṭimah ground one-third of it into flour and baked some bread. When they were preparing to break their fast that evening, an indigent person came to their door and said, “Peace be upon you, the Household of Muhammad. I am a needy Muslim; please give me some food. May God bestow upon you, in kind, from Divine Sustenance.” All of them gave him their share. That night, they had only water. The following day they fasted again. Then an orphan came to the door. Once more, they forfeited their bread and ate nothing, only drinking water. The third day, they fasted again. This time a captive came to their house, and they repeated their charity.
On the fourth day, ʿAlī took ḥasan and ḥusayn with him to see the Prophet. When the Prophet observed them trembling with hunger, he said, “It grieves me to see you in this condition.” Then he stood up and walked with them. When he arrived at their home, he found Fāṭimah praying. Her stomach was sunk into her backbone, and her eyes had become sunken too. The Prophet was greatly affected. At this moment Gabriel descended and said, “O Muhammad, receive this sūrah. God congratulates you for having such a family.” And then Gabriel recited this sūrah.
(source: “The Study Quran” a new translation and commentary by Seyyed Hossein Nasr)
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