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A collection of Ayaat in the Quran describing the nature of man ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ
We created man––We know what his soul whispers to him: We are closer to him than his jugular vein––
Quran 50:16
- A Time of non existence
- In Loss
- Weak
- Hasty
- Stingy
- Unjust & Ignorant
- In Toil and Hardship
- Quarrelsome
- Transgressing
- Witness against himself
- Ungrateful
- Despairing
- Prefers Favors
- Calls in Hardship – Then Forgets
- Created from a despised Fluid — Yet He Challenges
- Created from Clay
- “Does Man Think…?” — Questions That Awaken the Soul
- What Man will ask on the Day of Judgement
- On that Day – Man will remember
- Man is high in Status – If he Believes and Does Good
A Time of non existence
هَلْ أَتَىٰ عَلَى ٱلْإِنسَـٰنِ حِينٌۭ مِّنَ ٱلدَّهْرِ لَمْ يَكُن شَيْـًۭٔا مَّذْكُورًا
Is there not a period of time when each human is nothing yet worth mentioning?
Quran 76:1
In Loss
إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ لَفِى خُسْرٍ
man is [deep] in loss,
Quran 103:2
Weak
وَخُلِقَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ ضَعِيفًۭا
Man was created weak
Quran 4:28
Hasty
خُلِقَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ مِنْ عَجَلٍۢ ۚ سَأُو۟رِيكُمْ ءَايَـٰتِى فَلَا تَسْتَعْجِلُونِ
Man was created hasty: I will show you My signs soon, so do not ask Me to hasten them.
Quran 21:37
وَيَدْعُ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ بِٱلشَّرِّ دُعَآءَهُۥ بِٱلْخَيْرِ ۖ وَكَانَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ عَجُولًۭا
Yet man prays for harm, just as he prays for good: man is ever hasty.
Quran 17:11
إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا
Indeed, humankind was created impatient:
Quran 70:19
Stingy
قُل لَّوْ أَنتُمْ تَمْلِكُونَ خَزَآئِنَ رَحْمَةِ رَبِّىٓ إِذًۭا لَّأَمْسَكْتُمْ خَشْيَةَ ٱلْإِنفَاقِ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ قَتُورًۭا
Say ˹to them, O Prophet˺, “Even if you were to possess the ˹infinite˺ treasuries of my Lord’s mercy, then you would certainly withhold ˹them˺, fearing they would run out—for humankind is ever stingy!”
Quran 17:100
Unjust & Ignorant
إِنَّا عَرَضْنَا ٱلْأَمَانَةَ عَلَى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱلْجِبَالِ فَأَبَيْنَ أَن يَحْمِلْنَهَا وَأَشْفَقْنَ مِنْهَا وَحَمَلَهَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ ظَلُومًۭا جَهُولًۭا
Indeed, We offered the Trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, and they declined to bear it and feared it; but man [undertook to] bear it. Indeed, he was unjust and ignorant.
Quran 33:72
In Toil and Hardship
لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ فِى كَبَدٍ
Indeed, We have created humankind in ˹constant˺ struggle.
Quran 90:4
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ إِنَّكَ كَادِحٌ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ كَدْحًۭا فَمُلَـٰقِيهِ
you humans, toiling laboriously towards your Lord, will meet Him:
Quran 84:6
Quarrelsome
وَلَقَدْ صَرَّفْنَا فِى هَـٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانِ لِلنَّاسِ مِن كُلِّ مَثَلٍۢ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ أَكْثَرَ شَىْءٍۢ جَدَلًۭا
We have surely set forth in this Quran every ˹kind of˺ lesson for people, but humankind is the most argumentative of all beings.
Quran 18:54
Transgressing
Recite in the name of your Lord who created – Created man from a clinging substance. Recite, and your Lord is the most Generous – Who taught by the pen – Taught man that which he knew not. No! [But] indeed, man transgresses Because he sees himself self-sufficient. Indeed, to your Lord is the return.
Quran 96:1-8
Witness against himself
بَلِ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِهِۦ بَصِيرَةٌۭ
Truly, man is a clear witness against himself,
Quran 75:14
Ungrateful
إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ لِرَبِّهِۦ لَكَنُودٌۭ
Surely humankind is ungrateful to their Lord—
Quran 100:6
قُتِلَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ مَآ أَكْفَرَهُۥ
Condemned are ˹disbelieving˺ humans! How ungrateful they are ˹to Allah˺!
Quran 80:17
إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ لَكَفُورٌۭ
but man is ungrateful.
Quran 22:66
إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ لَكَفُورٌۭ مُّبِينٌ
Man is clearly ungrateful!
Quran 43:15
وَءَاتَىٰكُم مِّن كُلِّ مَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُ ۚ وَإِن تَعُدُّوا۟ نِعْمَتَ ٱللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَآ ۗ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ لَظَلُومٌۭ كَفَّارٌۭ
and given you some of everything you asked Him for. If you tried to count God’s favours you could never calculate them: man is truly unjust and ungrateful.
Quran 14:34
Despairing
وَلَئِنْ أَذَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ مِنَّا رَحْمَةًۭ ثُمَّ نَزَعْنَـٰهَا مِنْهُ إِنَّهُۥ لَيَـُٔوسٌۭ كَفُورٌۭ
And if We give man a taste of mercy from Us and then We withdraw it from him, indeed, he is despairing and ungrateful.
Quran 11:9
وَإِذَآ أَنْعَمْنَا عَلَى ٱلْإِنسَـٰنِ أَعْرَضَ وَنَـَٔا بِجَانِبِهِۦ ۖ وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ كَانَ يَـُٔوسًۭا
When We favour man he turns arrogantly to one side, but when harm touches him, he falls into despair.
Quran 17:83
لَّا يَسْـَٔمُ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ مِن دُعَآءِ ٱلْخَيْرِ وَإِن مَّسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ فَيَـُٔوسٌۭ قَنُوطٌۭ
Man never tires of asking for good, but if evil touches him he loses all hope and becomes despondent.
Quran 41:49
Prefers Favors
فَأَمَّا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ إِذَا مَا ٱبْتَلَىٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَأَكْرَمَهُۥ وَنَعَّمَهُۥ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّىٓ أَكْرَمَنِ ١٥ وَأَمَّآ إِذَا مَا ٱبْتَلَىٰهُ فَقَدَرَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقَهُۥ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّىٓ أَهَـٰنَنِ ١٦
[The nature of] man is that, when his Lord tries him through honour and blessings, he says, ‘My Lord has honoured me,’ but when He tries him through the restriction of his provision, he says, ‘My Lord has humiliated me.’
Quran 89:15-16
وَإِنَّآ إِذَآ أَذَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ مِنَّا رَحْمَةًۭ فَرِحَ بِهَا ۖ وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌۢ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ فَإِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ كَفُورٌۭ
When We give man a taste of Our mercy, he rejoices in it, but if some harm befalls him on account of what he has done with his own hands, then he is ungrateful.
Quran 42:48
Calls in Hardship – Then Forgets
وَإِذَا مَسَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ ٱلضُّرُّ دَعَانَا لِجَنۢبِهِۦٓ أَوْ قَاعِدًا أَوْ قَآئِمًۭا فَلَمَّا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُ ضُرَّهُۥ مَرَّ كَأَن لَّمْ يَدْعُنَآ إِلَىٰ ضُرٍّۢ مَّسَّهُۥ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِلْمُسْرِفِينَ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ
When trouble befalls man he cries out to Us, whether lying on his side, sitting, or standing, but as soon as We relieve him of his trouble he goes on his way as if he had never cried out to Us to remove his trouble. In this way the deeds of such heedless people are made attractive to them.
Quran 10:12
وَإِذَا مَسَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ ضُرٌّۭ دَعَا رَبَّهُۥ مُنِيبًا إِلَيْهِ ثُمَّ إِذَا خَوَّلَهُۥ نِعْمَةًۭ مِّنْهُ نَسِىَ مَا كَانَ يَدْعُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهِ مِن قَبْلُ وَجَعَلَ لِلَّهِ أَندَادًۭا لِّيُضِلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ ۚ قُلْ تَمَتَّعْ بِكُفْرِكَ قَلِيلًا ۖ إِنَّكَ مِنْ أَصْحَـٰبِ ٱلنَّارِ
When man suffers some affliction, he prays to his Lord and turns to Him, but once he has been granted a favour from God, he forgets the One he had been praying to and sets up rivals to God, to make others stray from His path. Say, ‘Enjoy your ingratitude for a little while: you will be one of the inhabitants of the Fire.’
Quran 39:8
فَإِذَا مَسَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ ضُرٌّۭ دَعَانَا ثُمَّ إِذَا خَوَّلْنَـٰهُ نِعْمَةًۭ مِّنَّا قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أُوتِيتُهُۥ عَلَىٰ عِلْمٍۭ ۚ بَلْ هِىَ فِتْنَةٌۭ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
When man suffers some affliction, he cries out to Us, but when We favour him with Our blessing, he says, ‘All this has been given to me because of my knowledge’- it is only a test, though most of them do not know it.
Quran 39:49
وَإِذَآ أَنْعَمْنَا عَلَى ٱلْإِنسَـٰنِ أَعْرَضَ وَنَـَٔا بِجَانِبِهِۦ وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ فَذُو دُعَآءٍ عَرِيضٍۢ
When We show favour to someone, they turn away, acting arrogantly. And when touched with evil, they make endless prayers ˹for good˺.
Quran 41:51
وَإِذَا مَسَّكُمُ ٱلضُّرُّ فِى ٱلْبَحْرِ ضَلَّ مَن تَدْعُونَ إِلَّآ إِيَّاهُ ۖ فَلَمَّا نَجَّىٰكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْبَرِّ أَعْرَضْتُمْ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ كَفُورًا
When you get into distress at sea, those you pray to besides Him desert you, but when He brings you back safe to land you turn away: man is ever ungrateful.
Quran 17:67
Created from a despised Fluid — Yet He Challenges
فَلْيَنظُرِ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ مِمَّ خُلِقَ ٥ خُلِقَ مِن مَّآءٍۢ دَافِقٍۢ ٦
Man should reflect on what he was created from. He is created from spurting fluid,
Quran 86:5-6
خَلَقَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ مِن نُّطْفَةٍۢ فَإِذَا هُوَ خَصِيمٌۭ مُّبِينٌۭ
He created man from a drop of fluid, and yet man openly challenges Him.
Quran 16:4
أَوَلَمْ يَرَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ أَنَّا خَلَقْنَـٰهُ مِن نُّطْفَةٍۢ فَإِذَا هُوَ خَصِيمٌۭ مُّبِينٌۭ
Do people not see that We have created them from a sperm-drop, then—behold!—they openly challenge ˹Us˺?
Quran 36:77
إِنَّا خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ أَمْشَاجٍۢ نَّبْتَلِيهِ فَجَعَلْنَـٰهُ سَمِيعًۢا بَصِيرًا
We created man from a drop of mingled fluid to put him to the test; We gave him hearing and sight;
Quran 76:2
ثُمَّ جَعَلَ نَسْلَهُۥ مِن سُلَـٰلَةٍۢ مِّن مَّآءٍۢ مَّهِينٍۢ
then made his descendants from an extract of underrated fluid.
Quran 32:8
أَلَمْ نَخْلُقكُّم مِّن مَّآءٍۢ مَّهِينٍۢ
Did We not create you from a humble fluid,
Quran 77:20
Created from Clay
وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ مِن صَلْصَـٰلٍۢ مِّنْ حَمَإٍۢ مَّسْنُونٍۢ
We created man out of dried clay formed from dark mud-
Quran 15:26
وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ مِن سُلَـٰلَةٍۢ مِّن طِينٍۢ
We created man from an essence of clay,
Quran 23:12
ٱلَّذِىٓ أَحْسَنَ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ خَلَقَهُۥ ۖ وَبَدَأَ خَلْقَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنِ مِن طِينٍۢ
who gave everything its perfect form. He first created man from clay,
Quran 32:7
خَلَقَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ مِن صَلْصَـٰلٍۢ كَٱلْفَخَّارِ
He created man from clay like [that of] pottery.
Quran 55:14
“Does Man Think…?” — Questions That Awaken the Soul
Does man think that he will be left neglected?
Quran 75:36
Does man think We shall not put his bones back together? In fact, We can reshape his very fingertips. Yet man wants to deny what is ahead of him:
Quran 75:3-5
O mankind, what has deceived you concerning your Lord, the Generous,
Quran 82:6
Man says, ‘What? Once I am dead, will I be brought back to life?’ but does man not remember that We created him when he was nothing before?
Quran 19:66-67
Did you think We had created you in vain, and that you would not be brought back to Us?’
Quran 23:115
What Man will ask on the Day of Judgement
When the earth is shaken with its [final] earthquake And the earth discharges its burdens And man says, “What is with it?” – That Day, it will report its news Because your Lord has inspired [i.e., commanded] it.
Quran 99:1-5
on that Day man will say, ‘Where can I escape?’ Truly, there is no refuge: they will all return to your Lord on that Day. On that Day, man will be told what he put first and what he put last.
Quran 75:10-13
On that Day – Man will remember
But when there comes the greatest Overwhelming Calamity – The Day when man will remember that for which he strove,
Quran 79:34-35
And brought [within view], that Day, is Hell – that Day, man will remember, but how [i.e., what good] to him will be the remembrance?
Quran 89:23
Man is high in Status – If he Believes and Does Good
We create man in the finest state then reduce him to the lowest of the low, except those who believe and do good deeds–– they will have an unfailing reward.
Quran 95:4-6
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