سورة النحل، الآية ٤
خَلَقَ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ فَإِذَا هُوَ خَصِيمٌ مُّبِينٌ ٤
khalaqa l-insāna min nuṭ'fatin fa-idhā huwa khaṣīmun mubīnun
He created man from a sperm-drop; then at once691 he is a clear adversary.
[691] As soon as he becomes strong and independent.
Verse 4 of Surah An-Nahl (16:4), a Meccan surah, is in juz 14, on page 267 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 73 reciters.
79 recitations by 73 reciters: pick one and it plays in the player.
He created man from a despised drop of fluid who then progressed from one form to another until he became a harsh contender using falsehood to attempt to invalidate with it the truth, being an obvious opponent in his arguing.
He created man from a sperm-drop, and then he becomes a clear adversary3.
[3] As soon as he becomes strong and independent. The ones who are meant here are, especially, the disbelievers who deny resurrection, argue against the Truth, and are ungrateful to Allah’s favors.
He has created man from Nutfah (mixed drops of male and female sexual discharge), then behold, this same (man) becomes an open opponent.
He hath created man from a drop of fluid, yet behold! he is an open opponent.
He has created man from a sperm-drop; and behold this same (man) becomes an open disputer!
He created man from a small seed and lo! he is an open contender.
He created man of a sperm-drop; yet, (behold) how he is an evident adversary.
وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ مِنَ ٱلْمَآءِ بَشَرًا فَجَعَلَهُۥ نَسَبًا وَصِهْرًا وَكَانَ رَبُّكَ قَدِيرًا …
And it is He who has created from water [i.e., semen] a human being and made him [a relative by] lineage and marriage. And ever is your Lord competent [concerning creation]. …
أَوَلَمْ يَرَ ٱلْإِنسَٰنُ أَنَّا خَلَقْنَٰهُ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ فَإِذَا هُوَ خَصِيمٌ مُّبِينٌ
Does man not consider that We created him from a [mere] sperm-drop - then at once he is a clear adversary?
قُلْ يُحْيِيهَا ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنشَأَهَآ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ خَلْقٍ عَلِيمٌ
Say, "He will give them life who produced them the first time; and He is, of all creation, Knowing."
They share a sequence of words with this verse: useful for telling them apart when memorising.
خَلَقَ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ
Created man from a clinging substance.
خَلَقَ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ مِن صَلْصَٰلٍ كَٱلْفَخَّارِ
He created man from clay like [that of] pottery.
