"Verily We have created man into toil and struggle." (al-Balad, 90/4) Will you explain this verse?

Dear Brother / Sister,

"Verily We have created man into toil and struggle." (al-Balad, 90/4)

Man was not sent to this world for fun and relaxation. This is proved by the fact that he started in the form of a nutfah in the womb, that he was born after ninth months, that he underwent a long period of childhood and that he led a hard life until he died. Nobody has led a fully happy life without any problems.    

Human life does not come easily all of a sudden; it does not pass easily either. Man was created by divine help after being surrounded by a severe trouble that pressed his liver in the womb after undergoing various hard phases and toil. Thus, to attain the purpose of humanity after distress and hardship is an indispensable feature of man and a law of the creator. Man was weak but he received a great help worthy of gratitude and protection from his creator. Therefore, man has to put up with struggle, distress and hardship by being aware of this fact in order to become a perfect person, do his best to thank his creator, who gave him life and power after those hard phases, and try to attain salvation and please Him by showing mercy to the slaves who are worthy of mercy. That is the meaning of the verse according to the majority of scholars.

The word kabad is from kabid, which means liver. There are some interpretations made by tafsir scholars about the word kabad:  

1. Zamakhshari states the following: The word kabad actually comes fromكَدَبَ الرَّجُلُ كَبْدًا (kadabar-rajulu kabdan), which is uttered when the liver of a person hurts and is swollen. The statement فَهُوَ اكْبَدُ  "fa huwa akbad" is used for a person whose liver is swollen and painful. Afterwards, the meaning of the word widened and it has been used for all kinds of fatigue and hardship. The word "mukabada", which means resisting difficulties is derived from that word. As a matter of fact, the statement كَبَتُهُ (kabatuhu) is used in the sense of “he eliminated”. Its original form is كَبَدَهُ (kabaduhu), which means, he thrusted into his liver.

Some scholars state the following: The word kabad actually means severity/violence. The statement تَكَبَّدَ اللَّبَنُ (takabbada al-labanu) comes from that sense and means "the milk thickened, became condense”. The difference between the two views is as follows: In the first view, the word "kabad" means liver and the meaning severity/hardship was derived from it; it the second view, the word is used in the sense of thickness and hardness and the name of the organ is derived from it.

2. Kabad is said to mean smooth and straight; thus, it is derived from the smoothness of the liver or from the phrase “kabad as-sama”. It is thought to be derived from the fact that man did not crawl like the other living beings and that he stood and walked straight, and the fact that he had the ability to rise spiritually as it is stated in the following verse:  خَلَقَ فَسَوَّى "Who hath created, and further, given order and proportion" (al-A'la, 87/2). However, it is difficult to infer this meaning from the word "kabad".

3. It is also said that kabad is the severity and power of creation. It is strengthened by the power of the Creator and the body is given strength, which is similar to the previous meaning. The following is stated in "Kashful-Asrar" related to meaning of being strengthened by establishing a connection between it and the clotting of sperm: This may sometimes tell us the state that occurs when sperm clots and thickens. Something similar to it is as follows: When an inflammation occurs in the inner membrane of the chest, a very pure and fluent natural liquid is first seen in it. Then, a small amount of pulp occurs and becomes viscous; when it is exposed to heat, it becomes like white of an egg. Then, gaps and small bubbles like the ones in the leavened dough occur; they can form lines. Then, openings occur in them and they are connected to one another; they are transformed into some vein-like channels filled with a moving liquid. Then, openings are formed between these veins and the thin veins adjacent to that infected place. Thus, a general life is spread in this newly formed membrane. Though we cannot decree from this observation that the fluent things in every living thing are always transformed into clotted things, there is no doubt that this is useful.

For, we become aware of one of the duties inside the body and understand one of the secrets, which are generally unknown to us.

Razi states the following: After those three ways of explanation, we state the following: According to the first way, the purpose may be only the hardships of the world, only the hardships brought about responsibility and only the hardships of the hereafter; the purpose may also be all of them.

FIRSTLY: لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ فِي كَبَدٍ "Verily We have created man into toil and struggle." That is, We created him by making him undergo some phases, which consist of toil and struggle: through the body of the father into the mother’s womb, in the period of breastfeeding, in adolescence, in earning livelihood and death.

SECONDLY: Toil and struggle in religion. Hasan states the following: Man is busy with thanking Allah when he is in welfare, with patience when he is in trouble and with difficulty when he worships.

THIRDLY: The hardships of the hereafter, death, being questioned by angels, darkness of the grave, resurrection, standing in the presence of Allah. This goes on until man goes to Paradise or Hell.

FOURTHLY: The statement includes all of those meanings, which is the truth. Razi adds the following: In my opinion, there is one more aspect in its explanation: There is no flavor/pleasure in this world. What is regarded as pleasure is being saved from trouble and pain. For instance, the pleasure imagined to be taken by eating is actually being saved from the pain of hunger. The pleasure imagined to be taken by dressing is being saved from the pains of heat and cold. That is, in this world, man suffers from a pain and he is saved from that pain to suffer from another pain. That is the meaning of لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ فِي كَبَدٍ . It is clearly understood from it that resurrection after death is inevitable for man as well as the Day of Judgment. For, if the purpose of the wise creator who controls the creation of man were making him suffering, it would not be in compliance with mercy. If His purpose in the creation of man were neither man’s suffering nor his taking pleasure, it would be enough not to create him and leave him in non-existence to realize this purpose. However, Allah created man in toil, hardship and trouble in this world. In that case, there must be another realm other than this world so that it would be a realm of happiness, pleasure and entertainment. The second view stating that "kabad" means doing things properly and smoothly was reported from Ibn Abbas. Ibn Abbas said, "Fi kabad means man was created standing upright while the other living beings were created walking on four legs, crawling, etc." This means a kind of reminding the boon of creation.

Kalbi states the following about the third way of explanation, which means this word is in the sense of the severity and power of creation: This verse was sent down about a man who was nicknamed Abul-Ashadd from the tribe of Sons of Jumah. He was so strong that people would place Uqaz leather under his feet and pull it but his feet would not move though the leather would be torn into pieces.

It is necessary to know that what is in compliance with the verse is the two ways of explanation. The reason for the revelation of the verse can be specific but what is meant by man is not a specific man but man in general; it includes everybody.

Like many other tafsir scholars, Alusi stated the following: All of the views about kabad except the first view, which explains it as toil, trouble and hardship, are weak and not reliable. Hakim reported the first meaning as sound; a group of scholars reported it from Ibn Abbas and some other scholars of the first period. What is understood from the word "insan (man)" is the human species in general. Thus, it is explained in the form of a major premise that putting up with trouble and hardship is a trait that exists in man’s nature; thus the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) is consoled and encouraged; he was also given the glad tiding with the promise وَأَنتَ حِلٌّ بِهَذَا الْبَلَدِ that he would be successful in the future. 

(Elmalılı M. Hamdi YAZIR, Kur'an-ı Kerim Tefsiri)

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