used in the sense of man (“who”): “By the begetter and whom he begot,” since man is used for rational beings, whereas mā is used for non-rational beings.

It has also been said that “the begetter and what he begot” refers to every begetter and all that it begets—human beings, animals, and every other creature—for both the begetter and the begotten are among the signs of Allah, Glorious and Exalted. How does this offspring emerge from a drop of fluid alive and sound, endowed with hearing and sight? This sound, fully formed offspring comes from a sperm-drop: “Does man not see that We created him from a sperm-drop, and behold, he is an open adversary?” [Yā Sīn: 77]. Likewise, insects and other creatures emerge weak and frail, then grow until they reach whatever size Allah Most High wills. The correct view is that the verse is general and includes every begetter and every begotten being.

“We have indeed created man in kabad.” The emphatic lām here introduces the response to the oath, further emphasizing the sentence. The particle qad also adds emphasis. Thus, the statement, “We have indeed created man,” is reinforced by three emphatic elements: the oath, the lām, and qad. “We created man”: “man” is a generic noun encompassing every child of Adam. “In kabad” has two meanings:

The first meaning is uprightness. That is, man was created in the most perfect physical form: erect, walking upon his two feet, with his head raised and his body upright. Animals are the reverse, with their heads level with their hindquarters. The children of Adam, by contrast, have their heads raised above their bodies. This is as Allah Most High says: “We have indeed created man in the finest form.” [al-Tīn: 4].

It has also been said that kabad means grappling with things and enduring them: man experiences hardship in worldly affairs, in seeking provision, cultivating the land, and other such matters. He also undergoes an even more difficult struggle with his own soul, striving against it to obey Allah,