“Indeed, this is recorded in the earlier scriptures—the scriptures of Abraham and Moses.” (al-A‘la 87:18–19)

“Raised high and purified, in the hands of scribes, noble and righteous. Woe to man! How ungrateful he is! From what thing did He create him? From a drop of fluid He created him and proportioned him. Then He made the way easy for him. Then He caused him to die and provided a grave for him.”

“Raised high”: that is, held in high rank with Allah, glorified and exalted is He. It was also said that they are raised high in the seventh heaven. “Purified”: none touch them except those who are purified, namely the angels. “In the hands of scribes”: Ibn Abbas and Mujahid said: they are writers—the noble recording angels. The singular is a writer; it is said, “I wrote.” Hence, a writer is called a safir, and a book is called a sifr; its plural is asfar.

Others said: they are the angelic messengers; the singular is an envoy, meaning a messenger. The envoy of a people is the one who strives to reconcile them, and to act as an envoy between people means to reconcile them. He then praised them, saying, “Noble and righteous”: that is, honored by Allah, ⦗185/A⦘ obedient; bararah is the plural of barr.

The words of the Exalted, “Woe to man,” mean: the disbeliever is cursed. Muqatil said: it was revealed concerning Utbah ibn Abi Lahab. (2) “How ungrateful he is!” That is, how severe is his disbelief in Allah, despite the abundance of Allah’s goodness and favors toward him. This is an expression of astonishment. Al-Zajjaj said: its meaning is, “Marvel at his disbelief!” Al-Kalbi and Muqatil said: the word “what” is interrogative, meaning: what induced him to disbelief?

He then clarified concerning his condition that which should have led him to know that Allah is his Creator, saying: “From what thing did He create him?” Its wording is interrogative, but its meaning is one of affirmation. He then explained it, saying: “From a drop of fluid He created him and proportioned him”—through stages: a drop of fluid, then a clot, until the completion of his creation. Al-Kalbi said: He proportioned his form—his head, eyes, hands, and feet.

“Then He made the way easy for him”: that is, the way by which he emerges from his mother’s womb. Al-Suddi, Muqatil, al-Hasan, and Mujahid said: it means the path of truth and falsehood; He made knowledge of it easy for him, as He says: “Indeed, We guided him to the way” (al-Insan 76:3), and “We showed him the two ways” (al-Balad 90:10). It was also said: He made easy for every person that for which He created him and what He decreed for him.

“Then He caused him to die and provided a grave for him”: He gave him a grave in which he may be concealed. Al-Farra’ said: He made him one who is buried, rather than one cast aside like wild beasts and birds. One says, “I buried the dead person,” when one inters him; and Allah’s providing him with a grave means that He made him such that he would be buried, and endowed him with a grave,