Dear brother, this is the first lesson of interpreting Surat Al Insan:

((Has there not been over man a period of time, when he was nothing to be mentioned? ))

[Al-Insan, 1]

The meanings of this Ayah:

“Hal” (Has there not been) in Arabic is an interrogative particle which is used either in affirmative or negative form:

(( Has there not been over man a period of time, when he was nothing to be mentioned? ))

This means: indeed there is a period of time when man was nothing to be mentioned (it is affirmative interrogation “Kad”: Indeed). On the other hand it might mean negation, like the examples in the following sentences:
Have I denied your right? No you haven’t. Have I neglected my duty? No you haven’t.
Hence, “Hal” might be used in affirmative form (“Kad”: Indeed), or in a negative form (“La”: No).
Interpretation scholars said: When “Hal” is used in an affirmative interrogation (“Kad”: Indeed), it means that every person (for example) of the respectful people here has an exact number of years to live.
If you go back ten years before your birth, did you exist? Were you something to be mentioned? Did anyone know you back then? Did anyone think of you? Your existence is an event unto itself, for you weren’t created prior to your birth nor did you have any existence, anything to be remembered with, a name or any notions back then, therefore, no one knew, remembered or was aware of you before your birth due to the fact that you didn’t exist.
Creating any creature is an event unto itself, thus is The One who created you, while you were nothing before your birth, not capable of recreating you again?

(( Has there not been over man a period of time, when he was nothing to be mentioned? ))

Indeed there is a period of time when man was nothing to be mentioned.

The graces of Allah bestowed upon man:

1- The grace of existence:

Consider the example of any book that is published in a year prior to your birth, where were you at that time? Allah the Almighty bestowed you with the grace of existence the mother of all graces.

(( when he was nothing to be mentioned? ))

Why did Allah create you? He Created you in order to bestow happiness and mercy upon you and for a paradise as wide as heavens and earth.

(( But they will not cease to disagree,- Except him on whom your Lord has bestowed His Mercy (the follower of truth - Islamic Monotheism) and for that did He create them. And the Word of your Lord has been fulfilled (i.e. His Saying): "Surely, I shall fill Hell with jinns and men all together."))

[Hud, 118-119]

This Ayah is a self-evidenced one, as all mankind are created to be bestowed with mercy by Allah the Almighty in this worldly life and in the hereafter, thus mankind’s adversities are not but a result of their deviation from the right path of Allah.

Man is the foremost creature:

Man is a distinguished creature and the foremost amongst creations, the following Ayah has the proof of that fact:

(( Truly, We did offer Al-Amanah (the trust or moral responsibility or honesty and all the duties which Allah has ordained) to the heavens and the earth, and the mountains, but they declined to bear it and were afraid of it (i.e. afraid of Allah's Torment). But man bore it. Verily, he was unjust (to himself) and ignorant (of its results). ))

[Al-Ahzab, 72]

You top the list of creations, as a human being, because you bore the trust, while the heavens and earth declined to bear it, and thus when you said: “I am up to it” and you bore the trust, Allah subjected all that is in the heavens and earth to you.

(( And has subjected to you all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth; it is all as a favour and kindness from Him. Verily, in it are signs for a people who think deeply.))

[Al-Jathiyah, 13]

Whom do you think is more honored, the heavens and earth (the subjected) or mankind (the one to whom heavens and earth are subjected)? The former is less honored than the latter, and because you (as a human being) bore the trust, Allah subjected the entire universe to you.

What is the trust bore by mankind:

What is the trust? It is the self within you, Allah says:

((Indeed he succeeds who purifies his ownself (i.e. obeys and performs all that Allah ordered, by following the true Faith of Islamic Monotheism and by doing righteous good deeds). And indeed he fails who corrupts his ownself (i.e. disobeys what Allah has ordered by rejecting the true Faith of Islamic Monotheism or by following polytheism, etc. or by doing every kind of evil wicked deeds). ))

[Ash-Shams, 9-10]

The trust is manifested in your existence in life and in purifying your soul in order to deserve Allah’s paradise.
The gist of creating mankind is to deserve paradise the abode of bliss, of destiny, of eternity, of honoring, of dignity and the abode where they will have all that they desire, where the fruits in bunches will be low and near at hand, under which rivers flow, where there are Houris (fair females) with wide, lovely eyes (as wives for the pious), and where there will be no hard work, no bending, no cold, no heat, no sickness, no oppression, no poverty and no fear.

((Allah said: I have prepared for My pious servants which no eye (has ever) seen, no ear has (ever) heard and no human heart has ever perceived, reauthor if you want: No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy as a reward for what they used to do.))

[Al-Bukhari, by Abu Hurairah]

The price for paradise:

This is the forever lasting paradise, and the price for it, is to exist for an exact number of years in this worldly life through which you should obey Allah (the Obedient is limited to the life time of every person whereas the reward in return is endless), and the outcome of obeying Allah in your limited life time is to deserve an eternal paradise. Allah didn’t forbid you from enjoying any desire installed in you, yet He ordered you, when you bore the trust, to enjoy these desires according to the Divine path.

((And has subjected to you all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth;))

Accepting to bear the trust means to purify your soul in order to deserve the paradise, how?

The constituents of the Divine assignment to mankind:

1- The universe:

First of all, you should be accquanted with Allah, as the entire universe is a menifestation of Allah’s beautiful names and a reflection of the Greatness of The Almighty Allah, Allay says:

((Say: "Behold all that is in the heavens and the earth," but neither Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) nor warners benefit those who believe not. ))

[Yunus, 85]

What leads you to the universe:

A-The creations of Allah:

The creation of Allah lead you to Him and indicate that this universe has only one Great, Existed, Oneness, Perfect Creator (these adjectives summarize the beautiful names of Allah), hence, the universe is an element that reflects the existance of Allah.

And there is a sign in everything
indicates He is the oneness




***

B- Things around you:

The food you eat, the water you drink, your self within, your body, the rivers around you, the rain, the mountains, the plains, the valleys, the seas, the lakes, the different kinds of plants, the different kinds of birds, the different kinds of fishes, the different kinds of planets, the galaxies, the night, the day, the sun and the moon, all of which indicate the existence, the oneness and the perfection of Allah.

2- Reasoning:

When man bore the trust, Allah subjected to him all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth, and made them signs of His Existence, Oneness and perfection.
What is the worth of heavens and earth without being perceived? Allah installed in mankind the power of perceiving things and that is “reasoning”. Mankind are honored by having a brain with which they achieved every civilized accomplishment that amazes you and takes your breath, however he who deviates from the right path of Allah the Almighty, uses his reasoning for purposes other than those he was created to fulfill, as he uses it for his worldly life only while reasoning was created to be his means to get acquainted with Allah in the first place.

The principles of reasoning:

The principles of reasoning are in harmony with the principles of the universe, and they are:

A- The principle of causality:

The brain will never comprehend anything without a reason to it.

B-The principle of destiny:

The brain will never comprehend a thing without a purpose to which it leads.

C- The principle of harmony:

The brain will never accept contradiction.
These are the three principles of reasoning which are the corner stones of the structure of the universe.
Hence, if you use your reasoning to comprehend this universe, Allah will gently guide you to His Existence.
There is a reason behind everything. Who is behind the existence of the universe? It is Allah the Almighty.
There is also a purpose of everything. Why are we created? Allah subjected the universe to you and bestowed you with reasoning.

3- Human nature (Al-Fitrah):

Allah also gave mankind the Fitrah (human nature), which is programmed to guide mankind to goodness, to obey Allah, to be soothed by being close to Him, to seek protection from Him and to resort to Him, and every soul deviates from that Fitrah will live in torture which is manifested in depression, qualm of conscience, feeling of inferiority and guilt, and Fitrah is one of the means to fulfill the divine assignment. Hence, Allah has given you (as a human being) the universe, the reasoning and the Fitrah.

4- Desires:

Allah also installed desires within you, and they are not but motives to guide you to Allah, and without which you will never exalt in the sight of the Lord of heavens and earth.
There are lusts, desires and instincts within the human being, some of which are allowed and some are not, and man must control them according to the path of Allah.

(( And who is more astray than one who follows his own lusts, without guidance from Allah? ))

[Al-Qasas, 50]

The adverse meaning is: he who follows the path of Allah is safe.
Allah installed desires within you in order to make them your means to exalt, and you do that either by being patient, or by being gratitude to Allah the Almighty.
Desires are the trial for mankind and without which there would be no paradise, no closeness to Allah and no different ranks in the sight of Allah. The more desires one has, the more exalted he will be in the sight of Allah (in case of controlling them).
Hence, Allah gave you the universe, the reasoning, the Fitrah and the desires.

5- The free will:

Above all, Allah has given you the free will in order to make your deeds worthwhile, for if Allah forces mankind to obey him, the reward will be meaningless, if Allah forces mankind to sin, the punishment will be invalid and if Allah left mankind neglected, that will indicate lacking in omnipotence. Therefore, Allah ordered mankind to obey him after giving them the freedom of choice, Allah forbids mankind from sinning after he warns them, Allah assigned mankind with what they are capable of and not with that is beyond their abilities and Allah rewards abundantly for the little deeds man offers. Hence, you have the free will, you are bestowed with reasoning, you have a sensitive Firtrah and you are installed with desires, Allah says:

(( Beautified for men is the love of things they covet; women, children, much of gold and silver (wealth), branded beautiful horses, cattle and well-tilled land. This is the pleasure of the present world's life; but Allah has the excellent return (Paradise with flowing rivers, etc.) with Him. ))

[Aal-‘Imran, 14]

6- Al Share’e (Islamic law):

Allah has also given you a scientific frame of reference (reasoning) and a spiritual frame of reference (Fitrah) and an accurate axial frame of reference (Share’a [Islamic law]), so nothing is good unless it is good according to Share’, and nothing is bad unless it is bad according to Share’a, and thus you should use the Share’a as a frame of reference to your reasoning and to your sensations, and in case they accord with Share’a, then they are right otherwise take the side of Share’a and stay away from your reasoning, for the latter might mislead you. Verify reasoning functions exactly like the eye which can’t see without light and in the same way the reasoning is meaningless without revelation to guide it.

7- Power:

Allah has given you the power to fulfill your choices and has given you the leverage to move, to pray, to attend a religious meeting, to talk and to act.
Again, Allah has given you power, desires, reasoning, Firtrah, universe and Share’a, and these are the elements of the divine assignment to mankind.
Hence:

(( Has there not been over man a period of time, when he was nothing to be mentioned? ))

Indeed there is a period of time when man was nothing to be mentioned.

The most important matter in man’s life:

Dear brother, the life is not but a journey with a start and an end, and the definition of man in worldly life is that he is not but few days, and every passing day takes a little of him.
Each one of us has limited life years to live and no one of us can imagine how fast sixty, fifty, forty, thirty or twenty years of his life passed and how many years are left for him to live till he is face to face with the most serious event, which is death, your ticket out of life.

(( Who has created death and life, that He may test you which of you is best in deed. And He is the All-Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving; ))

[Al-Mulk, 2]

Allah mentioned death first in the Ayah because you have thousands of choices as long as you are alive, but after death you have only two ways so either it is the way to paradise or the way to hellfire.

((By Him in Whose Hand is the life of Muhammad, no place will exist except Paradise and Hell after this world))

It is a very difficult choice, for in life you have all the time, there are thousands of jobs, there are rich people and poor ones with huge differences between the two, there are knowledgeable people and ignorant ones with huge differences between the two, there are powerful people and weak ones with huge differences between the two and the options are open for everyone, but after death there are only two ways, so it will be either to eternal paradise with ongoing bliss, or to eternal Hell with ongoing torment. After death there will be only two ways, two destinies and two results, either paradise or hell.

(( On the Day (i.e. the Day of Resurrection) when some faces will become white and some faces will become black; as for those whose faces will become black (to them will be said): "Did you reject Faith after accepting it? Then taste the torment (in Hell) for rejecting Faith." And for those whose faces will become white, they will be in Allah's Mercy (Paradise), therein they shall dwell forever. ))

[Aal-‘Imran, 106-107]

The graces of paradise:

1- In paradise there is what no eye has ever seen and no soul has ever longed to:

The Almighty says:

(( 'Adn (Eden) Paradise (Gardens of Eternity) which they will enter, under which rivers flow, they will have therein all that they wish. Thus Allah rewards the Muttaqun (pious - see V.2:2).))

[An-Nahl, 31]

2- Looking at the Holy Face of Allah:

The Almighty says:

(( Some faces that Day shall be Nadirah (shining and radiant). Looking at their Lord (Allah); ))

[Al-Qiyamah, 22-23]

3- Allah’s pleasure and love:

And above this and that:

(( Allah has promised to the believers -men and women, - Gardens under which rivers flow to dwell therein forever, and beautiful mansions in Gardens of 'Adn (Eden Paradise). But the greatest bliss is the Good Pleasure of Allah. That is the supreme success. ))

[At-Taubah, 72]

The paradise in its material form has an actual place, beauty, plants, Houris and immortal butler boys, but there is a more exalted paradise lies in looking at the honorable face of Allah, and yet there is the most exalted paradise lies in feeling Allah’s love and pleasure towards you, and reaching Allah’s pleasure, content and closeness makes, with no exception, the ultimate worthwhile purpose man can ever reach

The torment of Hellfire:

1- How fierce hellfire’s torment is:

The hellfire, God Forbids, is full of all kinds of torments.

(( Surely! Those who disbelieved in Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) We shall burn them in Fire. As often as their skins are roasted through, We shall change them for other skins that they may taste the punishment. Truly, Allah is Ever Most Powerful, All-Wise. ))

[An-Nisa’, 56]

2- Eternity in hellfire:

((And they will cry: "O Malik (Keeper of Hell)! Let your Lord make an end of us." He will say: "Verily you shall abide forever." ))

[Az-Zukhruf, 77]

3- Wishing to die:

(( But as for him who will be given his Record in his left hand, will say: "I wish that I had not been given my Record! "And that I had never known, how my Account is? "I wish, would that it had been my end (death)! "My wealth has not availed me, "My power and arguments (to defend myself) have gone from me!" (It will be said): "Seize him and fetter him, Then throw him in the blazing Fire."Then fasten him with a chain whereof the length is seventy cubits!" Verily, He used not to believe in Allah, the Most Great))

[Al-Haqqa, 25-33]

The meanings of “when he was nothing to be mentioned”:

1- There was a time when man never exists:

Dear brother:

((Has there not been over man a period of time, when he was nothing to be mentioned? ))

Each one of us has a date of birth before which he was nothing to be mentioned, no one knew him, no one remembered him and he had no existence, nor had he anything to be remembered with, name or identity, and consider the example of an employee who has no name in the salary list, or the example of a person who has no references in the department of home affairs and he has no Identification Card, so as the time when you have no existence, and this is one meaning of this Ayah.

2- Man forgets about his creator who created him out of nothing:

There is another meaning:

(( Has there not been over man a period of time))

This Ayah might mean that when you were an infant breastfed and diapered by your mother, you were nothing back then, knew nothing, unable to cogitate, naïve and acted upon your Fitrah, but after you became an important person with a high scientific degree, wealthy and powerful, you forgot the time when you were noting to be mentioned.
The great geniuses of the world were infants at one time, and back then no one payed any attention to them, and at that time they needed to be breastfed and diapered by their mother, they needed to be looked after and sustained by their father, they needed to be cured by doctors when they were sick and they needed special care from their parents, but when they grew up and turned out to be important, wealthy and transcendent, they forget their childhood and where they come from, and they look down on people.
Man forgets his childhood and where he comes from in order to build his triumph on the wreck of other people, to build his wealth on their poverty and to build his life on their death without considering The Creator Who Created and Made him an embryo in his mother’s womb and Who Helped him coming out of it to the world.

(( Then He makes the Path easy for him; ))

[Abasa, 20]

The suckling reflex in mankind:

He forgot about his Lord who gave him the grace of breastfeeding and the grace of suckling reflex without which no one would ever exist on the surface of the earth.
Without any instructions, education, courses or books, the infant’s lips find their way to the mother’s breasts; he/she closes them tightly to the nipples and sucks air in a very complicated process in order to suckle breast milk.
Had it not been for the suckling reflex, the father will never be able to teach his new born how to suckle milk, and let us raise this question hypothetically: how is he going to do that? Will that teaching be in Arabic language? Will he give him a course in which he will show him how to put his lips on the breast and suckle milk and tell him how important to do that in order to stay alive? Had it not been for the reflex of suckling which is installed in each one of us, no soul on earth will be seen alive.
After man grows up and turns out to be an important wealthy man whose position is very powerful and whose scientific degree is very high, he forgets Allah, forgets that he was once a sperm, forgets that he was a breastfed infant and forgets the countless times he wetted his bed in the morning, furthermore he treasures his cloths, his vehicle, his position, his wealth, his trading office, his close friends, his clan and his followers (instead of his Creator):

((Has there not been over man a period of time, when he was nothing to be mentioned? ))

Imam Al Shafee said: The more you learn, the more you become aware of your ignorance.

Allah’s signs in the human being:

One of the notable caliphs addressed the clouds, saying: “Rain wherever you want; your kharaj (land tax) will come to me!”
This same Caliph was asked by his minister: "Your majesty, how much would you pay for this glass of water, if you were unable to take it?" The Caliph replied, "I would pay half of my fortune", the minister said, "How much would you pay to get rid of it if it was kept in your body?" The Caliph replied, 'Then I would pay the rest of my fortune."
He is no more than a man who is in need of a glass of water.
Every system in your body is a sign of Allah’s signs.

The indispensable nature of hormones in the human body:

If any of the body’s systems stops working, and, for example, if any disorder occurs to only one of the twelve hormones in the thyroid gland, your life will become a living hell.
The followings are some of those hormones:

1- The hormone of growth:

Had it not been for this hormone, people will become midgets.

2- hormones of sexuality:

Had it not been for this hormone, there will be no genders amongst mankind. The pituitary Gland is the queen of all glands.

3- The hormone which is responsible for maintaining fluid balance (Endocrine):

Had it not been for this hormone, you will spend your entire time drinking water and getting the waste out, doing nothing else. This microscopic hormone’s function is to take over this mission, and it is responsible for this process, otherwise, one will keep drinking as much as five barrels of water and will keep getting the waste out of his body.
The pituitary gland secretes twelve hormones, it weights half gram and it is the queen of all glands in the body.

4- The hormone which is responsible for metabolism:

Amongst these hormones is the one responsible for metabolism, as it orders the thyroid gland (this is a very important gland) to convert food into energy in a process called “Metabolism”, any lack in this hormone will turn people into lazy ones who start to gain weight and to have lesser activity, and on the other hand, in case of additional amounts of this hormone, one will be unable to sleep due to the unlimited energy one has.
Because of this mutual balance between the two hormones, as the one of the thyroid gland controls the pituitary Gland while the hormone of the latter controls the thyroid gland, man can enjoy refreshing life in which he normally sleeps, moves, eats, gains weight or loses weight.
It is shameful for someone to forget (after all these graces) that he was once a sperm which comes out of a private part and gets into another private part, and it is shameful to forget that he was once a little creature who can’t control his urinating, can’t talk, can’t speak and can’t walk, he gradually becomes a whole person.

Has there not been over man a period of time, when he was nothing to be mentioned?
This kind of person is of no value.
Most notable powerful people are respected wherever they go, and rituals are practiced in welcoming them, like being welcomed by a formal military display of honor, by the firing of a cannon or by national anthems sang to them.
Those same notable people were children once, and now (after they grew up) they are bestowed by Allah with this high position, knowledge, eloquence, wealth, wife, kids, trading expertise, specialty or intelligence, and thus such a person should never forget where he comes from, Allah says:

(( Has there not been over man a period of time, when he was nothing to be mentioned? ))

Allah then says:

(( Verily, We have created man from Nutfah drops of mixed semen (discharge of man and woman), in order to try him, so We made him hearer, seer.))

[Al-Insan, 2]

The genes and their functions:

What is the sperm? It is an animalcule.
A healthy adult male can release 500 million sperm cells in one intercourse, but it requires only one sperm to fertilize the egg. This sperm has a cell membrane, cytoplasm and a nucleus with chromosomes within.
Genetic engineering nowadays tops all other sciences, how many genes does one have? Actually I don’t know, for some say that they are 5000 million protein coding genes in the nucleus of the sperm, sh3er say one million and some say 100 thousand, but until now the discovered ones are 800 genes.
Any physical trait (in a human being) is governed by a special gene, therefore, there is a gene that controls the cholesterol, another controls metabolism, a third is responsible for the skin color and a fifth is responsible for the hair color which means that every human being is delicately programmed.
When the chromosomes of the egg meet with the chromosomes of the sperm and are mixed, the formed fetus will have the best genes of the two and this is a blessed grace from Allah.
Meaning, if the sperm has a weakness in the gene which is responsible for metabolism and the one of the egg is stronger, the latter dominates, therefore the fetus will take only one gene from the two parents, while in cloning this never happens.

(( from Nutfah drops of mixed semen (discharge of man and woman)))

In cloning there is only one set of chromosomes, hence any defect will repeat itself.

Cloning:

They claim to be able to create through cloning, they went through hundreds of trials and got hundreds of abnormal creatures, till they were able to clone a sheep (dolly) and was finally in an accepted shape, yet the following Ayah:

(( from Nutfah drops of mixed semen (discharge of man and woman)))

abolishes all their claims of cloning, because there must be a male and a female in mating:

(( Verily, We have created man from Nutfah drops of mixed semen (discharge of man and woman), in order to try him, so We made him hearer, seer.))

“So we made him hearer, seer in order to try him”, therefore, Allah gave you the grace of hearing in order to be able to listen to the truth.

(( And they will say: "Had we but listened or used our intelligence, we would not have been among the dwellers of the blazing Fire!"))

[Al-Mulk, 10]

Allah bestowed you with eyes in order to look at Allah’s signs.
Allah bestowed you with the ear in order to listen to Allah’s words.
Allah bestowed you with hearing and sight in order to try you, and Allah mentioned both graces followed by the grace of heart in the following Ayah, and when the heart is combined with hearing and sight, that indicates reasoning, Allah said:

((And follow not (O man i.e., say not, or do not or witness not, etc.) that of which you have no knowledge (e.g. one's saying: "I have seen," while in fact he has not seen, or "I have heard," while he has not heard). Verily! The hearing, and the sight, and the heart, of each of those you will be questioned (by Allah).))

[Al-Isra’, 36]

Allah The Almighty will call mankind to account:

He who uses his senses to disobey Allah and commit sins instead of using them in obeying Allah and drawing close to Him, he who counts the faults of Muslims instead of counting the graces of Allah and he who listens to bad songs instead of listening to Allah’s Ayahs, will be called to account in front of Allah.

((Verily, We have created man from Nutfah drops of mixed semen (discharge of man and woman), in order to try him, so We made him hearer, seer.))

Allah will call you to account by reason of making you a creature that can see.

(("Were not My Verses (this Qur'an) reauthord to you, and then you used to deny them?" They will say: "Our Lord! Our wretchedness overcame us, and we were (an) erring people.))

[Al-Mu’minun, 105-106]

Yet Allah made you able to listen to the truth.

((And indeed now We have conveyed the Word (this Qur'an in which is the news of everything to them), in order that they may remember (or receive admonition). ))

[Al-Qasas, 51]

Allah the Almighty said:

((Truly! Ours it is (to give) guidance,))

[Al-Lail, 12]

“Ala” (Truly! ours) means self-divine commitment when it comes with the word (Allah), namely, Allah made a commitment to His divine entity to give guidance, hence guidance is exclusively done by Allah alone.

((Had Allah known of any good in them, He would indeed have made them listen, and even if He had made them listen, they would but have turned away, averse (to the truth).))

[Al-Anfal, 23]

An atom like weight of goodness will be enough within a person to make him entitled to listen to the truth from Allah.

((And upon Allah is the responsibility to explain the Straight Path (i.e. Islamic Monotheism for mankind i.e. to show them legal and illegal, good and evil things, etc. so, whosoever accepts the guidance, it will be for his own benefit and whosoever goes astray, it will be for his own destruction), but there are ways that turn aside (such as Paganism, Judaism, Christianity, etc.). And had He willed, He would have guided you all (mankind).))

[Al-Nahl, 9]

Upon Allah is the responsibility to explain the straight path which leads to Him.

((And upon Allah is the responsibility to explain the Straight Path ))

Scholars said: Upon Allah is the responsibility to explain the straight path which leads to Allah.

((As for those who strive hard in Us (Our Cause), We will surely guide them to Our Paths (i.e. Allah's Religion - Islamic Monotheism). And verily, Allah is with the Muhsinun (good doers)." ))

[Al-Ankabut, 69]

Man has the free will to seek the truth:

Man has the free will, and this freedom of choice means that if man decides to seek the truth, anything will lead him/her to it, for the footsteps leads to the walker.
He/she will be in no need for a computer, a microscope, an observatory, a book or translations, for the footsteps lead to the walker, the water leads to the stream and the dung leads to a camel, so do not heavens with constellations and earth with tracks lead to the Omniscient and the The All-Aware?

Seeking the truth:

Whosoever decides to seek the truth, anything will show him the path to Allah. The glass of water, his eyes, his hearing, his tongue, his body, his bones, his muscles, his food, the bread in front of him, the glass of milk, the hen, the cow, the fruits, the plants, the sun or the moon (all of which will lead him to Allah).
When you seek the truth, everything will lead you to it, and when you don’t, you will not know Allah or obey him even if you might have a degree in Medicine, even if you acquired the highest certificate in chemistry or physics, even if you were able to know some of the universe’s secrets which the majority of people don’t know, even if you were able to get to the depth of seas’ secrets which the majority of people don’t know and even if you were able to know of plants’ secrets which the majority of people don’t’ know, and that is because you didn’t seek the truth in the first place.
Consider the example of two cameras, one is plain and simple with no options but it has a film in it and thus it will take a photo, and the other is very advanced and professional yet without a film in it, and thus you will have nothing.
Being brilliant, highly educated and having the chance to know the secrets of the universe will not be enough if one doesn’t seek the truth, and in this case he will see nothing, whereas a person with a humble education, primary common sense and simple tools will find the truth when he seeks it, and I ask you to think about the example of the camera aforementioned. Hence:

(( (Allah says to His Prophet Muhammad): "Allah (Alone) created the heavens and the earth with truth (and none shared Him in their creation)." Verily! Therein is surely a sign for those who believe.))

[Al-Ankabut, 44]

If you seek faith:

((This is the Book (the Qur'an), whereof there is no doubt, a guidance to those who are Al-Muttaqun [the pious and righteous persons who fear Allah much (abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which He has forbidden) and love Allah much (perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained)].))

[Al-Baqarah, 2]

If you seek piety, this book (Quran) will guide you to it.

((Indeed in the Messenger of Allah (Muhammad ) you have a good example to follow for him who hopes in (the Meeting with) Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah much.))

[Al-Ahzab, 21]

The meaning of Al-Huda (Guidance):

The issue of Guidance is very delicate and in concise words I say: If you seek guidance, everything will lead you to it and it is a must to find it, moreover, it is much easier for Allah to perish the universe than not guiding you to the truth when you seek it.
There is only one truth and not many; therefore, whenever you seek the truth you will find it.

Conflicts amongst mankind:

The reason behind all sorts of conflicts and discriminations is seeking self interests and worldly life, and be aware that seeking worldly life disperses people, whereas seeking the truth brings them together, unites them, consolidates them, combines them into one, makes them support one another, makes them cooperate with one another and grants them victory over their enemies. On the other hand when they seek the worldly life, they will disperse in divided sects and parties.

((And obey Allah and His Messenger, and do not dispute (with one another) lest you lose courage and your strength depart, and be patient. Surely, Allah is with those who are As-Sabirin (the patient ones, etc.).))

[Al-Anfal, 46]

The truth unites people unlike falsehood which disperses them.
The falsehood is not but tangible interests which can’t in any way be apportioned equally between people, and thus each person is claiming all of them to himself which brings conflicts, whereas the truth is not but values and principles which are apportioned equally between people.
When people meet and talk about worldly matters, one of them might be very wealthy talking about his trips and expenses. while there might be a person among them who is poor, and listening to all that will make him hold a grudge, but if you talk about the Almighty Allah in this meeting, you will bring all the hearts together, hence, the truth brings people together unlike worldly life which disperses people.
Allah says:

(( Verily, We have created man from Nutfah drops of mixed semen (discharge of man and woman), in order to try him, so We made him hearer, seer.))

The path of the Hidayah (guidance):

Now:

((Verily, We showed him the way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful.))

[Al-Insan, 3]

It means that we show him the first step in this way.

((Verily, We showed him the way))

Allah grants guidance:

(( Truly! Ours it is (to give) guidance, ))

[Al-Lail, 12]

Allah committed His Divine Entity to show us the way.

((whether he be grateful or ungrateful.))

Man has the free will, and be aware that Allah commanded his slaves after giving them the free will, He deters them after warning them, He rewards abundantly for a little, He doesn’t force people to sin and He doesn’t make them obey. If Allah were to force people to obey him, reward would be meaningless, if Allah were to force people to sin, punishment would be invalid, and If Allah were to neglect people that would indicate lack of omnipotence, and thus man has the free will.
A man who drank wine was brought to our Master Umar Ibn Al Khattab, so Umar ordered him to be whipped (for wine abuse), the man said: Allah decreed that I do that, so Umar ordered that he should be whipped twice, once for drinking wine and the other for falsely accusing Allah for his sin, and he said: “woe unto you man, Allah’s decree will never take away your free will”.
Fatalism is a corrupted Aqidah and it is groundless.

(( Verily, We showed him the way))

Him,

((whether he be grateful or ungrateful.))

(( For every nation there is a direction to which they face (in their prayers). So hasten towards all that is good. Wheresoever you may be, Allah will bring you together (on the Day of Resurrection). Truly, Allah is Able to do all things. ))

[Al-Baqarah, 148]

((Those who took partners (in worship) with Allah will say: "If Allah had willed, we would not have taken partners (in worship) with Him, nor would our fathers, and we would not have forbidden anything (against His Will)." Likewise belied those who were before them, (they argued falsely with Allah's Messengers), till they tasted of Our Wrath. Say: "Have you any knowledge (proof) that you can produce before us? Verily, you follow nothing but guess and you do nothing but lie." ))

[Al-An’am, 148]

The entirely clear Ayahs and those which are not:

Interpretation’s scholars said: this Ayah establishes the fact that man is granted the free will:

((Those who took partners (in worship) with Allah will say: "If Allah had willed, we would not have taken partners (in worship) with Him, nor would our fathers, and we would not have forbidden anything (against His Will)." Likewise belied those who were before them, (they argued falsely with Allah's Messengers), till they tasted of Our Wrath. Say: "Have you any knowledge (proof) that you can produce before us? Verily, you follow nothing but guess and you do nothing but lie." ))

[Al-An’am, 148]

Scholars of the Islamic science of principles said: This is a Muhkam Ayah (Very clear one), and no matter how many the Mutashabeh Ayahs (unclear ones) are, and no matter what you say, their interpretation should be referred to the Muhkam ones, but how?
Consider the example of wheat which is a very “dangerous” food to mankind, what does “dangerous” here mean? Does it mean a bomb? After a while you might say: Wheat is an important food to mankind, hence, “dangerous” here is a Mutashabeh word (bewildering word) because it might take two meanings but here it meant “important and very essential food”. The same goes for Quran Ayahs, so if we misinterpret an Ayah in which we thought that Allah forces us to be misguided we should refer its interpretation to a Muhkam Ayah like the following:

(( Those who took partners (in worship) with Allah will say: "If Allah had willed, we would not have taken partners (in worship) with Him, nor would our fathers, and we would not have forbidden anything (against His Will)." ))

This is a Muhkam ayah and it interprets all other Mutashabeh Ayahs, and if (in any place in Quran) “Idlal” (misguiding) refers to the party of Allah the Almighty, in this case it indicates the penal misguiding which starts from a misguidance (by choice) from the man’s part in the first place, and this concept is supported by the following Ayah:

(( So when they turned away (from the Path of Allah), Allah turned their hearts away (from the Right Path). And Allah guides not the people who are Fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient to Allah).))

[As-Saff, 5]

(( Verily, We showed him the way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful.))

Important note:

“Shakir” (grateful) in Arabic is a deverbative, whereas “Kafoor” (ungrateful) is an intensive deverbative (Kafir is the deverbative and Kafoor is the intensive deverbative), and in case Allah said “whether he be grateful (Shakir) or ungrateful (Kafer: the deverbative without intensiveness) then there will be no problem, but why did Allah mention the first one as a deverbative and the second one as an intensive deverbative?
In answering that question some scholars said: man can’t be grateful enough to his Lord no matter what he does, because in no way can Allah’s bestowing be thanked exhaustively.
Hence, man in his best act of being grateful is described as “Shakir”.
The noble prophet PBUH came to this life to give and never take, he lived sixty three years all of which are spent in calling to Allah, in striving and in facing difficulties, yet even him is “Shakir”.
“Kafoor” is used in an intensive deverbative because a slightest ungratefulness towards Allah’s graces is an act of Kufr.
To elaborate the concept, consider the example of the mother, as the mere saying of “UFF” (a word of disrespect) to her is enough to make any child an undutiful one, because she is entirely devoted to him and to meet his needs, and thus one shouldn’t say a single word of disrespect to her (like UFF).

The grateful and the ungrateful:

No matter how much grateful man is, he can’t thank Allah enough for His graces, and as for the ungrateful part, it means when one abandons Fard Al Salah (obligatory prayer).
No one on earth is able to thank Allah enough for His favors, and this is why he was addressed as “Shakiran” (grateful).
According to some narrations, the Prophet sent 3000 of his men to Mu’ta. He named Zayd ibn Haritha as the leader with the instruction that if he was killed, Ja`far ibn abi Talib (the Prophet's cousin) will take over, and if he too was killed, Ibn Rawaha was to assume command. After him they could choose anyone.
So First Zayd and then Jafar became martyred. Seeing his turn had come, Abdullah lingered just for thirty seconds then he reauthord his poem:

O self, even if you aren’t killed, you’ll still die one day.
And this is the fire of death coming your way!
What you’ve asked for, you have received,
Do as those two did, and you will surely succeed!”
***

Then he took the flag and fought till he died.
The prophet PBUH received a revelation in regard of this event while he was in Madeenah (before the news of their death reached) and he said PBUH:

“Zaid Ibn-Haritha took the flag, I see him now fighting for the cause of Allah…he is martyred…I can see him now in Paradise! Then Ja’far Ibn-Abi Talib took the flag. I see him fighting for the cause of Allah. They cut his right hand so he carried the flag in his left hand… they cut his left hand… he is holding the flag with what remained from his arms. They killed him! I see him now in Paradise…flying with two ruby wings; then Abdullah Ibn-Ruwaha carried the flag, but lingered for a moment.”

The Ansar wept bitterly but the prophet PBUH continued:

“Then he charged in and fought and was martyred…I see him now in Paradise.” “I see Zaid Ibn-Haritha on a golden bed in Paradise, and I see Ja’far Ibn-Abi Talib next to him on a golden bed, and I see Abdullah Ibn-Ruwaha on a golden bed, but the bed of Ibn-Ruwaha is slightly below the level of the beds of his two friends.” The companions asked, “Why, O messenger of Allah?” He answered, “He lingered for a moment!”
No matter how much you give, it is nothing comparing to Allah’s favor upon you, but on the other hand, a slightest sin from your part indicates a sever Kufr (atheism).
This is why our master Umar Ibn Al Khattab was keen on knowing if his name was among the hypocrites, and that is why he asked Hudhaifah Ibn Al Yaman (the keeper of the prophet’s secrets): “I ask you by Allah, is my name among the hypocrites?”
Can you imagine how fearful the giant of Islam (Umar) was to ask that question?
This is some of what scholars said about the meaning of
“whether he be grateful (deverbative) or ungrateful (intensive deverbative)”, and sh3er said that few are the ones (among people) who are grateful, and so many are the ones who are deviated.

(( And if you obey most of those on earth, they will mislead you far away from Allah's Path. They follow nothing but conjectures, and they do nothing but lie.))

[Al-An’am, 116]

(( But few of My slaves are grateful.))

[Saba’, 13]

Fulfilling covenants:

You see millions of Hujjaj (pilgrims) circumambulating the Kabah, standing before the black stone, turning to it and saying: In the Name of Allah, Most Great, O Allah! I do so with faith in You, believing in Your Book, honoring the Promise to You and following the Sunnah of Your Messenger Muhammad PBUH, but after each one goes back to his country, he/she goes back to the way he/she was before offering Hajj, Allah says:

(( And most of them We found not (true) to their covenant, but most of them We found indeed Fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient to Allah).))

[Al-A’raf, 102]

The majority of Muslims are not true to their covenant, for after promising Allah to repent, they go back to eating ill-gotten money or backbiting, but the real triumph lies in fulfilling your promise to Allah, Allah said about our Master Ibrahim:

((And of Ibrahim (Abraham) who fulfilled (or conveyed) all that (what Allah ordered him to do or convey), ))

[An-Najm, 37]

And Allah said about another prophet:

(( "And take in your hand a bundle of thin grass and strike therewith (your wife), and break not your oath. Truly! We found him patient. How excellent (a) slave! Verily, he was ever oft-returning in repentance (to Us)! ))

[Saad, 44]

Will you ask yourself: “who am I” since Allah is watching you? Does He see you true to your covenant? Does He see you patient? Are you ashamed of Allah? O slave, you fixed your appearance (for other people) for years, will you fix yourself (for Me) for one hour?
Every time you read this Ayah, you should ask yourself:

(( And most of them We found not (true) to their covenant))

[Al-A’raf, 102]

Do you remember your covenant with Allah? You gave your covenant to the Creator of this universe, so never be lingered by the blames of blamer, yet you should keep up with what you willed.

(( Verily, We showed him the way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful.))

Supplication:

In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious The Most Merciful, Praise be to Allah, The Lord (The One and Only) of the worlds. Blessings and peace be upon our master, Prophet Muhammad, the faithful and the honest. O Allah help us to remember you, thank you and worship you as we should be, and bestow upon us a longing to meet you and the bliss of seeing Your Honorable Face.
Show us the truth and help us follow it, and show us the untruth and help us avoid it. Let us be among those who listen and follow the best of what is said. Admit us by Your Mercy among Your righteous slaves.
O Allah make our meeting today a merciful and blessed one, and make our disperse after it an infallible one, don’t let any one of us be miserable or deprived (from your mercy), and may You bless and grant peace to Muhammad PBUH, to his folks and to his companions.