Maktab QuranSurah Al-Insan was the other half of the Prophet's ﷺ Friday dawn: he would recite As-Sajdah and this surah in the Fajr prayer of Jumu'ah (Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim). Its 31 ayahs contain the Quran's most sustained close-up of Paradise — the cup mixed with kafur, the springs, the silver vessels and crystal-clear glasses, ginger-touched drink, garments of green silk — earned by people described with piercing simplicity: they feed the poor, the orphan and the captive, saying: we feed you only for the Face of Allah; we wish from you neither reward nor thanks.
Surah Al-Insan is the 76th chapter of the Qur'an, a Medinan surah of 31 verses. It opens by asking whether there came upon man a period when he was not a thing even mentioned, describes the righteous who feed others despite loving the food themselves, and gives an extended description of what they are rewarded with.
Surah Al-Insan at a glance
| Surah number | 76 of 114 |
|---|---|
| Arabic name | سُورَةُ الإِنسَانِ |
| Name in English | Al-Insan — “Man” |
| Verses (ayahs) | 31 |
| Revealed in | Madinah |
| Juz | 29 |
| Length in the Mushaf | about 3 pages |
Man before he was anything
The surah opens with a question: has there not come upon man a period of time when he was not a thing even mentioned? It states that man was created from a sperm-drop mixture as a trial, made hearing and seeing, and guided to the way — grateful or ungrateful.
Feeding others while loving the food
The righteous are described by what they do: they fulfil their vows, fear a Day whose evil is widespread, and give food in spite of love for it to the needy, the orphan and the captive — saying they feed only for the countenance of Allah, wanting neither reward nor gratitude.
What they are given
Much of the surah is the reward: protection from the evil of that Day, radiance and happiness, a garden and silk, reclining on adorned couches with neither burning sun nor freezing cold, shades near above them and fruit lowered in compliance, vessels of silver and clear glasses, and drink mixed with ginger from a fountain named Salsabeel.
Read Surah Al-Insan in full
The Arabic below is the Uthmani script, with a Roman transliteration to help you sound out each verse and the Sahih International English translation of the meaning. If you are learning to recite it, read the Arabic line first and use the transliteration only to check yourself — leaning on it slows real reading down.
Listen to Surah Al-Insan (Mishary Al-Afasy)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ هَلْ أَتَىٰ عَلَى ٱلْإِنسَٰنِ حِينٌۭ مِّنَ ٱلدَّهْرِ لَمْ يَكُن شَيْـًۭٔا مَّذْكُورًا
Hal ataa 'alal insaani heenum minad dahri lam yakun shai'am mazkooraa
Has there [not] come upon man a period of time when he was not a thing [even] mentioned?
إِنَّا خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ أَمْشَاجٍۢ نَّبْتَلِيهِ فَجَعَلْنَٰهُ سَمِيعًۢا بَصِيرًا
Innaa khalaqnal insaana min nutfatin amshaajin nabta leehi faja'alnaahu samee'am baseeraa
Indeed, We created man from a sperm-drop mixture that We may try him; and We made him hearing and seeing.
إِنَّا هَدَيْنَٰهُ ٱلسَّبِيلَ إِمَّا شَاكِرًۭا وَإِمَّا كَفُورًا
Innaa hadainaahus sabeela immaa shaakiranw wa immaa kafoora
Indeed, We guided him to the way, be he grateful or be he ungrateful.
إِنَّآ أَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَٰفِرِينَ سَلَٰسِلَا۟ وَأَغْلَٰلًۭا وَسَعِيرًا
Innaaa a'tadnaa lilkaa fireena salaasila wa aghlaalanw wa sa'eeraa
Indeed, We have prepared for the disbelievers chains and shackles and a blaze.
إِنَّ ٱلْأَبْرَارَ يَشْرَبُونَ مِن كَأْسٍۢ كَانَ مِزَاجُهَا كَافُورًا
innal abraara yashra boona min kaasin kaana mizaa juhaa kaafooraa
Indeed, the righteous will drink from a cup [of wine] whose mixture is of Kafur,
عَيْنًۭا يَشْرَبُ بِهَا عِبَادُ ٱللَّهِ يُفَجِّرُونَهَا تَفْجِيرًۭا
'Aynany yashrabu bihaa 'ibaadul laahi yafajjiroonahaa tafjeeraa
A spring of which the [righteous] servants of Allah will drink; they will make it gush forth in force [and abundance].
يُوفُونَ بِٱلنَّذْرِ وَيَخَافُونَ يَوْمًۭا كَانَ شَرُّهُۥ مُسْتَطِيرًۭا
Yoofoona binnazri wa yakhaafoona yawman kaana sharruhoo mustateeraa
They [are those who] fulfill [their] vows and fear a Day whose evil will be widespread.
وَيُطْعِمُونَ ٱلطَّعَامَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِۦ مِسْكِينًۭا وَيَتِيمًۭا وَأَسِيرًا
Wa yut''imoonat ta'aama 'alaa hubbihee miskeenanw wa yatemanw wa aseeraa
And they give food in spite of love for it to the needy, the orphan, and the captive,
إِنَّمَا نُطْعِمُكُمْ لِوَجْهِ ٱللَّهِ لَا نُرِيدُ مِنكُمْ جَزَآءًۭ وَلَا شُكُورًا
Innaamaa nut'imukum li wajhil laahi laa nureedu minkum jazaaa'anw wa laa shukooraa
[Saying], "We feed you only for the countenance of Allah. We wish not from you reward or gratitude.
إِنَّا نَخَافُ مِن رَّبِّنَا يَوْمًا عَبُوسًۭا قَمْطَرِيرًۭا
Innaa nakhaafu mir Rabbinna Yawman 'aboosan qamtareeraa
Indeed, We fear from our Lord a Day austere and distressful."
فَوَقَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ شَرَّ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمِ وَلَقَّىٰهُمْ نَضْرَةًۭ وَسُرُورًۭا
Fa waqaahumul laahu sharra zaalikal yawmi wa laqqaahum nadratanw wa surooraa
So Allah will protect them from the evil of that Day and give them radiance and happiness
وَجَزَىٰهُم بِمَا صَبَرُوا۟ جَنَّةًۭ وَحَرِيرًۭا
Wa jazaahum bimaa sabaroo janatanw wa hareeraa
And will reward them for what they patiently endured [with] a garden [in Paradise] and silk [garments].
مُّتَّكِـِٔينَ فِيهَا عَلَى ٱلْأَرَآئِكِ ۖ لَا يَرَوْنَ فِيهَا شَمْسًۭا وَلَا زَمْهَرِيرًۭا
muttaki'eena feeha 'alal araaa 'iki laa yarawna feehaa shamsanw wa laa zamhareeraa
[They will be] reclining therein on adorned couches. They will not see therein any [burning] sun or [freezing] cold.
وَدَانِيَةً عَلَيْهِمْ ظِلَٰلُهَا وَذُلِّلَتْ قُطُوفُهَا تَذْلِيلًۭا
Wa daaniyatan 'alaihim zilaaluhaa wa zullilat qutoofu haa tazleela
And near above them are its shades, and its [fruit] to be picked will be lowered in compliance.
وَيُطَافُ عَلَيْهِم بِـَٔانِيَةٍۢ مِّن فِضَّةٍۢ وَأَكْوَابٍۢ كَانَتْ قَوَارِيرَا۠
Wa yutaafu 'alaihim bi aaniyatim min fiddatinw wa akwaabin kaanat qawaareeraa
And there will be circulated among them vessels of silver and cups having been [created] clear [as glass],
قَوَارِيرَا۟ مِن فِضَّةٍۢ قَدَّرُوهَا تَقْدِيرًۭا
Qawaareera min fiddatin qaddaroohaa taqdeeraa
Clear glasses [made] from silver of which they have determined the measure.
وَيُسْقَوْنَ فِيهَا كَأْسًۭا كَانَ مِزَاجُهَا زَنجَبِيلًا
Wa yusawna feehaa kaasan kaana mizaajuhaa zanjabeelaa
And they will be given to drink a cup [of wine] whose mixture is of ginger
عَيْنًۭا فِيهَا تُسَمَّىٰ سَلْسَبِيلًۭا
'Aynan feeha tusammaa salsabeelaa
[From] a fountain within Paradise named Salsabeel.
۞ وَيَطُوفُ عَلَيْهِمْ وِلْدَٰنٌۭ مُّخَلَّدُونَ إِذَا رَأَيْتَهُمْ حَسِبْتَهُمْ لُؤْلُؤًۭا مَّنثُورًۭا
Wa yatoofu 'alaihim wildaanum mukhalladoona izaa ra aytahum hasibtahum lu'lu 'am mansoora
There will circulate among them young boys made eternal. When you see them, you would think them [as beautiful as] scattered pearls.
وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَ ثَمَّ رَأَيْتَ نَعِيمًۭا وَمُلْكًۭا كَبِيرًا
Wa izaa ra ayta summa ra ayta na'eemanw wa mulkan kabeera
And when you look there [in Paradise], you will see pleasure and great dominion.
عَٰلِيَهُمْ ثِيَابُ سُندُسٍ خُضْرٌۭ وَإِسْتَبْرَقٌۭ ۖ وَحُلُّوٓا۟ أَسَاوِرَ مِن فِضَّةٍۢ وَسَقَىٰهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ شَرَابًۭا طَهُورًا
'Aaliyahum siyaabu sundusin khudrunw wa istabraq, wa hullooo asaawira min fiddatinw wa saqaahum Rabbuhum sharaaban tahooraa
Upon the inhabitants will be green garments of fine silk and brocade. And they will be adorned with bracelets of silver, and their Lord will give them a purifying drink.
إِنَّ هَٰذَا كَانَ لَكُمْ جَزَآءًۭ وَكَانَ سَعْيُكُم مَّشْكُورًا
Innaa haazaa kaana lakum jazz 'anw wa kaana sa'yukum mashkooraa
[And it will be said], "Indeed, this is for you a reward, and your effort has been appreciated."
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ تَنزِيلًۭا
Innaa nahnu nazzalnaa 'alaikal quraana tanzeelaa
Indeed, it is We who have sent down to you, [O Muhammad], the Qur'an progressively.
فَٱصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تُطِعْ مِنْهُمْ ءَاثِمًا أَوْ كَفُورًۭا
Fasbir lihukmi Rabbika wa laa tuti' minhum aasiman aw kafooraa
So be patient for the decision of your Lord and do not obey from among them a sinner or ungrateful [disbeliever].
وَٱذْكُرِ ٱسْمَ رَبِّكَ بُكْرَةًۭ وَأَصِيلًۭا
Wazkuris ma Rabbika bukratanw wa aseelaa
And mention the name of your Lord [in prayer] morning and evening
وَمِنَ ٱلَّيْلِ فَٱسْجُدْ لَهُۥ وَسَبِّحْهُ لَيْلًۭا طَوِيلًا
Wa minal laili fasjud lahoo wa sabbihhu lailan taweelaa
And during the night prostrate to Him and exalt Him a long [part of the] night.
إِنَّ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ يُحِبُّونَ ٱلْعَاجِلَةَ وَيَذَرُونَ وَرَآءَهُمْ يَوْمًۭا ثَقِيلًۭا
Inna haaa'ulaa'i yuhibboona 'aajilata wa yazaroona waraaa'ahum yawman saqeelaa
Indeed, these [disbelievers] love the immediate and leave behind them a grave Day.
نَّحْنُ خَلَقْنَٰهُمْ وَشَدَدْنَآ أَسْرَهُمْ ۖ وَإِذَا شِئْنَا بَدَّلْنَآ أَمْثَٰلَهُمْ تَبْدِيلًا
Nahnu khalaqnaahum wa shadadnaaa asrahum wa izaa shi'naa baddalnaaa amsaala hum tabdeelaa
We have created them and strengthened their forms, and when We will, We can change their likenesses with [complete] alteration.
إِنَّ هَٰذِهِۦ تَذْكِرَةٌۭ ۖ فَمَن شَآءَ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِۦ سَبِيلًۭا
Inna haazihee tazkiratun fa man shaaa'at takhaza ilaa rabbihee sabeela
Indeed, this is a reminder, so he who wills may take to his Lord a way.
وَمَا تَشَآءُونَ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًۭا
Wa maa tashaaa'oona illaa anyyashaaa'al laah; innal laahaa kaana'Aleeman Hakeema
And you do not will except that Allah wills. Indeed, Allah is ever Knowing and Wise.
يُدْخِلُ مَن يَشَآءُ فِى رَحْمَتِهِۦ ۚ وَٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ أَعَدَّ لَهُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًۢا
Yudkhilu mai yashaaa'u fee rahmatih; wazzaalimeena a'adda lahum 'azaaban aleemaa
He admits whom He wills into His mercy; but the wrongdoers - He has prepared for them a painful punishment.
Learning Surah Al-Insan
Al-Insan's long descriptive passage is the difficult part — the images come in sequence with similar endings, so students commonly skip a verse. Learn it in short runs and test yourself backwards.
Why memorize Surah Al-Insan?
Because hope memorizes better than almost anything. Students describe the Paradise passage as the most pleasurable stretch of memorization they have done — and pairing this surah with As-Sajdah reconstructs an actual sunnah of Friday Fajr.
How long does Surah Al-Insan take to memorize?
Honest answer: it depends on your daily portion and whether someone is correcting you. Surah Al-Insan is about 41 lines of mushaf text. Here is what that means at three realistic paces — each assuming you also run the revision cycle (which is what makes it permanent):
| Pace | New memorization per day | Time to finish Surah Al-Insan | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Relaxed | ~3 lines | about 2 weeks | Busy adults, first-time memorizers |
| Steady | ~5 lines | about 9 days | Most students — the sweet spot |
| Focused | ~10 lines | about 5 days | Experienced memorizers, school holidays |
Add roughly a consolidation week at the end — the point where you can recite the whole surah to a listener without prompts. Our guide to how long the whole Quran takes uses the same arithmetic.
The smart way to memorize Surah Al-Insan
Three panels: man's origin and the two roads (1–3), the abrar in Paradise — the surah's glowing core (4–22), and the address to the Prophet ﷺ: the Quran sent down gradually, patience commanded, the night given for prostration and long glorification (23–31). The Paradise panel is a furnished room — memorize it by walking through it: the drink, the spring, the couches, the shade, the vessels, the drink again, the garments, the reward speech. Sensory images in order beat rote repetition here. The closing panel's night-worship theme links it naturally to Tahajjud if you keep that practice.
A milestone plan for Surah Al-Insan
At the steady pace (~5 lines a day), Surah Al-Insan breaks into four milestones. Print our free planner PDF and mark them off:
| Portion | New-memorization time | Cumulative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milestone 1 | Ayahs 1–7 | ~2 days | Day 2 |
| Milestone 2 | Ayahs 8–14 | ~2 days | Day 4 |
| Milestone 3 | Ayahs 15–21 | ~2 days | Day 6 |
| Milestone 4 | Ayahs 22–31 | ~3 days | Day 9 |
The method: sabaq, sabqi, manzil
Serious memorization runs on the classic three-cycle system used in hifz institutes worldwide: sabaq (today's new portion), sabqi (the recent pages, revised daily until solid), and manzil (older material, cycled weekly so it never fades). Our Hifz course is built on exactly this cycle, and our free memorization planner PDF gives you printable sabaq–sabqi–manzil grids to track it.
Why memorize with a live teacher
Self-memorization has one fatal flaw: you cannot hear your own mistakes. A mispronounced letter or shortened madd, repeated twenty times during memorization, becomes near-permanent — teachers call it 'memorizing your mistakes'. In a live one-to-one lesson on our synchronized Quran screen, every slip is corrected the moment it happens, before it settles. Recitation is checked ayah by ayah, revision is scheduled for you, and the first lesson is a free trial.