أَيَحْسَبُ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ أَلَّن نَّجْمَعَ عِظَامَهُۥ 3
Translations
Does man think that We will not assemble his bones?
Transliteration
Ayahsabu al-insanu allan najmaa izamahu
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah poses a rhetorical question to disbelievers who doubt Allah's ability to resurrect the dead, asking: 'Does man think that We will not assemble his bones?' According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this addresses the pagan Arabs' mockery of resurrection, particularly their claim that decomposed bones cannot be reassembled. The ayah emphasizes Allah's absolute power (qadr) to restore life to scattered remains, a central theme of Surah Al-Qiyamah, and serves as a powerful rebuttal to their denial of the afterlife.
Revelation Context
This surah was revealed in Mecca during the early period when disbelievers openly mocked the concept of resurrection and the Day of Judgment. The Quraysh would laugh at the Prophet's (ﷺ) warnings about resurrection, claiming it was impossible for decayed bones to be restored to life. This ayah directly addresses that skepticism and forms part of the surah's opening arguments establishing the inevitability of Resurrection.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'A small bone in the human spine (the coccyx) will not decay, and from it the entire body will be recreated on the Day of Resurrection' (Sahih Muslim 2955). This hadith directly supports the Quranic message that Allah will reassemble and resurrect human bodies.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers to have unwavering faith in Allah's infinite power and the certainty of Resurrection, while serving as a gentle correction to those who rely on human logic alone to judge divine possibilities. It teaches that just as Allah created us from nothing initially, recreating us is far easier and should not be questioned.