وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْتُمُ ٱلنَّشْأَةَ ٱلْأُولَىٰ فَلَوْلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ 62
Translations
And you have already known the first creation, so will you not remember?
Transliteration
Wa-laqad AAalimtumu an-nash'ata al-ula fawla ta-thakarrun
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah reminds humanity that they already have knowledge of the first creation—from a single drop of sperm to a fully formed human being—which they witness repeatedly in their own existence and that of others. This ayah uses the miracle of human creation as irrefutable evidence of Allah's power and ability to resurrect, making the rhetorical question 'Will you not then remember?' a call to reflection: if Allah created us once from nothing, surely He can recreate us. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that this is a logical argument (qiyas) for the possibility and certainty of the resurrection, as the greater miracle (bringing the dead to life) cannot be more difficult than the first creation.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Al-Waqi'ah, a Meccan surah that centers on the Day of Judgment and the resurrection. The broader context (56:47-62) presents arguments for the reality of the Hereafter by appealing to observable natural phenomena. The ayah directly addresses the Meccan disbelievers' denial of resurrection by pointing to their own intimate knowledge of human procreation and development in the womb.
Related Hadiths
The principle underlying this ayah relates to hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentions the stages of creation in the womb: 'The seed remains in the womb for forty days, then it becomes a clot for forty days, then a lump of flesh for forty days.' This hadith elaborates on the first creation (al-nash'ah al-ula) referenced in the ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us to reflect upon the natural miracles within our own bodies and origins as proof of Allah's power, encouraging us to move from passive observation to active remembrance and gratitude. It challenges believers to use reason and evidence from creation to strengthen faith and counter doubt about divine resurrection.
Related Ayahs
وَمِنْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦٓ أَنَّكَ تَرَى ٱلْأَرْضَ خَـٰشِعَةً فَإِذَآ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْهَا ٱلْمَآءَ ٱهْتَزَّتْ وَرَبَتْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَحْيَاهَا لَمُحْىِ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰٓ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
And of His signs is that you see the earth stilled, but when We send down upon it rain, it quivers and grows. Indeed, He who has given it life is the Giver of Life to the dead. Indeed, He is over all things competent.
يَوْمَ تَشَقَّقُ ٱلْأَرْضُ عَنْهُمْ سِرَاعًا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ حَشْرٌ عَلَيْنَا يَسِيرٌ
On the Day the earth breaks away from them [and they emerge] rapidly; that is a gathering easy for Us.
فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْمَشَـٰرِقِ وَٱلْمَغَـٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَـٰدِرُونَ
So I swear by the Lord of [all] risings and settings that indeed We are able
وَنُفِخَ فِى ٱلصُّورِ فَصَعِقَ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ إِلَّا مَن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ ۖ ثُمَّ نُفِخَ فِيهِ أُخْرَىٰ فَإِذَا هُمْ قِيَامٌ يَنظُرُونَ
And the Horn will be blown, and whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth will fall dead except whom Allāh wills. Then it will be blown again, and at once they will be standing, looking on.