ءَأَنتُمْ أَشَدُّ خَلْقًا أَمِ ٱلسَّمَآءُ ۚ بَنَىٰهَا 27
Translations
Are you a more difficult creation or is the heaven? He [i.e., Allāh] constructed it.
Transliteration
A-antum ashaddu khalqan ami as-sama'u banaha
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah presents a rhetorical question challenging humanity's perception of their own creation in comparison to the creation of the heavens. Allah asks: 'Are you a more difficult creation, or is the heaven? He built it.' Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi interpret this as emphasizing that if Allah created the vast, magnificent heavens with such precision and grandeur, then resurrecting humans should be far easier in comparison. The ayah serves as a powerful argument against those who deny the Day of Resurrection, as it establishes a logical hierarchy in divine creative power.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah An-Nazi'at, a Meccan chapter that focuses on the certainty of the Day of Judgment and the Resurrection. The surah is part of the broader Quranic discourse addressing the skepticism of Meccan disbelievers who doubted resurrection. This specific ayah contextualizes human creation within the grander cosmic order to make the concept of resurrection more comprehensible to the audience.
Related Hadiths
The concept is supported by various hadiths on resurrection. In Sahih Bukhari, the Prophet (peace be upon him) is reported to have said that Allah will gather the bones of humans on the Day of Judgment, similar to how He gathers scattered dust. Additionally, Surah Ar-Room 30:27 contains related themes about Allah's creation and power over resurrection.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah invites believers to recognize that if God created the incomprehensibly vast universe with perfect order, then resurrecting humanity is entirely within His power—encouraging faith in the Hereafter and humbling reflection on our place in creation. It teaches that doubting resurrection is illogical when we witness the greater miracle of creation around us daily.