وَمِنْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦٓ أَن تَقُومَ ٱلسَّمَآءُ وَٱلْأَرْضُ بِأَمْرِهِۦ ۚ ثُمَّ إِذَا دَعَاكُمْ دَعْوَةً مِّنَ ٱلْأَرْضِ إِذَآ أَنتُمْ تَخْرُجُونَ 25
Translations
And of His signs is that the heaven and earth stand [i.e., remain] by His command. Then when He calls you with a [single] call from the earth, immediately you will come forth.
Transliteration
Wa min ayatihi an taquma as-samaa'u wal-ardu bi-amrihi, thumma idha da'akum da'watan min al-ardi idha antum takhrojun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah presents two profound signs of Allah's power: the standing/stability of the heavens and earth by His command, and the resurrection when Allah calls humanity from the earth to emerge forth. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, the first sign demonstrates Allah's continuous maintenance of creation, while the second signifies the Day of Judgment when all souls will be resurrected. The passage connects Allah's present sustenance of the cosmos with His future restoration of life, emphasizing His absolute authority over both creation and resurrection.
Revelation Context
Surah Ar-Rum is a Meccan surah primarily concerned with establishing the oneness of Allah and the reality of the resurrection—core messages for the early Meccan audience who denied these concepts. This ayah appears in a section (verses 20-27) enumerating the signs of Allah in creation, forming part of the broader argument against the Quraysh's denial of monotheism and the afterlife.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The greatest verse in the Qur'an is Ayat al-Kursi' (Sahih Muslim), which similarly emphasizes Allah's sovereignty. Additionally, hadiths in Sahih Bukhari and Muslim elaborate on the Day of Resurrection when Allah will call people from their graves, directly corresponding to this ayah's second sign.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us to recognize Allah's grandeur through the stable order of the cosmos while remaining conscious of our accountability on the Day of Judgment. In our modern age of scientific advancement, these signs invite us to see creation not as a mere accident but as evidence of a sustaining Creator, and to live with awareness that our earthly existence will culminate in resurrection and divine reckoning.
Related Ayahs
وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ ٱلسَّاعَةُ يُبْلِسُ ٱلْمُجْرِمُونَ
And the Day the Hour appears the criminals will be in despair.
أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَبْسُطُ ٱلرِّزْقَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَقْدِرُ ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ
Do they not see that Allāh extends provision for whom He wills and restricts [it]? Indeed in that are signs for a people who believe.
أَوَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَيَنظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ كَانُوٓا۟ أَشَدَّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً وَأَثَارُوا۟ ٱلْأَرْضَ وَعَمَرُوهَآ أَكْثَرَ مِمَّا عَمَرُوهَا وَجَآءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ ۖ فَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيَظْلِمَهُمْ وَلَـٰكِن كَانُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ
Have they not traveled through the earth and observed how was the end of those before them? They were greater than them in power, and they plowed [or excavated] the earth and built it up more than they [i.e., the Makkans] have built it up, and their messengers came to them with clear evidences. And Allāh would not ever have wronged them, but they were wronging themselves.
ضَرَبَ لَكُم مَّثَلًا مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ ۖ هَل لَّكُم مِّن مَّا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـٰنُكُم مِّن شُرَكَآءَ فِى مَا رَزَقْنَـٰكُمْ فَأَنتُمْ فِيهِ سَوَآءٌ تَخَافُونَهُمْ كَخِيفَتِكُمْ أَنفُسَكُمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ
He presents to you an example from yourselves. Do you have among those whom your right hands possess [i.e., slaves] any partners in what We have provided for you so that you are equal therein [and] would fear them as your fear of one another [within a partnership]? Thus do We detail the verses for a people who use reason.