فَٱسْتَفْتِهِمْ أَهُمْ أَشَدُّ خَلْقًا أَم مَّنْ خَلَقْنَآ ۚ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَـٰهُم مِّن طِينٍ لَّازِبٍۭ 11
Translations
Then inquire of them, [O Muḥammad], "Are they a stronger [or more difficult] creation or those [others] We have created?" Indeed, We created them [i.e., men] from sticky clay.
Transliteration
Fastaftihim ahum ashaddu khalqan am man khalaqna inna khalaqnahum min tinin lazib
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah challenges the disbelievers by asking them to judge: are they more difficult to create than the heavens and all else that He has created? This rhetorical question emphasizes human weakness and contingency, as humans were created from clay (tin lazib - sticky clay). Ibn Kathir notes this ayah uses the contrast between human creation from base matter versus the grandeur of celestial creation to demonstrate that if Allah can create the heavens, resurreecting humans is surely within His power, thus refuting the disbelievers' denial of the Day of Judgment.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan surah As-Saffat, which addresses the polytheists' denial of resurrection and the Day of Judgment. The context deals with their mockery of the message and their doubt in Allah's ability to resurrect the dead. The surah uses this argument to demonstrate that the creation of the heavens is far more difficult than resurrecting humans.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The best of you are the best in character' (Tirmidhi 3662), and while not directly about creation, it contextualizes human dignity despite our humble material origin. Additionally, Sahih Muslim 2788 records that humans were created in the best form (ahsan taqwim), contrasting the base material of creation with the spiritual nobility Allah granted humanity.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers of their humble material origins while affirming that Allah's creative power transcends all difficulty—just as He created the vastness of creation from nothing, resurrection of the human soul is certain. It should inspire humility, reliance on Allah, and conviction in the reality of the Hereafter despite worldly doubts.