وَيَقُولُ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ أَءِذَا مَا مِتُّ لَسَوْفَ أُخْرَجُ حَيًّا 66
Translations
And man [i.e., the disbeliever] says, "When I have died, am I going to be brought forth alive?"
Transliteration
Wa yaqoolul-insanu a-ida ma mittu la sawfa ukhraju hayya
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the disbelief of mankind who deny the resurrection, questioning in amazement how they could be brought back to life after death. The human expresses skepticism about the possibility of being resurrected, treating it as an absurd proposition. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir note that this reflects the arrogance and heedlessness of those who reject Allah's power over creation, particularly the Meccan disbelievers who mocked the concept of resurrection that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) preached.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan surah Maryam, which addresses fundamental theological principles including resurrection and accountability. The context reflects the early Meccan period when the polytheists vehemently denied the Day of Judgment and resurrection, a core message of the Prophet's call to monotheism.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The Hour will not be established until the sun rises from the west; when it rises from the west and the people see it, they will all believe, but that will be when no soul will benefit from its belief if it believed not before' (Sahih Bukhari 4636). This hadith addresses the denial of resurrection mentioned in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that denying resurrection reveals human limitation and arrogance in the face of Allah's infinite power, and serves as a warning against dismissing divine truths based on limited human understanding. We should recognize that skepticism about the unseen world reflects a spiritual sickness that only faith and reflection on Allah's creative ability can cure.
Related Ayahs
أَوْ كَٱلَّذِى مَرَّ عَلَىٰ قَرْيَةٍ وَهِىَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَىٰ عُرُوشِهَا قَالَ أَنَّىٰ يُحْىِۦ هَـٰذِهِ ٱللَّهُ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا ۖ فَأَمَاتَهُ ٱللَّهُ مِا۟ئَةَ عَامٍ ثُمَّ بَعَثَهُۥ ۖ قَالَ كَمْ لَبِثْتَ ۖ قَالَ لَبِثْتُ يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ ۖ قَالَ بَل لَّبِثْتَ مِا۟ئَةَ عَامٍ فَٱنظُرْ إِلَىٰ طَعَامِكَ وَشَرَابِكَ لَمْ يَتَسَنَّهْ ۖ وَٱنظُرْ إِلَىٰ حِمَارِكَ وَلِنَجْعَلَكَ ءَايَةً لِّلنَّاسِ ۖ وَٱنظُرْ إِلَى ٱلْعِظَامِ كَيْفَ نُنشِزُهَا ثُمَّ نَكْسُوهَا لَحْمًا ۚ فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُۥ قَالَ أَعْلَمُ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
Or [consider such an example] as the one who passed by a township which had fallen into ruin. He said, "How will Allāh bring this to life after its death?" So Allāh caused him to die for a hundred years; then He revived him. He said, "How long have you remained?" He [the man] said, "I have remained a day or part of a day." He said, "Rather, you have remained one hundred years. Look at your food and your drink; it has not changed with time. And look at your donkey; and We will make you a sign for the people. And look at the bones [of this donkey] - how We raise them and then We cover them with flesh." And when it became clear to him, he said, "I know that Allāh is over all things competent."
وَءَايَةٌ لَّهُمُ ٱلْأَرْضُ ٱلْمَيْتَةُ أَحْيَيْنَـٰهَا وَأَخْرَجْنَا مِنْهَا حَبًّا فَمِنْهُ يَأْكُلُونَ
And a sign for them is the dead earth. We have brought it to life and brought forth from it grain, and from it they eat.
وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ فِى سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ وَكَانَ عَرْشُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلْمَآءِ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا ۗ وَلَئِن قُلْتَ إِنَّكُم مَّبْعُوثُونَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ ٱلْمَوْتِ لَيَقُولَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ إِنْ هَـٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ
And it is He who created the heavens and the earth in six days - and His Throne had been upon water - that He might test you as to which of you is best in deed. But if you say, "Indeed, you are resurrected after death," those who disbelieve will surely say, "This is not but obvious magic."