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.