Those Who Set The Ranks, Drawn up in Ranks, The Rangers — Verse 16
37:16 · as-Saffat
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أَءِذَا مِتۡنَا وَكُنَّا تُرَابࣰا وَعِظَـٰمًا أَءِنَّا لَمَبۡعُوثُونَ ١٦
a-idhā mit'nā wakunnā turāban waʿiẓāman a-innā lamabʿūthūn
Those Who Set The Ranks, Drawn up in Ranks, The Rangers / as-Saffat (37:16)
Connections 5 single-source 2 commentators
Multi-source connections
No verses on this ayah are cited by 2 or more commentators using numeric S:A notation. All extracted references come from a single source's commentary.
Single-source mentions (5) cited by only one commentator
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Q 7:106 (al-A`raf)
cited by
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Q 27:87 (an-Naml)
cited by
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Q 37:15 (as-Saffat)
cited by
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Q 40:57 (Ghafir)
cited by
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Q 40:60 (Ghafir)
cited by
By commentator who cites how many verses on this ayah
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Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) 3 verses
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Ma'arif-ul-Quran 2 verses
Note: these connections are extracted from numeric S:A references inside the commentary text and are therefore biased toward mufassirun who use that notation. Prose-style references (e.g. "Surat al-Baqarah verse 30") will be added later, which should surface additional multi-source consensus.
‘What! After we have died and become dust and bones, shall we really be raised up again
a-idhā mit'nā wakunnā turāban waʿiẓāman a-innā lamabʿūthūn
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Tafsir Commentary
The Certainty of Life after Death
Allah says: `Ask these people, those who deny the resurrection, which is harder to create Are they more difficult to create or the heavens, the earth, the angels, devils, the mighty creatures -- everything in between them' Ibn Mas`ud said that they admitted that these things were harder to create than they were. If this is the case, then why do they deny the resurrection, when they see things that are greater than that which they deny As Allah says:
لَخَلْقُ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ أَكْـبَرُ مِنْ خَلْقِ النَّاسِ وَلَـكِنَّ أَكْـثَرَ النَّاسِ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ
(The creation of the heavens and the earth is indeed greater than the creation of mankind; yet, most of mankind know not) (40:57) Then Allah explains that they were created from something weak, as He says:
إِنَّا خَلَقْنَـهُم مِّن طِينٍ لاَّزِبٍ
(Verily, We created them of a sticky clay.) Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr and Ad-Dahhak said, "This is the useful kind of mud which sticks to itself." Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, and `Ikrimah said, "It is sticky and useful." Qatadah said, "It is that which sticks to the hand."
بَلْ عَجِبْتَ وَيَسْخُرُونَ
(Nay, you wondered while they mock.) means, `you were astounded, O Muhammad, at these people who denied the resurrection whilst you were certain that it is true, when they disbelieved in what Allah told you of this wondrous matter, which is the re-creation of their bodies after they have disintegrated. They oppose what you say because of their intense disbelief and they make fun of what you tell them about that.' Qatadah said, "Muhammad was astounded by the mockery of the misguided ones among the sons of Adam."
وَإِذَا رَأَوْاْ ءَايَةً
(And when they see an Ayah) means, clear evidence and proof,
يَسْتَسْخِرُونَ
(they mock at it.) Mujahid and Qatadah said, "They make fun of it."
وَقَالُواْ إِن هَـذَآ إِلاَّ سِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ
(And they say: "This is nothing but evident magic!") means, `this that you have brought is nothing but plain magic.'
أَءِذَا مِتْنَا وَكُنَّا تُرَاباً وَعِظَـماً أَءِنَّا لَمَبْعُوثُونَ - أَوَ ءَابَآؤُنَا الاٌّوَّلُونَ
(When we are dead and have become dust and bones, shall we (then) verily be resurrected And also our fathers of old) They thought that this was unlikely to happen, and they did not believe it.
قُلْ نَعَمْ وَأَنتُمْ دَخِرُونَ
(Say: "Yes, and you shall then be humiliated".) means, `tell them, O Muhammad: Yes, you will be raised up on the Day of Resurrection, after you have become dust and bones, and you will be humiliated,' i.e., put to shame before His great might. This is like the Ayat:
وَكُلٌّ أَتَوْهُ دَخِرِينَ
(And all shall come to Him, humbled) (27:87), and
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِى سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَخِرِينَ
(Verily, those who scorn My worship, they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!) (40:60) Then Allah says:
فَإِنَّمَا هِىَ زَجْرَةٌ وَحِدَةٌ فَإِذَا هُمْ يَنظُرُونَ
(It will be a single Zajrah, and behold, they will be staring!) means, it will be a single command from Allah, He will call them once to come forth from the earth, then they will be standing before Him, staring at the horrors of the Day of Resurrection. And Allah knows best.
When we are dead and have become dust and bones shall we indeed be resurrected? In both places sc. a-idhā and a-innā either pronounce both hamzas or read without pronouncing the second one and inserting an alif between them in both cases.
وقالوا: ما هذا الذي جئت به إلا سحر ظاهر بيِّن. أإذا متنا وصِرْنا ترابًا وعظامًا بالية أإنا لمبعوثون من قبورنا أحياء، أو يُبعث آباؤنا الذين مضوا من قبلنا؟
يستبعدون ذلك ويكذبون به.
( أَإِذَا مِتْنَا وَكُنَّا تُرَاباً وَعِظَاماً أَإِنَّا لَمَبْعُوثُونَ . أَوَ آبَآؤُنَا الأولون ) .أى : أنهم لم يكتفوا بقولهم : إن ما جاء به الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم سحر واضح ، بل أضافوا إلى ذلك على سبيل المبالغة فى الإِنكار لما جاءهم به قولهم : أئذا متنا وانتهت حياتنا ووضعنا فى قبورنا ، وصرنا تراباً وعظاما أئنا لمبعوثون ومعادون إلى الحياة مرة أخرى؟ وهل آباؤنا الأولون الذين صاروا من قبلنا عظاما ورفاتا يبعثون أيضاً؟ولا شك أن قولهم هذا دليل واضح على انطماس بصائرهم ، وعلى شدة غفلتهم عن آثار قدرة الله - تعالى - التى لا يعجزها شئ . والتى من آثارها إيجادهم من العدم .
القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : فَاسْتَفْتِهِمْ أَهُمْ أَشَدُّ خَلْقًا أَمْ مَنْ خَلَقْنَا إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاهُمْ مِنْ طِينٍ لازِبٍ (11)يقول تعالى ذكره لنبيه محمد صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم : فاستفت يا محمد هؤلاء المشركين الذي يُنكرون البعث بعد الممات والنشور بعد البلاء: يقول: فسَلْهم: أهم أشد خلقا؟ يقول: أخلقُهم أشد أم خلق من عددنا خلقه من الملائكة والشياطين والسموات والأرض؟وذُكر أن ذلك في قراءة عبد الله بن مسعود: " أهُمْ أشَدُّ خَلْقا أمْ مَنْ عَدَدْنَا "؟.وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل.* ذكر من قال ذلك:حدثني محمد بن عمرو، قال: ثنا أبو عاصم، قال: ثنا عيسى; وحدثني الحارث، قال: ثنا الحسن، قال: ثنا ورقاء جميعا، عن ابن أبي نجيح، عن مجاهد ( أهُمْ أشَدُّ خَلْقا أمْ مَنْ خَلَقْنَا )؟ قال: السموات والأرض والجبال.حدثنا ابن حميد، قال: ثنا يحيى بن واضح ،قال: ثنا عبيد بن سليمان، عن الضحاك أنه قرأ " أهُمْ أَشَدُّ خَلْقا أمْ مَنْ عَدَدْنَا "؟ وفي قراءة عبد الله بن مسعود " عَدَدْنَا " يقول: رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا وَرَبُّ الْمَشَارِقِ يقول: أهم أشد خلقا، أم السموات والأرض؟ يقول: السموات والأرض أشد خلقا منهم.حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة (فَاسْتَفْتِهِمْ أهُمْ أَشَدُّ خَلْقا أمْ مَنْ عَدَدْنَا) من خلق السموات والأرض، قال اللهُ: لَخَلْقُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ أَكْبَرُ مِنْ خَلْقِ النَّاسِ ... الآية.حدثنا محمد بن الحسين، قال: ثنا أحمد بن المفضل، قال: ثنا أسباط، عن السدي (فَاسْتَفْتِهِمْ أهُمْ أشَدُّ خَلْقَا ) قال: يعني المشركين، سلهم أهم أشد خلقا( أمْ مَنْ خَلَقْنَا )وقوله ( إنَّا خَلَقْنَاهُمْ مِنْ طِينٍ لازِبٍ ) يقول: إنا خلقناهم من طين لاصق. وإنما وصفه جل ثناؤه باللُّزوب، لأنه تراب مخلوط بماء، وكذلك خَلْق ابن آدم من تراب وماء ونار وهواء; والتراب إذا خُلط بماء صار طينا لازبا، والعرب تُبدل أحيانًا هذه الباء ميما، فتقول: طين لازم; ومنه قول النجاشي الحارثي:بنـى اللـؤم بيتـا فاسـتقرت عمـادهعليكــم بنـي النجـار ضربـة لازم (3)ومن اللازب قول نابغة بني ذُبيان:ولا يحسـبون الخـير لا شـرَّ بعـدهُولا يحســبون الشـر ضربـة لازب (4)وربما أبدلوا الزاي التي في اللازب تاء، فيقولون: طين لاتب، وذُكر أن ذلك في قَيس ، زعم الفرّاء أن أبا الجراح أنشده:صــداعٌ وتـوصيمُ العظـامِ وفـترةوغثـي مـع الإشراق في الجوف لاتب (5)بمعنى: لازم، والفعل من لازب: لَزِبَ يَلْزُب، لزْبا ولُزوبا (6)------------------------الهوامش:(3) البيت من شواهد أبي عبيدة في مجاز القرآن ( مصورة الجامعة الورقة ص 208 - 1 ) قال في قوله تعالى"من طين لازب" مجازه مجاز لازم . قال النجاشي:" بنى اللؤم ... البيت" .اهـ.(4) وهذا البيت من شواهد أبي عبيدة في مجاز القرآن ( مصورة الجامعة ص 208 - 1 ) . وهو كالشاهد الذي قبله على أن معنى اللازب اللازم . قال نابغة بني ذبيان:"لا يحسبون الخير .... البيت": اهـ.(5) البيت من شواهد الفراء في معاني القرآن ( مصورة الجامعة ص 271 ) قال اللازب اللاصق . قال: وقيس تقول:"طين لاتب" أنشدني بعضهم:صــداع وتـوصيم ............................................. البيت. قال والعرب تقول: ليس هذا بضربة لازب، ولازم؛ يبدلون الباء ميما، لتقارب المخرج.اه. (وفي اللسان:"لتب" اللاتب: الثابت؛ تقول منه لتب يلتب) . (بوزن يقتل) لتبا ولتوبا، وأنشد أبو الجراح:فـإن يـك هـذا مـن نبيـذ شـربتهفــإني مـن شـرب النبيـذ لتـائبصــداع وتـوصيم ................ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .وفي اللسان عن الفرّاء في قوله تعالى" من طين لازب": قال: اللازب واللاتب واحد. قال: وقيس تقول: طين لاتب. واللاتب: اللازق، مثل اللازب. وهذا الشيء ضربة لاتب كضربة لازم .اهـ.(6) في الأصل: ويلزب وهو تحريف عما أثبتناه؛ لتصريحهم بأن الفعل من باب نفد، وأن المصدر لزبا ولزوبا . ( انظر اللسان والمصباح: لزب ) وضبط في التاج ككرم.
" أإذا متنا وكنا ترابا وعظاما أإنا لمبعوثون ".
أَئِذَا مِتْنَا وَكُنَّا تُرَابًا وَعِظَامًا أَئِنَّا لَمَبْعُوثُونَ (16)
أئذا متنا وكنا ترابا وعظاما أئنا لمبعوثون أي أنبعث إذا متنا ؟ . فهو استفهام إنكار منهم وسخرية .
The universe as we observe from the earth is so complicated and so extensive that the re-creation of human beings in the next world appears to be a work of comparatively smaller magnitude. A greater specimen of the creative power of the Creator is before us, then why should it be impossible for that Creator to engage in creation on a lesser scale? On analysing the human body, it appears that it is a combination of earthly components. Man is made up of substances found on earth, such as water, calcium, iron, sodium, etc. All these are found in our world in abundance, then by utilising the same elements from which He once created human beings, can He not re-create man?
The proof of the miracles of the Holy Prophet ﷺ
The word: آيَةً ('ayt tan) in verse وَإِذَا رَأَوْا آيَةً (And when they see a sign) literally means 'sign' and at this place it means 'miracle.' Hence, this verse proves that Allah Taala had given to the Holy Prophet t some other miracles as well in addition to that of the noble Qur'an - which refutes those who take the miracles of the Holy Prophet ﷺ as effects of physical causes, and thereby claim that no miracle, other than that of the Qur'an, was shown at the blessed hands of the Holy Prophet ﷺ .
In this verse (14), Allah Ta’ ala has clearly said: وَإِذَا رَأَوْا آيَةً يَسْتَسْخِرُونَ ' (And when they see a sign, they make fun of it). Some people who deny miracles say that, at this place, the word: آيَہ ('ayat) does not mean مُعجِزَۃ ('mujizah) or miracle, instead, it means rational arguments. But, this approach is patently wrong in view of what is said in the next verse that follows immediately: وَقَالُوا إِنْ هَـٰذَا إِلَّا سِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ (and they say, "this is nothing but an open magic - 37:15). It is obvious that declaring an evidence and argument to be open magic does not make any sense. They could have said something like this only when they had seen a miracle.
Some deniers of miracles also say that the word: آيَۃ ('ayat) means ayat or verses of the Qur'an, as it is these verses that the disbelievers declare as magic. But, the word: رَأَوْا (raaw: they see) of the noble Qur'an is flatly contradicting this assertion. The verses of the Qur'an were not seen. Instead, they were heard. Hence, wherever Qur'anic verses have been mentioned in the noble Qur'an, the words used there are those of hearing, not of seeing. And place after place in the Qur'an, the word: v i (ayat) has appeared in the sense of mu jizah or miracle. For instance, while reporting the demand of the Pharaoh from Sayyidna Musa 3411 it was said:
إِن كُنتَ جِئْتَ بِآيَةٍ فَأْتِ بِهَا إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ
If you have come with a sign bring it out, if you are one of the truthful (7:106).
In response, Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) had shown the miracle of his staff turning into a serpent. As for the verses of the Qur'an where it has been mentioned that the Holy Prophet ﷺ did not accede to their demand for a miracle, the fact is that miracles had been repeatedly shown thereby, but they used to ask for an ever-new miracle of their choice almost every day. It was in response to such demands for miracles that they were turned down. It was done for the reason that a prophet of Allah shows miracles at the will and command of Allah Ta’ ala. If anyone still refuses to accept the true message conveyed by him, then, coming up with a new miracle everyday is counter to the dignity of the prophet, as well as counter to the will of Allah Ta’ ala.
In addition to that, it has been the customary practice of Allah Ta’ ala that, once some people were granted the miracle they had asked for - and they still failed to believe - then, they were destroyed through a mass punishment. But, in view of the intended survival of the community of the Holy Prophet and with the objective of keeping it safe from any mass punishment, no such miracle on demand was shown before it.
(When we are dead and have become dust and) withered (bones, shall we then, forsooth, be raised (again)) shall we then be brought back to life after we die? Say to them, O Muhammad: indeed you shall.