Tafsir of Surah As-Saffat - Verse 19

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.

Commentary

After having shown the possibility and proof of 'Akhirah or Hereafter, Allah Ta’ ala has described some events relating to Resurrection in these verses.

Given in the first verse (19) is the mode in which the dead will rise again. It was said: فَإِنَّمَا هِيَ زَجْرَ‌ةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ, it will be only a single [ castigating ] Call and all of a sudden they will begin to see - 37:19). The word: زَجْرَ‌ةٌ (Zajrah) is a noun derived from زَجر (zajr), and it is used to carry many meanings in the Arabic language. Out of these, one meaning is: 'To utter such sounds which, when heard by cattle, would motivate them to rise and get moving.' Here, it means the second Sur (Horn or Trumpet) that will be blown by the angel, Sayyidna Israfilll. Hence, it has been expressed as 'zajrah' for the reason that the way some sounds are produced to prompt cattle to rise and get moving, very similarly, this Sur will be blown to make the dead rise.

Though Allah Ta’ ala is, in His infinite power, inherently capable of making the dead rise again without having the صُور Sur blown, yet this صُور Sur will be blown in order to highlight the awe of the Resurrection (Tafsir Kabir). Its effect on the disbelievers has been identified as: فَإِذَا هُمْ يَنظُرُ‌ونَ all of a sudden they will begin to see - 37:19), that is, the way they could see in the mortal world, in the same way, they would be able to see there.

Some other commentators have explained it by saying that, overtaken by wonder, they will start looking at each other. (Qurtubi)

In the present world, tidings of the future life or life in the Hereafter, are regularly communicated. But man attaches no importance to this. In the Hereafter, the reality of future life will seize man. At that time, man will forget his arrogance and will prostrate himself before God. This will be an indescribably terrible scene. The position in which people will be, when they have gathered to be judged, on the Day of Resurrection (hashr) has been described in the above verses.