God resurrects humans

36 Surah Ya Sin

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

أَوَلَمْ يَرَ الْإِنسَانُ أَنَّا خَلَقْنَاهُ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ...   

36:77 [Ali].  Doth not man see that it is We Who created Him from sperm?

C4023. Man's disobedience and folly are all the more surprising, seeing that-apart from Allah's greatness and mercy-man is himself such a puny creature, created out of something that is less than a drop in the vast ocean of Existence. Yet man has the hardihood to stand out and dispute with his Maker, and institute idle comparisons as in the next verse!

... فَإِذَا هُوَ خَصِيمٌ مُّبِينٌ ﴿٧٧﴾

Yet behold! he (stands forth) as an open adversary!

وَضَرَبَ لَنَا مَثَلًا وَنَسِيَ خَلْقَهُ...   

36: 78.  And he makes comparisons for us, and forgets his own (Origin and) Creation:

C4024. That is, man thinks that Allah is like His creatures, who at best have very limited powers, or man draws idle parallels like that mentioned at the end of this verse. 'Who can give life to dry bones, and decomposed ones at that?'

The first creation-out of nothing-is far more difficult for us to imagine than a second or subsequent process for which there is already a basis. And Allah has power over all things.

... قَالَ مَنْ يُحْيِي الْعِظَامَ وَهِيَ رَمِيمٌ ﴿٧٨﴾

he says, "Who can give life to (dry) bones and decomposed ones (at that)?"

قُلْ يُحْيِيهَا الَّذِي أَنشَأَهَا أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ...   

36: 79.  Say,

"He will give them life Who created them for the first time!

C4025. Allah's creative artistry is evident in every phase of nature, and it works every minute or second. The more man understands himself and the things within his reach, the more he realises this.

How foolish, then, for any one to set imaginary limits to Allah's powers?

There are more ways of creation than are dreamt of in man's imagination!

... وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ خَلْقٍ عَلِيمٌ ﴿٧٩﴾

For He is well-versed in every kind of creation! --

Others version:

Asad’s version

36:77 IS MAN, then, not aware that it is We who create him out of a [mere] drop of sperm - whereupon, lo! he shows himself endowed with the power to think and to argue? 45

(36:78) And [now] he [argues about Us, and] thinks of Us in terms of comparison," and is oblivious of how he himself was created! [And so] he says, "Who could give life to bones that have crumbled to dust?"

36:79 Say: "He who brought them into being in the first instance will give them life [once again], seeing that He has full knowledge of every act of creation:

[[Asad’s note - 45 See similar passage in 16:4, as well as the corresponding note 5. Completing the interpretation advanced in his (and Zamakhshari's) commentary on the above-mentioned verse, Razi equates here the term khasim (lit., "contender in argument") with the highest manifestation of what is described as natiq ("articulate [or "rational") being").]]

Yuksel

36:77 [ Has the human being not seen that We have created him from a seed, that he would become a clear enemy?

36:78 He cites an example for Us, while forgetting his own creation! He says: "Who can resurrect the bones while they are dust?"

36:79 Say, "The One who made them in the first place will resurrect them. He is fully aware of every creation."*

[[Yuksel’s note -036:079-80 After reminding us that He knows all kinds of creation, God gives us the recreation of energy stored in plants through photosynthesis as fossil fuels such as coal or petroleum. Indeed, conservation of energy and its transformation from physical into chemical form and vice versa, is a good example of resurrection. See 4:82.]]