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Juz 29: Al-Mulk to Al-Mursalāt

Section 17 of 18 · Tafsir of the Qur’an · Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera

Human Creation, Resurrection and Divine Power

Among the most profound aspects of divine wisdom is Allah's discourse on human origins, resurrection, and the nature of divine power found in Surahs Al-Qiyamah and Al-Insan. These surahs, through their lyrical quality and penetrating insights, establish fundamental truths about human existence and ultimate accountability.

In Surah Al-Qiyamah, Allah (swt) begins with powerful oaths affirming the certainty of resurrection:

لَا أُقْسِمُ بِيَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ وَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِالنَّفْسِ اللَّوَّامَةِ

“I swear by the Day of Resurrection, and I swear by the self-reproaching soul.”

This oath establishes the inevitability of resurrection and highlights the reality of the human conscience that bears witness to moral truth. What follows is one of the Quran's most remarkable proofs of Allah's ability to resurrect the dead. When addressing skeptics who question how scattered bones could be reassembled, Allah (swt) states:

أَيَحْسَبُ الْإِنسَانُ أَلَّن نَّجْمَعَ عِظَامَهُ بَلَىٰ قَادِرِينَ عَلَىٰ أَن نُّسَوِّيَ بَنَانَهُ

“Does man think that We will never reassemble his bones? Yes indeed; We are able to reset (even) his fingertips perfectly.”

This verse contains a profound scientific miracle. Allah (swt) specifically mentions His ability to reconstruct human fingertips—a detail that would seem insignificant to 7th-century listeners. Yet modern science has discovered the uniqueness of fingerprints, with each human being possessing distinctive patterns unlike any other. This specificity in the Quranic revelation points to divine knowledge that transcends the scientific understanding of the time.

When death arrives, Surah Al-Qiyamah vividly portrays the human condition:

كَلَّا إِذَا بَلَغَتِ التَّرَاقِيَ وَقِيلَ مَنْ رَاقٍ وَظَنَّ أَنَّهُ الْفِرَاقُ وَالْتَفَّتِ السَّاقُ بِالسَّاقِ

“Never! When the soul reaches the collar bones, and it is said, "Who is an enchanter (that can save him?)" And he realizes that it is (the time of) departure, and one calf bone is intertwined with the other.”

The surah transitions seamlessly between descriptions of death, resurrection, and ultimate judgment, emphasizing that humans are not created without purpose. This theme connects directly to Surah Al-Insan, which elaborates on human creation and destiny.

Surah Al-Insan begins by reminding humans of their humble origins:

هَلْ أَتَىٰ عَلَى الْإِنسَانِ حِينٌ مِّنَ الدَّهْرِ لَمْ يَكُن شَيْئًا مَّذْكُورًا

“Has there come upon man any period of time in which he was nothing worth mentioning?”

This powerful question establishes that human existence is entirely contingent upon Allah's will. We are mumkin al-wujud (possibly existent beings) who had no part in bringing ourselves into existence. Allah (swt) continues:

إِنَّا خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ أَمْشَاجٍ نَّبْتَلِيهِ فَجَعَلْنَاهُ سَمِيعًا بَصِيرًا إِنَّا هَدَيْنَاهُ السَّبِيلَ إِمَّا شَاكِرًا وَإِمَّا كَفُورًا

“We have created man from a mixed sperm-drop to put him to a test; then We made him able to hear, able to see. We have shown him the way to be either grateful or ungrateful.”

This passage articulates the divine purpose behind human creation—testing—and establishes that Allah has granted humans faculties of perception and moral choice. Humans have been given guidance and the freedom to choose between gratitude and ingratitude, between faith and rejection.

The beauty of these surahs lies in their perfect balance between warning and hope. While they contain stern warnings for the ungrateful, they also provide extensive descriptions of Paradise with its delights, cups of delicious drinks, endless comforts, and heavenly companions. These vivid portraits of both consequences remind believers that their choices in this life determine their eternal destiny, while highlighting Allah's perfect justice tempered with boundless mercy for those who turn to Him in sincere faith.