Surah Al-'Ankabut — Verse 20

Key Words and Their Meanings:

• "Sīrū" (سِيرُوا): Travel, move about.
• "Fa-nẓurū" (فَانظُرُوا): Look, observe, and reflect with your eyes and hearts.
• "Bada'a al-khalq" (بَدَأَ الْخَلْقَ): How He originated and initiated creation from nothing, without any prior example or model.
• "Yunshi'u al-nash'ah al-ākhirah" (يُنشِئُ النَّشْأَةَ الْآخِرَةَ): He will bring forth the second creation — the resurrection of all beings from their graves for the Day of Judgment.
• "Qadīr" (قَدِيرٌ): All-Powerful, capable of doing everything without any limitation or obstacle.

The Tafsir (Explanation):

O Messenger, tell those who deny the resurrection and question how life can return after death: "Travel through the earth and observe with your own eyes the countless signs of Allah's power. Look at the mountains, the valleys, the oceans, the skies, and the creatures that fill them. Reflect on how Allah originated creation from nothing — He did not need a helper, a model, or a previous example to bring everything into existence. He simply said, 'Be,' and it was."

If you have witnessed the miracle of the first creation — how a tiny seed becomes a mighty tree, how a drop of water becomes a living being, how the barren earth comes alive after rain — then how can you doubt His ability to create again? The One who began creation with absolute ease is even more capable of repeating it. The second creation, the resurrection from the graves, is not more difficult for Him than the first; rather, it is easier, as the Qur'an reminds us elsewhere: "And He it is Who begins creation, then He will repeat it, and that is easier for Him" (Ar-Rum 30:27).

Indeed, Allah's power knows no bounds. Nothing on earth or in the heavens can escape His will. He is not weakened by age, tired by effort, or limited by time. Just as He created you the first time from nothing, He will recreate you for the final account. So do not let your hearts be hardened by doubt — open your eyes to the universe around you, for it is a living testimony to the power of its Creator. Every sunrise and sunset, every birth and death, every season that changes is a reminder that Allah is over all things competent and that the Hereafter is an undeniable truth. Let this certainty fill your heart with hope and your life with purpose, for you are not created in vain, and to your Lord you shall surely return.