Surah Assaaffat ayat 11 Tafsir Quran 37:11

﴿فَاسْتَفْتِهِمْ أَهُمْ أَشَدُّ خَلْقًا أَم مَّنْ خَلَقْنَا ۚ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاهُم مِّن طِينٍ لَّازِبٍ﴾
[ الصافات: 11]

37:11 Then inquire of them, [O Muhammad], "Are they a stronger [or more difficult] creation or those [others] We have created?" Indeed, We created men from sticky clay.

So ask them in other words inquire of the people of Mecca for affirmation or by way of rebuke Are they stronger as a creation or those others whom We created? of angels heavens the two earths and all that is in them the use of man ‘those whom’ in man khalaqnā indicates that the reference is predominantly to other rational creatures. Indeed We created them that is their origin Adam from a viscous clay that sticks to the hand. The intended meaning is that their physical make-up is fragile so let them not behave arrogantly by rejecting the Prophet and the Qur’ān a fact which will result in their — easily accomplished — destruction.

Therefore, ask them O Muhammad: Are they the more difficult to bring into being or the others of Our inanimate created beings We created them -mankind- from coherent clay

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.

(37:11) So ask them (that is, human beings): 'Were they harder to create than the objects We created?' *8 We created them from sticky clay. *9

Then inquire of them, [O Muhammad], "Are meaning

*8) This is an answer to the suspicions of the disbelievers of Makkah, which they presented about the Hereafter.
They thought that the Hereafter was not possible, for it is impossible that the dead men should be recreated.
In answer to it, Allah presents arguments for the possibility of the Hereafter and asks: " If you think that the recreation of the dead men is a very difficult task which We do not have the power to accomplish, do you think it is easy to create the earth and the heavens and the countless things that they contain? Why don't you use your common sense ? Do you think that God for Whom it was not at all difficult to create this great Universe and Who has created you in the first instance, will not have the power to create you once again ? "
*9) That is, " Man is not a difficult thing to make.
He has been created from clay, and can again be created from the same clay. " " Created man of sticky clay " means that the first man was created directly from the clay and then his race was perpetuated by means of the sperm-drop.
It also means that every man has been 'created from the sticky clay, for the whole substance of man's body is obtained from the earth.
The sperm-drop of which he is created, is a product of the food, and all the substances which make up his physical being, from the time he is conceived till his death, are also supplied by the food.
The source of the food, whether animal flesh or vegetable, is ultimately the same earth which, in combination with water produces corn and vegetables and fruit to become food for man, and nourish the animals, which supply milk and flesh for the use of man.
Thus, the basis of the argument is: Man could not be living today if the earth and clay had not become the source of life for him.
And if it is possible today to create life in it, as your own existence is a clear and definite pointer to this possibility, why should it be impossible to bring about your re-creation from the same earth tomorrow ?
 

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.

( Then ask them (O Muhammad )) ask the people of Mecca: ( Are they stronger as a creation ) as a resurrected people, ( or those (others ) whom We have created) of angels and all other people? ( Lo! We created them of plastic ) sticking ( clay ) We created them from Adam and Adam is from clay.

Then ask them (i.e. these polytheists, O Muhammad SAW): "Are they stronger as creation, or those (others like the heavens and the earth and the mountains, etc.) whom We have created?" Verily, We created them of a sticky clay.

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