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wa-qālū ʾa-ʾidhā kunnā ʿiẓāman wa-rufātan ʾa-ʾinnā la-mabʿūthūna khalqan jadīdan
They say, ‘What, when we have become bones and dust, shall we really be raised in a new creation?’
— Ali Quli Qarai
17Al-Isrā’الإسراءVerse 49 of 111
The Night Journey17. Al-Isrā’الإسراء
Al Isrā’
The Night Journey
MeccanVerse 49 of 111
Surah Isra’ – Verses 49 - 50
49. “And they say: ‘What! When we are bones and (scattered) dust, shall we then certainly be raised up into a new creation’?”
50. “Say: ‘(Nay!) be you stones or iron,”
The Arabic term /ruf at/ signifies shredded clay (Mufrad at Raqib). In the verses of the Qur’an, no reason has been stated by the disbelievers for their rejection due to resurrection. All one finds in them consist of astonishments, questionings and remoteness everywhere. By putting forth some queries in this connection, they seek to incite skepticism in others. The Qur’an, in answer to them, relies on knowledge as well as Allah’s power and Wisdom in the process of creation. There are also examples offered from nature and historical records as well as, from man, himself which were non-existent at first and emerged later on. Therefore, the Lord is able to re-create all beings after death.
Thus, in the previous verses, the issue dealt with concerned ‘monotheism’ itself as well as campaign against paganism. Nonetheless, the great issue involved in here relates to the Resurrection, which tends to supplement the significant issue of monotheism and which provides the answers to the three queries raised by disbelievers of resurrection. They asked: Once we are spread around as decayed bones, shall we be surely raised up again; thus recreated once again?
Such a statement exhibits the fact that the Prophet (S) always tended of discuss the significant issue of the ‘physical resurrection’, asserting the fact that one’s body will be reassembled after being scattered, otherwise, if the issue involved related to the matter of “spiritual resurrection”, the objections raised by the opponents would, by no means, make any sense at all. In the interpretation of the ensuing verse, while facing the challenges of the pagans who asked as to how they would be enlivened and mustered in the Hereafter, in which case they would be nothing except remaining bones and dust, the Lord, addressing the Prophet, responds: O’ Muhammad (S)!
Say to them! The bones are peanuts while if you were made up of stones and iron He could re-enliven you, returning to you the joy and freshness of life as well. The verse says:
“And they say: ‘What! When we are bones and (scattered) dust, shall we then certainly be raised up into a new creation’?”
“Say: ‘(Nay!) be you stones or iron,”