Page 409
fa-nẓur ʾilā ʾāthāri raḥmati llāhi kayfa yuḥyi l-ʾarḍa baʿda mawtihā ʾinna dhālika la-muḥyi l-mawtā wa-huwa ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīrun
So observe the effects of Allah’s mercy: how He revives the earth after its death! Indeed He is the reviver of the dead, and He has power over all things.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah Ar-Room – Verses 49-50
49. “Although before it was sent down on them before that they had been in despair.”
50. “Look then at the traces of Allah’s mercy, how He gives life to the earth after its death; verily He is the giver of life to the dead; and He is All-powerful over all things.”
Hardships and kinds of hopelessness increase the pleasure of bounties very much. Rainfall and the new life of the earth is a divine sign for the reality of Resurrection. This holy verse says:
The Arabic term /mublis/ is derived from /’iblas/ in the sense of: ‘despair’ and ‘hopelessness’. Those people, such as wandering Arabs, whose life and living is closely depended on these very drops of rain, will conceive this despair and that glad tidings very well. While despair and hopelessness has last its evil and heavy shadow over their soul and spirit and the sign of thirst has appeared in them as well as in their cattle and their farming lands; then suddenly the winds, which are the harbingers of rain, start to come through which these people smell the smell of rain.
After some minutes, the pieces of cloud will scatter in the sky and become more intensive and more compressed and then it begins to rain. The ditches will be filled with wholesome water, and small and big streams will contain of this heavenly bounty. Life and living will be seen in dry lands and in the depth of the hearts of these wanderers of the desert both. The light of hope enlightens their hearts and the dark cloud of despair will disappear thereof.
The repetition of the Arabic word /qabl/ (before) in the verse apparently is for emphasis. It says: “before it”, yes, a few minutes before rain, the features are frowned, but suddenly it rains and the smile of happiness appears on the lips. What a weak being are man, and what a kind Lord He is! In the Persian language, too, the time is sometimes stated repeatedly for emphasis. The Persian speakers may say: ‘Until yesterday’ -Yes, until that very yesterday- so and so was a friend with me, but now he is seriously in hostility”, and the purpose of this repetition is an emphasis on the change of man’s moods.
The next verse, addressing the Prophet of Islam (S), says:
The Arabic term /fanzur/ (look then) as an emphasis in the verse, points to this fact that the effect of Allah’s mercy in giving life to the dead lands by means of rain is so much manifest that it appears for any man by a glance without being in need of searching and seeking for it. Thus, the application of the Qur’anic phrase /rahmat-illah/ (Allah’s mercy) about rainfall in the verse refers to the effects of its bountifulness from different dimensions.
Rain waters the dry lands and causes the seeds of plants grow. Rain gives new life to the trees in order that they continue their living. Rain clears out the dust of the air and makes the man’s living environment safe and clean. Rain washes the plants and gives them freshness. Rain makes the weather moist and mild so that it will be appropriate for human beings to inhale. Rain penetrates inside the ground and after some time it will appear on the ground in the form of springs and water pipes.
Rain creates some floods, which, after being controlled at the back of dams, produces electricity, light, and energy. Finally, rain usually adjusts both cold and hot weather. It decreases the heat and makes cold tolerable. Rain is also mentioned in some other verses of the Qur’an as ‘mercy’, among them is Surah Furqan, No. 25 verse 48, and Surah An-Naml, No. 27, verse 63. Also, Surah Shoura, No. 42, verse 28 says:
Then, regarding to the relation that origin and Resurrection have in different issues, at the end of the verse it says:
The application of the Arabic phrase /muhy il mauta/ (the giver of life to the dead) in the form of Arabic noun-agent instead of the verb in the simple present tense, specially with ‘l’ as an Arabic sign of emphasis, is the indication of the utmost emphasis. We have repeatedly seen in the verses of the Qur’an that this heavenly Book chooses the dead land, which is quickened after the descent of rain, as a reference to prove the subject of Resurrection.
Surah Qaf, No. 50, verse eleven, after mentioning the life of the dead lands, it says:
Similar to this meaning is also found in Surah Fatir, No. 35, verse 9 where it says:
In fact, the law of life and death is always similar to each other everywhere. The One, Who gives life to the dead land and creates movement and liveliness in it, and also this thing repeats every year and sometime every day, has this ability that after their death gives life to all human beings, too. Everywhere death is in His authority, and life is also by His command. It is true that apparently the dead land does not turn to be alive, and it is the seeds of the plants that are under the soil of the ground and grow up, but we know that these small seeds have attracted a great part of the ground in their own body and have changed some dead beings into living beings, and even the scattered parts of these plants give power again to the ground for life, too.
The deniers of resurrection, in deed, had no proof for their claim except improbability, and in order to break it, the Holy Qur’an brings these examples.