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iʿlamū ʾanna llāha yuḥyi l-ʾarḍa baʿda mawtihā qad bayyannā lakumu l-ʾāyāti laʿallakum taʿqilūna
Know that Allah revives the earth after its death. We have certainly made the signs clear for you, so that you may exercise your reason.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah al-Hadid - Verse 17
17. Know that Allah gives life to the earth after its death! Indeed, We have made clear the Signs to you, if you but reflect [upon them].
Since giving life to dead hearts through remembrance of God Almighty and attainment to spiritual life in the light of humbleness and obedience to the Holy Qur’an to a great extent resembles the life giving rain drops rejuvenating dead lands, the blessed Verse in question says:
"Know that Allah gives life to the earth after its death."
The blessed Verse is saying that We elucidated Our Sings in the world of creation as well as Our Verses such that you may reflect upon them. The blessed Verse actually makes a reference to rain giving life to dead lands and to giving of life to dead hearts through remembrance of God Almighty and the Holy Qur’an revealed to the pure heart of Muhammad (S). Both of them deserve reflection. Thus, reference has been made to the twain in Islamic traditions. In this vein, it is narrated from Imam Sadiq (as) that the blessed Verse in question refers to giving life to the earth through propagation of justice following the effacement of injustice.4
It is narrated from Imam Baqir (as) concerning the exegesis of the blessed Verse in question that God Almighty shall give life to earth following its death by Imam Mahdi (may God Almighty hasten his arrival) and the death of the earth reflects the disbelief of its inhabitants and disbelievers are dead.5 According to a tradition narrated from Imam Musa ibn Ja‘far (as):
"God Almighty gives life to dead hearts through the light of wisdom, the same manner that He gives life to the earth by sending down blissful rains on it." 6
It goes without saying that these exegeses actually reflect the clear meanings of the blessed Verse and by no means restrict the contextual meaning of it.
Footnotes