Surah Al-Ankaboot (29) — Ayah 19

(Ayah 19) ➊ { اَوَ لَمْ يَرَوْا كَيْفَ يُبْدِئُ اللّٰهُ الْخَلْقَ … :} According to Ibn Jarir and some other commentators, up to this point is the address of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) to his people, and from here onward it is the address of Allah Almighty to the disbelievers of Quraysh, which continues until {’’ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ اَلِيْمٌ ‘‘}. After that, from {’’ فَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ قَوْمِهٖۤ ‘‘}, the story of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) begins again. However, Ibn Kathir states that up to {’’ فَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ قَوْمِهٖۤ ‘‘}, all of this speech is that of Ibrahim (peace be upon him). This also seems more correct to me, because in this way there is no need to break the sequence of speech, nor does the meaning become disrupted; rather, Ibrahim (peace be upon him) is presenting to his people the evidences of the Hereafter after the arguments for monotheism, the response to which is mentioned in this verse: «{ فَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ قَوْمِهٖۤ …}» In any case, this address of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) is also perfectly applicable to the disbelievers of Quraysh, because the beliefs of polytheistic nations are similar to each other.

➋ The people of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) and the disbelievers of Makkah were involved in two fundamental misguidances: one, associating partners with Allah Almighty (shirk), and the other, denial of the Hereafter. The refutation of the first misguidance has already come in the previous verses; this is the refutation of the second misguidance.

➌ Ibrahim (peace be upon him) presented their own existence as proof of being resurrected, which they observe at all times: that Allah Almighty created them at a time when there was no mention of them at all. After coming into existence, they became hearing and seeing human beings, so the One who created them in the beginning is also capable of creating them again, ({’’إِنَّ‘‘} comes for reasoning), because this task is very easy for Allah Almighty. Elsewhere it is said: «{ وَ هُوَ الَّذِيْ يَبْدَؤُا الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيْدُهٗ وَ هُوَ اَهْوَنُ عَلَيْهِ}» [ الروم : ۲۷ ] “And He is the One who originates the creation, then repeats it, and that is even easier for Him.” Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes: “You see the beginning, so understand the repetition from that.”

19-1. After the affirmation of Tawheed and Prophethood, here the affirmation of Ma'ad (the Hereafter) is being made, which the disbelievers used to deny. It is said that the One who created you the first time is also He, when you had no existence at all, then you became seeing, hearing, and understanding beings, and then when you die and mix with the soil, apparently there will be no trace of you left, Allah Almighty will resurrect you again.

19-2. That is, no matter how difficult this matter seems to you, it is absolutely easy for Allah.

19. Have they not seen how Allah originates the creation, then repeats it? Surely, this (repetition) is even easier for Allah [31].

[31]
The Creation of Man in the Womb:

The creative feats of Allah Almighty are countless. To date, one million species of living beings inhabiting the earth have been identified. The future is known to Allah. The creation of each of these species is distinct. Now, for example, let us take the species of man alone, because more information is available about it. Its beginning was such that Allah Almighty made its figure from clay with His own hand. At that time, it was lifeless. When He breathed the soul into it, it became alive. Then its progeny continued through procreation. Man consumed food obtained from the earth; these foods were dead and lifeless. From these, semen was formed in man, which contains countless sperm. This very semen reached the womb of the female, and after mixing with her substance, became a drop of fluid (nutfah), from nutfah to a clot (‘alaqah), from ‘alaqah to a lump of flesh (mudghah). Up to this point, all of this was dead and motionless. Later, Allah granted this lump of flesh a soul, so it became living and moving. Now came the turn for the shape and form of man. In the mother’s womb, there are so many cells, the number of which is known only to Allah. Each of these cells is engaged in its own task; it neither deviates from its path nor interferes in the work of another cell. The cell of the nose will reach exactly where the nose is to be, the eye’s cell to the place of the eye, the ear’s cell to the place of the ear, and the heel’s cell to the place of the heel. And these cells directly reach their respective places and perform their roles. Until a specific shape and form of man is established, and in the mother’s womb, this is such a regulated and strong system in which there is no deviation. It never happens that one nostril of a person’s nose is small and the other is large, or one nostril is elongated and the other is flat. The same is the case with other organs. Then, after a fixed period, man, alive and with form and shape, comes out of the mother’s womb. Thus, from dead foods, Allah made living things. And this process is ongoing at all times in animals, plants, and humans—in short, in all species. From this verse, it is understood that this birth through procreation is easier for Allah than the creation of the first living being of each species.

The Second Creation is Easier than the First:

Now, its second aspect is that man was alive, he died, and mingled with the soil. And on the Day of Resurrection, that very man will be raised up again. The changes that will occur within the soil and the manner in which man will be recreated are matters beyond human investigation. However, it is a self-evident truth , which requires no proof, that making a copy is easier than making the original. And the second rational argument is that the Being who, in the mother’s womb, establishes such a regulated and coherent system and can raise a living, human-like being from dead things, can certainly recreate every human from the mingled elements in the soil. And this second creation is relatively easier for Him.