Surah Al-Hajj (22) — Ayah 5

5. O people! If you are in doubt about resurrection after death [4], then (know that) We created you from dust, then from a sperm-drop, then from a clinging clot, then from a lump of flesh—formed and unformed—so that We may make (Our power) clear to you. And We settle in the wombs whom We will for a specified term, then We bring you out as infants, then (We nurture you) so that you reach your full maturity. And among you is he who is taken in death, and among you is he who is returned to the worst part of life (extreme old age), so that after having knowledge, he knows nothing. And you see the earth lifeless, but when We send down rain upon it, it stirs and swells and produces every kind of beautiful [5] growth.

Proofs of the Oneness of Allah:

The primary dispute with the polytheists of Makkah was related to the divine powers attributed to their idols, and the second dispute was that, despite claiming to be followers of the religion of Ibrahim, they did not believe in resurrection after death. Therefore, such proofs are now being given which provide complete guidance regarding resurrection after death. The very first proof is the existence of man himself. Allah made Adam’s figure from clay. Clay is a lifeless thing. When Allah breathed His spirit into it, it became a living, breathing human. Then, through procreation, Adam’s offspring spread. Now, the things or foods that a human eats are all obtained from the earth. From these foods, sometimes human flesh is formed, sometimes bones, sometimes muscles are formed, and from this very food, the sperm is also formed, and in a single drop of sperm, there are thousands of living germs. Now see, the earth is also a lifeless thing, and the foods that man consumed were also lifeless. But Allah created living and moving germs from these lifeless things. Then, among these thousands of germs, when one or two germs meet the woman’s ovum, the process of human creation begins, and that too only if Allah wills. Otherwise, it often happens that even after the union of man and woman, conception does not occur, even though both the man’s and woman’s reproductive cells have full potential.

The Creation of Man in the Mother’s Womb:

Then, in the layered darkness of the mother’s womb, the way man is created and the stages he passes through, Allah has only mentioned those stages which generally come under the observation of ordinary people, and this observation occurs in the case of miscarriage. After the sperm, there is congealed blood, then this congealed blood turns into a lump of flesh. But at this stage, there is no form or shape on it. Then, in this lump of flesh, the features of all the organs such as eyes, nose, ears, hands, feet, etc., begin to form. Then, in this very lump, bones and muscles continue to form until, after the appointed time, a human child is born. If Allah wills, it becomes a boy, and if He wills, it becomes a girl, and all matters and stages are completed under Allah’s mighty supervision, as is clear from the following hadith. Sayyiduna Anas ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Allah has appointed an angel over the womb of a woman, who says, ‘O Lord! Now it is a sperm drop. O Lord! Now it has become blood. O Lord! Now it has become a lump of flesh.’ Then, when Allah decides regarding its creation, the angel asks, ‘Is it male or female? Is it wretched or blessed? What is its provision? And what is its lifespan?’ Then all this is written while it is still in the mother’s womb.” [بخاري كتاب الحيض۔ باب قول الله مخلقنه غير مخلقه]

The Greatest Proof of Resurrection After Death is Man’s Own Creation:

Now, the state of man’s heedlessness is such that no matter how astonishing a feat may be, if it has become a habit, he does not bother to reflect on it. But if something equally or less astonishing, which has not yet occurred, is mentioned, he immediately denies it. The event of resurrection after death is not much more astonishing than his own creation. But man’s denial is only because it has not yet occurred. Then, is it not astonishing enough that when a human child is born, until youth, his body, intellect, and strength all continue to increase, but after youth, even though he eats the same foods, or even better foods than before, his intellect and strength begin to decrease? His height reaches a certain limit and then stops, after which decline begins to appear. Eventually, a time comes when, besides the decay of his organs, his intellect also becomes impaired, he forgets what he has learned, and starts babbling like a child. Are these not such evidences that whatever Allah wills, only that happens, and that Allah has full power to do whatever He wills? Then, what reason can there be to deny resurrection after death?

The Second Proof of Resurrection from Plants:

This is the second proof regarding resurrection or life after death. Various kinds of plants and seeds are scattered in the earth, which the winds or birds have spread here and there. Similarly, the roots of countless things are buried in the soil in various places, in which there was no sign of plant life. But as soon as raindrops fell on them, life began to flourish everywhere. Every dead root rose from its grave, and every useless, lifeless seed took the form of a living plant. And this revival of the dead is such an act that every person observes it himself in the spring season and the rainy season. The same is the case with the human body, which decays and decomposes, and its season of rising is the second blowing of the trumpet. When that season comes, every human will be raised alive from his grave.