Epigraph

لَخَلْقُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ أَكْبَرُ مِنْ خَلْقِ النَّاسِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

Written and collected by Zia H Shah MD

Abstract

Qur’an 40:57 declares, “Assuredly, the creation of the heavens and the earth is greater than the creation of mankind, but most people do not know.” This commentary explores the profound implications of this verse by integrating classical Islamic exegesis with contemporary interpretations, alongside scientific and philosophical insights. Classical Sunni and Shia commentators – from Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī and Ibn Kathīr to modern Shia scholars – understood the verse as affirming God’s supreme creative power and using the cosmos’ vastness as proof that resurrecting human beings is easy by comparison myislam.org myislam.org. Contemporary voices like Sayyid Qutb, Nouman Ali Khan, Nasr Abu Zayd, and Zia H. Shah MD have expanded this discourse, linking the verse to modern scientific knowledge and humanistic thought. Cosmology, physics, and biology now enrich our understanding of “the heavens and the earth,” revealing a 13.8-billion-year-old universe of **≈**2 trillion galaxies en.wikipedia.org and showing that the very atoms of our bodies were forged in starse-education.psu.edu. These findings amplify the Qur’an’s message: humanity’s physical presence is minuscule next to creation’s immensity islam-science.net, yet the human mind – endowed by God – can grasp these truths, yielding humility and spiritual insight. Through a scholarly lens, this commentary situates Qur’an 40:57 in its historical theological context and in dialogue with modern science and philosophy, illustrating how the verse’s themes of divine omnipotence, human humility, and cosmic purpose remain profoundly relevant.

Introduction

Surah Ghafir (40) addresses theological truths in the face of unbelief. Verse 57 appears in a passage refuting the skeptics of resurrection, presenting a rational analogy: if God created the vast heavens and earth, reviving humans is certainly within His power surahquran.com myislam.org. By stating that the universe’s creation is “greater” than mankind’s creation, the Qur’an invites reflection on scale and significance. The immediate intent, as noted by Abul A‘lā Maududi, is to dispel the notion that revivifying dead humans is implausible – a God capable of cosmic creation can easily perform personal re-creation surahquran.com. Yet the verse’s wording also carries broader philosophical resonance. It recalibrates human self-importance by framing humanity within the wider tapestry of creation. Classical commentators explain that most people “do not know” this truth because they fail to contemplate the universe as a clear sign (āyah) of God’s power myislam.org. The verse thus serves a dual purpose: it underpins the doctrine of the Hereafter rationally, and it instills humility in the reader by evoking the sheer scale of Allah’s creation. In what follows, we delve into how this message has been interpreted across centuries – from the Qur’an’s first audiences and their exegetes, to modern thinkers engaging science and philosophy – and how the verse’s themes bridge scriptural wisdom with contemporary knowledge.

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