Written and collected by Zia H Shah MD

Abstract

Quran 17:99 presents a concise yet profound argument for bodily resurrection and divine omnipotence. It asks whether the same God who created the vast heavens and earth cannot re-create human beings, affirming that an appointed time for resurrection is set beyond doubt. Classical Islamic exegesis – Sunni and Shi‘i alike – highlights this verse as a rational proof of afterlife, emphasizing God’s creative power and human folly in denying it. Early authorities such as al-Ṭabarī and al-Rāzī stress that re-creating humans is as easy for God as the first creation quran.comtafsir.app, while Shi‘i scholars like al-Ṭūsī and al-Ṭabarsī concur that the verse refutes skeptics’ doubts about resurrection. Modern commentators (e.g. Zia H. Shah MD) expand this discussion, engaging scientific insights from cosmology and biology to illustrate the reasonability of faith in resurrection – from the Big Bang to human embryonic development – thereby bridging classical theology with contemporary knowledge thequran.love thequran.love. Philosophically, Quran 17:99 invites reflection on human arrogance versus humility: those who scoff at resurrection “except with disbelief” are admonished to use reason and observe the natural world as evidence of God’s power. Through a multidisciplinary lens – exegetical, philosophical, scientific, and comparative – this commentary explores the verse’s rich implications, from the Quran’s own milieu to modern thought, ultimately affirming that faith in afterlife is both theologically sound and rationally grounded. The commentary concludes with a thematic epilogue reflecting on how belief in resurrection shapes a holistic understanding of divine justice and human purpose.

Text and Context of Quran 17:99

Arabic Text:

“أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّ اللَّهَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ قَادِرٌ عَلَىٰ أَن يَخْلُقَ مِثْلَهُمْ ۖ وَجَعَلَ لَهُمْ أَجَلًا لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ ۖ فَأَبَى الظَّالِمُونَ إِلَّا كُفُورًا”

Translation: “Have they not realized that Allah, Who created the heavens and earth, can easily recreate them (the likes of them)? He has appointed for them a fixed time, about which there is no doubt. But the wrongdoers refuse everything except disbelief.” myislam.org

This verse appears near the end of Sūrat al-Isrā’ (17:99), in a passage addressing the denial of bodily resurrection by Meccan disbelievers. The immediately preceding verse (17:98) describes the disbelievers’ attitude: “That is their recompense for having disbelieved in Our signs and for saying: ‘When we are bones and crumbled dust, shall we really be raised as a new creation?’” This context sets the stage for verse 99 as God’s rebuttal to their skepticism. By asking rhetorically “Have they not seen…?”, the Quran invites the listener to reflect using reason and observation. The argument is straightforward: if God could create the cosmos in the first place, He surely can recreate human beings. The verse also declares that God has fixed an appointed time for this re-creation – a reference to the Day of Resurrection – which is certain to come, “no doubt in it.” Yet, despite this logical and authoritative assurance, the verse notes that the wrongdoers persist in their stubborn unbelief.

Historically, Quran 17:99 was revealed in the Meccan period when the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ faced ridicule from the pagan Quraysh for preaching resurrection. Reports in classical sīra (Prophetic biography) mention individuals like Ubayy ibn Khalaf who scoffed at the idea by crumbling decayed bones and asking who would revive them thequran.love. Verses such as 17:99 — and parallel passages elsewhere in the Quran — were revealed to challenge this cynicism. The Quran’s method is notable: rather than providing a mere threat or mystery, it offers a rational analogy grounded in observable reality (the existence of heaven and earth) to make belief in resurrection intellectually palatable. In what follows, we delve into how classical commentators understood this verse, and how its themes have been engaged through theological, philosophical, and scientific perspectives.

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