Surah Ya-Sin 36:80

The Denial of Life after Death, and the Refutation of this Idea

Mujahid, `Ikrimah, `Urwah bin Az-Zubayr, As-Suddi and Qatadah said, "Ubayy bin Khalaf, may Allah curse him, came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ with a dry bone in his hand, which he was crumbling and scattering in the air, saying, `O Muhammad! Are you claiming that Allah will resurrect this' He said:

«نَعَمْ، يُمِيتُكَ اللهُ تَعَالَى، ثُمَّ يَبْعَثُكَ، ثُمَّ يَحْشُرُكَ إِلَى النَّار»

(Yes, Allah, may He be exalted, will cause you to die, then He will resurrect you and will gather you into the Fire.)" Then these Ayat at the end of Surah Ya Sin were revealed:

أَوَلَمْ يَرَ الإِنسَـنُ أَنَّا خَلَقْنَـهُ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ

(Does not man see that We have created him from Nutfah.) -- until the end of the Surah. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "Al-`As bin Wa'il took a bone from the bed of a valley and crumbled it in his hand, then he said to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: `Will Allah bring this back to life after it has disintegrated' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

«نَعَمْ، يُمِيتُكَ اللهُ، ثُمَّ يُحْيِيكَ، ثُمَّ يُدْخِلُكَ جَهَنَّم»

(Yes, Allah will cause you to die, then He will bring you back to life, then He will make you enter Hell.) Then the Ayat at the end of Surah Ya Sin were revealed." This was recorded by Ibn Jarir from Sa`id bin Jubayr. Whether these Ayat were revealed about Ubayy bin Khalaf or Al-`As bin Wa'il, or both of them, they apply to all those who deny the resurrection after death. The definite article "Al" in

أَوَلَمْ يَرَ الإِنسَـنُ

(Does not man (Al-Insan) see...) is generic, applying to all those who deny the Resurrection.

أَنَّا خَلَقْنَـهُ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ فَإِذَا هُوَ خَصِيمٌ مٌّبِينٌ

(that We have created him from Nutfah. Yet behold he (stands forth) as an open opponent.) means, the one who is denying the resurrection, cannot see that the One Who initiated creation can re-create it. For Allah initiated the creation of man from semen of despised fluid, creating him from something insignificant, weak and despised, as Allah says:

أَلَمْ نَخْلُقكُّم مِّن مَّآءٍ مَّهِينٍ - فَجَعَلْنَـهُ فِى قَرَارٍ مَّكِينٍ - إِلَى قَدَرٍ مَّعْلُومٍ

(Did We not create you from a despised water Then We placed it in a place of safety, for a known period) (77:20-22)

إِنَّا خَلَقْنَا الإِنسَـنَ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ أَمْشَاجٍ

(Verily, We have created man from Nutfah) (76:2). which means, from a mixture of different fluids. The One Who created man from this weak Nutfah is not unable to re-create him after his death. Imam Ahmad recorded in his Musnad that Bishr bin Jahhash said, "One day the Messenger of Allah ﷺ spat in his hand and put his finger on it, then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

«قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى: ابْنَ آدَمَ أَنَّى تُعْجِزُنِي وَقَدْ خَلَقْتُكَ مِنْ مِثْلِ هَذِهِ، حَتْى إِذَا سَوَّيْتُكَ وَعَدَلْتُكَ، مَشَيْتَ بَيْنَ بُرْدَيْكَ، وَلِلْأَرْضِ مِنْكَ وَئِيدٌ، فَجَمَعْتَ وَمَنَعْتَ، حَتْى إِذَا بَلَغَتِ التَّرَاقِيَ قُلْتَ: أَتَصَدَّقُ، وَأَنَّى أَوَانُ الصَّدَقَةِ؟»

(Allah, may He be exalted, says: "Son of Adam, how can you outrun Me when I have created you from something like this, and when I have fashioned you and formed you, you walk in your cloak on the earth and it groans beneath your tread. You accumulate and do not spend until the death rattle reaches your throat, then you say, `I want to give in charity,' but it is too late for charity.")" It was also recorded by Ibn Majah. Allah says:

وَضَرَبَ لَنَا مَثَلاً وَنَسِىَ خَلْقَهُ قَالَ مَن يُحىِ الْعِظَـمَ وَهِىَ رَمِيمٌ

(And he puts forth for Us a parable, and forgets his own creation. He says: "Who will give life to these bones after they are rotten and have become dust") meaning, he thinks it unlikely that Allah, the Almighty Who created the heavens and the earth, will re-create these bodies and dry bones. Man forgets about himself, that Allah created him from nothing and brought him into existence, and he knows by looking at himself that there is something greater than that which he denies and thinks impossible. Allah says:

قُلْ يُحْيِيهَا الَّذِى أَنشَأَهَآ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ خَلْقٍ عَلِيمٌ

(Say: "He will give life to them Who created them for the first time! And He is the All-Knower of every creation!") meaning, He knows about the bones in all areas and regions of the earth, where they have gone when they disintegrated and dispersed. Imam Ahmad recorded that Rib`i said: ""Uqbah bin `Amr said to Hudhayfah, may Allah be pleased with him, `Will you not tell us what you heard from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ' He said, `I heard him say:

«إِنَّ رَجُلًا حَضَرَهُ الْمَوْتُ، فَلَمَّا أَيِسَ مِنَ الْحَيَاةِ أَوْصَى أَهْلَهُ: إِذَا أَنَا مُتُّ فَاجْمَعُوا لِي حَطَبًا كَثِيرًا جَزْلًا، ثُمَّ أَوْقِدُوا فِيهِ نَارًا، حَتْى إِذَا أَكَلَتْ لَحْمِي، وَخَلَصَتْ إِلَى عَظْمِي فَامْتُحِشْتُ، فَخُذُوهَا فَدُقُّوهَا فَذَرُّوهَا فِي الْيَمِّ، فَفَعَلُوا، فَجَمَعَهُ اللهُ تَعَالَى إِلَيْهِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ: لِمَ فَعَلْتَ ذَلِكَ؟ قَالَ: مِنْ خَشْيَتِكَ، فَغَفَرَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَه»

(Death approached a man and when there was no longer any hope for him, he said to his family, "When I die, gather a lot of firewood, then set it ablaze until my flesh is consumed and it reaches my bones and they become brittle. Then take them and grind them, and scatter them in the sea." So they did that, but Allah gathered him together and said to him: "Why did you do that" He said, "Because I feared You." So Allah forgave him.)' `Uqbah bin `Amr said, `I heard him say that, and the man was a gravedigger."' Many versions of this Hadith were recorded in the Two Sahihs. One of these versions mentions that he commanded his sons to burn him and then grind his remains into small pieces, and then scatter half of them on land and half of them on the sea on a windy day. So they did that, then Allah commanded the sea to gather together whatever remains were in it, and He commanded the land to do likewise, then he said to him, "Be!", and he was a man, standing. Allah said to him. "What made you do what you did" He said, "The fear of You, and You know best." Straight away He forgave him.

الَّذِى جَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنَ الشَّجَرِ الاٌّخْضَرِ نَاراً فَإِذَآ أَنتُم مِّنْه تُوقِدُونَ

(He Who produces for you fire out of the green tree, when behold you kindle therewith.) means, the One Who initiated the creation of this tree from water, when it has become green and beautiful, bearing fruit, then He changes it until it becomes dry wood with which fires are lit. For He does whatever He wills and He is able to do whatever He wills, and none can stop Him. Qatadah said concerning the Ayah:

الَّذِى جَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنَ الشَّجَرِ الاٌّخْضَرِ نَاراً فَإِذَآ أَنتُم مِّنْه تُوقِدُونَ

(He Who produces for you fire out of the green tree, when behold you kindle therewith.) this means, the One Who brought forth this fire from this tree is able to resurrect him. It was said that this refers to the Markh tree and the `Afar tree, which grow in the Hijaz. If one wants to light a fire but has no kindling with him, then he takes two green branches from these trees and rubs one against the other, and fire is produced from them. So they are just like kindling. This was reported from Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him.

Pada ayat ini disebutkan bahwa Allah juga memerintahkan rasul-Nya untuk menjelaskan kepada orang-orang musyrik tersebut bahwa yang akan menghidupkan kembali tulang-tulang lapuk tersebut adalah Allah yang telah menciptakan untuk mereka, api yang menyala dari kayu yang semula merupakan pohon yang basah dan hijau tetapi kemudian kayu itu menjadi kering sehingga dapat menyalakan api. Dalam kehidupan sehari-hari, orang Arab telah mengetahui bahwa ada beberapa jenis kayu yang jika digesekkan antara satu dengan lainnya akan memercikkan api. Ini semua diciptakan Allah untuk manusia agar mereka bisa menghangatkan badan, memasak, menggunakannya untuk penerangan, dan berbagai kebutuhan lainnya.

Pemberian contoh ini merupakan hal yang cukup jelas bagi mereka yang sehari-hari menggunakan kayu api. Mereka mengira bahwa tulang-tulang yang sudah lapuk itu telah menjadi dingin dan kering tidak dapat lagi menerima kehidupan, sebab kehidupan ini memerlukan adanya panas. Padahal sehari-hari mereka menyaksikan bahwa kayu yang sudah lapuk dan dingin dapat menimbulkan panas dan menghidupkan api. Bahkan kayu yang masih basah dan berdaun ada juga yang dapat menyalakan api.

Menurut kajian ilmiah, api di sini dapat saja diinterpretasikan sebagai energi. Di dalam tumbuhan memang terjadi proses pemanfaatan energi matahari untuk mengubah bahan yang diambil tumbuhan menjadi energi kimiawi. Penjelasan mengenai terjadinya perubahan energi tersebut, yang disebut sebagai proses fotosintesa adalah sebagai berikut.

Dari banyak bagian tumbuhan, salah satu yang terpenting adalah adanya kloroplas (chloroplast) yang terdapat pada daun. Pada kloroplas ini terdapat ribuan kloropil (chlorophyl) atau butir hijau daun, dan dalam bahasa Al-Qur'an dikenal dengan nama al-khadir (bahan hijau). Kedua ayat di atas menyinggung keberadaan kloropil yang berwarna hijau (al-An'am/6: 99) dan peranan matahari dalam menjalankan "pabrik hijau" ini (at-Takwir/81: 17-18).

Sel tumbuhan, tidak sebagaimana sel manusia atau binatang, dapat menggunakan secara langsung energi matahari. Tumbuhan akan mengubah energi matahari menjadi energi kimia, dan menyimpannya dalam bentuk nutrien dengan cara yang khusus. Proses ini dinamakan fotosintesis (Photosynthesis). Sel berwarna hijau ini hanya dapat dilihat dengan menggunakan mikroskop. Ini adalah satu-satunya laboratorium di dunia yang dapat menyimpan energi matahari dalam bentuk bahan organik.

Sebagaimana diuraikan di atas, maka tumbuhan adalah makhluk yang sangat dan paling penting untuk kelangsungan kehidupan makhluk lainnya. Di samping menghasilkan bahan makanan, proses fotosintesa yang dilakukan tumbuhan juga menghasilkan oksigen. Oksigen adalah bahan untuk bernapas bagi semua makhluk hidup, termasuk manusia dan binatang.

Dengan demikian tepatlah Allah memberikan contoh, bahkan bukan hanya kayu yang kering saja dapat menyalakan api tetapi kayu yang masih hijau dan basah pun dapat juga dijadikan kayu api. Sebaliknya, tulang-tulang yang dapat menerima kehidupan bukan hanya tulang-tulang yang segar, tetapi tulang yang sudah lapuk pun dapat pula menerima kehidupan dengan kekuasaan Allah.