Tafseer of Sheba · Saba · 34:7
But those who disbelieve say, "Shall we direct you to a man who will inform you [that] when you have disintegrated in complete disintegration, you will [then] be [recreated] in a new creation?
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The discourse on the explanation of His statement, the Exalted: وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا هَلْ نَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى رَجُلٍ يُنَبِّئُكُمْ إِذَا مُزِّقْتُمْ كُلَّ مُمَزَّقٍ إِنَّكُمْ لَفِي خَلْقٍ جَدِيدٍ (7) (And those who disbelieve say: "Shall we point you to a man who informs you that when you have been utterly torn to pieces, you will indeed be in a new creation?") (34:7)
He, exalted be His remembrance, says: And those who disbelieved in Allah and in His Messenger Muḥammad — may Allah's blessing and peace be upon him — said to one another, in amazement at His promise to them of resurrection after death: هَلْ نَدُلُّكُمْ ("Shall we point you"), O people, عَلَى رَجُلٍ يُنَبِّئُكُمْ إِذَا مُزِّقْتُمْ كُلَّ مُمَزَّقٍ إِنَّكُمْ لَفِي خَلْقٍ جَدِيدٍ ("to a man who informs you that when you have been utterly torn to pieces, you will indeed be in a new creation?"). He says: who informs you that, after you have disintegrated in the earth into decay (balāʾ), and after you have become decayed remains in the dust, you will return to your form as it was before death, as a new creation.
As Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا هَلْ نَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى رَجُلٍ يُنَبِّئُكُمْ إِذَا مُزِّقْتُمْ كُلَّ مُمَزَّقٍ ("And those who disbelieve say: 'Shall we point you to a man who informs you that when you have been utterly torn to pieces...'"), he said: This is what the polytheists (mushrikīn) of Quraysh and the polytheists among the people said. يُنَبِّئُكُمْ إِذَا مُزِّقْتُمْ كُلَّ مُمَزَّقٍ ("who informs you that when you have been utterly torn to pieces"), that is to say: when the earth has consumed you and you have become decayed remains and bones, and the beasts of prey and the birds have torn you to pieces, إِنَّكُمْ لَفِي خَلْقٍ جَدِيدٍ ("that you will indeed be in a new creation") — you will be brought to life and resurrected.
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His statement هَلْ نَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى رَجُلٍ ... ("Shall we point you to a man...") up to خَلْقٍ جَدِيدٍ ("a new creation"), he said: He says: إِذَا مُزِّقْتُمْ ("when you have been torn to pieces") and when you have decayed and become bones, dust, and decayed remains, that is كُلَّ مُمَزَّقٍ إِنَّكُمْ لَفِي خَلْقٍ جَدِيدٍ ("utterly torn to pieces — that you will indeed be in a new creation"). He said: He informs you that you will be [thus]. He read inna [with kasra: inna-kum] and did not make yunabbiʾu-kum ("he informs you") govern it grammatically, but began with it as a fresh beginning, because the informing (al-nabaʾ) is a report and an utterance; and the kasra in inna is on account of the sense of quotation (al-ḥikāya) in His statement يُنَبِّئُكُمْ ("he informs you"), not on account of its literal wording, as though it were said: he says to you: إِنَّكُمْ لَفِي خَلْقٍ جَدِيدٍ ("you are indeed in a new creation").
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Footnotes:
(3) balāʾ: with fatḥa on the bāʾ, with lengthening: the verbal noun of baliya, with kasra on the lām. One says: the garment decayed (baliya) into a decay (balā and balāʾ). (al-Lisān)
