Tafseer of Yaseen · Yaseen · 36:77
Does man not consider that We created him from a [mere] sperm-drop - then at once he is a clear adversary?
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 concerning the explanation of His statement, the Exalted: أَوَلَمْ يَرَ الإِنْسَانُ أَنَّا خَلَقْنَاهُ مِنْ نُطْفَةٍ فَإِذَا هُوَ خَصِيمٌ مُبِينٌ ("Has man then not seen that We created him from a drop? And then he is an open disputant") (36:77).
He — exalted be His mention — says أَوَلَمْ يَرَ الإنْسَانُ أَنَّا خَلَقْنَاهُ ("Has man then not seen that We created him"). There is disagreement concerning who is meant by "man" in His statement أَوَلَمْ يَرَ الإنْسَانُ ("Has man then not seen"). Some said: by it Ubayy ibn Khalaf was meant.
* Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad ibn ʿUmāra related to me, saying: ʿUbayd Allah ibn Mūsā related to us, saying: Isrāʾīl related to us, on the authority of Abū Yaḥyā, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His statement مَنْ يُحْيِي الْعِظَامَ وَهِيَ رَمِيمٌ ("Who will give life to the bones when they have decayed?"), he said: Ubayy ibn Khalaf came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ with a bone.
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us, both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His statement وَضَرَبَ لَنَا مَثَلا ("And he has set forth for Us a parable"): Ubayy ibn Khalaf.
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His statement قَالَ مَنْ يُحْيِي الْعِظَامَ وَهِيَ رَمِيمٌ ("He said: Who will give life to the bones when they have decayed?"): we were told that Ubayy ibn Khalaf came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ with a weathered bone, crumbled it, then scattered it in the wind, and said: "O Muḥammad, who will give life to this now that it has decayed?" He said: "Allah will give it life, then cause it to die, and thereafter cause you to enter the Fire (al-nār)." He said: and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ killed him on the day of Uḥud.
And others said: no, by it al-ʿĀṣ ibn Wāʾil al-Sahmī was meant.
* Mention of who said that:
Yaʿqūb ibn Ibrāhīm related to me, saying: Hushaym related to us, saying: Abū Bishr informed us, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, he said: al-ʿĀṣ ibn Wāʾil al-Sahmī came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ with a weathered bone, crumbled it before him, and said: "O Muḥammad, will Allah raise this to life after it has decayed?" He said: "Yes, Allah will raise this, and He will cause you to die thereafter, then bring you to life, and thereafter lead you into the fire of Hell (jahannam)." He said: and the verses were revealed: أَوَلَمْ يَرَ الإنْسَانُ أَنَّا خَلَقْنَاهُ مِنْ نُطْفَةٍ فَإِذَا هُوَ خَصِيمٌ مُبِينٌ ("Has man then not seen that We created him from a drop? And then he is an open disputant")... to the end of the verse.
And others said: no, by it ʿAbd Allah ibn Ubayy was meant.
* Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: أَوَلَمْ يَرَ الإنْسَانُ أَنَّا خَلَقْنَاهُ مِنْ نُطْفَةٍ ("Has man then not seen that We created him from a drop")... up to His statement وَهِيَ رَمِيمٌ ("when they have decayed"), he said: ʿAbd Allah ibn Ubayy came to the Prophet ﷺ with a weathered bone, broke it with his hand, and then said: "O Muḥammad, how will Allah raise this now that it has decayed?" Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Allah will raise this, and He will cause you to die and thereafter lead you into Hell (jahannam)." Then Allah said: قُلْ يُحْيِيهَا الَّذِي أَنْشَأَهَا أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ خَلْقٍ عَلِيمٌ ("Say: He who produced them the first time will give them life; and He is All-Knowing of all creation").
The explanation of the words is thus: has this man, who says مَنْ يُحْيِي الْعِظَامَ وَهِيَ رَمِيمٌ ("Who will give life to the bones when they have decayed?"), then not seen that We created him from a drop and formed him into a well-shaped creature? فَإِذَا هُوَ خَصِيمٌ ("and then he is a disputant") means: and then he is one who disputes with his Lord, who argues with Him concerning what his Lord told him He would do — and that is Allah's announcement to him that He brings His creatures back to life after their death. Then he says: "Who will give life to these bones now that they have decayed?" — as a denial on his part of Allah's power to give them life.
And His statement مُبِينٌ ("open") means: he makes clear to whoever hears his disputing and that statement of his that he is arguing with his Lord, who created him.
