16:38

وَأَقۡسَمُواْ بِٱللَّهِ جَهۡدَ أَيۡمَٰنِهِمۡ لَا يَبۡعَثُ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَمُوتُۚ بَلَىٰ وَعۡدًا عَلَيۡهِ حَقّٗا وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ

Waaqsamoo biAllahi jahda aymanihim la yabAAathu Allahu man yamootu bala waAAdan AAalayhi haqqan walakinna akthara alnnasi la yaAAlamoona

And they swear by Allah their strongest oaths [that] Allah will not resurrect one who dies. But yes - [it is] a true promise [binding] upon Him, but most of the people do not know.

Word by word
  1. وَأَقۡسَمُواْAnd they swear
  2. بِٱللَّهِby Allah
  3. جَهۡدَstrongest
  4. أَيۡمَٰنِهِمۡ(of) their oaths
  5. لَاAllah will not resurrect
  6. يَبۡعَثُAllah will not resurrect
  7. ٱللَّهُAllah will not resurrect
  8. مَن(one) who
  9. يَمُوتُۚdies
  10. بَلَىٰNay
  11. وَعۡدًا(it is) a promise
  12. عَلَيۡهِupon Him
  13. حَقّٗا(in) truth
  14. وَلَٰكِنَّbut
  15. أَكۡثَرَmost
  16. ٱلنَّاسِ(of) the mankind
  17. لَا(do) not
  18. يَعۡلَمُونَknow
An-Nahl · 16:38Makkah

They swore hard that the dead stay dead. Yes, they rise.

A strong oath against a true promise


Oath against promise
strongest oathsno one will be raised
answered by
Yesa promise binding on Him
What makes it true
how sure I feelmy strongest oath
His promisemost people do not know

Ibn Kathir says the idolators swore fervently that Allah would not resurrect the dead, thinking it impossible, and did not believe the Messengers. Allah's answer is one word, yes, and a promise He has bound Himself to.

Your friend says, totally sure, that when you die that's it, lights out. They say it loudly, with confidence. Certainty in a voice is not proof. The promise does not depend on who sounds surest.

If someone says it with total confidence, they probably know.

Loud certainty does not change Allah's promise that we will rise.

Try this

Spend two quiet minutes today thinking about standing before Allah one day.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And they swear by Allah with their strongest oaths, that Allah will not raise up one who dies. Yes, (He will raise them up), a promise (binding) upon Him in truth, but most of mankind know not (38)In order that He may make clear to them what they differed over, and so that those who disbelieved may know that they were liars (39)Verily, Our Word to a thing when We intend it, is only that We say unto it: "Be!" - and it is (40)

The Resurrection after Death is true, there is Wisdom behind it, and it is easy for Allah

Allah tells us that the idolators swore by Allah their strongest oaths, meaning that they made oaths swore fervently that Allah would not resurrect the one who died. They considered that to be improbable, and did not believe the Messengers when they told them about that, swearing that it could not happen. Allah said, refuting them:

بَلَىٰ

(Yes), meaning it will indeed happen,

وَعْدًا عَلَيْهِ حَقًّا

(a promise (binding) upon Him in truth,) - meaning it is inevitable,

وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

(but most of mankind know not.) means, because of their ignorance they oppose the Messengers and fall into disbelief. Then Allah mentions His wisdom and the reason why He will resurrect mankind physically on the Day of Calling (between the people of Fire and of Paradise). He says,

لِيُبَيِّنَ لَهُمُ

(In order that He may make clear to them) means, to mankind,

الَّذِي يَخْتَلِفُونَ فِيهِ

(what they differed over,) means, every dispute.

 لِيَجْزِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسَاءُوا بِمَا عَمِلُوا وَيَجْزِيَ الَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا بِالْحُسْنَى

(that He may requite those who do evil with that which they have done (i. e. punish them in Hell), and reward those who do good, with what is best (i.e. Paradise).)(53:31)

وَلِيَعْلَمَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا كَاذِبِينَ

(and so that those who disbelieved may know that they were liars.) meaning that they lied in their oaths and their swearing that Allah would not resurrect those who die. Thus they will be pushed down by force to the Fire with horrible force on the Day of Resurrection, and the guards of Hell will say to them:

هَٰذِهِ النَّارُ الَّتِي كُنتُم بِهَا تُكَذِّبُونَ - أَفَسِحْرٌ هَٰذَا أَمْ أَنتُمْ لَا تُبْصِرُونَ - اصْلَوْهَا فَاصْبِرُوا أَوْ لَا تَصْبِرُوا سَوَاءٌ عَلَيْكُمْ ۖ إِنَّمَا تُجْزَوْنَ مَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

(This is the Fire which you used to belie. Is this magic or do you not see? Taste its heat, and whether you are tolerant of it or intolerant of it - it is all the same. You are only being requited for what you have done.)(52:14-16).

Then Allah tells us about His ability to do whatever He wills, and that nothing is impossible for Him on earth or in heaven. When He wants a thing, all He has to do is say to it "Be!" and it is. The Resurrection is one such thing, when He wants it to happen, all He will have to do is issue the command once, and it will happen as He wills, as He says:

وَمَا أَمْرُنَا إِلَّا وَاحِدَةٌ كَلَمْحٍ بِالْبَصَرِ

(And Our commandment is but one as the twinkling of an eye)(54:50) and,

مَّا خَلْقُكُمْ وَلَا بَعْثُكُمْ إِلَّا كَنَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ

(The creation of you all and the resurrection of you all are only as (the creation and resurrection of) a single person.)[31:28] And in this Ayah, Allah says:

إِنَّمَا قَوْلُنَا لِشَيْءٍ إِذَا أَرَدْنَاهُ أَن نَّقُولَ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ

(Verily, Our Word to a thing when We intend it, is only that We say to it: "Be!" - and it is.) meaning, We issue the command once, and then it happens.

Allah does not need to repeat or confirm whatever He commands, because there is nothing that can stop Him or oppose Him. He is the One, the Compelling, the Almighty, whose power, might and dominion have subjected all things. None has the right to be worshipped except Him, and there is no Lord other than Him.