Quran Universe
13:5

۞وَإِن تَعۡجَبۡ فَعَجَبٞ قَوۡلُهُمۡ أَءِذَا كُنَّا تُرَٰبًا أَءِنَّا لَفِي خَلۡقٖ جَدِيدٍۗ أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِرَبِّهِمۡۖ وَأُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلۡأَغۡلَٰلُ فِيٓ أَعۡنَاقِهِمۡۖ وَأُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلنَّارِۖ هُمۡ فِيهَا خَٰلِدُونَ

Wain taAAjab faAAajabun qawluhum aitha kunna turaban ainna lafee khalqin jadeedin olaika allatheena kafaroo birabbihim waolaika alaghlalu fee aAAnaqihim waolaika ashabu alnnari hum feeha khalidoona

And if you are astonished, [O Muhammad] - then astonishing is their saying, "When we are dust, will we indeed be [brought] into a new creation?" Those are the ones who have disbelieved in their Lord, and those will have shackles upon their necks, and those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide therein eternally.

Word by word
  1. ۞وَإِنAnd if
  2. تَعۡجَبۡyou (are) astonished
  3. فَعَجَبٞthen astonishing
  4. قَوۡلُهُمۡ(is) their saying
  5. أَءِذَاWhen
  6. كُنَّاwe are
  7. تُرَٰبًاdust
  8. أَءِنَّاwill we
  9. لَفِي(be) indeed,in
  10. خَلۡقٖa creation
  11. جَدِيدٍۗnew
  12. أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَThose
  13. ٱلَّذِينَ(are) the ones who
  14. كَفَرُواْdisbelieved
  15. بِرَبِّهِمۡۖin their Lord
  16. وَأُوْلَـٰٓئِكَand those
  17. ٱلۡأَغۡلَٰلُthe iron chains
  18. فِيٓ(will be) in
  19. أَعۡنَاقِهِمۡۖtheir necks
  20. وَأُوْلَـٰٓئِكَthose
  21. أَصۡحَٰبُ(are the) companions
  22. ٱلنَّارِۖ(of) the Fire
  23. هُمۡthey
  24. فِيهَاin it
  25. خَٰلِدُونَ(will) abide forever
Ar-Ra'd · 13:5Madinah

The strange thing is doubting the second creation.

They accept the first creation and deny the return

What they said
we became dustbones in the ground
and then
a new creation?that is impossible
Allah calls it
astonishingthe real wonder
Which is harder
bringing backfrom dust
is easier than
making from nothingwhich they already admit

Ibn Kathir explains that the people denying resurrection already admitted that Allah created everything from nothing. Yet they said when we are dust, will we be made new? The verse tells the Prophet ﷺ: if you want something to wonder at, wonder at that. The One who began it is more able to repeat it.

You believe your body was built from a single cell, which is a miracle. Then you hear about rising again and something in you shrugs: sounds far-fetched. You already believe the harder thing. The return is the easier one.

Coming back after death is hard to picture, so I keep it at a distance.

I already exist from nothing. Coming back is the smaller step.

Try this

Tonight, before sleep, remember sleep is a small rehearsal of the return, and thank Allah for waking you this morning.

Related46:33
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And if you wonder, then wondrous is their saying: "When we are dust, shall we indeed then be (raised) in a new creation?" They are those who disbelieved in their Lord! They are those who will have iron chains linking their hands to their necks. They will be dwellers of the Fire to abide therein forever (5)

Denying Resurrection after Death is Strange

Allah says to His Messenger Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him,

وَإِن تَعْجَبْ

(And if you wonder.) at the rejection of the polytheists who deny Resurrection, even though they witness Allah's signs and evidences that He made in His creation which testify that He is able to do everything. Yet, they admit that Allah originated the creation of all things and brought them into existence after they were nothing. However, they deny Allah's claim that He will resurrect the world anew, even though they admit to what is more amazing than what they deny and reject. Therefore, it is amazing that they said,

أَإِذَا كُنَّا تُرَابًا أَإِنَّا لَفِي خَلْقٍ جَدِيدٍ

(When we are dust, shall we indeed then be (raised) in a new creation?) It is an obvious fact to every sane and knowledgeable person that creating the heavens and earth is a greater feat than creating men, and that He Who has originated creation is more able to resurrect it anew,

أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّ اللَّهَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَلَمْ يَعْيَ بِخَلْقِهِنَّ بِقَادِرٍ عَلَىٰ أَن يُحْيِيَ الْمَوْتَىٰ ۚ بَلَىٰ إِنَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

(Do they not see that Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth, and was not wearied by their creation, is able to give life to the dead? Yes, He surely is able to do all things)[46:33] Allah described those who deny Resurrection,

أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِرَبِّهِمْ ۖ وَأُولَٰئِكَ الْأَغْلَالُ فِي أَعْنَاقِهِمْ

(They are those who disbelieved in their Lord! They are those who will have iron chains linking their hands to their necks.) They will be dragged in the Fire by these chains,

وَأُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ

(They will be dwellers of the Fire to abide therein forever.), for they will remain in Hell forever and will never escape it or be removed from it.