Overview (Verses 11 - 18)

Two Divergent Ways
 
The sūrah then speaks about the truth of resurrection, of which they remain heedless, when it is part of the great truth upon which the universe is based: “God originates creation, and then brings it back; then to Him shall you all return.” (Verse 11) This is a clear and simple truth, with the link and harmony between its two parts or stages also abundantly clear. Bringing back creation is the same as its origination: the two are inseparable parts in the chain of creation, while the ultimate return is to the Lord of all the worlds who initially originates then brings them back so as to remunerate them for their actions in the final stage.
 
As the sūrah speaks of resurrection, it portrays a scene of the Day of Judgement, painting the fates of believers and unbelievers when they are returned to life. It shows the absurdity of associating partners with God and the stupidity of the unbelievers’ beliefs: When the Last Hour strikes, the guilty will be speechless with despair, for they will have no intercessors from among those their alleged partners [of God], and they will themselves reject those alleged partners. And when the Last Hour strikes, they will all be divided: as for those who believed and did righteous deeds, they shall be happy in a garden of delight; but as for those who rejected the truth and denied Our revelations and the certainty of the meeting in the hereafter, they will be brought up for punishment. (Verses 12-16) So the Last Hour, of which some people remain heedless while others deny it, arrives, and the guilty stand in despair, with no hope of salvation. They cannot hope for even a word of intercession by the false deities they claimed to be partners with God. They are without support and without a saviour. At that moment, they deny the false deities they claimed to be God’s partners.
 
Hence we see the parting of the ways between believers and unbelievers: “As for those who believed and did righteous deeds, they shall be happy in a garden of delight.” (Verse 15) There they receive what gives them true happiness. However, “as for those who rejected the truth and denied Our revelations and the certainty of the meeting in the hereafter, they will be brought up for punishment.” (Verse 16) Thus, we see the end of the journey and the outcome for both the believers and those who do evil.
 
The sūrah then paints other scenes of the universe and life, highlighting some of the wonders of creation, the depths of the human soul, and miraculous events. This round starts with acknowledging God’s limitless glory as the night and day succeed each other, and extolling God’s praise at night and during the glorious day: Extol, then, God’s limitless glory both in your evening hours and in your morning hours. To Him is due all praise in the heavens and the earth, at twilight and at noon. He it is who brings forth the living out of that which is dead, and brings forth the dead out of that which is alive, and gives life to the earth after it has been lifeless. Likewise shall you be raised to life. One of His signs is that He created you from dust; and, behold, you become human beings spreading far and wide. And among His signs is that He creates for you spouses out of your own kind, so that you might incline towards them, and He engenders love and tenderness between you. In this there are clear signs indeed for people who think. And among His signs are the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the diversity of your tongues and colours. In this there are clear signs indeed for those who are endowed with knowledge. And among His signs is your sleep, at night and in daytime, as well as your quest for some of His bounty. In this there are clear signs indeed for people who listen. And among His signs is that He displays before you the lightning, giving rise to both fear and hope, and sends down water from the skies, with which He gives life to the earth after it had been lifeless. In this there are clear signs indeed for people who use their reason. And among His signs is that the skies and the earth stand firm at His behest. Then, in the end, when with one call He summons you from the earth, you will all rise. To Him belongs all those in the heavens and the earth: all devoutly obey Him. It is He who creates [life] in the first instance, and then brings it forth anew; and most easy is this for Him. His is the most sublime attribute in the heavens and the earth. He is the Almighty, the Wise. (Verses 17-27) These verses represent a great tour far and wide into the universe, showing the human heart the approaching evening, the breaking of dawn, the skies, the earth, the night and the day. It calls on the human mind to reflect on the continuous cycle of life and death, as well as the first origins of man and the inclinations, desires and powers implanted in his nature, as also the bonds between the two sexes. It turns its attention to the great sign God has placed in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the great differences in language and colour according to place and environment. It highlights the different situations of man: sleep, awareness, rest and tiredness; as well as different world phenomena such as lightning, rain and the feeling of awe and hope they generate, and the life they bring to the earth. This great tour leads man’s heart in the end to the truth that the skies and the earth stand firm by God’s command, while all that lives in the heavens and the earth belong to Him. It concludes by restating the simple truth that now appears in absolute clarity: that it is God who originates and brings back, and that bringing creation back to life is easier for Him.
 
The Cycle of Life and Death
 
“Extol, then, God’s limitless glory both in your evening hours and in your morning hours. To Him is due all praise in the heavens and the earth, at twilight and at noon.” (Verses 17- 18) This glorification and praise of God are stated here in comment on the previous section that shows a scene of the Day of Judgement when the believers win the prize of entry into heaven while those who disbelieve are brought to witness their own suffering. They also serve as an introduction to the great tour that immediately follows. They thus provide a smooth link between the previous scene and the forthcoming tour.