وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى يُرْسِلُ ٱلرِّيَـٰحَ بُشْرًۢا بَيْنَ يَدَىْ رَحْمَتِهِۦ ۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَقَلَّتْ سَحَابًا ثِقَالًا سُقْنَـٰهُ لِبَلَدٍ مَّيِّتٍ فَأَنزَلْنَا بِهِ ٱلْمَآءَ فَأَخْرَجْنَا بِهِۦ مِن كُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نُخْرِجُ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ 57
Translations
And it is He who sends the winds as good tidings before His mercy [i.e., rainfall] until, when they have carried heavy rainclouds, We drive them to a dead land and We send down rain therein and bring forth thereby [some] of all the fruits. Thus will We bring forth the dead; perhaps you may be reminded.
Transliteration
Wa huwa alladhī yursilu ar-riyāḥa bushrā bayna yaday raḥmatihi, ḥattā idhā aqallat saḥāban thiqālan suqnāhu li-baladim mayyit fa-anzalnā bihi al-māʾa fa-akhrajnā bihi min kulli ath-thamarāt, kadhālika nukhriju al-mawta laʿallakum tadhakkarūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes Allah's provision through the natural cycle of wind, clouds, and rain as a sign of His mercy and power. The wind carries moisture-laden clouds to barren land, causing it to flourish with vegetation—a metaphor for the resurrection of the dead. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, this passage demonstrates Allah's complete control over creation and serves as a vivid reminder that He who brings dead earth to life can surely resurrect the human soul.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Al-A'raf, revealed in Mecca during the early Islamic period. It appears within a section addressing the signs of Allah (āyāt) in creation, aimed at convincing polytheists and skeptics of Allah's oneness and power. The metaphor of reviving dead land is used contextually to respond to Meccan deniers who rejected the concept of bodily resurrection.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) said: 'The closest of you in resemblance to me is the one who has the best character among you' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi). More directly, in Sahih Muslim, the Prophet explained signs of rain and earth's renewal as proofs of Allah's power over all creation and resurrection.
Themes
Key Lesson
Just as Allah revives barren earth with rain and causes it to flourish with diverse fruits, He will resurrect the dead—this teaches us to reflect upon divine power in nature and trust in Allah's promise of the afterlife. This ayah encourages believers to observe the natural world as evidence of Allah's wisdom and to recognize their own spiritual renewal through submission to Him.