قُلِ ٱللَّهُ يُحْيِيكُمْ ثُمَّ يُمِيتُكُمْ ثُمَّ يَجْمَعُكُمْ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ 26
Translations
Say, "Allāh causes you to live, then causes you to die; then He will assemble you for the Day of Resurrection, about which there is no doubt, but most of the people do not know."
Transliteration
Qul-Allahu yuhyikum thumma yumiitukum thumma yajmaAAukum ila yawmi al-qiyamati la rayba fih wa-lakinna akthara al-nasi la yaAAlamun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah presents the fundamental cycle of life, death, and resurrection as a direct response to those who deny the afterlife. Allah affirms His complete power over creation through three sequential actions: giving life, causing death, and gathering all humanity on the Day of Judgment—an event described as certain with no doubt. Ibn Kathir explains that this ayah refutes the disbelievers' arguments against resurrection, while Al-Qurtubi emphasizes that the mention of gathering to the Day of Judgment serves as both a warning and a reminder of divine justice and accountability.
Revelation Context
Surah Al-Jathiyah was revealed in Mecca during a period when the Quraysh were actively rejecting the concept of resurrection and the afterlife. This ayah appears within a section addressing those who denied Allah's signs and the Day of Judgment, directly responding to their skepticism with a clear declaration of divine power and certainty.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: 'The best of you are those who learn the Quran and teach it' (Sahih Bukhari 5027). Additionally, the Prophet emphasized: 'Every soul shall taste death, and only on the Day of Judgment shall you be paid your wages in full' (Quran 3:185, with related hadith in Sahih Muslim 2370 on certainty of death).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that death is an absolute certainty and that accountability on the Day of Judgment is inevitable, encouraging us to live with conscious awareness of our mortality and the purpose of our existence. For modern readers, it serves as a spiritual anchor against materialism and worldly preoccupation, redirecting focus toward meaningful living guided by faith.