In the name of God, the Merciful, the Beneficent
Indeed, We create man out of the essence of clay, then We place him, a living germ, in a safe enclosure. Then We create out of this living germ a clot of congealed blood, and out of the clot We create an embryonic lump. Then We create within the embryonic lump bones, then We clothe the bones with flesh. We then bring this into being as another creation. Exalted be God, the best of creators.
And then, after all this, you are destined to die; and then, you shall be restored to life on the Day of Resurrection.
We have created above you seven (celestial) orbits; and never are We unmindful of (Our) creation. (The Believers, Al-Mu’minoon, 23: 12-17)
We discussed the different stages of development of the human embryo as stated clearly in this verse. We mentioned that such development has nothing to do with the Darwinist theory of evolution, which seeks to prove that animals have the potential to evolve to the human stage. We made it clear that despite the biological similarities between man and animal, what makes man totally different is a gift from God, giving man highly distinctive qualities that set him apart from all forms of creation on earth.
People look with amazement at what they term as “scientific miracles” when man invents a machine that works automatically, without human interference. But how does this compare with the development of an embryo in all its phases and stages, each of which is hugely different from the preceding one, ushering total transformations. But people tend to overlook such miraculous events, closing their eyes and minds to them, because long familiarity tends to disguise their miraculous nature. The mere thought that man, very complex as he is, is summed up within a single cell that cannot be seen with the naked eye, yet it carries all his qualities, distinctive features and special characteristics fills us with wonder. In fact, all these distinctive qualities, features and characteristics grow and take full shape during the different stages of the development of the embryo, and then appear in full when the embryo is brought back as a different and new creation. Then they are visibly seen in the child, or they make their presence in the newborn child felt. Indeed, every child carries its own genetic features in addition to the general human features and qualities. Both types are latent in the original cell but come out later. When we reflect on this fact, which occurs all the time, our hearts and minds are bound to acknowledge this remarkable design by the Creator.
The surah continues with the different stages of life to complete the journey. Human life that has begun on earth does not end there, because an element from outside the earth forms an essential part of it, influencing the path it goes along. The breathing of God’s spirit in it has given human life a goal different from that of the body, and a destination unlike that of the destination of flesh and blood. Hence it achieves its completeness somewhere other than this earth, in a totally different world: “And then, after all this, you are destined to die; and then, you shall be restored to life on the Day of Resurrection.”
Thus, death is the end of human life on earth, forming a bridge between the life we know and the life to come. As such, it is a stage in human life, not its end.
Then comes the resurrection which heralds the last stage, when the perfect life begins, free of all the failings of life on earth, physical needs, fear and worry, and leading to no other stage because it represents the level of perfection human beings will have. This, however, applies only to those who follow the way leading to such perfection, outlined in the opening verses of the surah. It is the way followed by believers. By contrast, those who in this life sink to the level of animals go further down in the life to come so that they will be right at the bottom. They are no longer human beings, because they become part of the fuel of hell, which is fueled by stones and men.
The surah moves on to point out well known, yet often forgotten, aspects in the universe which should lead people to faith: “We have created above you seven (celestial) orbits; and never are We unmindful of (Our) creation.
We send down water from the skies in accordance with a set measure, and We cause it to lodge in the earth; and We are most certainly able to take it all away. And by means of this water We bring forth for you gardens of date trees and vines, yielding abundant fruit, and from which you eat, as well as a tree that grows on Mount Sinai yielding oil and relish for all to eat. In the cattle too there is a lesson for you: We give you to drink of that which is in their bellies, and you gain many other benefits from them, and you eat of their flesh. By them, as by the ships (that sail over the sea) you are carried.”
All these indicators are cited here as aspects of God’s power and perfect planning. In their constitutions, functions and roles they move in perfect harmony and in the same direction. They are subject to the same law. They function in unison and serve man, the creature God has honored. Therefore, these aspects of the universe are shown to be interlinked with the stages of human life as these are outlined in the surah.