What does Quran 37:53 mean?

Quran 37:53 (Surah As-Saaffaat, Ayah 53) translates to: "That when we have died and become dust and bones, we will indeed be recompensed?'""

Which Surah and Juz is Quran 37:53 from?

This ayah is from Surah As-Saaffaat (Those drawn up in Ranks), the 37th surah of the Quran. It appears in Juz 23.

Are there hadiths related to Quran 37:53?

Yes — there are 5 hadiths related to this ayah from Sahih al-Bukhari, Sunan an-Nasa'i, Sunan Ibn Majah.

What tafsir is available for Quran 37:53?

Commentary on this ayah is available from Ibn Kathir, Ibn Abbas, Ibn Kathir, Al-Jalalayn — classical scholars of Quranic exegesis.

What topics does Quran 37:53 relate to?

This ayah connects to these Quranic topics: Day of Judgment, Paradise, Accountability, Divine Justice, Hellfire.

Ayah 52

يَقُولُ أَءِنَّكَ لَمِنَ ٱلْمُصَدِّقِينَ...

37:53As-Saaffaat

Ayah 54

قَالَ هَلْ أَنتُم مُّطَّلِعُونَ...

أَءِذَا مِتْنَا وَكُنَّا تُرَابًۭا وَعِظَٰمًا أَءِنَّا لَمَدِينُونَ

'A-izaa mitnaa wa kunnaa turaabanw wa 'izaaman 'ainnaa lamadeenoon

That when we have died and become dust and bones, we will indeed be recompensed?'"

Themes in this ayah

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Day of Judgment72

Scores run 0–100: how strongly this ayah speaks to a theme. 70+ is central, 50+ is clear, under 50 is weak.

9 other themes with weak connections

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Day of Judgment

37:53Ayah 1182

15 ayahs in As-Saaffaat are strongly about the Day of Judgment. This is one of them.

← Previous on Day of Judgment37:39And you will not be recompensed except for what you used to do -Next on Day of Judgment →37:144He would have remained inside its belly until the Day they are resurrected.

Tafsir

Scholars offer complementary perspectives

View Full Tafsir: Al-Jalalayn on 37:53→

that when we are dead and have become dust and bones we shall actually be called to account?” ’ that we shall be requited and reckoned with — he rejects the truth of this as well as regards all three instances of the hamzas sc. a-innaka a-idhā and a-innā what has been mentioned above applies.

`Uqba said to Hudhaifa, "Won't you narrate to us what you heard from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ?" Hudhaifa said, "I heard him saying, 'Death approached a man and when he had no hope of surviving, he said to his family, 'When I die, gather for me much wood and build a fire (to burn me),. When the fire has eaten my flesh and reached my bones, take the bones and grind them and scatter the resulting powder in the sea on a hot (or windy) day.' (That was done.) But Allah collected his particles and asked (him), 'Why did you do so?' He replied, 'For fear of You.' So Allah forgave him." Narrated `Abdu Malik: As above, saying, "On a windy day."

Sunan an-Nasa'i #2054It was narrated from Anas that the Prophet said:Sahih

"when a person is placed in his grave and his companions depart from him, he hears the sound of their sandals."

Sunan Ibn Majah #2148It was narrated from Ibn 'Umar that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:Da'if

“Whoever dies owing a Dinar or a Dirham, it will be paid back from his good deeds, because then there will be no Dinar or Dirham.”

Sunan Ibn Majah #1350It was narrated from ‘Aishah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:Hasan

“Breaking the bones of the deceased is like breaking his bones when he is alive.”

Sunan Ibn Majah #1351It was narrated from Umm Salamah that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

“Breaking the bones of the deceased is, in sin, like breaking his bones when he is alive.”