َ ثُمَّ ذَهَبَ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ يَتَمَطَّى ﴿۳۳﴾ أَوْلَى لَكَ فَأَوْلَى ﴿۳۴﴾ ثُمَّ أَوْلَى لَكَ فَأَوْلَى ﴿۳۵﴾ أَيَحْسَبُ الْإِنْسَانُ أَنْ يُتْرَكَ سُدًى ﴿۳۶﴾ أَلَمْ يَكُ نُطْفَةً مِنْ مَنِيٍّ يُمْنَى ﴿۳۷﴾ ثُمَّ كَانَ عَلَقَةً فَخَلَقَ فَسَوَّى ﴿۳۸﴾ فَجَعَلَ مِنْهُ الزَّوْجَيْنِ الذَّكَرَ وَالْأُنْثَى ﴿۳۹﴾ أَلَيْسَ ذَلِكَ بِقَادِرٍ عَلَى أَنْ يُحْيِيَ الْمَوْتَى ﴿۴۰﴾

﴾33﴿ Summa zahaba ilaaa ahlihee yatamatta
﴾34﴿ Awlaa laka fa awlaa
﴾35﴿ Summa awlaa laka fa awla
﴾36﴿ Ayahsabul insaanu ai yutraka sudaa
﴾37﴿ Alam yaku nutfatam mim maniyyiny yumnaa
﴾38﴿ Summa kaana 'alaqatan fakhalaqa fasawwaa
﴾39﴿ Faja'ala minhuz zawjayniz zakara wal unsaa
﴾40﴿ Alaisa zaalika biqaadirin 'alaaa any yuhyiyal mawtaa

﴾33﴿ Then he went back to his people, walking arrogantly
﴾34﴿ Destruction is upon you, then more destruction
﴾35﴿ Again, destruction is upon you, then more destruction
﴾36﴿ Does man think that he will be left neglected
﴾37﴿ He is dropped into the womb
﴾38﴿ Then he became a clinging clot, then He created and perfected him
﴾39﴿ Then He created from it the pair, male and female
﴾40﴿ Is not this Powerful One able to bring all the dead to life

[33] This highlights the person’s extreme stubbornness—that despite those four forms of disbelief, he shows no sign of sorrow or regret.
Rather, he behaves with arrogance and pride.
“Ilā ahlihi”—this refers to his followers, students, or devotees, as seen in Surah al-Muṭaffifīn (83:34) and Surah al-Inshiqāq (84:13–14).
“Yatamaṭṭā”—originally yutamattiṭ, and it refers to a kind of swaggering walk, like dancing. It means that out of arrogance, he stretches his neck and back, and walks with long, prideful strides.
Alternatively, it may be derived from maṭā, meaning “back”—indicating that he throws back his shoulders in pride and swings his arms while walking.
[34,35] Since four sins were mentioned, in return four forms of destruction are also mentioned.
Qurṭubī explained the difference between the four as follows:
“Wayl” (destruction) be upon you in the state of life,
then destruction be upon you in the state of death,
then on the Day of Resurrection,
then at the moment of entering the Fire.
“Awlā” means wayl (destruction).
Another interpretation is that awlā means “most fitting”—in other words, destruction is what best suits such a person.
[36] This is also a rebuke directed at the denial of accountability and resurrection after death, and it connects back to the beginning of the surah—“Does man think that We will not gather his bones?” (verse 3).
“Sudan” means neglected, left without purpose—neither being obligated with divine commands in the world, nor facing questioning in the grave, nor resurrection after death, nor any reckoning or record.
Such a belief is completely false.
[37,38,39] This is a proof for the resurrection after death by drawing an analogy to the initial creation—while also expressing contempt for the denying human being.
“Al-dhakara wa al-unthā”—the male and the female—these two types of humans sometimes appear together, sometimes separately, and sometimes both traits are combined in one individual, known as khunthā (intersex), and this is also included.
There is no need to mention it explicitly, as Qurṭubī has stated.
[40] This is the conclusion of the previous proof.
“Dhālika” refers to Allah Almighty, who is described with the greatest attributes—and foremost with the attribute of creation.
“Bi-qādirin ‘alā an yuḥyiy al-mawtā”—He is certainly capable of giving life to the dead.
In fact, His power to resurrect is equal to, or even easier than, the initial creation—based on the two interpretations mentioned in Surah al-Rūm (30:27).
In the hadiths of Abū Dāwūd, Aḥmad, and Ibn Jarīr, it is narrated that the Prophet (May Allah bless him and give him peace), in response to this verse, used to say: Subḥānaka fa-balā, Subḥānaka wa-balā, and simply Balā.
In another narration from Abū Dāwūd, there is a command to say Balā—therefore, saying it is necessary, whether one is in prayer or outside of prayer.