The Quran

وَمِن آياتِهِ أَنَّكَ تَرَى الأَرضَ خاشِعَةً فَإِذا أَنزَلنا عَلَيهَا الماءَ اهتَزَّت وَرَبَت ۚ إِنَّ الَّذي أَحياها لَمُحيِي المَوتىٰ ۚ إِنَّهُ عَلىٰ كُلِّ شَيءٍ قَديرٌ

Muhammad Asad

For among His signs is this: thou seest the earth lying desolate - and lo! when We send down water upon it, it stirs and swells [with life]! Verily, He who brings it to life can surely give life to the dead [of heart as well]: for, behold, He has the power to will anything.¹

Although the allusion to the reviving earth often occurs in the Qur'an as a parable of man's ultimate resurrection, in the present context (and in tune with the entire passage comprising verses 33-39) it appears to be an illustration of God's power to bestow spiritual life upon hearts that have hitherto remained closed to the truth of His existence and omnipotence. Hence, it implies a call to the believer never to abandon the hope that "those who deny the truth" may one day grasp the truth of the Qur'anic message.