Human Beings and the Illusion of Creation: Ibn ‘Ashur and al-Tabataba’i’s Interpretation of Q. al-Hajj [22]:73 in the Discourse of Synthetic Life

Abstract

The development of artificial life and synthetic biology has revived a fundamental question concerning humanity’s ability to “create life.” This article examines Q. al-Hajj [22]:73 through the modern exegetical perspectives of Ibn ‘Ashur in al-Taḥrīr wa al-Tanwīr and al-Tabataba’i in al-Mīzān fī Tafsīr al-Qur’ān in order to evaluate such claims within a Qur’anic framework. Employing a comparative tafsir method and textual-conceptual analysis, this study argues that the verse should not be understood as a technical challenge, but rather as the establishment of the ontological limits of creation. Ibn ‘Ashur emphasizes an epistemic critique of the human illusion that equates technical capability with al-khalq (true creation), while al-Tabataba’i stresses the ontological dependence of created beings within the system of existence and causality. The findings demonstrate that claims of synthetic life are only valid in a functional-operational sense, but lack ontological legitimacy from a Qur’anic perspective. This article concludes that modern tafsir provides a critical and proportionate framework for understanding the relationship between revelation and science without rejecting scientific advancement or obscuring the fundamental distinction between engineering and genuine creation.