Key takeaway
In Quran 75:3–4, answering those who doubt resurrection, Allah says: "Does man think that We will not assemble his bones? Yes. [We are] Able [even] to proportion his fingertips." The verse singles out the banān, the fingertips. Science later found that the ridge patterns on fingertips are unique to each person, even identical twins, and they became a standard means of identification from the 1890s.
The verses
أَيَحْسَبُ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ أَلَّن نَّجْمَعَ عِظَامَهُۥ ٣ بَلَىٰ قَـٰدِرِينَ عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّسَوِّىَ بَنَانَهُۥ ٤
3 Does man think that We will not assemble his bones? 4 Yes. [We are] Able [even] to proportion his fingertips.
Key Arabic terms
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| بَنَانَهُۥ | banānahu | his fingertips (also the fingers) |
| نُّسَوِّىَ | nusawwiya | to fashion, shape and proportion precisely |
Context
Surah al-Qiyama ("The Resurrection") answers the objection that scattered bones cannot be brought back together. The reply goes further than bones: Allah can restore even the finest details, down to the fingertips.
Fingerprints
Friction ridges on the fingertips form in the womb, around weeks 10–16, and stay unchanged throughout life except for scarring. No two people, including identical twins, have been found to share the same prints. In 1880 Henry Faulds published in Nature a proposal to use fingerprints to identify individuals. Francis Galton's 1892 book Finger Prints established their individuality statistically, and police forces adopted fingerprint classification from the 1890s–1900s.
Historical honesty
Fingerprint and hand impressions were used as marks or signatures in ancient Babylon and China, but their scientific individuality and systematic use for identification are modern. The verse itself does not mention ridge patterns. It mentions the fingertips as an example of fine, precise detail.
Balanced assessment
Moderate A reasonable, accurate correspondence; the words have other valid meanings or the fact was partly known before.
The choice of the fingertips as the example of fine detail is fitting, given what we now know about their unique patterns. Whether the verse intends fingerprints is an interpretation. The main point, that Allah can recreate a person in full detail, stands either way.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Quran mention fingerprints?
Quran 75:4 says Allah is able "to proportion his fingertips" (banān) even at resurrection. Many see a connection to the uniqueness of fingerprints, which science recognized in the late 19th century.
References
Quran
- Quran 75:3–4, Saheeh International translation (Quran.com)
Science & history
Classical exegesis is summarized from the standard commentaries (e.g. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Qurṭubī). See our methodology.
Cite this page
Quran Scientific Miracles. “Fingertips & Fingerprints.” https://quranscientificmiracles.com/topics/fingerprints-fingertips/ (reviewed 2026-10-20).