Al-Hadid 57:17
The verse closes in two sentences: first the observation ("God gives life to the dead earth"), then the intent ("We have made the signs clear, that you may reason" — laʿallakum taʿqilūn).
ٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحْىِ ٱلْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا ۚ قَدْ بَيَّنَّا لَكُمُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ
Know that God revives the earth after its death. We thus explain the revelations for you, so that you may understand
Al-Hadid 57:17 · Translation: talal-itani
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The previous verse (16) speaks of hearts "hardening" (fa-qasat qulūbuhum); 17 implicitly asks against it: "if even the dead soil is brought back to life, why not the heart?" That is why the verse is read both for eschatological and for spiritual revival — soil and heart are spoken of in the same language.
Observation
The "death" and "revival" of soil is an observable fact: under drought microbial activity falls to a minimum; with water and warmth it rises by orders of magnitude within 24–72 hours (the rewetting effect). The transformation is measurable and repeatable. The verse points to this fact and lays a plain bridge between reason and resurrection — placing what is graspable (soil) beside what is still ungrasped.
Exegesis
Al-Bayḍāwī (Anwār al-Tanzīl) suggests reading verses 16 and 17 together: hearts, like soil, can be filled by life or by death — when water descends, what was hard softens. Al-Rāzī notes that "laʿallakum taʿqilūn" places the act of reasoning not before observation but after it.
Sources
Tafsīr: al-Bayḍāwī · Anwār al-Tanzīl; al-Rāzī · Mafātīḥ al-Ghayb. Science: soil microbiology (rewetting effect).