وَكانوا يَقولونَ أَئِذا مِتنا وَكُنّا تُرابًا وَعِظامًا أَإِنّا لَمَبعوثونَ

أَوَآباؤُنَا الأَوَّلونَ

And they used to say: ‘What! When we are dead and become dust and bones, shall we be resurrected?

And our forefathers too?’

EXEGESIS

Kānū yaqūlūna: used to say, which suggests the continuity of the action. Further, in Arabic and especially in the Quran, saying (qawl) is far beyond what one utters with the tongue. It means what one holds, believes, seeks, and advocates. Therefore, it means that their established custom and cosmology was to have doubts in the afterlife and reject it.

These two verses are rather rhetorical questions, indicating the inquirers’ denial of resurrection. It is formulated as a question to show the improbability or impossibility of a resurrection, with a tone of mocking and derision. Likewise, dust is mentioned prior to bones because it is further away from life and less likely to be brought back to life.^{‎[1]Alusi, 14/144.}

EXPOSITION

These verses justify the aforementioned punishments of the people of the left hand, identifying three causes for their damnation: 1. They were affluent, luxurious, and self-indulgent in this world. 2. They used to commit major sins (or polytheism) persistently, defiantly, and without repentance. 3. They did not believe in an afterlife. Given the Quranic meanings of these verses discussed under Exegesis, it can be said that these verses pertain to the three fundamental beliefs in Islam (and all divine religions): the first trait indicates their opposition to prophethood, the second trait is their denial of God’s unity, and the third trait is their disbelief in the hereafter.^{‎[2]Alusi, 29/411.} Other similar traits and actions are mentioned elsewhere in the Quran: Indeed they did not expect any reckoning, and they denied Our signs with such denial (78:27-28); That is their requital – hell – because of their faithlessness and taking My signs and My apostles in derision (18:106; there are many more verses in this regard).

Not only are these three qualities detrimental together, but each of them alone can be a cause of one’s damnation, perhaps because they are not separable from one another. There are many verses in the Quran that address these three traits separately:

1. As with having a materialistic mentality and being happy with one’s worldly endowments and pleasures, it is sufficient to refer to the following verses: 46:20, 11:15-16, 9:34-35, 47:12, 15:3, 16:106-107, 79:37-39, 40:75-56, 104:2-4, 7:169, 2:86, and 3:188. Based on these verses, one who chases his hawā (desires) in this world will be chased by the hot hawā (miasma (samūm)) of hell in the hereafter. The indulgence of the materially oriented people in their desires, lusts, and worldly pleasures will result in miasma and boiling water, and a shadow of dense black smoke.^{‎[3]Qaraati, 9/430.}
2. In terms of associating a partner with God, one can refer to these verses: 4:48, 4:116, 5:72, 39:65, and 50:26. And if verse 46 is interpreted as persistence in great sins, then there is again Quranic evidence for its adverse effects: 2:81, 3:178, 6:120.
3. There are also many verses that discuss the consequence of disbelief in the hereafter: 6:31, 25:11, 34:8, 10:45, 42:18, 78:27.

It is strongly recommended that the eager reader refers to at least some of these verses as they provide illuminating insight into the views and values of the Quran in general. They were not quoted for the purpose of brevity. Here we only quote two set of verses that capture the overall attitude of the disbelievers: Indeed those who do not expect to encounter Us and who are pleased with the life of this world and find rest in it, and those who are oblivious of Our signs – it is they whose refuge shall be the fire because of what they used to earn (10:7-8); Said the elite of his people,^{‎[4]That is, the people of one of the prophets after Prophet Noah (a).} who were faithless and who denied the encounter of the hereafter and whom We had given affluence in the life of the world: ‘This is just a human being like you: he eats what you eat, and drinks what you drink. If you obey a human being like yourselves, you will indeed be losers. Does he promise you that when you have died and become dust and bones you will indeed be raised [from the dead]? Far-fetched, far-fetched is what you are promised! There is nothing but the life of this world: we live and we die, and we shall not be resurrected’ (23:33-37).

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

The three causes of the punishment mentioned in these verses have also been matched with the sins and deviations of the three main faculties of human beings: appetite (shahwah), anger (ghaḍab), and imagination (wahm), which have been referred to as being affluent and self-indulgent, persisting on the great sin, and denying the resurrection.^{‎[5]Sadra, 7/64.} However, each of these three faculties can be a driving force behind the acts and beliefs discussed in these verses, rendering the aforementioned distinction implausible and inconclusive.

INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS

1. But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?^{‎[6]1 Corinthians 15:35.}

[1] Alusi, 14/144.
[2] Alusi, 29/411.
[3] Qaraati, 9/430.
[4] That is, the people of one of the prophets after Prophet Noah (a).
[5] Sadra, 7/64.
[6] 1 Corinthians 15:35.