إِنَّ إِلىٰ رَبِّكَ الرُّجعىٰ

Indeed to your Lord is the return.

EXEGESIS

Al-rujʿā is a verbal noun which means returning,^{‎[1]Arabic-English Dictionary of Qur’anic Usage, p. 350.} and is akin to al-bushrā.^{‎[2]Daqaiq, 14/348} Its root letters are the trilateral r-j-ʿ which mean to return, to turn back, to recur, to revert, to take or claim back, to back down, to give back, to reply, to resume an activity, and to become emaciated.^{‎[3]Arabic-English Dictionary of Qur’anic Usage, p. 348}

EXPOSITION

This verse, which begins with the particle of emphasis inna,^{‎[4]Karbāsī, Iʿrāb al-Qurʾān, 8/667.} intends to draw the attention of the rebellious, recalcitrant human being described in the previous two verses to the near and distant fate of human rebelliousness. This is the impending worldly punishment, and the punishment at death and after resurrection respectively,^{‎[5]Mizan, 20/325.} which it does in a threatening, warning, and admonishing manner^{‎[6]Al-Aṣfā fī al-Tafsīr, 2/1460; Tabrisi.J, 4/513; Zamakhshari, 4/777; Mizan, 20/325.} in order to frighten him.^{‎[7]Tafsīr Muqātil ibn Sulaymān, 4/762.}

Indeed to the Lord of the universe is the inevitable return of all creation including the rebellious, tyrannical person whom various blessings bestowed may have beguiled in favour of rebellion.^{‎[8]Irshād al-Adhhān, 1/603.} So when all creatures come forth from God and shall inevitably return to God, when God would hold all to account for their deeds as exemplified in 84:6, and since it is God who shall ultimately inherit the earth as mentioned in 3:180, what reason or justification is there for a person to feel self-sufficient and to rebel?^{‎[9]Amthal, 20/327.}

The theme of the ultimate return to God is oft-repeated in the Quran such as in the following verses: 2:28, 2:245, 2:281, 10:56, 11:34, 21:35, 23:115, 28:70, 28:88, 29:17, 29:57, 30:11, 32:11, 36:22, 36:83, 39:44, 41:21, 43:85, 45:15, 3:83, 6:36, 19:40, 24:64, 40:77, 2:156, 21:93, 23:60, 3:55, 5:48, 5:105, 6:60, 6:164, 10:4, 11:4, 29:8, 31:15, 39:7, 6:108, 10:46, 10:70, and 31:23.

[1] Arabic-English Dictionary of Qur’anic Usage, p. 350.
[2] Daqaiq, 14/348
[3] Arabic-English Dictionary of Qur’anic Usage, p. 348
[4] Karbāsī, Iʿrāb al-Qurʾān, 8/667.
[5] Mizan, 20/325.
[6] Al-Aṣfā fī al-Tafsīr, 2/1460; Tabrisi.J, 4/513; Zamakhshari, 4/777; Mizan, 20/325.
[7] Tafsīr Muqātil ibn Sulaymān, 4/762.
[8] Irshād al-Adhhān, 1/603.
[9] Amthal, 20/327.