Then We revived you after your death
ثم بعثناكم من بعد موتكم
We resurrected you
بعثنكم
The original meaning of resurrection in the language is bringing out, and it is used for giving life, as in this verse. What indicates that the intended meaning here is giving life is His saying:
after your death
من بعد موتكم
Then We revived you after your death
ثم بعثناكم من بعد موتكم
And His saying:
after your death
من بعد موتكم
Is it a real death? The answer is: Yes, it is not sleep, because sleep is called passing away (wafah) and is not called death.
And it is He who takes your souls by night and knows what you have committed by day
وهو الذي يتوفاكم بالليل ويعلم ما جرحتم بالنهار
Allah takes the souls at the time of their death, and those that do not die [He takes] during their sleep
الله يتوفى الأنفس حين موتها والتي لم تمت في منامها
And His saying:
We revived you after your death
بعثناكم من بعد موتكم
contains a great blessing for them, that Allah the Exalted took them with this punishment and then resurrected them so that they would be deterred, and that would be an expiation for them. For this reason He said:
so that you may be grateful
لعلكم تشكرون
“So that you may be grateful,” meaning that you give thanks to Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. Here, “perhaps” (la‘alla) is for causation, not for hope, because hope on the part of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, is not permissible, since hope, as is known in the Arabic language, is seeking what is difficult, and nothing is difficult for Allah the Exalted. However, whenever it appears in the Book of Allah, it is for causation.
so that you may be grateful
لعلكم تشكرون
This is one of the five verses in Surat al-Baqarah in which Allah the Exalted gives life to the dead. The second is in the story of the owner of the cow, the third is in
those who left their homes in many thousands, fearing death? Allah said to them, "Die"; then He restored them to life
الذين خرجوا من ديارهم وهم ألوف حذر الموت فقال لهم الله موتوا ثم أحياهم
, the fourth is in the story of the one who
who passed by a township which had fallen into ruin. He said, "How will Allah bring this to life after its death?" So Allah caused him to die for a hundred years; then He revived him
مر على قرية وهي خاوية على عروشها قال أنى يحيي هذه الله بعد موتها فأماته الله مئة عام ثم بعثه
, and the fifth is the story of Ibrahim:
"My Lord, show me how You give life to the dead." [Allah] said, "Have you not believed?" He said, "Yes, but [I ask] only that my heart may be satisfied."
رب أرني كيف تحيي الموتى قال أولم تؤمن قال بلى ولكن ليطمئن قلبي
to the end of it. And Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, is Able over all things. This does not apply to what Allah mentioned in His saying:
(15) Then indeed, after that you are to die. (16) Then indeed you, on the Day of Resurrection, will be resurrected.
ثم إنكم بعد ذلك لميتون ثم إنكم يوم القيامة تبعثون
because these five stories and others, such as Isa bringing the dead out of their graves, are considered a rare matter that is brought about as a sign from the signs of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. As for the general resurrection, it will not occur except on the Day of Resurrection. For this reason, we say regarding the doubt of those who denied the resurrection among the polytheists:
And they say, "When is [the fulfillment of] this promise, if you should be truthful?"
ويقولون متى هذا الوعد إن كنتم صادقين
And they say:
Then bring [back] our forefathers, if you should be truthful."
فأتوا بآبائنا إن كنتم صادقين
We say: These people are being deceptive. The messengers did not say to them that you are being resurrected now. When? On the Day of Resurrection. Let them wait, for it will happen. Wait, for it will happen, without any doubt.
