Quran Garden

Session 50

Chapter 2, Verse 28 Part b

How can you disbelieve in Allah when you were lifeless and He brought you to life; then He will cause you to die, then He will bring you back to life, and then to Him you will be returned. (Chapter 2: Verse 28)

            Once you have full faith in God, in life and death, Allah presents you with the next part of the verse.  He says: ‘then to Him you will be returned’ meaning that He will resurrect you and take you to account.  The disbelievers, atheists and materialists often deny the issue of resurrection.  Throughout the ages, they use the same old excuses for their claim.  God says:          

Yet they say: "There is nothing but the life of this world. We die and we live, and only time annihilates us." Yet they have no knowledge of this: They only speculate. (45:24)

            It is natural for a person who acts without regard to accountability to wish that he or she will not be resurrected and asked about his or her actions.  However, anyone who has doubt about resurrection should Keep in mind that the one who created you from non-existence is fully capable to bring you back to life.  God says:

He is the One who originates creation and will do it again- this is even easier for Him. He is above all comparison in the heavens and earth; He is the Almighty, the All Wise. (30:27)

Recreating what had existed, in essence restoring the old model, is far easier than creating something from nothing.  God says addressing the disbelievers:

He draws comparisons for Us, and forgets his own creation. He says, ‘Who shall revive the bones when they have decayed?’Say, ‘He who created them in the first place will give them life again: He has full knowledge of every act of creation. (36:78-79)

Therefore, resurrection is easier than creation.  Allah, who has perfect knowledge of every particle the earth bears, will restore everything and everyone on the Day of Resurrection.  God further answers any doubters with the example of creating the earth and the heavens.  He says:

The creation of the heavens and earth is far greater than the creation of mankind. But most people do not know it. (40:57)

            So when you read: ‘then to Him you will be returned’, you should feel great assurance in your faith in God, and in resurrection.  To Him belongs the beginning of life, and to Him belongs the end.  Isn't it logical then that you and I should dedicate our life, that lies in between our creation and our death, to God? Shouldn't we live it according His teachings? Interestingly, Allah has kept the place, time, and reason for our death hidden so that we may expect it at any moment.  This should instill within us the urgency to do righteous deeds at every moment of life.  No one’s life is guaranteed, not even for a single hour.  Death strikes the old, the young, the sick and the healthy alike.  Thus, it is necessary for all of us to continually do good deeds so death does not befall us while we are defiant.

            How does this faith, the faith that the beginning and the end belong to our creator, affect our lives? When the fact of resurrection becomes certain in the heart of a person, it drives him or her to adhere to God’s path and to live a life of righteousness and justice.  Not only will this lead the believer to paradise, but it will also make him or her feel tranquil and content through life's troubles.  For example, if you have true faith in Allah, and you know that to Him belongs life and death, you will not agonize over who will take care of your family and children in case of your death.  God does not forget those who remember Him.  The deeds of a parent will reflect upon his or her children after death.  God says addressing those caring for orphans:

Let those who would fear for the future of their own helpless children, if they were to die, show the same concern; let them be mindful of God and speak out for justice. (4:9)

            The person who has full faith in God feels content with life's unexpected troubles, and has full knowledge that good work and patience will be fully rewarded in the hereafter.  Contrast that tranquility with the constant worry, fear, and rush the disbelievers have.  If a person has nothing to believe in beyond this world, he or she will fight tooth and nail for every small bit or wealth and status.  Moreover, any set back, trouble or loss will feel like the end of the world.  God says:

As for those who disbelieve, their deeds are like a mirage in the desert which the thirsty takes for water till he reaches it to find that there was nothing, and finds God with him who settles his account, for God is swift at the reckoning. (24:39)

Imagine the surprise and the regret of a disbeliever when the truth of the hereafter becomes apparent.        

            ‘To him you will be returned’ has two recitals. They differ by a single tone.  The recital "???????????" indicates that returning to God happens against the persons will.   Hence, this recital applies to the disbelievers and all who deny the hereafter.  The second reading "????????"refers to the believers who look forward, and prepare for meeting their Lord, and it is accordingly translated as ‘To him you will return’