Allah tells us how the idolators thought it unlikely that the resurrection would ever come to pass, and how they said:

﴿أَءِذَا ضَلَلْنَا فِى الاٌّرْضِ﴾

(When we are lost in the earth,) meaning, `when our bodies have been scattered and have disintegrated and dispersed in the earth,'

﴿أَءِنَّا لَفِى خَلْقٍ جَدِيدٍ﴾

(shall we indeed be created anew) means, `after that, will we come back again' They thought it unlikely that this would happen, and in terms of their own feeble abilities it is indeed unlikely, but this is not the case with regard to the power of the One Who created them from nothing, Who when He wills a thing merely says to it, "Be!'' and it is. Allah says:

﴿بَلْ هُم بِلَقَآءِ رَبِّهِمْ كَـفِرُونَ﴾

(Nay, but they deny the meeting with their Lord!) Then Allah says:

﴿قُلْ يَتَوَفَّـكُم مَّلَكُ الْمَوْتِ الَّذِى وُكِّلَ بِكُمْ﴾

(Say: "The angel of death, who is set over you, will take your souls...'') The apparent meaning of this Ayah is that the angel of death is a specific personality among the angels, as is also apparent from the Hadith of Al-Bara' which we quoted in (our Tafsir of) Surah Ibrahim. In some reports he (the angel of death) is called `Izra'il, which is well known. This is the view of Qatadah and others. The angel of death has helpers. It was reported in the Hadith that his helpers draw out the soul from the rest of the body until it reaches the throat, then the angel of death takes it. Mujahid said, "The earth is brought together for him and it is like a platter from which he takes whenever he wants.''

﴿ثُمَّ إِلَى رَبِّكُمْ تُرْجَعُونَ﴾

(Then you shall be brought to your Lord.) means, on the Day when you are resurrected and brought forth from your graves to receive your reward or punishment.

﴿وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذِ الْمُجْرِمُونَ نَاكِسُواْ رُءُوسِهِمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ رَبَّنَآ أَبْصَرْنَا وَسَمِعْنَا فَارْجِعْنَا نَعْمَلْ صَـلِحاً إِنَّا مُوقِنُونَ - وَلَوْ شِئْنَا لاّتَيْنَا كُلَّ نَفْسٍ هُدَاهَا وَلَـكِنْ حَقَّ الْقَوْلُ مِنْى لاّمْلأَنَّ جَهَنَّمَ مِنَ الْجِنَّةِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ - فَذُوقُواْ بِمَا نَسِيتُمْ لِقَآءَ يَوْمِكُمْ هَـذَآ إِنَّا نَسِينَـكُمْ وَذُوقُـواْ عَذَابَ الْخُلْدِ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ﴾

(12. And if you only could see when the criminals shall hang their heads before their Lord (saying): "Our Lord! We have now seen and heard, so send us back that we will do righteous good deeds. Verily, we now believe with certainty.'') (13. And if We had willed, surely We would have given every person his guidance, but the Word from Me took effect, that I will fill Hell with Jinn and mankind together.) (14. Then taste because of your forgetting the meeting of this Day of yours. Surely, We too will forget you, so taste you the abiding torment for what you used to do.)