56:87

تَرۡجِعُونَهَآ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰدِقِينَ

TarjiAAoonaha in kuntum sadiqeena

Bring it back, if you should be truthful?

Word by word
  1. تَرۡجِعُونَهَآBring it back
  2. إِنif
  3. كُنتُمۡyou are
  4. صَٰدِقِينَtruthful
Al-Waqi'ah · 56:87Makkah

Bring the soul back, if you are telling the truth.

The challenge no one has ever met


The test
the deniers
asked to
return the soulto its body
result
no one can
Proof
we are independentthe claim
no soul returnedso the reckoning is real

Ibn Kathir explains: will you not return this soul to its body as it used to be, if you are free from reckoning? No one can, and his heading calls this proof that the reckoning will happen.

Every hospital in the world, every billionaire, every scientist: none has brought back a single soul. That limit is a message about who is in charge.

Humans will figure out how to beat death eventually.

No one has returned a soul, which tells me who will judge.

Try this

Pray one prayer today calmly, with the gentle thought that it could be your last.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 56:83)

Then why do you not (intervene) when it reaches Al-Hulqum (83)And you at the moment are looking (84)But We are nearer to him than you, but you see not (85)Then why do you not – if you are not Madini (86)Return the soul, if you are truthful (87)

When the Soul reaches the Throat at the Time of Death, it cannot be brought back; this proves Reckoning shall occur

Allah the Exalted said,

فَلَوْلَا إِذَا بَلَغَتِ

(Then why do you not (intervene) when it reaches), in reference to the soul,

الْحُلْقُومَ

(Al-Hulqum), i.e., the throat, at the time of death. Allah the Exalted said in other Ayat,

كَلَّا إِذَا بَلَغَتِ التَّرَاقِيَ - وَقِيلَ مَنْ ۜ رَاقٍ - وَظَنَّ أَنَّهُ الْفِرَاقُ - وَالْتَفَّتِ السَّاقُ بِالسَّاقِ - إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْمَسَاقُ

(Nay, when (the soul) reaches to the collar bone, and it will be said: "Who can cure him (and save him from death)?" And he will conclude that it was (the time) of parting (death); And one leg will be joined with another leg (shrouded). The drive will be on that Day to your Lord (Allah).)(75:26-30) Allah said here,

وَأَنْتُمْ حِينَئِذٍ تَنْظُرُونَ 

(And you at the moment are looking,) at the dying person and witnessing the stupor of death that he is experiencing,

وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْكُمْ 

(But We are nearer to him than you,) with Our angels,

 وَلَٰكِنْ لَا تُبْصِرُونَ

(but you see not.) you cannot see the angels. Allah the Exalted said in another Ayah,

وَهُوَ الْقَاهِرُ فَوْقَ عِبَادِهِ ۖ وَيُرْسِلُ عَلَيْكُمْ حَفَظَةً حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَاءَ أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ تَوَفَّتْهُ رُسُلُنَا وَهُمْ لَا يُفَرِّطُونَ - ثُمَّ رُدُّوا إِلَى اللَّهِ مَوْلَاهُمُ الْحَقِّ ۚ أَلَا لَهُ الْحُكْمُ وَهُوَ أَسْرَعُ الْحَاسِبِينَ

(He is the Irresistible over His servants, and He sends guardians (angels) over you, until when death approaches one of you, Our messengers (angel of death and his assistants) take his soul, and they never neglect their duty. Then they are returned to Allah, their true Protector. Surely, for Him is the judgement and He is the swiftest in taking account.)(6:61-62) Allah's statement,

فَلَوْلَا إِنْ كُنْتُمْ غَيْرَ مَدِينِينَ - تَرْجِعُونَهَا

(Then why do you not – if you are not Madinin – return the soul,) means, 'Will you not return this soul, that has reached the throat, to its body as it used to be, if you are exempt from the reckoning and recompense?'

Sa'id bin Jubayr and Al-Hasan Al-Basri said:

فَلَوْلَا إِنْ كُنْتُمْ غَيْرَ مَدِينِينَ

(Then why do you not – if you are not Madinin...), "If you do not believe that you will be reckoned, recompensed, resurrected and punished, then why do you not return this soul to its body?" Mujahid said that,

غَيْرَ مَدِينِينَ 

(...if you are not Madinin), means, "if you are not certain."