It has also been said that its meaning is: If you are astonished at the polytheists’ denial and at their taking as gods, worshipping them, that which can neither harm nor benefit—despite having seen such manifestations of Allah’s power as He set forth for them as examples—then astonishing indeed is their saying; that is, you are also astonished at their saying: “When we have become dust” after death, “shall we indeed be in a new creation?” That is, shall we be created anew, as we were before death?

Nafi, al-Kisai, and Yaqub recited the first clause as an interrogative—“When we have become dust”—while reciting the second clause, “we shall indeed be,” as a declarative statement. Abu Jafar and Ibn Amir recited the opposite. The same applies to the two instances in Surat al-Isra, as well as in Surat al-Mu'minun and Alif Lam Mim al-Sajdah. The remaining reciters rendered both clauses interrogative in these passages and, at 188/b, in the two instances in Surat al-Saffat in the same manner, except that Abu Jafar agrees with Nafi in the first instance in Surat al-Saffat, placing the interrogative first, while Yaqub does not render the second clause interrogative: “When we have died and become dust and bones, shall we indeed be requited?” (al-Saffat, 53).

Allah, Most High, says: “Those are the ones who have disbelieved in their Lord; and those will have shackles around their necks” on the Day of Resurrection, “and those are the companions of the Fire, abiding therein forever.”