its implied sense being: “By the glorious Quran, you will surely be resurrected.” It was also said that its apodosis is His saying: “No word does one utter…” It was also said: “We certainly know…” (2) The apodoses of oaths occur in seven forms: the emphatic particle, as in His saying: “By the dawn—indeed, your Lord is ever watchful” (al-Fajr 14); the negative particle, as in His saying: “By the morning brightness—your Lord has neither forsaken you…” (al-Duha 1–3); the open lam, as in His saying: “So by your Lord, We shall surely question them all” (al-Hijr 92); the light particle, as in His, exalted is He, saying: “Indeed, we were clearly astray” (al-Shu‘ara’ 38); the negative particle, as in His, exalted is He, saying: “They swear their strongest oaths by Allah that Allah will not resurrect those who die” (al-Nahl 38); and qad, as in His, exalted is He, saying: “By the sun and its morning brightness—successful indeed is the one who purifies it” (al-Shams 1–9).

“Rather, they are amazed that there has come to them a warner from among themselves, so the disbelievers say, ‘This is an astonishing thing. When we have died and become dust, will we be resurrected? That is a far-fetched return.’ We certainly know what the earth consumes of them, and with Us is a preserving Record. Rather, they denied the truth when it came to them, so they are in a state of confusion.” (2–5)

The particle “rather” occurs as in His saying: “By the glorious Quran—rather, they are amazed.”

“That there has come to them a warner”: one who warns them; “from among themselves”: whose lineage, truthfulness, and trustworthiness they know. “So the disbelievers say, ‘This is an astonishing thing’”: that is, something singular.

“When we have died and become dust”: will we be resurrected? The resurrection is left unmentioned because the context indicates it. “That is a return”: that is, a return to life; “far-fetched”: that is, something that will not occur. In other words, they considered it far-fetched that they should be resurrected after death.

Allah, glorified and exalted is He, said: “We certainly know what the earth consumes of them”—that is, what it consumes of their flesh, blood, and bones; nothing escapes His knowledge. Al-Suddi said: It means death. That is, We certainly know which of them dies and which remains alive. “And with Us is a preserving Record”: [preserved from the devils and from being effaced or altered; it is the Preserved Tablet. It was also said: “preserving”] (3), that is, preserving a record of their number and their names.

“Rather, they denied the truth”: that is, the Quran, “when it came to them, so they are in a state of confusion”: one of disorder. Sa‘id ibn Jubayr and Mujahid said: confused. Qatadah said regarding this verse: Whoever abandons the truth will find his affair thrown into confusion and his religion become unclear to him. Al-Hasan said: No people ever abandon the truth except that their affairs are thrown into confusion. Al-Zajjaj mentioned the meaning of the confusion of their affair, saying: They call the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, at one time a poet, at another a sorcerer, and at another someone taught by others; and they call the Quran, at one time, magic, and at another