Tafseer of The Bee · An-Nahl · 16:38
And they swear by Allah their strongest oaths [that] Allah will not resurrect one who dies. But yes - [it is] a true promise [binding] upon Him, but most of the people do not know.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
Allah, exalted be His mention, says: These polytheists (mushrikīn) of Quraysh swore by Allah with the most solemn oath they could swear, that Allah will not raise up the one who dies after his death; and they lied and uttered falsehood in the oaths they swore. On the contrary — Allah will raise him up after his death; He has made to His servants the promise that He will raise them up, a promise that stands firm; and Allah does not break His promise. وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لا يَعْلَمُونَ (But most people do not know) — that is to say: but most of the people of Quraysh do not know that Allah has promised His servants to raise them up alive after their death on the Day of Resurrection.
As we have said in the explanation of this, so too said the traditionists who interpret the reports.
Mention of those who said that:
Bishr ibn Muʿādh related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word وَأَقْسَمُوا بِاللَّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَانِهِمْ لا يَبْعَثُ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَمُوتُ : "In denial of the command of Allah and of our command. People are then divided into two camps concerning the resurrection: deniers and affirmers." We were informed that a man said to Ibn ʿAbbās: "Some people in this Iraq claim that ʿAlī will be raised up before the Day of Resurrection, and they invoke this verse for their interpretation." Ibn ʿAbbās said: "These people lie. This verse applies to people in general. By my life — if ʿAlī were to be raised up before the Day of Resurrection, we would not have married his wives nor divided his inheritance."
Muhammad ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Muhammad ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda: he said: Ibn ʿAbbās said: "Some men say: ʿAlī will be raised up before the Day of Resurrection, and they invoke for their interpretation وَأَقْسَمُوا بِاللَّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَانِهِمْ لا يَبْعَثُ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَمُوتُ بَلَى وَعْدًا عَلَيْهِ حَقًّا وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لا يَعْلَمُونَ ." He said: "If we knew that ʿAlī would be raised up, we would not have married his wives nor divided his inheritance, but this verse applies to people in general."
al-Muthanná related to me, saying: Isḥāq related to us, saying: ʿAbdullāh related to us, on the authority of his father, on the authority of al-Rabīʿ, concerning His word وَأَقْسَمُوا بِاللَّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَانِهِمْ لا يَبْعَثُ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَمُوتُ : he said: "A man from among the companions of the Prophet ﷺ swore by a man who denied, and said: By the One Who returns the soul after death! Whereupon the other said: Do you really claim that you will be raised up after death? And he swore by Allah with the most solemn oath he could take: Allah will not raise up the one who dies."
al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Abī Jaʿfar, on the authority of al-Rabīʿ, on the authority of Abī al-ʿĀliya: he said: "A Muslim had a debt owed to him by a polytheist (mushrik) and went to approach him to collect it. Among what he spoke was: By the One in Whom I hope after death — it is certainly so. Whereupon the polytheist said: You claim that you will be raised up after death. And he swore by Allah with the most solemn oath he could take: Allah will not raise up the one who dies. Thereupon Allah sent down: وَأَقْسَمُوا بِاللَّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَانِهِمْ لا يَبْعَثُ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَمُوتُ بَلَى وَعْدًا عَلَيْهِ حَقًّا وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لا يَعْلَمُونَ ."
al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of ʿAṭāʾ ibn Abī Rabāḥ — that he informed him that he heard Abā Hurayra say: "Allah said: The son of Adam reviled Me, and it was not fitting for him to revile Me; and he denied Me, and it was not fitting for him to deny Me. As for his denial of Me: he said وَأَقْسَمُوا بِاللَّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَانِهِمْ لا يَبْعَثُ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَمُوتُ ; whereupon I said: بَلَى وَعْدًا عَلَيْهِ حَقًّا . And as for his reviling of Me: he said إِنَّ اللَّهَ ثَالِثُ ثَلاثَةٍ (Allah is the third of three), and I said: قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ * اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ * لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ * وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ ."