Surah As-Sajdah Ayah 10

And they say: "When we are lost in the earth, shall we indeed be created anew?" Nay, but they deny the meeting with their Lord (10)Say: "The angel of death, who is set over you, will take your souls. Then you shall be brought to your Lord. (11)

Refutation of Those Who think the Resurrection is unlikely to happen

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

أَإِذَا ضَلَلْنَا فِي الْأَرْضِ

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

أَإِنَّا لَفِي 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 هُمْ بِلِقَاءِ رَبِّهِمْ كَافِرُونَ

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

قُلْ يَتَوَفَّاكُمْ مَلَكُ الْمَوْتِ الَّذِي 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 إِلَىٰ 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.