Q: (3) "Is it when we have died and become..."

(Is it when we have died and become dust) This is a statement intended to express astonishment and emphasize denial, or an elucidation of the grounds for their wonder. The governing agent (al-ʿamil) of "when" (idha) is implied, needing no explanation due to its extreme fame, coupled with the indication provided by what follows it. It means: "Is it when we die and become dust that we shall return?" as stated by the warner and what is being warned about, despite the complete disparity between us and life at that state.

His statement—Exalted is He—(That is a far return) is a reference to the point of contention, which is the returning and resurrection after death; that is, that returning is a "far return."

(That is) meaning far from imagination, custom, or possibility. It has been said: "Return" (rajʿ) signifies the "returned" (al-marjuʿ), i.e., the response. It is said, "This is the return of your message (rajʿ risalatika), its 'marjuʿ,' and its 'marjuʿah,'" meaning its reply. According to this, the reference is to [the statement]: "Is it when we have died..." and the sentence is from the speech of Allah the Almighty. The meaning then is: "That is a far-fetched reply from them to their warner." The governing agent of "when" (idha) in this case is what is implied by the warner regarding that which is being warned of, which is the resurrection; meaning: "Is it when we have died and become dust that we shall be resurrected?"

It may be said that since it is established that this is a reply from them to their warner, it is known that he warned them of the resurrection for this to be a valid reply to him; thus, it is also evidence for the implied [agent]. The assertion that if "return" means "returned" (the reply), there would be no evidence in the speech for the governing agent of "when" (idha), is refuted. Yes, this interpretation in itself is far-fetched; indeed, Abu Hayyan said: "It is a strange understanding that the intellect of the Arabs rejects."

Al-Aʿraj, Shaybah, Abu Jaʿfar, Ibn Waththab, al-Aʿmash, and Ibn ʿUtbah, from Ibn ʿAmir, recited "idha" with a single hamza, in the form of a declarative statement. Thus, it is possible that it is an interrogative from which the hamza has been dropped, and it is possible that it is a statement. He said in al-Bahr: "The response to 'when' (idha) is implied," meaning: "If we die and become dust, we shall return." The author of al-Lawamiḥ permitted the response to be "That is a far return," assuming the omission of the fa particle. Some have permitted this in the response to a conditional clause absolutely, if it is a nominal sentence, though our scholars have restricted it to poetry out of necessity.