Tafsir of Qaf 50:4

قد علمنا ما تنقص اﻻرض منهم

We know that which the earth takes of them. meaning, `We know what the earth consumes of their dead bodies.' Where and how the bodies disintegrated, what they turned into and how they have become, all of this is never absent from Allah's knowledge.

وعندنا كتاب حفيظ

and with Us is a Book preserved, `that keeps all records. Therefore, Our knowledge is encompassing and the Book of decrees has everything precisely recorded in it. Al-`Awfi narrated that Abdullah bin Abbas commented on the statement of Allah the Exalted,

قد علمنا ما تنقص اﻻرض منهم

(We know that which the earth takes of them), "It refers to what the earth consumes of their flesh, skin, bones and hair.'' A similar view was recorded from Mujahid, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak and several others. Allah, the Exalted and Most Honored, explained the reason behind their disbelief, rebellion and discounting the possibility of what is truly possible,

بل كذبوا بالحق لما جاءهم فهم في أمر مريج