Sūrat As-Sajdah (The Prostration): (10) And they say, "When we are lost..."

When Allah mentioned their lack of gratitude ({قليلاً ما تشكرون} - Little do you thank), He followed it by mentioning the opposite: their disbelief.

We have previously mentioned that in the Old Speech [of the Qur'an], whenever Allah mentions two of the three fundamental principles (Prophethood, Oneness, and Resurrection), He does not omit the third. It is the same here:

1. He mentioned Prophethood with {تنزيل الكتاب} (The revelation of the Book) up to {لتنذر قوماً ما أتاهم من نذير من قبلك} (to warn a people to whom no warner had come before you).
2. He mentioned Oneness with {الله الذى خلق} (Allah is He Who created) up to {وجعل لكم السمع والأبصار} (and made for you hearing and sight).
3. He mentioned the Resurrection with His saying: {وقالوا * أءذا ضللنا فى الارض} (And they say, "When we are lost in the earth...").

There are several issues concerning this verse:

The conjunction (و) in {وقالوا} (And they say) is for continuation, linking back to their previous statements. They had denied that Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was a Messenger, and they denied Allah’s Oneness. Now, they are denying the possibility of Resurrection.

Why does Allah use the future tense when refuting their denial of Prophethood (أم يقولون - Or do they say?), but use the past tense when mentioning their denial of Resurrection (وقالوا - And they said)?

• Their denial of his Prophethood occurred during his lifetime, so the present/future tense is used (يقولون - they are saying).
• Their denial of the Resurrection was a long-standing position, held by them and their forefathers long before the Prophet's advent, so the past tense is used (وقالوا - they said).

Allah explicitly mentions their statement regarding Prophethood (أم يقولون) and Resurrection (وقالوا), but He does not explicitly mention their statement regarding Oneness.

This is because they were persistently obstinate in denying Resurrection and Prophethood in all circumstances. However, regarding Oneness, they often confessed it in meaning. Do you not see that Allah says: {ولئن سألتهم من خلق السماوات والأرض ليقولن الله} (And if you asked them, "Who created the heavens and the earth?" they would surely say, "Allah")? He did not say, "They say, 'Allah is not One'," even though they might have claimed that outwardly.

If someone asks: When mentioning Prophethood, Allah mentioned its proof: the undeniable revelation (the Book). When mentioning Oneness, He mentioned its proof: the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the creation of man from clay. But when mentioning their denial of Resurrection, why did He not mention the proof?

The answer is: He did mention its proof. The initial creation of man is proof of His ability to bring him back. For this reason, Allah uses the first creation as evidence for the possibility of Resurrection, as He says: {ثم يعيده وهو أهون عليه} (Then He will bring it back, and that is easier for Him) and {قل يحييها الذي أنشأها أول مرة} (Say, "He will give life to them who produced them the first time"). Similarly, the creation of the heavens is proof, as Allah says: {أوليس الذي خلق السماوات والأرض بقادر على أن يخلق مثلهم بلى} (Is not He Who created the heavens and the earth capable of creating the like of them? Yes [He is]).

And His saying: {إنكم لفى خلق جديد} (Indeed, you are in a new creation). Meaning: Are you going to exist in a new creation, or are you falling into it?

{بل هم بلقاء ربهم كافرون} (Rather, they, in the meeting with their Lord, are disbelievers). This is a diversion from the first point. Meaning, their denial is not merely about the second creation itself; rather, they disbelieve in all aspects of the Hereafter. Even if they believed in the second creation, they would not acknowledge punishment and reward.

Alternatively, the meaning is: They did not deny the Resurrection for its own sake, but rather because of their disbelief. Since they disbelieved [in the consequences], they denied what leads to them. Then, He clarifies what awaits them from death until punishment.

{قل يتوفاكم ملك الموت الذي وكل بكم ثم إلى ربكم ترجعون} (Say, "The angel of death who has been put in charge of you will cause you to die; then to your Lord you will be returned.")