This points to the proof of the permissibility of resurrection and God's power over it. This is because Allah Almighty knows every part of every deceased person without confusing one person's part with another's. He is capable of gathering and reassembling them, so their return is not far-fetched. This is like His saying: **{And He is the All-Creator, the All-Knowing}** (Ya-Sin: 80), where He linked knowledge to the restoration (of life).

His saying **{Indeed, We know what the earth consumes}** means that their scattered parts across the ends of the earth are not hidden from Him. This is an answer to what they used to say: **{When we are lost in the earth [shall we be brought forth anew]?}** (As-Sajdah: 10).

This also indicates that just as He knows their physical parts, He knows their deeds—their injustice and transgression—both by what they said and what they did.

It is also possible that the meaning of His saying **{And with Us is a Preserving Book}** is that He possesses detailed knowledge of things. Knowledge is either general (Ijmālī) or detailed (Tafṣīlī).

General knowledge is like that of a person who memorizes and understands a book; he knows that if asked about any matter in the book, the answer will be present with him. However, it is not constantly before his eyes letter by letter, nor does it cross his mind section by section or chapter by chapter. Yet, when presented to his mind, it requires no renewal of thought or focusing of sight.

Detailed knowledge is like that of someone who articulates things and possesses the book in which those matters are written. This level of detail is rarely found in a human except for one or two issues. As for God, when He says **{And with Us is a Preserving Book}**, it means His knowledge is like that contained in a book, where He knows every part and every item individually.

The term *Ḥafīẓ* (Preserving/Keeper) can mean *Maḥfūẓ* (Preserved), meaning preserved from alteration or change. Or it can mean *Ḥāfiẓ* (Preserver/Keeper), meaning He preserves their parts and deeds so that He forgets nothing of them. The latter interpretation is more correct for two reasons:

1. The term *Ḥafīẓ* meaning *Ḥāfiẓ* is used in the Qur'an, as in His saying: **{And I am not a keeper over you}** (Al-An'am: 104) and **{And Allah is a Keeper over them}**. 2. Since the Book (mentioned here) is used as a metaphor (for knowledge), the Book itself preserves things, making God independent of needing to be preserved.