Surah Qaf (Qaf) 50 : 4

Explanatory Note

Nothing shakes a person's heart like death, and nothing fills him with dread like perishing. The surah's comment strengthens this effect as it describes the earth eating them little by little: "We know very well what the earth takes away from them. We have an unfailing, comprehensive record." (Verse 4) The phraseology of this comment shows the earth as a living thing that swallows, little by little, their buried bodies in a steady progressive action asserting that God knows what the earth swallows and that it is all recorded. Nothing is lost even though they may die and perish. As for putting life back into this dust that remains from their bodies, this is merely a repeat of what had happened before and what continues to happen in endless processes of bringing forth life anew.