Surah Al-Mu'minun, Ayah 100

The Disbelievers' Hope when death approaches Allah tells us about what happens when death approaches one of the disbelievers orone of those who have been negligent with the commands of Allah. He tells us what he says and how he asks to come back to this world so that he can rectify whatever wrongs he committed during his lifetime. Allah says:

رَبِّ ارْجِعُونِلَعَلِّى أَعْمَلُ صَـلِحاً فِيمَا تَرَكْتُ كَلاَّ

("My Lord! Send me back, so that I may do good in that which I have left behind!" No!) This is like the Ayat:

وَأَنفِقُواْ مِن مَّا رَزَقْنَـكُمْ مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِىَ أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ

(And spend of that with which We have provided you before death comes to one of you,) until His saying:

وَاللَّهُ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ

(And Allah is All-Aware of what you do) 63:10-11

وَأَنذِرِ النَّاسَ يَوْمَ يَأْتِيهِمُ الْعَذَابُ

(And warn mankind of the Day when the torment will come unto them)

مَا لَكُمْ مِّن زَوَالٍ

upto His saying; (that you would not leave (the world for the Hereafter).) 14:44 And His saying:

كَلَّا إِنَّهَا كَلِمَةٌ هُوَ قَائِلُهَا وَمِن وَرَ‌ائِهِم بَرْ‌زَخٌ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ

Never! It is just a word he has to utter. And in front of them there is a barrier till the day when they will be resurrected. (23:100)

The word بَرْ‌زَخٌ (Barzakh) means "barrier" and implies anything which intervenes between two conditions or two objects. For this reason it also means the intervening period between death and the Day of Judgment. The meaning of this verse is that the wish of the infidel who has died to be returned to this world is fruitless, because he has reached the Barzakh from which no return is possible and a second life cannot be given until the Day of Resurrection, when all the dead will rise and be brought back to life.

When God’s preacher calls for the Truth, it often happens that those whom he addresses, instead of acknowledging it, become his enemies. They make him the target of mischief and spread false propaganda against him. At that time, he has the urge to react. He feels that if he has been maltreated by others, he should also retaliate. He feels that if he keeps quiet, will be encouraged and they will be emboldened to engage in further opposition. But all such thoughts are instigations of Satan. At this critical juncture, Satan confuses the issue with a view to leading man astray. On such occasions, one who is a believer should seek God’s protection, will cast him into manifest error.