Tafsir Ibn Kathir -> Surah An-Nahl -> The Condition of the Disbeliever during and after Death

Allah informs us of the state of the idolators who are doing wrong to themselves when death approaches and the angels come to seize their evil souls.

﴿فَأَلْقَوُاْ السَّلَمَ﴾

(Then, they will (falsely) submit) meaning, they will make it appear as if they used to listen and obey by saying,

﴿مَا كُنَّا نَعْمَلُ مِن سُوءٍ﴾

(We did not do any evil.) Similarly, on the Day of Resurrection, they will say,

﴿وَاللَّهِ رَبِّنَا مَا كُنَّا مُشْرِكِينَ﴾

(By Allah, our Lord, we were not idolators.) ﴿6:23﴾

﴿يَوْمَ يَبْعَثُهُمُ اللَّهِ جَمِيعاً فَيَحْلِفُونَ لَهُ كَمَا يَحْلِفُونَ لَكُمْ﴾

(On the Day when Allah will resurrect them all together; then they will swear to Him as they swear to you.) ﴿58:18﴾ Allah says, rejecting what they say,

﴿الَّذِينَ تَتَوَفَّـهُمُ الْمَلَـئِكَةُ ظَالِمِى أَنفُسِهِمْ فَأَلْقَوُاْ السَّلَمَ مَا كُنَّا نَعْمَلُ مِن سُوءٍ بَلَى إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ - فَادْخُلُواْ أَبْوَابَ جَهَنَّمَ خَـلِدِينَ فِيهَا فَلَبِئْسَ مَثْوَى الْمُتَكَبِّرِينَ ﴾

("Yes! Truly, Allah is Most Knowing of what you did. So enter the gates of Hell, to abide therein, and indeed, what an evil abode there is for the arrogant.'') (16:28-29), meaning, a miserable position in the abode of humiliation for those who were too arrogant to pay atten- tion to the signs of Allah and follow His Messengers. They will enter Hell from the day they die with their souls, and their bodies will feel the heat and hot winds of their graves. When the Day of Resurrec- tion comes, their souls will be reunited with their bodies, to abide forever in the fire of Hell, and

﴿لاَ يُقْضَى عَلَيْهِمْ فَيَمُوتُواْ وَلاَ يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمْ مِّنْ عَذَابِهَا﴾

(It will not be complete enough to kill them nor shall its torment be lightened for them.) (35:36) As Allah says,

﴿النَّارُ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَيْهَا غُدُوّاً وَعَشِيّاً وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ أَدْخِلُواْ ءَالَ فِرْعَوْنَ أَشَدَّ الْعَذَابِ ﴾

(The Fire, they are exposed to it morning and afternoon. And on the Day when the Hour will be established (it will be said to the angels): "Cause Fir'awn's people to enter the severest torment!'') (40:46).

﴿وَقِيلَ لِلَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْاْ مَاذَا أَنزَلَ رَبُّكُمْ قَالُواْ خَيْرًا لِّلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُواْ فِى هذِهِ الْدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةٌ وَلَدَارُ الاٌّخِرَةِ خَيْرٌ وَلَنِعْمَ دَارُ الْمُتَّقِينَ - جَنَّـتُ عَدْنٍ يَدْخُلُونَهَا تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَـرُ لَهُمْ فِيهَا مَا يَشَآءُونَ كَذَلِكَ يَجْزِى اللَّهُ الْمُتَّقِينَ - الَّذِينَ تَتَوَفَّـهُمُ الْمَلَـئِكَةُ طَيِّبِينَ يَقُولُونَ سَلَـمٌ عَلَيْكُمُ ادْخُلُواْ الْجَنَّةَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ﴾

(30. And (when) it is said to those who had Taqwa (piety and righteousness), ''What is it that your Lord has revealed'' They say: "That which is good.'' For those who do good in this world, there is good, and the home of the Hereafter will be better. And excellent indeed will be the home (i.e. Paradise) of those who have Taqwa.) (31. `Adn (Eden) Paradise (Gardens of Eternity) which they will enter, under which rivers flow, in it they will have all that they wish. Thus Allah rewards those who have Taqwa.) (32. Those whose lives the angels take while they are in a pious state saying (to them) "Salamun `Alaikum (peace be on you!). Enter Paradise because of what (good) you used to do (in the world).'')