The Denial of Life after Death, and the Refutation of this Idea
Mujahid, Ikrimah, Urwah bin Az-Zubayr, As-Suddi and Qatadah said,
"Ubayy bin Khalaf, may Allah curse him, came to the Messenger of Allah with a dry bone in his hand, which he was crumbling and scattering in the air, saying, `O Muhammad! Are you claiming that Allah will resurrect this.'
He said;
نَعَمْ يُمِيتُكَ اللهُ تَعَالَى ثُمَّ يَبْعَثُكَ ثُمَّ يَحْشُرُكَ إِلَى النَّار
Yes, Allah, may He be exalted, will cause you to die, then He will resurrect you and will gather you into the Fire."
Then these Ayat at the end of Surah Ya Sin were revealed;
أَوَلَمْ يَرَ الاِْنسَانُ أَنَّا خَلَقْنَاهُ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ
Does not man see that We have created him from Nutfah. -- until the end of the Surah.
Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said,
"Al-`As bin Wa'il took a bone from the bed of a valley and crumbled it in his hand, then he said to the Messenger of Allah;`Will Allah bring this back to life after it has disintegrated.'
The Messenger of Allah said;
نَعَمْ يُمِيتُكَ اللهُ ثُمَّ يُحْيِيكَ ثُمَّ يُدْخِلُكَ جَهَنَّم
Yes, Allah will cause you to die, then He will bring you back to life, then He will make you enter Hell.
Then the Ayat at the end of Surah Ya Sin were revealed."
This was recorded by Ibn Jarir from Sa`id bin Jubayr.
Whether these Ayat were revealed about Ubayy bin Khalaf or Al-`As bin Wa'il, or both of them, they apply to all those who deny the resurrection after death. The definite article "Al" in
أَوَلَمْ يَرَ الاِْنسَانُ
(Does not man (Al-Insan) see...) is generic, applying to all those who deny the Resurrection.
أَنَّا خَلَقْنَاهُ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ فَإِذَا هُوَ خَصِيمٌ مُّبِينٌ
that We have created him from Nutfah. Yet behold he (stands forth) as an open opponent.
means, the one who is denying the resurrection, cannot see that the One Who initiated creation can recreate it. For Allah initiated the creation of man from semen of despised fluid, creating him from something insignificant, weak and despised, as Allah says;
أَلَمْ نَخْلُقكُّم مِّن مَّأءٍ مَّهِينٍ
فَجَعَلْنَـهُ فِى قَرَارٍ مَّكِينٍ
إِلَى قَدَرٍ مَّعْلُومٍ
Did We not create you from a despised water? Then We placed it in a place of safety, for a known period. (77;20-22)
إِنَّا خَلَقْنَا الاِنسَـنَ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ أَمْشَاجٍ
Verily, We have created man from Nutfah. (76;2)
which means, from a mixture of different fluids. The One Who created man from this weak Nutfah is not unable to recreate him after his death.
Imam Ahmad recorded in his Musnad that Bishr bin Jahhash said,
"One day the Messenger of Allah spat in his hand and put his finger on it, then the Messenger of Allah said;
قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى
ابْنَ ادَمَ أَنَّى تُعْجِزُنِي وَقَدْ خَلَقْتُكَ مِنْ مِثْلِ هَذِهِ حَتْى إِذَا سَوَّيْتُكَ وَعَدَلْتُكَ مَشَيْتَ بَيْنَ بُرْدَيْكَ وَلِلَْرْضِ مِنْكَ وَيِيدٌ فَجَمَعْتَ وَمَنَعْتَ حَتْى إِذَا بَلَغَتِ التَّرَاقِيَ قُلْتَ أَتَصَدَّقُ وَأَنَّى أَوَانُ الصَّدَقَةِ
Allah, may He be exalted, says;
"Son of Adam, how can you outrun Me when I have created you from something like this, and when I have fashioned you and formed you, you walk in your cloak on the earth and it groans beneath your tread. You accumulate and do not spend until the death rattle reaches your throat, then you say, `I want to give in charity,' but it is too late for charity.""
It was also recorded by Ibn Majah.
Allah says;
وَضَرَبَ لَنَا مَثَلً وَنَسِيَ خَلْقَهُ قَالَ مَنْ يُحْيِي الْعِظَامَ وَهِيَ رَمِيمٌ