Read Quran Surah Mu'minun 23:99. Until, when death comes to one of them (those who join partners with Allah), he says: "My Lord! Send me back

Surah Al-Mu'minun (The Believers)

99. Until, when death comes to one of them (those who join partners with Allah), he says: "My Lord! Send me back,

100. "So that I may do good in that which I have left behind!" No! It is but a word that he speaks, and behind them is Barzakh (a barrier) until the Day when they will be resurrected.

Verses 99-100

99. حَتَّي إِذَا جَآءَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ رَبّ‌ِ ارْجِعُونِ

100. لَعَلّـِي أَعْمَلُ صَالِحاً فِيمَا تَرَكْتُ كَلآَّ إِنَّهَا كَلِمَةٌ هُوَ قَآئِلُهَا وَمِن وَرَآئِهِم بَرْزَخٌ إِلَي يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ

99. "Until, when death conies unto one of them, he says: 'My Lord! Send me back again,"

100. "That I might do righteousness in that which I have left behind!' Nay! It is but a(mere) word that he says; and, behind them, is a partition until the Day when they shall be raised up."

Commentary:

One day the deviant will awaken and ask to be returned to the world, but his request cannot be fulfilled.

The former verses spoke about the stubbornness of pagans and sinners in their wrong way. These verses depict the painful state of the unbelievers when they are on the threshold of death. They continue their wrong way in the world until when death comes to them, as the verse says:

"Until, when death comes unto one of them, ..."

At the time when they are about to depart this world and enter the afterlife, the curtains of conceit and ignorance will be lifted from before their eyes and they will see the terrible fate ahead of them. They will observe the lives they had led, the potentialities they had stifled, the duties they had neglected, and the dreadful consequences of the sins they had committed. And at this time, such a person will cry out and:

"... he says: 'My Lord! Send me back again,"

Then, in the next verse, he continues saying:

"That I might do righteousness in that which I have left behind!' ..."

But since the law of divine creation does not allow anyone, whether righteous or wrongdoer, to return, the answer to him will be:

"... Nay! It is but a (mere) word that he says; ..."

These are only words without thinking and sincerity. This is what many wrongdoers usually say when they are about to be punished and what every murderer says when his eyes fall upon the gallows, but when the impending disaster is removed, the guilty again continue along their previous paths.

This is similar to what we read in verse 28 of Sura Al-'An'am, No. 6: "... And even if they were returned they would revert to that which they were prohibited ..."

Finally, the verse briefly and expressively refers to the mysterious intermediate world, the 'Barzakh', and says:

"... and, behind them, is a partition until the Day when they shall be raised up."


http://www.maaref-foundation.com/english/library/quran/light/light_11/023/099-100.htm