Tafsir

In the current verse the word is used in the sense of hypocrisy and rejection of Allah's verses carelessly.لَوْلَا إِذَا بَلَغَتِ الْحُلْقُومَ ﴿83﴾ وَأَنتُمْ حِينَئِذٍ تَنظُرُ‌ونَ ﴿84﴾ وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَ‌بُ إِلَيْهِ مِنكُمْ وَلَـٰكِن لَّا تُبْصِرُ‌ونَ ﴿85﴾ فَلَوْلَا إِن كُنتُمْ غَيْرَ‌ مَدِينِينَ ﴿86﴾ تَرْ‌جِعُونَهَا إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ ﴿87﴾(So why [ do you ] not [ interfere ] when the soul [ of a dying person ] reaches the throat, and you are watching? And We are closer to him than you, but you do not perceive. So, if you are not going to be recompensed [ in the Hereafter for your deeds ], then why do you not bring the soul back, if you are truthful?...56:83-87)The preceding verses proved two facts through rational arguments and by swearing an oath by the falling stars: [ 1] that the Holy Qur'an-is the word of Allah. Neither Jinn nor devil can ever tamper with it. Everything it contains is the truth; and [ 2] one of the most fundamental articles of faith enshrined in the Qur'an is the Day of Resurrection and Reckoning.

Towards the end of the passage, it is mentioned that the infidels and idolaters, in spite of clear arguments and evidence, reject life after death.

Their denial of Resurrection by the unbelievers, in a way, amounts to a claim that their lives and souls are under their own control, and they have a say in the matter of life and death. In order to refute this assumption, the above verses give the example of a dying person. When the soul reaches his throat, all of his near and dear ones look at him and express their desire that he may live longer, but none of them is able to intervene and save his life. All the people around him seem absolutely helpless. However, Allah is nearer to the dying person than the people around him even though they are unable to see Him. In other words, that is, He is nearer to him in terms of knowledge and power. He is fully aware of the person's inner and outer conditions and has complete control over him.

In short, it is not within people's power to get together and save a soul or life. Allah is nearer to a dying person than his soul or life. Allah has pre-designated a particular time for the soul to be separated from the body. None can avert it. In view of this graphic picture, the disbelievers are reminded that if they think that they cannot be resurrected after death, and they are too strong to come under Allah's grasp, then they must restore the soul when it has reached the throat and is about to depart from the body or it has already departed and died. If it is not possible to do any of these, how illogical or irrational it is for man to think that he can escape the Divine grasp and reject life after death!