These are a reference to the disbelievers of Quraysh. If you say: The speech was occurring in the second life, meaning that which they deny, not in death. Mahmoud said: If you say: The speech with them was occurring in the second life, not in death... etc. Ahmad said: And it is clearer than that, for when they were promised after the worldly life two other states, the first of which is death and the other is the life of resurrection: they affirmed the first state, which is death, and denied what comes after it. They called it the first, while they believed that there is nothing after it, because they reduced their denial to affirmation, thus making it the first as I have mentioned to you. This is more appropriate than interpreting the first death as preceding the worldly life for two reasons. The first is that they do not believe in it, as they affirm the death that follows the worldly life. The direct limitation of death in their words to a description that was not mentioned, and not to the very death they observe, involves a departure from the apparent meaning without necessity. The second is that the death preceding the worldly life is not expressed as a death, for death implies a sense of renewal and occurrence. The death preceding the worldly life is a matter that is established and does not have a life that preceded it. Furthermore, in the rest of the surah, Allah, the Exalted, says: 'They will not taste therein death except the first death.' Here, what is meant by 'the first death' is the death that follows the worldly life only. In this, there is guidance to what I have mentioned, and Allah knows best. So, could it not be said: 'It is nothing but our first life, and we are not to be resurrected?' Just as it was said: 'It is nothing but our worldly life, and we are not to be resurrected?' And what is the meaning of His saying: 'It is nothing but our first death?' And what is the meaning of mentioning the first? It is as if they were promised another death, which they denied and rejected, affirming only the first. I say: Its meaning - and Allah is the guide to what is correct - is that it was said to them: 'You will die a death that will be followed by life, just as a death preceded you that was followed by life.' This is the meaning of His saying, the Exalted: 'And you were dead, and He gave you life, then He will cause you to die, then He will give you life.' They said: 'It is nothing but our first death,' meaning: What is the death that is supposed to be followed by life except the first death, without the second death? And what is this description that you attribute to death, of being followed by life, except for the first death specifically? Thus, there is no difference between this and His saying: 'It is nothing but our worldly life' in meaning. It is said: Allah resurrects the dead, and He resurrects them: if He brings them back to life. 'So bring us our forefathers' is a call to those who were counting them as resurrected: from the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, and the believers, meaning: If you are truthful in what you say, then hasten to bring back to life those of our forefathers who have died by asking your Lord for that, so that it may serve as evidence that what you promise regarding the Day of Resurrection and the resurrection of the dead is true. It is said that they were asking them to pray to Allah and resurrect Qusayy ibn Kilab to consult him, for he was their elder and advisor in calamities and significant matters.