How will the souls of the disbelievers be restored after their bodies were burned?
Question

                How will the souls of the disbelievers be restored after their bodies were burned?
Praise be to Allah.
      Believing that Allah has power over all things, that nothing is beyond Him 
      on earth or in heaven, that Allah will resurrect those who are in the 
      graves, that just as He created them from nothing, He is able to resurrect 
      them however He wills and whenever He wills, and is able to restore them 
      regardless of what they look like and regardless of how they died, is 
      something without which belief in Allah is not complete. 

    Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

    The Muslims and the followers of other religions are all agreed that Allah 
    has power over all things, as the Qur’an states in many places. End quote. 

    Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa 
    (8/7) 
He 
    also said: 

    Allah created all things, and He has power over all things. Whoever regards 
    any action as being beyond His capability and beyond His will has 
    profaned His names and revelations. End quote. 

    End quote from Majmoo ‘ al-Fataawa (11/354) 

    Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the 
    meaning):

    “And he puts 
    forth for Us a parable, and forgets his own creation. He says: ‘Who will 
    give life to these bones when they have rotted away and became dust?’

    Say: (O Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)) 
    ‘He will give life to them Who created them for the first time! And He is 
    the All-Knower of every creation!’”

    [Yaa-Seen 36:78-79]. 

    As-Sa‘di said:

    This is a specious argument and wrong thinking, to say that this is 
    far-fetched just because it is beyond human capability. This man said this 
    by way of heedlessness, forgetting his own origins. Had he thought of his 
    own creation, after he was nothing, then he came into existence in a 
    physical sense, he would not have made this suggestion. 

    Allah, may He be exalted, responded to this notion that it is far-fetched 
    with a concise answer, as He said: “Say: 
    (O Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)) ‘He will give life 
    to them Who created them for the first time!”. 
    If you think and reflect upon this verse, you would realise for certain that 
    the argument is very clear, for the One Who created him the first time is 
    able to re-create him a second time. That is easier for the power of Allah, 
    if you think about it. End quote. 

    Tafseer as-Sa‘di 
    (p. 699-700) 

    Al-Bukhaari (3481) and Muslim (2756) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah 
    be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of 
    Allah be upon him) said: “A man who never did any good deeds told his family 
    that when he died, they should burn him, then scatter half of him on land 
    and half of him in the sea, for by Allah, if Allah were to seize him, He 
    would surely punish him as He had never punished anyone in the world. When 
    the man died, they did what he had instructed them to do, then Allah 
    commanded the land to gather what was in it, and He commanded the sea to 
    gather what was in it, then he said (to the man): ‘Why did you do this?’ He 
    said: ‘For fear of You, O Lord, and You know best.’ So Allah forgave him.” 

    According to a version narrated by al-Bukhaari, he said: “When I die, then 
    burn me and grind up (my bones), then scatter me in the wind.” 

    Shaykh al-Islam said: 

    This man had doubts and was ignorant of the power of Allah, may He be 
    exalted, to restore the son of Adam after he had been burned and his remains 
    scattered, and to re-create and resurrect the deceased if that is done to 
    him. These are two great principles: 

    The first principle has to do with Allah, may He be exalted, namely belief 
    that He has power over all things. And the second principle has to do with 
    the Last Day, namely belief that Allah will restore this deceased person and 
    requite him for his deeds. End quote. 

    Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa 
    (12/491) 

    Once a person knows that Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, has power 
    over all things and that nothing is beyond Him on earth or in heaven, and 
    that if He wills a thing He says to it: “Be!” and it is, and that He, may He 
    be glorified, brought all creatures into existence from nothing, it will not 
    be difficult for him to believe in the resurrection in whatever way it may 
    occur, without having to think hard or engage in investigations that will 
    not be to any avail. There is sufficient evidence for him in that which will 
    never disappear from him, namely his own self. Allah, may He be exalted, 
    says (interpretation of the meaning): “And 
    on the earth are signs for those who have Faith with certainty, And also in 
    your ownselves. Will you not then see?” 
    [adh-Dhaariyaat 51:20-21]. 

    And Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, said to His slave Zakariyya 
    (peace be upon him) (interpretation of the meaning):

    “(Allah said) 
    ‘O Zakariya (Zachariah)! Verily, We give you the glad tidings of a son, His 
    name will be Yahya (John). We have given that name to none before (him).’

    He said: ‘My Lord! How can I have a son, when my wife is 
    barren, and I have reached the extreme old age.’

    He said: ‘So (it will be). Your Lord says; It is easy for Me. 
    Certainly I have created you before, when you had been nothing!’”

    [Maryam 19:7-9]. 

    The creation of this boy from a barren mother and an elderly father is not 
    more strange than the creation of the father and bringing him into existence 
    from nothing.

    See Tafseer at-Tabari (18/151) 

    Allah, may He be exalted, said concerning Maryam (interpretation of the 
    meaning):

    “She said: ‘O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has 
    touched me.’ He said: ‘So (it will be) for Allah creates what He wills. When 
    He has decreed something, He says to it only: “Be!” and it is’”

    [Aal ‘Imraan 3:47]. 

    And Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

    “Verily, the 
    likeness of ‘Eesa (Jesus) before Allah is the likeness of Adam. He created 
    him from dust, then (He) said to him: ‘Be!’ - and he was”

    [Aal ‘Imraan 3:59]. 

    Moreover, these heavens and this earth that are constantly before man’s very 
    eyes, and what he sees between them of planets and stars, the number of 
    which no one knows except Allah, for none of His creation can estimate how 
    great it is, is greater than the creation of people. Therefore it is more 
    appropriate that the One Who created the heavens and the earth, despite 
    their greatness and vastness, should be able to re-create man once more. 

    Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

    “Verily, the 
    Hour (Day of Judgement) is surely coming, therein is no doubt, yet most men 
    believe not”

    [Ghaafir 40:59].

    “Is not He, Who created the heavens and the earth Able to 
    create the like of them? Yes, indeed! He is the All-Knowing Supreme Creator.

    Verily, His Command, when He intends a thing, is only that He 
    says to it, ‘Be!’ and it is!”

    [Yaa-Seen 36:81-82]

    “And He it is Who originates the creation, then will repeat 
    it (after it has been perished), and this is easier for Him”

    [ar-Room 30:27].
    

    That is, it is easier for Him. Mujaahid said: Re-creating is easier for Him 
    than initiating, and initiating was easy for Him. This was also the view of 
    ‘Ikrimah and others. 

    Tafseer Ibn Katheer 
    (6/311) 

    Al-Bukhaari (4974) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with 
    him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:

    “Allah said: ‘The son of Adam denied Me and he had no right to do so. And he 
    reviled Me and he had no right to do so. As for his denying Me, it is his 
    saying: He will not remake me as He made me at first – and the initial 
    creation (of him) is no easier for Me than the remaking of him. As for his 
    reviling Me, it is he saying: Allah has begotten a son, while I am the One, 
    the Eternal. I beget not nor was I begotten, and there is none like unto 
    Me.’” 

    However, if what the questioner meant by his question was: how can the souls 
    of the disbelievers be restored after their bodies have been burned in the 
    Fire, i.e., in the Fire on the Day of Resurrection? 

    The answer is that their souls will remain in their bodies, even if they are 
    burned in the Fire. On the Day of Resurrection, when the soul is restored to 
    the body, it will never leave it again. The soul of the disbeliever will 
    remain in his body as it is being punished, and the soul of the believer 
    will remain in his body as he enjoys the bliss of Paradise. 

    Every time the skins of the people of Hell are burned through with the Fire, 
    Allah will replace them with other skins, so that their punishment may 
    continue without end. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the 
    meaning):

    “Surely! 
    Those who disbelieved in Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, 
    signs, revelations, etc.) We shall burn them in Fire. As often as their 
    skins are roasted through, We shall change them for other skins that they 
    may taste the punishment. Truly, Allah is Ever Most Powerful, All-Wise”

    [an-Nisa’ 4:56]. 

    And Allah knows best.