بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Al-Waqi'ah 56:83
The Inevitable · Juz 27 · Page 537
فَلَوۡلَآ إِذَا بَلَغَتِ ٱلۡحُلۡقُومَ ٨٣
Then why, when it [i.e., the soul at death] reaches the throat
Tafsir · in English
Ibn Kathir (abridged)
Medium · The classic, abridged: ayahs explained by ayahs and hadith.
Change
Commentary on 56:83–87
When the Soul reaches the Throat at the Time of Death, it cannot be brought back; this proves Reckon
Allah the Exalted said,
فَلَوْلاَ إِذَا بَلَغَتِ
(Then why do you not (intervene) when it reaches), in reference to the soul,
الْحُلْقُومَ
(Al-Hulqum), i.e., the throat, at the time of death. Allah the Exalted said in other Ayat,
كَلاَّ إِذَا بَلَغَتِ التَّرَاقِىَ - وَقِيلَ مَنْ رَاقٍ - وَظَنَّ أَنَّهُ الْفِرَاقُ - وَالْتَفَّتِ السَّاقُ بِالسَّاقِ - إِلَى رَبِّكَ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْمَسَاقُ
(Nay, when (the soul) reaches to the collar bone, and it will be said: "Who can cure him (and save him from death)" And he will conclude that it was (the time) of parting (death); And one leg will be joined with another leg (shrouded). The drive will be on that Day to your Lord (Allah).)(75:26-30) Allah said here,
وَأَنتُمْ حِينَئِذٍ تَنظُرُونَ
(And you at the moment are looking,) at the dying person and witnessing the stupor of death that he is experiencing,
وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنكُمْ
(But We are nearer to him than you, ) with Our angels,
وَلَكِن لاَّ تُبْصِرُونَ
(but you see not.) you cannot see the angels. Allah the Exalted said in another Ayah,
وَهُوَ الْقَاهِرُ فَوْقَ عِبَادِهِ وَيُرْسِلُ عَلَيْكُم حَفَظَةً حَتَّى إِذَا جَآءَ أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ تَوَفَّتْهُ رُسُلُنَا وَهُمْ لاَ يُفَرِّطُونَ - ثُمَّ رُدُّواْ إِلَى اللَّهِ مَوْلَهُمُ الْحَقِّ أَلاَ لَهُ الْحُكْمُ وَهُوَ أَسْرَعُ الْحَسِبِينَ
(He is the Irresistible over His servants, and He sends guardians (angels) over you, until when death approaches one of you, Our messengers (angel of death and his assistants) take his soul, and they never neglect their duty. Then they are returned to Allah, their true Protector. Surely, for Him is the judgement and He is the swiftest in taking account.)(6:61-62) Allah's statement,
فَلَوْلاَ إِن كُنتُمْ غَيْرَ مَدِينِينَ تَرْجِعُونَهَآ
(Then why do you not -- if you are not Madinin -- return the soul,) means, `Will you not return this soul, that has reached the throat, to its body as it used to be, if you are exempt from the reckoning and recompense' Sa`id bin Jubayr and Al-Hasan Al-Basri said:
فَلَوْلاَ إِن كُنتُمْ غَيْرَ مَدِينِينَ
(Then why do you not -- if you are not Madinin. ..), "If you do not believe that you will be reckoned, recompensed, resurrected and punished, then why do you not return this soul to its body" Mujahid said that,
غَيْرَ مَدِينِينَ
(...if you are not Madinin), means, "if you are not certain."
Page 537
56:77
إِنَّهُۥ لَقُرۡءَانٞ كَرِيمٞ ٧٧
Indeed, it is a noble Qur’ān.
56:78
فِي كِتَٰبٖ مَّكۡنُونٖ ٧٨
In a Register well-protected;1.
1 translator’s note
- The Preserved Slate (al-Lawḥ al-Maḥfūẓ), which is with Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā). ↩
56:79
لَّا يَمَسُّهُۥٓ إِلَّا ٱلۡمُطَهَّرُونَ ٧٩
None touch it except the purified [i.e., the angels].
56:80
تَنزِيلٞ مِّن رَّبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ٨٠
[It is] a revelation from the Lord of the worlds.
56:81
أَفَبِهَٰذَا ٱلۡحَدِيثِ أَنتُم مُّدۡهِنُونَ ٨١
Then is it to this statement that you are indifferent
56:82
وَتَجۡعَلُونَ رِزۡقَكُمۡ أَنَّكُمۡ تُكَذِّبُونَ ٨٢
And make [the thanks for] your provision that you deny [the Provider]?
56:83
فَلَوۡلَآ إِذَا بَلَغَتِ ٱلۡحُلۡقُومَ ٨٣
Then why, when it [i.e., the soul at death] reaches the throat
56:84
وَأَنتُمۡ حِينَئِذٖ تَنظُرُونَ ٨٤
And you are at that time looking on -
56:85
وَنَحۡنُ أَقۡرَبُ إِلَيۡهِ مِنكُمۡ وَلَٰكِن لَّا تُبۡصِرُونَ ٨٥
And We [i.e., Our angels] are nearer to him than you, but you do not see -
56:86
فَلَوۡلَآ إِن كُنتُمۡ غَيۡرَ مَدِينِينَ ٨٦
Then why do you not, if you are not to be recompensed,
56:87
تَرۡجِعُونَهَآ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰدِقِينَ ٨٧
Bring it back,1 if you should be truthful?
1 translator’s note
- i.e., return the soul to the body, meaning that just as you cannot prevent death when it is decreed, you will not escape the recompense when it is decreed. ↩
56:88
فَأَمَّآ إِن كَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُقَرَّبِينَ ٨٨
And if he [i.e., the deceased] was of those brought near [to Allāh],
56:89
فَرَوۡحٞ وَرَيۡحَانٞ وَجَنَّتُ نَعِيمٖ ٨٩
Then [for him is] rest and bounty and a garden of pleasure.
56:90
وَأَمَّآ إِن كَانَ مِنۡ أَصۡحَٰبِ ٱلۡيَمِينِ ٩٠
And if he was of the companions of the right,
56:91
فَسَلَٰمٞ لَّكَ مِنۡ أَصۡحَٰبِ ٱلۡيَمِينِ ٩١
Then [the angels will say], "Peace for you; [you are] from the companions of the right."
56:92
وَأَمَّآ إِن كَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ ٱلضَّآلِّينَ ٩٢
But if he was of the deniers [who were] astray,
56:93
فَنُزُلٞ مِّنۡ حَمِيمٖ ٩٣
Then [for him is] accommodation of scalding water
56:94
وَتَصۡلِيَةُ جَحِيمٍ ٩٤
And burning in Hellfire.
56:95
إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَهُوَ حَقُّ ٱلۡيَقِينِ ٩٥
Indeed, this is the true certainty,
56:96
فَسَبِّحۡ بِٱسۡمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلۡعَظِيمِ ٩٦
So exalt the name of your Lord, the Most Great.
57:1
سَبَّحَ لِلَّهِ مَا فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۖ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ ١
Whatever is in the heavens and earth exalts Allāh,1 and He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.
1 translator’s note
- By praising Him and declaring Him far above and beyond any failure or imperfection. ↩
57:2
لَهُۥ مُلۡكُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۖ يُحۡيِۦ وَيُمِيتُۖ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ قَدِيرٌ ٢
His is the dominion of the heavens and earth. He gives life and causes death, and He is over all things competent.
57:3
هُوَ ٱلۡأَوَّلُ وَٱلۡأٓخِرُ وَٱلظَّٰهِرُ وَٱلۡبَاطِنُۖ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيۡءٍ عَلِيمٌ ٣
He is the First1 and the Last,2 the Ascendant3 and the Intimate,4 and He is, of all things, Knowing.
4 translator’s notes
Before whom nothing existed. Also, He who is supreme, foremost or uppermost.
[1624] Enduring eternally when nothing else remains.
[1625] Nothing being above Him. Another meaning is "the Apparent," i.e., evident through His creation and revelation.
[1626] Nothing being nearer than Him by way of His knowledge. Another meaning is "the Unapparent," i.e., concealed from man's physical senses.
↩- ↩
- ↩
- ↩
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy