Surah Al-Mulk (67) — Ayah 2

(Ayah 2) ➊ { الَّذِيْ خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ وَ الْحَيٰوةَ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ … :} From here, Allah Almighty mentioned some of His created things that are beyond the the power of creatures, so that complete certainty in Allah’s power may be established in the hearts of people. At this place, the first thing He mentioned from among His powers is death and life, because all the states of a human being are encompassed within death and life.

➋ Allah Almighty called the state before a person comes into this world as death, and the departure from this world as death as well. Similarly, coming into the world is called life, and then being raised after death is also called life, as He said: «كَيْفَ تَكْفُرُوْنَ بِاللّٰهِ وَ كُنْتُمْ اَمْوَاتًا فَاَحْيَاكُمْ ثُمَّ يُمِيْتُكُمْ ثُمَّ يُحْيِيْكُمْ ثُمَّ اِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُوْنَ » [ البقرۃ : ۲۸ ] “How can you disbelieve in Allah, when you were lifeless and He gave you life, then He will cause you to die, then He will bring you to life again, then to Him you will be returned.” Here it is said that Allah created death and life. It is understood from this that death is also a creation; it is not merely non-existence, because before coming into the world, a person existed in Allah’s knowledge and decree, and the time for his coming into the world was fixed, but the connection between soul and body was not there, and this was called death. Then, after coming into the world, when the soul separates from the body, this is also called death. On the Day of Resurrection, death will be brought in the form of a ram. Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ يُؤْتٰی بِالْمَوْتِ كَهَيْئَةِ كَبْشٍ أَمْلَحَ فَيُنَادِيْ مُنَادٍ يَا أَهْلَ الْجَنَّةِ! فَيَشْرَئِبُّوْنَ وَ يَنْظُرُوْنَ فَيَقُوْلُ هَلْ تَعْرِفُوْنَ هٰذَا ؟ فَيَقُوْلُوْنَ نَعَمْ، هٰذَا الْمَوْتُ، وَكُلُّهُمْ قَدْ رَآهُ، ثُمَّ يُنَادِيْ يَا أَهْلَ النَّارِ! فَيَشْرَئِبُّوْنَ وَ يَنْظُرُوْنَ، فَيَقُوْلُ هَلْ تَعْرِفُوْنَ هٰذَا؟ فَيَقُوْلُوْنَ نَعَمْ هٰذَا الْمَوْتُ، وَكُلُّهُمْ قَدْ رَآهُ، فَيُذْبَحُ ثُمَّ يَقُوْلُ يَا أَهْلَ الْجَنَّةِ ! خُلُوْدٌ فَلاَ مَوْتَ، وَ يَا أَهْلَ النَّارِ! خُلُوْدٌ فَلاَ مَوْتَ، ثُمَّ قَرَأَ : « وَ اَنْذِرْهُمْ يَوْمَ الْحَسْرَةِ اِذْ قُضِيَ الْاَمْرُ وَ هُمْ فِيْ غَفْلَةٍ» وَهٰؤُلاَءِ فِيْ غَفْلَةٍ أَهْلُ الدُّنْيَا «وَ هُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُوْنَ » ] [ بخاري، التفسیر، باب قولہ عزوجل : «وأنذرھم یوم الحسرۃ» : ۴۷۳۰ ] “Death will be brought in the form of a speckled ram, then a caller will announce: ‘O people of Paradise!’ They will raise their necks and look, and he will say: ‘Do you recognize this?’ They will say: ‘Yes! This is death.’ They will all have seen it. Then he will announce: ‘O people of the Fire!’ They will raise their necks and look, and he will say: ‘Do you recognize this?’ They will say: ‘Yes! This is death.’ They will all have seen it. Then it will be slaughtered, and he will say: ‘O people of Paradise! (Now for you) there is everlasting life, no death, and O people of the Fire! (For you also) there is everlasting life, no death.’” Then he recited this verse: « وَ اَنْذِرْهُمْ يَوْمَ الْحَسْرَةِ اِذْ قُضِيَ الْاَمْرُ وَ هُمْ فِيْ غَفْلَةٍ » (And warn them of the Day of Regret, when the matter will be decided, and they are in heedlessness) meaning these people of the world are in complete heedlessness “and they do not believe.”

➌ Both life and death have been created for this test: who among mankind does good deeds? If there were no death and no life after death, why would a person strive for good deeds and avoid evil deeds? And if there were no death and life after death, where would the reward or punishment for good and bad deeds be given? And if a person did not get life in this world and no opportunity to act, then on what basis would there be reward or punishment?

➍ {وَ هُوَ الْعَزِيْزُ الْغَفُوْرُ :} He is the Mighty, so powerful that He has full authority over the reward and punishment of deeds, and so dominant that none can overpower Him. Yet, despite such power and might, He is not oppressive or harsh, but Forgiving, and so Forgiving that if anyone repents, no matter how many sins he has committed, He forgives them. Even without repentance, if there is no association of partners with Him, He will forgive whomever He wills, as He said: « اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ اَنْ يُّشْرَكَ بِهٖ وَ يَغْفِرُ مَا دُوْنَ ذٰلِكَ لِمَنْ يَّشَآءُ » [ النساء : ۱۱۶ ] “Indeed, Allah does not forgive that partners be associated with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills.” And He will not forgive shirk because this is contrary to His being Mighty.

1. The soul is such an invisible thing that the body with which it becomes connected and attached is called alive, and the body from which its connection is severed meets with death. He has established this temporary sequence of life, after which is death, so that He may test who makes the correct use of this life. Whoever uses it for indication and obedience, for him is the best reward, and for others, punishment.

2. (He) who created death [4] and life to test you as to which of you is best in deed [5]; and He is the Mighty, the Forgiving.

[4]
Death is a Positive Entity Which Allah Created First:

Allah Almighty mentioned death before life, stating that He created death as well. From this, it is understood that death is not merely a negative thing, but rather a positive entity. This refutes the statement of the Mu'tazilah who say that death is simply the absence of life. Whereas the real truth is that death is the separation of the soul and the body, and life is the union of the two. The death before worldly life refers to that period when, after creating Sayyiduna Adam ؑ, Allah Almighty also created all the souls that were to be born from his progeny until the Day of Judgment. The Covenant of Alast is related to this period. [7: 172]
And this period extends from the creation of the soul until its entry into the body of the fetus in the mother's womb.

[5]
Test in the World and Results in the Hereafter:

It is as if Allah created the universe so that, even before the creation of man, the basic necessities of human life would be provided. Then He created man and established the cycle of his life and death, granting him the power of will and choice, and intellect and discernment, to see who, like the other things in the universe, submits to Allah's command and who does not. If one submits, then this is the better path for him and his deeds will be good, and in the case of denial, his deeds will also be bad and he will receive a bad recompense. Thus, this world is a place of trial for every human being, and the time for this test lasts until a person's death. The period from death until resurrection after death is the time of waiting for the results of the test. However, everyone knows whether he is going to fail or pass this test, and accordingly, he experiences discomfort or comfort during this period, and on the Day of Judgment, the results of this test will be formally announced. Marks will be given with utmost justice. Then everyone will be rewarded or punished according to his deeds.