سُوْرَةُ السَّجْدَةِ
Surah As-Sajda (32) — Ayah 11
۞ قُلْ يَتَوَفَّىٰكُم مَّلَكُ ٱلْمَوْتِ ٱلَّذِى وُكِّلَ بِكُمْ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمْ تُرْجَعُونَ ﴿11﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Say: "The angel of death, who is set over you, will take your souls. Then you shall be brought to your Lord."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
۞ قُلْ
qul
Say
يَتَوَفَّىٰكُم
yatawaffākum
Will take your soul
مَّلَكُ
malaku
(the) Angel
ٱلْمَوْتِ
l-mawti
(of) the death
ٱلَّذِى
alladhī
the one who
وُكِّلَ
wukkila
has been put in charge
بِكُمْ
bikum
of you
ثُمَّ
thumma
Then
إِلَىٰ
ilā
to
رَبِّكُمْ
rabbikum
your Lord
تُرْجَعُونَ
tur'jaʿūna
you will be returned
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 11) ➊ { قُلْ يَتَوَفّٰىكُمْ مَّلَكُ الْمَوْتِ الَّذِيْ وُكِّلَ بِكُمْ :} That is, you consider yourselves to be merely bodies and trunks, thinking that by mixing with the dust you have become equal to it. It is not so; rather, you are in reality "soul" (spirit), which the angel takes away; you do not become completely annihilated. (Mawaddih) From the word {’’ وُكِّلَ بِكُمْ ‘‘}, it is understood that the angel only takes the soul of the one whom he is commanded to; he has no authority of his own.
➋ Because { ثُمَّ اِلٰى رَبِّكُمْ تُرْجَعُوْنَ:’’ اِلٰى رَبِّكُمْ ‘‘} is mentioned first, it has been translated as: "Then you will be returned to your Lord alone."
➌ The name of the Angel of Death is commonly known as Azrael, but this is not mentioned anywhere in the Book and Sunnah; it is merely an Israelite narration. In other verses, Allah Almighty has stated that not just one angel but several angels cause people to die, as He said: «{ حَتّٰۤى اِذَا جَآءَ اَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ تَوَفَّتْهُ رُسُلُنَا وَ هُمْ لَا يُفَرِّطُوْنَ }» [ الأنعام : ۶۱ ] "Until, when death comes to one of you, Our messengers take him, and they do not neglect their duty." See also Surah An-Nisa (97), Al-An'am (93), and Surah Muhammad (27). The scholars have explained that the angel appointed to seize souls is one, as mentioned here, but there are also assisting angels who help him in various ways. As mentioned in the lengthy hadith of Bara’ bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with them both), regarding the soul's departure of the believer and the disbeliever, when the Angel of Death extracts the soul of the deceased, the other angels quickly take it from his hand and ascend towards the heavens. [ دیکھیے مسند أحمد : 287/4، ح : ۱۸۵۶۱ ]
➋ Because { ثُمَّ اِلٰى رَبِّكُمْ تُرْجَعُوْنَ:’’ اِلٰى رَبِّكُمْ ‘‘} is mentioned first, it has been translated as: "Then you will be returned to your Lord alone."
➌ The name of the Angel of Death is commonly known as Azrael, but this is not mentioned anywhere in the Book and Sunnah; it is merely an Israelite narration. In other verses, Allah Almighty has stated that not just one angel but several angels cause people to die, as He said: «{ حَتّٰۤى اِذَا جَآءَ اَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ تَوَفَّتْهُ رُسُلُنَا وَ هُمْ لَا يُفَرِّطُوْنَ }» [ الأنعام : ۶۱ ] "Until, when death comes to one of you, Our messengers take him, and they do not neglect their duty." See also Surah An-Nisa (97), Al-An'am (93), and Surah Muhammad (27). The scholars have explained that the angel appointed to seize souls is one, as mentioned here, but there are also assisting angels who help him in various ways. As mentioned in the lengthy hadith of Bara’ bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with them both), regarding the soul's departure of the believer and the disbeliever, when the Angel of Death extracts the soul of the deceased, the other angels quickly take it from his hand and ascend towards the heavens. [ دیکھیے مسند أحمد : 287/4، ح : ۱۸۵۶۱ ]
