سُوْرَةُ الْوَاقِعَةِ
Surah Al-Waaqia (56) — Ayah 60
نَحْنُ قَدَّرْنَا بَيْنَكُمُ ٱلْمَوْتَ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ ﴿60﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
We have decreed death to you all, and We are not outstripped,
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
نَحْنُ
naḥnu
We
قَدَّرْنَا
qaddarnā
[We] have decreed
بَيْنَكُمُ
baynakumu
among you
ٱلْمَوْتَ
l-mawta
the death
وَمَا
wamā
and not
نَحْنُ
naḥnu
We
بِمَسْبُوقِينَ
bimasbūqīna
(are) outrun
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 60) ➊ {نَحْنُ قَدَّرْنَا بَيْنَكُمُ الْمَوْتَ:} That is, just as your creation is in Our control, so is your death, and We alone have determined when each person will die—whether in the mother's womb, at birth, in youth, in middle age, or upon reaching the most decrepit old age. No one can cause him to die before this, nor can anyone keep him alive after this. See also Surah Al-Mu’min (67), Fatir (11), Munafiqun (11), A’raf (34), Nuh (4), and Surah Al-Imran (45).
➋ In the word { ’’ بَيْنَكُمْ‘‘}, there is another meaning as well: that death is something placed among you, it will be distributed to all, but not at the same time; rather, it will come to each one in turn. Just as when some wealth is to be distributed among people and they are called for it, they all wait for their names to be called so they may receive their share, but no one knows when his turn will come.
➌ { وَ مَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوْقِيْنَ: ’’ سَابِقٌ ‘‘} means to go ahead, to prevail. {’’مَسْبُوْقٌ‘‘} means to lag behind, to be overcome, to remain helpless. The letter "ba" is for emphasis of negation, so it has been translated as "and We are never helpless."
➋ In the word { ’’ بَيْنَكُمْ‘‘}, there is another meaning as well: that death is something placed among you, it will be distributed to all, but not at the same time; rather, it will come to each one in turn. Just as when some wealth is to be distributed among people and they are called for it, they all wait for their names to be called so they may receive their share, but no one knows when his turn will come.
➌ { وَ مَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوْقِيْنَ: ’’ سَابِقٌ ‘‘} means to go ahead, to prevail. {’’مَسْبُوْقٌ‘‘} means to lag behind, to be overcome, to remain helpless. The letter "ba" is for emphasis of negation, so it has been translated as "and We are never helpless."
