سُوْرَةُ الزُّمَرِ
Surah Az-Zumar (39) — Ayah 42
ٱللَّهُ يَتَوَفَّى ٱلْأَنفُسَ حِينَ مَوْتِهَا وَٱلَّتِى لَمْ تَمُتْ فِى مَنَامِهَا ۖ فَيُمْسِكُ ٱلَّتِى قَضَىٰ عَلَيْهَا ٱلْمَوْتَ وَيُرْسِلُ ٱلْأُخْرَىٰٓ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ﴿42﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
It is Allâh Who takes away the souls at the time of their death, and those that die not during their sleep. He keeps those (souls) for which He has ordained death and sends the rest for a term appointed. Verily, in this are signs for a people who think deeply.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
ٱللَّهُ
al-lahu
Allah
يَتَوَفَّى
yatawaffā
takes
ٱلْأَنفُسَ
l-anfusa
the souls
حِينَ
ḥīna
(at the) time
مَوْتِهَا
mawtihā
(of) their death
وَٱلَّتِى
wa-allatī
and the one who
لَمْ
lam
(does) not
تَمُتْ
tamut
die
فِى
fī
in
مَنَامِهَا ۖ
manāmihā
their sleep
فَيُمْسِكُ
fayum'siku
Then He keeps
ٱلَّتِى
allatī
the one whom
قَضَىٰ
qaḍā
He has decreed
عَلَيْهَا
ʿalayhā
for them
ٱلْمَوْتَ
l-mawta
the death
وَيُرْسِلُ
wayur'silu
and sends
ٱلْأُخْرَىٰٓ
l-ukh'rā
the others
إِلَىٰٓ
ilā
for
أَجَلٍۢ
ajalin
a term
مُّسَمًّى ۚ
musamman
specified
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
فِى
fī
in
ذَٰلِكَ
dhālika
that
لَـَٔايَـٰتٍۢ
laāyātin
surely (are) signs
لِّقَوْمٍۢ
liqawmin
for a people
يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
yatafakkarūna
who ponder
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
It is Allah Who takes the souls at the time of their death, and those that do not die (He takes) during their sleep. Then He withholds those for whom He has decreed death and sends the others back for an appointed term. Surely in this are many [58] signs for people who reflect.
[58] From this verse, the following matters become evident; in other words, the following signs are present in it.
1.
The Animal Soul and the Rational Soul:
There are two types of soul. One is the animal soul, which is related to the circulation of blood, and it remains within the body even during sleep. The other is the rational soul or the speaking self, which, during sleep or in a dream, leaves the body and wanders about, encountering all kinds of events in the dream. It is this soul that Allah addresses.
The Rational Soul is Enduring:
And it is this soul that is enduring. When this soul leaves the body, there is a significant decrease in the five senses of a person. During sleep, the faculties of sight, touch, and taste do not function at all. The faculty of hearing also becomes dull. However, if there is a loud noise or someone calls the sleeping person in a loud voice and wakes him up, the rational soul returns to its body. This soul loves its body to the extent of passion, because it is through this body that the desires of this soul are fulfilled.
2.
The Nature of the Punishment of the Grave:
There is a very deep and close relationship between these two types of souls, because they are two parts of the same entity. If the rational soul enjoys something in a dream, the person appears cheerful upon waking. And if this rational soul encounters an unpleasant incident in a dream, sometimes the person starts screaming and shouting in his sleep, and when he wakes up, he is extremely distressed. And if he is beaten in the dream, it is astonishing that sometimes the effects and marks of that beating appear on the person’s body, which he himself can observe after waking. From this reality, the nature of the punishment of the grave or the torment of the intermediate realm (Barzakh) can be understood to some extent.
3.
The Animal Soul Perishes with Death:
The animal soul is related only to the body. If there is no body, this soul has no existence at all. In fact, this soul does not even wait for the body to decay or perish, but ceases to exist at the moment of death. With its cessation, the body is no longer called a body, but is referred to as a corpse, dead body, or cadaver.
4. If either of these two types of souls ceases, the other type of soul’s connection with the body automatically ends. To understand this, consider the example of a person who, while sleeping, dreams that someone else kills him in his sleep. Now, wherever the rational soul may be wandering, it will not re-enter that body; rather, Allah will seize it right there. Conversely, if Allah seizes a person’s rational soul during a dream, the person lying on the bed will die without any accident or illness.
5.
Sleep is Half Death:
Allah seizes the rational soul both at the time of death and during sleep. And it is this soul that is called the “I” or (EGO). In this sense, sleep is very much like death. That is why the supplication taught to us at the time of sleeping is: ﴿اللّٰهُمَّ باسْمِكَ أمُوْتُ وَأحْيٰي﴾ meaning, “O Allah! In Your name I die and in Your name I live again.” And upon waking, the supplication taught is: ﴿ألْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذِيْ أحْيَانَا بَعْدَمَا أمَاتَنَا وَإلَيْهِ النُّشُوْرُ﴾ “All praise is due to Allah, Who gave us life after causing us to die, and to Him is the Resurrection.”
6.
The Resemblance Between Rising from Sleep and Resurrection:
The Allah Who puts us to sleep every day, showing us a sample of death, and then brings us back to life, is fully capable of resurrecting us after real death as well.
[58] From this verse, the following matters become evident; in other words, the following signs are present in it.
1.
The Animal Soul and the Rational Soul:
There are two types of soul. One is the animal soul, which is related to the circulation of blood, and it remains within the body even during sleep. The other is the rational soul or the speaking self, which, during sleep or in a dream, leaves the body and wanders about, encountering all kinds of events in the dream. It is this soul that Allah addresses.
The Rational Soul is Enduring:
And it is this soul that is enduring. When this soul leaves the body, there is a significant decrease in the five senses of a person. During sleep, the faculties of sight, touch, and taste do not function at all. The faculty of hearing also becomes dull. However, if there is a loud noise or someone calls the sleeping person in a loud voice and wakes him up, the rational soul returns to its body. This soul loves its body to the extent of passion, because it is through this body that the desires of this soul are fulfilled.
2.
The Nature of the Punishment of the Grave:
There is a very deep and close relationship between these two types of souls, because they are two parts of the same entity. If the rational soul enjoys something in a dream, the person appears cheerful upon waking. And if this rational soul encounters an unpleasant incident in a dream, sometimes the person starts screaming and shouting in his sleep, and when he wakes up, he is extremely distressed. And if he is beaten in the dream, it is astonishing that sometimes the effects and marks of that beating appear on the person’s body, which he himself can observe after waking. From this reality, the nature of the punishment of the grave or the torment of the intermediate realm (Barzakh) can be understood to some extent.
3.
The Animal Soul Perishes with Death:
The animal soul is related only to the body. If there is no body, this soul has no existence at all. In fact, this soul does not even wait for the body to decay or perish, but ceases to exist at the moment of death. With its cessation, the body is no longer called a body, but is referred to as a corpse, dead body, or cadaver.
4. If either of these two types of souls ceases, the other type of soul’s connection with the body automatically ends. To understand this, consider the example of a person who, while sleeping, dreams that someone else kills him in his sleep. Now, wherever the rational soul may be wandering, it will not re-enter that body; rather, Allah will seize it right there. Conversely, if Allah seizes a person’s rational soul during a dream, the person lying on the bed will die without any accident or illness.
5.
Sleep is Half Death:
Allah seizes the rational soul both at the time of death and during sleep. And it is this soul that is called the “I” or (EGO). In this sense, sleep is very much like death. That is why the supplication taught to us at the time of sleeping is: ﴿اللّٰهُمَّ باسْمِكَ أمُوْتُ وَأحْيٰي﴾ meaning, “O Allah! In Your name I die and in Your name I live again.” And upon waking, the supplication taught is: ﴿ألْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذِيْ أحْيَانَا بَعْدَمَا أمَاتَنَا وَإلَيْهِ النُّشُوْرُ﴾ “All praise is due to Allah, Who gave us life after causing us to die, and to Him is the Resurrection.”
6.
The Resemblance Between Rising from Sleep and Resurrection:
The Allah Who puts us to sleep every day, showing us a sample of death, and then brings us back to life, is fully capable of resurrecting us after real death as well.
