The Correct Meaning of the Verse ﴿إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيكَ﴾
Source: Fatāwā Amun Pūrī by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amun Pūrī
The Question
What is the correct meaning of the Qur’ānic verse:
﴿يٰعِيسَىٰ إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيكَ﴾ (Āl ʿImrān: 55)?
The Answer
In this verse, the word tawaffī does not mean “death.”
- Its meaning here is “taking up / raising”.
- Although in some contexts tawaffī is also used as a metaphor for death, in this verse there is no indication or evidence that death is meant.
Principle of Interpretation
When a word can carry two meanings, it is impermissible to turn it away from its primary, literal meaning without clear evidence or indication.
- In this verse, there is no clear context to suggest the meaning of “death.”
- Instead, Qur’ān, Sunnah, consensus of the Ummah, and statements of scholars all prove that ʿĪsā عليه السلام was raised alive to the heavens, and near the end of times he will descend back to earth.
Conclusion
- The correct meaning of ﴿إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيكَ﴾ is “I will raise you (alive)”, not “I will cause you to die.”
- ʿĪsā عليه السلام has not yet died; he was raised to the heavens alive and will return before the Day of Judgment.
