Surah 56:87

"do you not return it, if you are truthful?"

Islamic Commentaries (1)Manuscripts (29)

When the Soul reaches the Throat at the Time of Death, it cannot be brought back; this proves Reckoning shall occur Verses 56:83-87

Show Full Scripture Context (56:83-87) — 5 Verses

Verse 83

فَلَوۡلَآ إِذَا بَلَغَتِ ٱلۡحُلۡقُومَ

Why not, when the life of the dying man leaps into his throat,

Verse 84

وَأَنتُمۡ حِينَئِذٖ تَنظُرُونَ

and you are looking on

Verse 85

وَنَحۡنُ أَقۡرَبُ إِلَيۡهِ مِنكُمۡ وَلَٰكِن لَّا تُبۡصِرُونَ

– though We are nearer to him than you, only you do not see (Us) –

Verse 86

فَلَوۡلَآ إِن كُنتُمۡ غَيۡرَ مَدِينِينَ

why, if you are not (to be) judged,

Verse 87

تَرۡجِعُونَهَآ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰدِقِينَ

do you not return it, if you are truthful?

Allah the Exalted said,

Then why do you not (intervene) when it reaches, in reference to the soul,

Al-Hulqum, i.e., the throat, at the time of death. Allah the Exalted said in other Ayat,

Nay, when (the soul) reaches to the collar bone, and it will be said: "Who can cure him (and save him from death)?" And he will conclude that it was (the time) of parting (death); And one leg will be joined with another leg (shrouded). The drive will be on that Day to your Lord (Allah).

Allah said here,

And you at the moment are looking, at the dying person and witnessing the stupor of death that he is experiencing,

But We are nearer to him than you, with Our angels,

but you see not. you cannot see the angels. Allah the Exalted said in another Ayah,

He is the Irresistible over His servants, and He sends guardians (angels) over you, until when death approaches one of you, Our messengers (angel of death and his assistants) take his soul, and they never neglect their duty. Then they are returned to Allah, their true Protector. Surely, for Him is the judgement and He is the swiftest in taking account.
Allah's statement,

Then why do you not - if you are not Madinin - return the soul,

means, "Will you not return this soul, that has reached the throat, to its body as it used to be, if you are exempt from the reckoning and recompense?'

Sa'id bin Jubayr and Al-Hasan Al-Basri said:

Then why do you not - if you are not Madinin...,

"If you do not believe that you will be reckoned, recompensed, resurrected and punished, then why do you not return this soul to its body?" Mujahid said that,

if you are not Madinin means, "if you are not certain."

— from Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Vol. 9, Page 452-454)

About this Source & Scholarly Authority (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Universal Sunni Consensus: Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim by Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701–774 AH / 1301–1373 AD) is universally regarded across all major schools of Sunni Islam (traditional, Salafi, Ash'ari) as the most authoritative classical exegesis. It is prized because it relies on Tafsir bil-Ma'thur—interpreting the Quran using the Quran itself, authentic Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, and recorded statements of the early Companions (Sahabah).

Standard English Edition: This text is from the standard 10-volume English abridgment published by Dar-us-Salam Publications (supervised by Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri), which is the official, most widely distributed English Quranic commentary in mosques and Islamic libraries worldwide today.

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