Tafsir of Ash-Shu`ara' 26:81

The reason for the distinction [between attributing death to Allah and disease to himself] is that death is known and widely acknowledged as an inevitable decree from Allah—Mighty and Majestic is He—upon all mankind. It is a universal rule that is not restricted to any one individual. Disease is not of this nature; many a person remains in good health until death suddenly overtakes them. Thus, finding solace in the universality of death nullifies the perception of it being a calamity, making it permissible in terms of etiquette to attribute it to Him—Exalted is He. As for disease, since it afflicts some humans and not others, it is a manifest calamity. Therefore, superior etiquette dictates that a human attributes it to himself, considering the causes [of illness] from which no one is free.

This is supported by the fact that everything mentioned [in the preceding verses] alongside the omission of disease was reported as a definitive and certain occurrence, for it is inevitable. As for disease, since it may or may not occur, he brought it forth conditioned by a "when," saying: "And when I am ill." He could have said, "And who causes me to be ill and then cures me," as he did with the others. Thus, he did not deviate from the expected correspondence and consistency except for that reason. Ibn al-Munir stated this.

Al-Zamakhshari said: He only said "I am ill" rather than "causes me to be ill" because many causes of illness occur through a person’s negligence in their eating, drinking, and other matters. It is as if he turned away from [using] the etiquette of [direct] attribution because he saw that he, peace be upon him, had attributed death to Him—Exalted is He—and death is more severe than illness. [He implies that] he did not perceive the distinction mentioned above or something similar, and he neglected the fact that the meaning he proposed for illness is also invalidated by death. For just as illness can be caused by a person’s negligence in eating and the like, so too can the death that results from an illness caused by such negligence. Yet, he—peace be upon him—attributed death absolutely to Him—Exalted is His Majesty.

Some eminent scholars, after offering the explanation regarding proper etiquette in the attribution of death to Allah, stated: Since death is among His most distinctive attributes—like the beginning of life and the revival of it—and all matters of the Hereafter are contingent upon it and what follows it, such as the Resurrection, he arranged them together in one string in his saying: "And who causes me to die, then gives me life." Furthermore, death, being a means for him—peace be upon him—to attain eternal life, is far from being something he would dislike.

More significant than this addition is what has been said: that death, for the people of perfection, is a connection to attaining eternal beloved things, in comparison to which worldly life is regarded as trivial. In it, there is also the deliverance of the sinner from the accumulation of further sins.

As for interpreting "illness" and "cure" according to their apparent meaning, this is the path taken by the exegetes. It is narrated from Ja’far al-Sadiq—may Allah be pleased with him—that the meaning is: "And when I am ill with sins, He cures me through repentance." Perhaps this is not authentic, and if it were, it would be a matter of indication (isharah), not literal expression (ibarah).

The "then" (thumma) in his saying "then gives me life" indicates temporal delay, for the intended revival is the Resurrection, which is delayed in time from death in the reality of the matter, even if everything that is to come is near. Ibn Abi Ishaq affirmed the ya of the first person in "guides me" and what follows it, and this is a narration from Nafi’.