Surah As-Sajdah (The Prostration): Verse 11

Original Text Segment:

يعني لا بد من الموت ثم من الحياة بعده وإليه الإشارة بقوله : { ثم إلى ربكم ترجعون } وقوله : { الذى وكل بكم } إشارة إلى أنه لا يغفل عنكم وإذا جاء أجلكم لا يؤخركم إذ لا شغل له إلا هذا وقوله : { يتوفاكم ملك الموت } ينبىء عن بقاء الأرواح فإن التوفي الاستيفاء والقبض هو الأخذ والإعدام المحض ليس بأخذ ، ثم إن الروح الزكي الطاهر يبقى عند الملائكة مثل الشخص بين أهله / المناسبين له والخبيث الفاجر يبقى عندهم كأسير بين قوم لا يعرفهم ولا يعرف لسانهم ، والأول ينمو ويزيد ويزداد صفاؤه وقوته والآخر يذبل ويضعف ويزداد شقاؤه وكدورته ، والحكماء يقولون إن الأرواح الطاهرة تتعلق بجسم سماوي خير من بدنها وتكمل به ، والأرواح الفاجرة لا كمال لها بعد التعلق الثاني فإن أرادوا ما ذكر بها فقد وافقونا وإلا فغير النظر في ذلك بحسب إرادتهم فقد يكون قولهم حقا وقد يكون غير حق ، فإن قيل هم أنكروا الإحياء والله ذكر الموت وبينهما مباينة نقول فيه وجهان أحدهما : أن ذلك دليل الإحياء ودفع استبعاد ذلك فإنهم قالوا : ما عدم بالكلية كيف يكون الموجود عين ذلك ؟ فقال : الملك يقبض الروح والأجزاء تتفرق فجمع الأجزاء لا بعد فيه ، وأمر الملك برد ما قبضه لا صعوبة فيه أيضا ، فقوله : { قل يتوفاكم ملك الموت } أي الأرواح معلومة فترد إلى أجسادها .

Translation:

This implies that death is inevitable, followed by life after it. This is indicated by His saying: {Then to your Lord you will be returned}.

His saying: {Who is appointed over you} points to the fact that He does not neglect you. When your appointed term arrives, He will not delay it, as He has no occupation other than this.

His saying: {The Angel of Death will take you in death} indicates the persistence (survival) of the souls. This is because Tawaffi (taking/receiving) means complete fulfillment and seizure; pure annihilation is not a form of taking.

Furthermore, the pure, virtuous soul remains with the angels like a person among his suitable kin. The wicked, sinful soul remains with them like a captive among a people whose language they do not know and who do not know theirs. The former (virtuous soul) grows, increases, and its purity and strength are enhanced. The latter withers, weakens, and its misery and turbidity increase.

The philosophers say that pure souls become attached to a celestial body superior to their physical bodies and are perfected through it. As for the sinful souls, they have no perfection after the second attachment. If they intend what is mentioned regarding them (perfection), then they agree with us. Otherwise, the consideration of this matter changes according to their intention; their statement might be true, or it might not be true.

If it is argued that they denied resurrection, yet God mentioned death, and there is a clear difference between the two, we offer two perspectives on this:

1. The mention of death is evidence for resurrection and refutes the improbability of it. They argued: How can something completely non-existent become the very same thing that exists? God replies: The Angel seizes the soul, and the components scatter. Reassembling the components involves no difficulty. Furthermore, commanding the Angel to return what he has seized involves no hardship either. Therefore, His saying: {Say, "The Angel of Death who has been put in charge of you will cause you to die"} means that the souls are known (and can be retrieved) to be returned to their bodies.

Original Text Segment:

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Translation:

{And if you could but see when the criminals hang their heads before their Lord, [saying], "Our Lord, we have seen and heard, so return us [to the world] that we may do righteous work; indeed, we are certain [now]."}