Q: (17) When the two receivers receive...

إذ (When) is an adverb of time, and its governing factor is what is implied in the Almighty's saying: {And We are nearer to him than [his] jugular vein} (Qaf: 16).

This implies that the accountable person is not left unattended. When a king appoints an agent over a matter, he relies on them. If the king is heedless of the matter, he relies on them at that time. But if, at the time of appointing the agent, he is not far from the matter and is not heedless of it, then in the absence of that (heedlessness), He is nearer to it and more attentive to it.

Therefore, we say: Allah, at the time when the two angels take his deeds (actions and words), is nearer to him than his own flowing blood. So, when something is hidden from them (the angels), Our preservation of his state is more complete and perfect.

Another interpretation is that التلقي (receiving) comes from الاستقبال (meeting/receiving). It is said, "So-and-so receives the caravan." Based on this understanding, the meaning would be: At the time when the two receivers receive him, there is a companion seated to his right and a companion seated to his left.

Under this interpretation, the two receivers are the angels who take his soul from the Angel of Death: one takes the souls of the righteous and conveys them to bliss and joy until the Day of Resurrection, and the other takes the souls of the wicked and conveys them to woe and ruin until the Day of Gathering from the graves.

The Almighty said: At the time of their receiving (him) and their questioning, "Of which group will this person be?" (i.e., is he righteous or wicked?), there will be a companion seated to his right and a companion seated to his left. This means the two angels descend, and with him are two other recording angels of his deeds. They question them (the receivers) about which of the two groups he belonged to.

• If he is among the righteous, the angel of bliss takes his soul and returns to the other angel joyful, as he was not among those whom the other angel takes (the wicked).
• If he is among the wicked, the angel of punishment takes his soul and returns to the other angel sorrowful, as he was not among those whom the other angel takes (the righteous).

What supports this interpretation is the Almighty's saying: {A driver and a witness} (Qaf: 21). The شهيد (witness) is the قعيد (companion seated), and the سائق (driver) is the متلقي (receiver) who receives the taking of his soul from the Angel of Death, then drives him to his abode at the time of the Resurrection. This is the most well-known and easily understandable of the two views.

The statement of someone saying, "I sat to the right of so-and-so," indicates respect for him and keeping a distance from him. There is a subtlety here: Allah Almighty said: {And We are nearer to him than [his] jugular vein} (Qaf: 16), which is intimately mixed with his parts and enters his limbs. The angel, however, is distanced from him. Thus, His knowledge of him is more complete than the knowledge of the scribe.

However, if someone appoints someone else to write his deeds and sayings, and the scribe is standing, knowledgeable, and the angel appointed as the observer is mighty and great, then His (Allah's) essence is much nearer to him than the scribe. القعيد (the seated one) means the companion, just as قعد means sat.

7 < { And the agony of death will come in truth. That is what you were trying to avoid. } >