Tafsir of Al-Qiyamah 75:26

{Nay}: A deterrent against preferring the worldly life over the Hereafter. It is as if it were said: "Desist from that, and be mindful of the death that lies before you, at which point the immediate life is severed from you, and you transition to the deferred life in which you will remain eternally."

{When it reaches}: The pronoun refers to the "soul" (nafs), even though it was not explicitly mentioned, because the context in which it appears points to it. As Hatim said: O Ma'awiya, what does wealth avail a youth When it [the soul] rattles one day, and the chest tightens with it? The Arabs say, "It has sent down" (arsalat), meaning "the rain has come," and you rarely hear them mention "the sky."

{The collarbones}: The bones flanking the pit of the throat, on the right and the left. He reminds them of the difficulty of death—which is the first stage of the Hereafter—when the soul reaches the collarbones and its departure draws near.

{And it is said: "Who is a healer?"}: Those present with the dying person say to one another: "Which of you can heal him of what he is suffering?" It is also said: This is the speech of the angels of death, meaning: "Which of you shall ascend with his soul? The angels of mercy or the angels of punishment?"

{And he realizes that it is the separation}: The dying person realizes that what has befallen him is the separation from the beloved worldly life.

{And leg is wound about leg}: It twists upon it during the agony of death. Qatada said: "His legs have died and can no longer carry him, though he used to walk upon them." It is also said: It refers to the intensity of separating from the world combined with the intensity of the approach of the Hereafter, given that "the leg" (saq) is a metaphor for intensity. Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib said: "They are his two legs when they are wrapped in his shrouds."

{The driving}: Meaning, he is driven to Allah and to His judgment.

{So he did not believe, nor did he pray. But he denied and turned away. Then he went to his people, walking with pride. Woe to you, and woe! Then woe to you, and woe!}