The Soul's Journey: The Final Moments of Life
Ayahs Covered
Common Words
Other Scholars on These Ayahs
Why then when it the spirit during the throes of death reaches the dying person’s throat hulqūm is the passage for food
and you are O you attending the dying person at that moment looking at him —
and We are nearer to him than you are to know of his state but you do not perceive tubsirūna derives from al-basīra ‘perception’ that is to say you do not realise this —
why then if you are not going to face a reckoning if you are not going to be requited by your being resurrected in other words why then if you are not going to be resurrected as you claim
do you not bring it back why do you not restore the spirit to the body after it has reached the throat if you are truthful? in what you claim the second law-lā ‘why … if’ is repeated to emphasise the ...
Related Hadiths
Umar, do not get back what you gave as charity.
Did you not see when the man died and his eyes were fixedly open? He (Abu Huraira) said: Yes. He (the Holy Prophet) said: It is due to the fact that when (the soul leaves the body) his eyesight follow...
“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) entered upon Abu Salamah (after he had died), and his eyes were wide open. He closed his eyes, then he said: ‘When the soul is taken, the sight follows it.’”
Angels do not enter a house in which there is a picture. Busr said: Zaid b. Khalid fell sick and we visited him to inquire after his health. As we were in his house (we saw) a curtain having pictures ...
Ibn Kathir Commentary
Related Tafsir
The Soul's Journey: The Final Moments of Life
When the Soul reaches the Throat at the Time of Death, it cannot be brought back; this proves Reckon
Allah the Exalted said,
فَلَوْلاَ إِذَا بَلَغَتِ
(Then why do you not (intervene) when it reaches), in reference to the soul,
الْحُلْقُومَ
(Al-Hulqum), i.e., the throat, at the time of death. Allah the Exalted said in other Ayat,
كَلاَّ إِذَا بَلَغَتِ التَّرَاقِىَ - وَقِيلَ مَنْ رَاقٍ - وَظَنَّ أَنَّهُ الْفِرَاقُ - وَالْتَفَّتِ السَّاقُ بِالسَّاقِ - إِلَى رَبِّكَ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْمَسَاقُ
(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).)(75:26-30) Allah said here,
وَأَنتُمْ حِينَئِذٍ تَنظُرُونَ
(And you at the moment are looking,) at the dying person and witnessing the stupor of death that he is experiencing,
وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنكُمْ
(But We are nearer to him than you, ) with Our angels,
وَلَـكِن لاَّ تُبْصِرُونَ
(but you see not.) you cannot see the angels. Allah the Exalted said in another Ayah,
وَهُوَ الْقَاهِرُ فَوْقَ عِبَادِهِ وَيُرْسِلُ عَلَيْكُم حَفَظَةً حَتَّى إِذَا جَآءَ أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ تَوَفَّتْهُ رُسُلُنَا وَهُمْ لاَ يُفَرِّطُونَ - ثُمَّ رُدُّواْ إِلَى اللَّهِ مَوْلَـهُمُ الْحَقِّ أَلاَ لَهُ الْحُكْمُ وَهُوَ أَسْرَعُ الْحَـسِبِينَ
(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.)(6:61-62) Allah's statement,
فَلَوْلاَ إِن كُنتُمْ غَيْرَ مَدِينِينَ تَرْجِعُونَهَآ
(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:
فَلَوْلاَ إِن كُنتُمْ غَيْرَ مَدِينِينَ
(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,
غَيْرَ مَدِينِينَ
(...if you are not Madinin), means, "if you are not certain."