Tafsir of Surah Al-Waqi'ah - Verse 84

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."

In the current verse the word is used in the sense of hypocrisy and rejection of Allah's verses carelessly.

لَوْلَا إِذَا بَلَغَتِ الْحُلْقُومَ ﴿83﴾ وَأَنتُمْ حِينَئِذٍ تَنظُرُ‌ونَ ﴿84﴾ وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَ‌بُ إِلَيْهِ مِنكُمْ وَلَـٰكِن لَّا تُبْصِرُ‌ونَ ﴿85﴾ فَلَوْلَا إِن كُنتُمْ غَيْرَ‌ مَدِينِينَ ﴿86﴾ تَرْ‌جِعُونَهَا إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ ﴿87﴾

(So why [ do you ] not [ interfere ] when the soul [ of a dying person ] reaches the throat, and you are watching? And We are closer to him than you, but you do not perceive. So, if you are not going to be recompensed [ in the Hereafter for your deeds ], then why do you not bring the soul back, if you are truthful?...56:83-87)

The preceding verses proved two facts through rational arguments and by swearing an oath by the falling stars: [ 1] that the Holy Qur'an-is the word of Allah. Neither Jinn nor devil can ever tamper with it. Everything it contains is the truth; and [ 2] one of the most fundamental articles of faith enshrined in the Qur'an is the Day of Resurrection and Reckoning. Towards the end of the passage, it is mentioned that the infidels and idolaters, in spite of clear arguments and evidence, reject life after death.

Their denial of Resurrection by the unbelievers, in a way, amounts to a claim that their lives and souls are under their own control, and they have a say in the matter of life and death. In order to refute this assumption, the above verses give the example of a dying person. When the soul reaches his throat, all of his near and dear ones look at him and express their desire that he may live longer, but none of them is able to intervene and save his life. All the people around him seem absolutely helpless. However, Allah is nearer to the dying person than the people around him even though they are unable to see Him. In other words, that is, He is nearer to him in terms of knowledge and power. He is fully aware of the person's inner and outer conditions and has complete control over him.

In short, it is not within people's power to get together and save a soul or life. Allah is nearer to a dying person than his soul or life. Allah has pre-designated a particular time for the soul to be separated from the body. None can avert it. In view of this graphic picture, the disbelievers are reminded that if they think that they cannot be resurrected after death, and they are too strong to come under Allah's grasp, then they must restore the soul when it has reached the throat and is about to depart from the body or it has already departed and died. If it is not possible to do any of these, how illogical or irrational it is for man to think that he can escape the Divine grasp and reject life after death!

The event of death is the last proof of the fact that man is completely helpless before the Divine powers. Every man will essentially die at a fixed time and nobody can save him from the angel of death. In view of this, man should be more concerned about his condition after death. Those who performed deeds deserving of paradise in their life before death, will be ushered into paradise in the life after death. However, those who shunned God in this world will be denied God’s grace in the Hereafter. They will be greeted with scalding water and the fire will be their abode.