39 Az-Zumar (The Throngs)
Mecca Period 59 [75 verses]
Asad’s Version:
39:42 [Asad] It is God [alone that has this power - He] who causes all human beings to die at the time of their [bodily] death, and [causes to be as dead], during their sleep, those that have not yet died: 44 thus, He withholds [from life] those upon whom He has decreed death, and lets the others go free for a term set [by Him).
In [all] this, behold, there are messages indeed for people who think!
39:43 And yet, 45 they choose [to worship], side by side with God, [imaginary] intercessors !" Say: "Why - even though they have no power over anything, and no understanding?" 47
39:44 Say: "God's alone is [the power to bestow the right of] intercession: 48 His [alone] is the dominion over the heavens and the earth; and, in the end, unto Him you will all be brought back."
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
اللَّهُ
يَتَوَفَّى
الْأَنفُسَ
حِينَ
مَوْتِهَا
...
39:42. It is Allah that takes the souls (of men) at death:
C4306. The mystery of life and death, sleep and dreams, is a fascinating enigma, of which the solution is perhaps beyond the ken of man. A vast mass of superstition as well as imaginative and psychological literature has grown up about it. But the simplest and truest religious doctrine is laid down here in a few words.
In death we surrender our physical life, but our soul does not die; it goes back to a plane of existence in which it is more conscious of the realities of the spiritual world: "Allah takes the soul".
... وَالَّتِي لَمْ تَمُتْ فِي مَنَامِهَا...
and those that die not (He takes) during their sleep:
C4307. Cf. 6:60.
What is sleep?
As far as animal life is concerned, it is the cessation of the working of the nervous system, though other animal functions, such as digestion, growth, and the circulation of the blood, continue, possibly at a different pace.
It is the repose of the nervous system, and in this respect it is common to man and animals, and perhaps even to plants, if, as is probable, plants have a nervous system. The mental processes (and certainly volition) are also suspended in sleep, except that in ordinary dreams there is a medley of recollections, which often present vividly to our consciousness things that do not or cannot happen in nature as we know it in our coordinated minds.
But there is another kind of dream which is rarer-one in which the dreamer sees things as they actually happen, backwards or forwards in time, or in which gifted individuals see spiritual truths otherwise imperceptible to them. How can we explain this?
It is suggested that our soul or personality,-that something which is above our animal life-is then in a plane of spiritual existence akin to physical death (see last note), when we are nearer to Allah.
In poetic imagery, Sleep is "twin-brother to Death".
... فَيُمْسِكُ الَّتِي قَضَى عَلَيْهَا الْمَوْتَ وَيُرْسِلُ الْأُخْرَى إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى...
those on whom He has passed the decree of death, He keeps back (from returning to life), but the rest He sends (to their bodies) for a term appointed.
C4308. Sleep being twin-brother to Death, our souls are for the time being released from the bondage of the flesh. Allah takes them for the time being.
If, as some do, we are to die peacefully in sleep, our soul does not come back to the physical body, and the latter decays and die.
If we have still some period of life to fulfil according to Allah's decree, our soul comes back to the body, and we resume our functions in this life.
... إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ﴿٤٢﴾
Verily in this are Signs for those who reflect.
C4309. If we contemplate these things, we can see more clearly many spiritual truths: e.g.
1. that our bodily life and death are not the whole story of our existence;
2. that in our bodily life we may be dead to the spiritual world, and in our bodily death, may be our awakening to the spiritual world;
3. that our nightly Sleep, besides performing the function of rest to our physical life, gives us a foretaste of what we call death, which does not end our personality; and
4. that the Resurrection is not more wonderful than our daily rising from Sleep, "twin-brother to Death".
أَمِ
اتَّخَذُوا
مِن
دُونِ
اللَّهِ
شُفَعَاء...
39:43. What!
Do they take for intercessors others besides Allah?
C4310. Let alone worship, men should not rely upon any power or person other than Allah to help them out or intercede for them. When it is idols, they are poor lifeless things which have obviously neither power nor intelligence. But even prophets or saints or heroes have no power to intercede except as Allah wills and permits. See next note.
... قُلْ أَوَلَوْ كَانُوا لَا يَمْلِكُونَ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَعْقِلُونَ ﴿٤٣﴾
Say: "Even if they have no power whatever and no intelligence?"
قُل
لِّلَّهِ
الشَّفَاعَةُ
جَمِيعًا...
39:44. Say:
"To Allah belongs exclusively (the right to grant) Intercession:
C4311. For Shafaat (Intercession, Advocacy) see 2:255; 10:3; 20:109, n. 2634; and 21:28, n. 2688.
It follows that no one can intercede with Allah, except
- by Allah's permission, and
- for those who have prepared themselves by penitence for Allah's acceptance.
Even in earthly Courts, Advocacy is not permitted to any one; the Advocate must be granted the position of Advocate before he can plead before the judge. Nor can it be supposed that a plea for forgiveness or mercy can be put forward except on grounds recognised by equity and justice.
... لَّهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ...
to Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth:
... ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ ﴿٤٤﴾
in the End, it is to Him that ye shall be brought back."
C4312. At all times, including our present life, all dominion belongs to Allah. At the End of the present plane of existence, we shall be placed before Allah for Judgment. Cf. 10:4.
وَإِذَا
ذُكِرَ
اللَّهُ
وَحْدَهُ
اشْمَأَزَّتْ
قُلُوبُ
الَّذِينَ
لَا
يُؤْمِنُونَ
بِالْآخِرَةِ...
[[ Asad’s notes - 45 This is the meaning of the particle am in this context (Zamakhshari), implying that despite all the evidence of God's almightiness, many people tend to disregard it.
46 I.e., intercessors who could act as such independently of God's permission - an assumption which the Qur'an categorically denies (see surah 10, note 7).
47 A reference to the adoration of dead saints or their tombs or relics, as well as of inanimate representations of saints, of imaginary deities, etc. ]]
Person (nafs) = Consciousness
39:42 God takes the person when it dies, and during their sleep. He then keeps those that have been overtaken by death, and He sends the others back until a predetermined time. In that are signs for a people who will think.
Polytheists are Disturbed when God is Mentioned Alone
39:43 Or have they taken intercessors besides God? Say, "What if they do not possess any power, nor understanding?"
39:44 Say, "To God belong all intercessions." To Him belongs the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth, then to Him you will be returned.*
39:45 When God Alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who do not acknowledge the Hereafter are filled with aversion; and when others are mentioned beside Him, they rejoice!*