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Towards Understanding the Quran
With kind permission: Islamic Foundation UK
Introduction to Tafheem | Glossary | Verbs
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 Surah Az-Zumar 39:42-44 [5/8] ↕
  
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Verse Summary -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ٱللَّهُAllah
يَتَوَفَّىtakes
ٱلْأَنفُسَthe souls
حِينَ(at the) time
مَوْتِهَا(of) their death,
وَٱلَّتِىand the one who
لَمْ(does) not
تَمُتْdie
فِىin
مَنَامِهَا‌ۖtheir sleep.
فَيُمْسِكُThen He keeps
ٱلَّتِىthe one whom,
قَضَىٰHe has decreed
عَلَيْهَاfor them
ٱلْمَوْتَthe death,
وَيُرْسِلُand sends
ٱلْأُخْرَىٰٓthe others
إِلَىٰٓfor
أَجَلٍa term
مُّسَمًّى‌ۚspecified.
إِنَّIndeed,
فِىin
ذَٲلِكَthat
لَأَيَـٰتٍsurely (are) signs
لِّقَوْمٍfor a people
يَتَفَكَّرُونَwho ponder.
﴿٤٢﴾
أَمِOr
ٱتَّخَذُواْhave they taken
مِن دُونِbesides
ٱللَّهِAllah
شُفَعَآءَ‌ۚintercessors?
قُلْSay,
أَوَلَوْ`Even though
كَانُواْthey were
لَاnot
يَمْلِكُونَpossessing
شَيْــًٔاanything,
وَلَاand not
يَعْقِلُونَthey understand?`
﴿٤٣﴾
قُلSay,
لِّلَّهِ`To Allah (belongs)
ٱلشَّفَـٰعَةُthe intercession
جَمِيعًا‌ۖall.
لَّهُۥFor Him
مُلْكُ(is the) dominion
ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ(of) the heavens
وَٱلْأَرْضِ‌ۖand the earth.
ثُمَّThen
إِلَيْهِto Him
تُرْجَعُونَyou will be returned.`
﴿٤٤﴾

اَللّٰهُ يَتَوَفَّى الۡاَنۡفُسَ حِيۡنَ مَوۡتِهَا وَالَّتِىۡ لَمۡ تَمُتۡ فِىۡ مَنَامِهَا​ ۚ فَيُمۡسِكُ الَّتِىۡ قَضٰى عَلَيۡهَا الۡمَوۡتَ وَ يُرۡسِلُ الۡاُخۡرٰٓى اِلٰٓى اَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى​ ؕ اِنَّ فِىۡ ذٰ لِكَ لَاٰیٰتٍ لِّقَوۡمٍ يَّتَفَكَّرُوۡنَ‏   اَمِ اتَّخَذُوۡا مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰهِ شُفَعَآءَ​ ؕ قُلۡ اَوَلَوۡ كَانُوۡا لَا يَمۡلِكُوۡنَ شَيۡـئًـا وَّلَا يَعۡقِلُوۡنَ‏  قُلْ لِّـلَّـهِ الشَّفَاعَةُ جَمِيۡعًا​ ؕ لَهٗ مُلۡكُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالۡاَرۡضِ​ ؕ ثُمَّ اِلَيۡهِ تُرۡجَعُوۡنَ‏ 
Translation
(39:42) It is Allah Who takes away the souls of people at the hour of their death, and takes away at the time of sleep the souls of those that have not died.60 Then He retains the souls of those against whom He had decreed death and returns the souls of others till an appointed time. Surely there are Signs in this for a people who reflect.61 (39:43) Or have they taken others instead of Allah as intercessors?62 Say: “Will they intercede though they may have no power and though they may not even understand?” (39:44) Say: “All intercession lies with Allah.63 His is the dominion of the heavens and the earth. And to Him will all of you be sent back.”
Commentary

60. Taking the souls during sleep, implies the suspension of the powers of feeling and consciousness, understanding and will.

61. By this Allah wants every man to realize how life and death are entirely in His own hand. No one has the guarantee that he will certainly get up alive in the morning when he goes to sleep at night. No one knows what disaster could befall him within a moment, and whether the next moment would be a moment of life for him or of death. At any time, while asleep or awake, in the house or outside it, some unforeseen calamity, from inside his body or from outside, can suddenly cause his death. Thus, man who is so helpless in the hands of God, would be foolish if he turned away from the same God or became heedless of Him.

62. That is, in the first place, these people have foolishly presumed that there are some beings who wield great influence with Allah, and whose intercession is never turned down, whereas there is no proof of their being intercessors at all, nor has Allah ever said that they hold such a position with Him, nor did these beings themselves ever claim that they would use their influence with Allah and help them out in every case. Another folly of these people is that they have ignored the real Master and have believed the imaginary beings to be all powerful who deserve to receive all their devotion and dedication.

63. That is, not to speak of getting his intercession granted, no one has the power to stand before Allah as an intercessor. The right to grant or not to grant anyone the permission to intercede with Him exclusively rests with Allah. Then He may allow intercession for whomever He may please and forbid for whomever He may please. (For understanding the difference between the Islamic concept of intercession and the polytheistic concept, see (Surah Al- Baqarah, Ayat 255); (Surah Al-Anaam, Ayat 51); (Surah Younus, Ayats 3, 18); (Surah Hud, Ayat 105); (Surah Ar- Raad, Ayat 11); (Surah An-Naml, Ayats 73, 84); (Surah TaHa, Ayats 109-110); (Surah Al-Anbiya, Ayat 23); (Surah Al-Hijr, Ayat 76), and the E.Ns thereof and (E.N. 40 of Saba).