Sūrat al-Anbiyāʾ
Section 20 of 21 · Surah Studies · Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
Every Soul Shall Taste Death
There is one verse to point out, which is verse 35, or rather 34 and 35.
وَمَا جَعَلْنَا لِبَشَرٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ ٱلْخُلْدَ ۖ أَفَإِي۟ن مِّتَّ فَهُمُ ٱلْخَـٰلِدُونَ
“We did not assign immortality to any human (even) before you. So, if you die, will they live for ever?” (21:34)
We have given permanence to no human being; a-fa-in mitta fa-humu al-khālidūn.
كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلْمَوْتِ ۗ وَنَبْلُوكُم بِٱلشَّرِّ وَٱلْخَيْرِ فِتْنَةً ۖ وَإِلَيْنَا تُرْجَعُونَ
“Every one has to taste death, and We test you through bad and good (situations) with a trial, and to Us you are to be returned.” (21:35)
Kullu nafsin dhāʾiqatu al-mawt: the famous verse, the famous point of the Qur'an, that every nafs, every soul, is to taste death. But We shall test you with good and with bad as your fitnah and as a test; in the world you are confronted with the good and the bad. Wa ilaynā turjaʿūn: and to Us you shall at last be returned.