Surah Al-Waqi'ah, Ayah 96

The Condition of People at the Time of Their Death

These are the three types of conditions that people face upon their death. Either they are among the near believers or those below their rank on the right, or those who denied the truth, were led astray from the guidance and were ignorant about Allah. Allah said,

فَأَمَّآ إِن كَانَ

(Then if he), in reference to the dying person,

مِنَ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ

(be of the Muqarrabun) who fulfilled the obligations and the recommended acts of worship and avoided the forbidden and disliked matters and even some of the allowed,

فَرَوْحٌ وَرَيْحَانٌ وَجَنَّـتُ نَعِيمٍ

(then for him Rawh, Rayhan and a Garden of Delights.) Theirs will be Rawh and Rayhan; and the glad tidings of these traits will be conveyed to them by the angels at the time of death. We mentioned before the Prophet's Hadith narrated from Al-Bara' in which the angels of mercy say (to a dying, believing person),

فَسَبِّحْ بِاسْمِ رَ‌بِّكَ الْعَظِيمِ (So, proclaim the purity of the name of your Lord, the Magnificent... 56:96). The Surah concludes with an imperative addressed to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to pronounce the tasbih of His Lord. This includes all kinds of tasbihat (rememberances)- within salah and outside salah. Salah itself is sometimes referred to as tasbih. Thus this verse enjoins to keep up the regular performance of salah.

Al-hamdulillah

The Commentary on

Surah Al-Waqi` ah

Ends here.

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.