Tafseer of The Inevitable · Al-Waaqia · 56:85
And Our angels are nearer to him than you, but you do not see -
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
He says: وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْكُمْ ("And We are nearer to him than you"). He says: and Our messengers who take away his soul are nearer to him than you, وَلَكِنْ لا تُبْصِرُونَ ("but you do not see").
And some of the grammarians of the people of Basra used to say: it was said فَلَوْلا إِذَا بَلَغَتِ الْحُلْقُومَ * وَأَنْتُمْ حِينَئِذٍ تَنْظُرُونَ ("Why then not, when it reaches the throat, while you at that moment are looking on") as though He had heard from them — and Allah knows best —: we are able not to die. So He said: فَلَوْلا إِذَا بَلَغَتِ الْحُلْقُومَ ("Why then not, when it reaches the throat"), and thereafter He said: فَلَوْلا إِنْ كُنْتُمْ غَيْرَ مَدِينِينَ ("Why then not, if you are not to be requited"), that is to say: if you are not to be requited — then let those souls return, while you see how they depart at that moment — if you are truthful in your claim that you can resist death.
