وَظَنَّ أَنَّهُ ٱلْفِرَاقُ 28
Translations
And he [i.e., the dying one] is certain that it is the [time of] separation
Transliteration
wa-dhanna annahu al-firaq
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the moment when the soul is departing from the body at death, and the dying person realizes that this is indeed the final separation (al-firaq) between soul and body. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi interpret this as the soul's consciousness of death's reality in those final moments, emphasizing the certainty and inevitability of mortality that becomes undeniable at life's end.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Al-Qiyamah's broader thematic discussion of the Day of Resurrection and the soul's journey. The surah, revealed in Mecca, addresses the skeptics who denied resurrection, and this particular passage illustrates the soul's awareness during the death process as a sign of the reality of the afterlife.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) described the soul's departure in detail in a hadith in Sahih Muslim where he mentions the soul recognizing the angels of death. Additionally, the hadith in Tirmidhi about 'Abdullāh ibn 'Umar regarding the soul's awareness at death relates thematically to recognizing life's finality.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds us that death is an undeniable reality that every soul will face with full consciousness, encouraging believers to prepare spiritually in this life and to contemplate our mortality as a means of drawing closer to Allah and living with greater purpose and righteousness.