يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِۦ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ 102
Translations
O you who have believed, fear Allāh as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims [in submission to Him].
Transliteration
Ya ayyuha alladhina amanu ittaqu Allaha haqqa tuqatihi wa la tamutunn illa wa antum muslimun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah commands the believers to fear Allah with a fear befitting His majesty and to preserve their Islam until death. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that 'haqqa tuqatihi' (true fear of Allah) means fulfilling all His commands and avoiding all His prohibitions with complete dedication. The second clause stresses that Muslims should strive to die upon the deen of Islam, as the state at death is crucial to one's final destiny.
Revelation Context
This ayah opens a new section in Surah Ali 'Imran addressing the believers directly with urgent exhortations. It comes in the Medinan context where the Muslim community was developing its comprehensive way of life and faced internal and external challenges to their faith. The surah emphasizes the importance of maintaining steadfast belief and righteous conduct.
Related Hadiths
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'None of you should die except while having good thoughts about Allah' (Sahih Muslim 2877). Additionally, 'Whoever's last words are 'La ilaha illallah' shall enter Paradise' (Sunan Ibn Majah 1444), which relates to dying as a Muslim.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers are called to maintain constant awareness of Allah's greatness and develop deep piety that influences all aspects of life, while remaining vigilant that their final state is one of sincere Islam and submission to God, reminding us that our relationship with Allah should be our highest priority until our last breath.