وَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ أَمَاتَ وَأَحْيَا 44
Translations
And that it is He who causes death and gives life
Transliteration
Wa-annahu huwa amaata wa-ahya
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms that Allah alone possesses the power over life and death, emphasizing His absolute sovereignty and control over all creation. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari interpret this as a clear refutation of polytheism and idolatry, establishing that only Allah has the authority to grant life and cause death—powers that cannot be shared with any partner or intercessor. The statement serves as both a theological declaration and a humbling reminder of human powerlessness before the Divine Will.
Revelation Context
Surah An-Najm is a Meccan surah revealed during the early period of Islam when the Quraysh were firmly entrenched in polytheistic practices. This ayah appears within a passage describing Allah's attributes and uniqueness (53:39-56), directly confronting the idolaters' false beliefs about their gods having any real power or influence over human affairs.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The greatest sin is to associate partners with Allah,' (Sahih Bukhari 4:55:556). Additionally, the hadith in Sahih Muslim about the Prophet's night journey references divine knowledge of life and death: 'No soul knows what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul knows in what land it will die' (Sahih Muslim 2858), reinforcing that only Allah controls these matters.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers to place complete trust in Allah alone and recognize that no created being—whether an idol, saint, or spiritual intermediary—has any power over life and death. It encourages humility and submission, reminding us that all worldly power is ultimately illusory and that only obedience to Allah's will leads to true security.
Related Ayahs
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَكُونُوا۟ كَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَقَالُوا۟ لِإِخْوَٰنِهِمْ إِذَا ضَرَبُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ أَوْ كَانُوا۟ غُزًّى لَّوْ كَانُوا۟ عِندَنَا مَا مَاتُوا۟ وَمَا قُتِلُوا۟ لِيَجْعَلَ ٱللَّهُ ذَٰلِكَ حَسْرَةً فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يُحْىِۦ وَيُمِيتُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ
O you who have believed, do not be like those who disbelieved and said about their brothers when they traveled through the land or went out to fight, "If they had been with us, they would not have died or have been killed," so Allāh makes that [misconception] a regret within their hearts. And it is Allāh who gives life and causes death, and Allāh is Seeing of what you do.
قُل لِّلَّهِ ٱلشَّفَـٰعَةُ جَمِيعًا ۖ لَّهُۥ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ
Say, "To Allāh belongs [the right to allow] intercession entirely. To Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. Then to Him you will be returned."
أَمْ عِندَهُمْ خَزَآئِنُ رَحْمَةِ رَبِّكَ ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلْوَهَّابِ
Or do they have the depositories of the mercy of your Lord, the Exalted in Might, the Bestower?
وَلِلَّهِ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ وَإِلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلْمَصِيرُ
And to Allāh belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and to Allāh is the destination.