وَجَآءَتْ سَكْرَةُ ٱلْمَوْتِ بِٱلْحَقِّ ۖ ذَٰلِكَ مَا كُنتَ مِنْهُ تَحِيدُ 19
Translations
And the intoxication of death will bring the truth; that is what you were trying to avoid.
Transliteration
Wa jā'at sakratul mawti bil-haqq, dhālika mā kunta minhu tahīd
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the onset of death's agony ('sakrat al-mawt'), which comes with certainty and truth—the inevitable reality that every soul must face. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi note that 'sakrah' refers to the overwhelming struggle and unconsciousness that overtakes a person at death, and the phrase 'that which you used to flee from' reminds the disbeliever that they cannot escape what they denied and avoided throughout their life. The ayah emphasizes that death arrives with absolute certainty (bil-haqq), making avoidance impossible despite worldly distractions.
Revelation Context
Surah Qaf is a Meccan surah addressing polytheists who denied the resurrection and the afterlife. This ayah appears in a passage describing the moment of death and the Day of Judgment, serving as a powerful reminder to those who rejected belief in the Hereafter. The context emphasizes that denial does not prevent the reality of death—it comes whether one believes or not.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The death-rattle (sakratul mawt) is a trial and test,' which appears in various collections. Additionally, the hadith in Sahih Muslim describes the agony of the disbeliever at death: 'The soul of the believer comes out easily, but the soul of the disbeliever comes out with difficulty.'
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah serves as a profound reminder that no amount of worldly preoccupation or denial can prevent death from arriving with absolute certainty. Believers should use this awareness to refocus on spiritual preparation and accountability, recognizing that death is not distant but an inescapable reality that demands we live righteously.