Surah Al An'am Tafseer

ثُمَّ رُدُّواْ إِلَى اللّهِ مَوْلَاهُمُ الْحَقِّ

Then they are returned to Allah, their Master, the Just Lord.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Prophet said,

إِنَّ الْمَيِّتَ تَحْضُرُهُ الْمَلَيِكَةُ فَإِذَا كَانَ الرَّجُلُ الصَّالِحُ قَالُوا اخْرُجِي أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الطَّيِّبَةُ كَانَتْ فِي الْجَسَدِ الطَّيِّبِ اخْرُجِي حَمِيدَةً وَأَبْشِرِي بِرَوْحٍ وَرَيْحَانٍ وَرَبَ غَيْرِ غَضْبَانَ

The angels attend the dying person. If he is a righteous person, the angels will say, `O pure soul from a pure body! Come out with honor and receive the good news of rest, satisfaction and a Lord Who is not angry.'

فَلَ تَزَالُ يُقَالُ لَهَا ذَلِكَ حَتَّى تَخْرُجَ ثُمَّ يُعْرَجَ بِهَا إِلَى السَّمَاءِ فَيَسْتَفْتَحُ لَهَا فَيُقَالُ مَنْ هَذَا

The angels will keep saying this until the soul leaves its body, and they will then raise it up to heaven and will ask that the door be opened for the soul and it will be asked, `Who is this?'

فَيُقَالُ فُلَنٌ

It will be said, `(The soul of) so-and-so.'

فَيُقَالَ مَرْحبًا بِالنَّفْسِ الطَّيِّبَةِ كَانَتْ فِي الْجَسَدِ الطَّيِّبِ ادْخُلي حَمِيدَةً وَأَبْشِرِي بِرَوْحٍ وَرَيْحَانٍ وَرَبَ غَيْرِ غَضْبَانَ

It will be said, `Welcome, to the pure soul that inhabited the pure body. Enter with honor and receive the good news of rest, satisfaction and a Lord Who is not angry.'

فَلَ تَزَالُ يُقَالُ لَهَا ذَلِكَ حَتَّى يُنْتَهَى بِهَا إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الَّتِي فِيهَا اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ

This statement will be repeated until the soul reaches the heaven above which there is Allah.

وَإِذَا كَانَ الرَّجُلُ السَّوْءُ قَالُوا اخْرُجِي أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْخَبِيثَةُ كَانَتْ فِي الْجَسَدِ الْخَبِيثِ اخْرُجِي ذَمِيمَةً وَأَبْشِري بِحَمِيمٍ وَغَسَّاقٍ وَاخَرَ مِنْ شَكْلِهِ أَزْوَاج فَلَإ تَزَالُ يُقَالُ لَهَا ذَلِكَ حَتَّى تَخْرُجَ

If the dying person is evil, the angels will say, `Get out (of your body), O wicked soul from a wicked body! Get out in disgrace and receive the news of boiling fluid, a fluid dark, murky, intensely cold and other (torments) of similar kind - all together - to match them.' This statement will be said repeatedly until the evil soul leaves its body.

ثُمَّ يُعْرَجَ بِهَا إِلَى السَّمَاءِ فَيُسْتَفْتَحُ لَهًا فَيُقَالُ مَنْ هَذَا

The soul will be raised up to heaven and a request will be made that the door be opened for it. It will be asked, `Who is this?'

فَيُقَالُ فُلَنٌ

It will be said, `(The soul of) so and so.'

فَيُقَالُ لَا مَرْحَبًا بِالنَّفْسِ الْخَبِيثَةِ كَانَتْ فِي الْجَسَدِ الْخَبِيثِ ارْجِعِي ذَمِيمَةً فَإِنَّهُ لَا يُفْتَحُ لَكَ أَبْوَابُ السَّمَاءِ فَتُرْسَلُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ ثُمَّ تَصِيرُ إِلَى الْقَبْرِ

It will be said, `No welcome to the wicked soul from the wicked body. Return with disgrace, for the doors of heaven will not be opened for you.' So it will be thrown from heaven until it returns to the grave.

فَيُجْلَسُ الرَّجُلُ الصَّالِحُ فَيُقَالُ لَهُ مِثْلُ مَا قِيلَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ الَاوَّلِ وَيُجْلَسُ الرَّجُلُ السَّوْءُ فَيُقَالُ لَهُ مِثْلُ مَا قِيلَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ الثَّانِي

So the righteous person sits and similar is said to him as before. And the evil person sits and similar is said to him as before.

It is also possible that the meaning of,

ثُمَّ رُدُّوا

(Then they are returned...),

refers to the return of all creation to Allah on the Day of Resurrection, when He will subject them to His just decision.

Allah said in other Ayat,

قُلْ إِنَّ الاٌّوَّلِينَ وَالاٌّخِرِينَ

لَمَجْمُوعُونَ إِلَى مِيقَـتِ يَوْمٍ مَّعْلُومٍ

Say:"(Yes) verily, those of old, and those of later times. All will surely be gathered together for an appointed meeting of a known Day." (56:49-50)

and,

وَحَشَرْنَاهُمْ فَلَمْ نُغَادِرْ مِنْهُمْ أَحَدًا

(And We shall gather them all together so as to leave not one of them behind... until,

وَلَا يَظْلِمُ رَبُّكَ أَحَدًا

(And your Lord treats no one with injustice). (18:47-49)

Allah said here,

مَوْلَاهُمُ الْحَقِّ

أَلَا لَهُ الْحُكْمُ وَهُوَ أَسْرَعُ الْحَاسِبِينَ

their Master, the Just Lord. Surely, His is the judgment and He is the swiftest in taking account