وَلَاand notمُنَافَاةٌcontradictionبَيْنَbetweenهَذِهِtheseالْآيَاتِversesالثَّـلَـاثِ؛three;فَإِنَّfor indeedالْمَلَـائِكَةُthe angelsتَقْبِضُtakeالرُّوحَ؛the soul;فَإِنَّfor indeedمَلَكَthe angelالْمَوْتِof deathإِذَاwhenأَخْرَجَهَاhe takes it outمِنَfromالْبَدَنِthe bodyتَكُونُit isعِندَهُwith him;مَلَـائِكَةٌ،angels,إِنَّifكَانَwasالرَّجُلُthe manمِنْofأَهْلِpeopleالْجَنَّةِ؛of paradise;فَيَكُونُso he will beمَعَهُمْwith themحَنُوطٌthe perfumeمِنَfromالْجَنَّةِ،paradise,وَكَفَنٌand a shroudمِنَfromالْجَنَّةِparadiseيَأْخُذُونَthey takeهَذِهِthisالرُّوحَsoul,الطَّيِّبَةَ،the pure,وَيَجْعَلُونَهَاand they place itفِيinهَذَاthisالْكَفَنِshroudوَيَصْعَدُونَand they ascendبِهَاwith itإِلَىtoاللَّهِGod,عَزَّ وَجَلَّthe Almighty and Exaltedحَتَّىuntilتَقِفَit standsبَيْنَbetweenيَدَيَّmy handsاللَّهِ،God,ثُمَّthenيَقُولُhe says:اِكْتُبُواwriteكِتَابَthe bookعَبْدِيmy servantفِيinعَلِيِّيْنَthe highest ranksوَأَعِيدُوهُand return himإِلَىtoالْأَرْضِ،the earth,فَتَرْجِعُthen the soul returnsالرُّوحُthe soulإِلَىtoالْجَسَدِthe bodyمِنْforأَجَلٍthe testingالْاختِبَارِthe testمِنَfromرَبِّكَ؟your Lord?وَمَاand what isدِينُكَ؟your religion?وَمَنْand who isنَبِيُّكَ؟your prophet?وَإِنْand ifكَانَwasالْمَيِّتُthe deceasedغَيْرَother thanمُؤْمِنٍbelieverوَالْعِيَاذُ بِاللَّهِ؛and may God protect us;فَإِنَّهُthen heيُنَزَلُdescendsمَلَـائِكَةٌangelsمَعَهُمُwith themكَفَنٌa shroudمِنَfromالنَّارِ،the fire,وَحَنُوطٌand perfumeمِنَfromالنَّارِ،the fire,يَأْخُذُونَthey takeالرُّوحَ،the soul,وَيَجْعَلُونَهَاand they place itفِيinهَذَاthisالْكَفَنِ،shroud,ثُمَّthenيَصْعَدُونَthey ascendبِهَاwith itإِلَىtoالسَّمَاءِ،the sky,فَتُغْلَقَthen the gates closeأَبْوَابُthe doorsالسَّمَاءِof the heavenدُونَهَا،without it,وَتُطْرَحُand it is castإِلَىtoالْأَرْضِ؛the earth;قَالَGod said:اللَّهُ تَعَالَى:God the Exalted:﴿وَمَنْ﴿And whoeverيُشْرِكْassociatesبِاللَّهِwith Allah,فَكَأَنَّمَاit is as if,خَرَّhe fellمِنَfromالسَّمَاءِthe sky,فَتَخَطَفُهُthen the birds snatch him,الطَّيْرُthe birdsأَوْorتَهْوِيit fallsبِهِwith itالرِّيحُthe windفِيinمَكَانٍa placeسَحِيقٍ)far away)[[الْحَجُّthe pilgrimage:٣١]31]ثُمَّthenيَقُولُhe says:اللَّهُ :Allah:اِكْتُبُواwriteكِتَابَthe bookعَبْدِيmy servantفِيinسِجِّينٍ(١).Sijjin(1).نَسْأَلُWe askاللَّهَAllahالْعَافِيَةَ!well-being!هَـؤلاءِTheseمُوكَلُونَare assignedبِقَبْضِto takeالرُّوحِthe soulمِنَfromمَلَكِthe angelالْمَوْتِof deathإِذَاwhenقَبَضَهَا،he takes it,وَمَلَكُand the angelالْمَوْتِof deathهُوَisالَّذِيthe one whoيُمَارِسُcarries outقَبْضَهَا؛takes it;فَلَاso there is noمُنَافَاةٌcontradictionإِذًا،then,وَالَّذِيand the one whoيَأْمُرُcommandsبِذَلِكَwith thatهُوَisاللَّهُ،God,فَيَكُونُthen it isفِيinالْحَقِيقَةِthe truthهُوَheالْمُتَوَفِّي.the taker of souls.وَمِنْهُمْAnd among themمَلَـائِكَةٌangelsسِيَاحُونَwho roamفِيinالْأَرْضِthe earthيَلْتَمِسُونَseekingحَلَقَةًa circleالذِّكْرِ،of dhikr,(١)(1)رَوَاهُNarrated by
And there is no contradiction between these three verses; for the angels take the soul; for if the Angel of Death takes it out of the body, there are angels with him, if the man is of the people of paradise; then he will be with them having perfumes from paradise, and a shroud from paradise, they take this pure soul and place it in this shroud and ascend with it to God, the Exalted, until it stands before Allah, then He says: write the record of My servant in the highest ranks and return him to the earth, then the soul returns to the body for the testing: what is your Lord? And what is your religion? And who is your prophet? And if the deceased is not a believer, may God protect us; then he is brought down by angels who have a shroud from the fire and perfumes from the fire, they take the soul and place it in this shroud, then they ascend with it to the heavens, the doors of the heavens close behind it, and it is cast down to the earth; God, the Exalted, said: 'And whoever associates with Allah, it is as if he fell from the sky and the birds snatch him or the wind blows him in a faraway place.' [Surah Al-Hajj: 31] Then God says: write the record of My servant in Sijjin (1). We ask Allah for well-being! These are assigned to take the soul from the Angel of Death when he takes it, and the Angel of Death is the one who carries out the taking; so there is no contradiction then, and the one who commands that is Allah, thus in truth, He is the taker of souls. And among them are angels who roam the earth seeking circles of dhikr (1).