سورة النساء

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): إِنَّ الَّذِینَ تَوَفَّاهُمُ الْمَلآئِکَةُ ظَالِمِی أَنْفُسِهِمْ [Surely (as for) those whom the angels cause to die while they are unjust to their souls]; this verse was revealed concerning one who withdrew from Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) and did not fight alongside him. So the angels, at the time of death, say to them: فِیمَ کُنتُمْ قَالُواْ کُنَّا مُسْتَضْعفِینَ فِی الأَرْضِ ["In what state were you?" They shall say: "We were weak in the earth"] — meaning: we did not know with whom the truth lay. And Allah says: أَلَمْ تَکُنْ أَرْضُ اللّهِ وَاسِعةً فَتُهَاجِرُواْ فِیهَا ["Was not Allah's earth spacious, so that you should have migrated therein?"] — what is meant is that Allah's religion and His Book were spacious; you should have looked into it. Then He says: فَأُوْلَئِکَ مَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ وَ سَاءتْ مَصِیرًا ["So these it is whose abode is hell, and it is an evil resort"], and He makes an exception and says: إِلاَّ المُسْتَضْعفِینَ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ وَالنِّسَاء وَالْوِلْدَانِ لاَ یَسْتَطِیعونَ حِیلَةً وَ لاَ یَهْتَدُونَ سَبِیلاً ["Except the weak from among the men and the women and the children who have not in their power the means nor can they find a way"].

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): In a debate that an irreligious man had with the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him), in which he cited ambiguous verses of the Qur'an that require interpretation, the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) said: "اللهُ یَتَوَفَّی الْأَنْفُسَ حِینَ مَوْتِهَا [Allah takes the souls at the time of their death] (Zumar/42), یَتَوَفَّاکُمْ مَلَکُ الْمَوْتِ [the Angel of Death appointed over you takes you] (Sajdah/11), تَوَفَّتْهُ رُسُلُنَا [Our messengers take him without any shortcoming or negligence] (An'am/61), الَّذِینَ تَتَوَفَّاهُمُ الْمَلائِکَةُ طَیِّبِینَ [those whom the angels cause to die while they are pure] (Nahl/32), and الَّذِینَ تَوَفَّاهُمُ الْمَلائِکَةُ ظالِمِی أَنْفُسِهِمْ [those whom the angels cause to die while they were unjust to themselves] — in [all of] these verses, Allah is far greater than to undertake these matters Himself; rather, He has entrusted their performance to His messengers and angels, yet He attributes the act to Himself because they do it by His command. Allah chooses envoys and messengers between Himself and His servants — the very ones about whom He said: اللهُ یَصْطَفِی مِنَ الْمَلائِکَةِ رُسُلاً وَ مِنَ النَّاسِ [Allah chooses messengers from among the angels and from among men] (Hajj/75). So whoever is of those who obey Allah, the angels of mercy take charge of seizing his soul, and whoever is of those who disobey, the angels of chastisement take charge of seizing his soul. The Angel of Death has helpers from among the angels of chastisement and mercy who act by his command, and their action is counted as the action of the Angel of Death, and every act they perform is ascribed to him. When their action is counted as the action of the Angel of Death, the action of the Angel of Death is counted as the action of Allah, for it is Allah who takes the soul of whomever He wills by the hand of whomever He wills; it is Allah who gives or withholds or rewards or punishes by the hand of whomever He wills. So every act His deputies perform is His act, because unless Allah wills, they do not perform that act."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Allah manages affairs however He wills; He entrusts whomever He wills with the charge of whomever He wills. As for the Angel of Death, Allah appoints him over specific ones He wills from His creation, and He appoints His special messengers from among the angels over specific ones He wills from His creation, and the angels whom Allah has named [in this verse] He appoints over a special group whom He Himself wills. Allah manages affairs however He wills. Not all sciences are such that the one who knows them is able to explain them to all people, because people differ in understanding — some are strong and some are weak; some are able to bear this burden of knowledge and some are not, unless Allah grants them that capacity and helps them through His special friends. It is enough for you to know that it is Allah who gives life and causes death, and that He takes souls by the hand of whomever He wills from His creation, whether from His angels or others.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Allah, Blessed and Exalted, has appointed for the Angel of Death assistants and helpers from among the angels who take the souls, just like the chief of police (shurta) who has aides and assistants from among human beings, whom he sends on his tasks and needs and dispatches to various places. The angels likewise are dispatched by the Angel of Death and take the souls of people, and the Angel of Death takes the seized souls from the angels in addition to what he himself has taken, and Allah takes all of them from the Angel of Death.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Seek the safety of your religion and your heart in every place and every state, and seek the (good) outcome of your affairs from Allah. For whoever seeks it and searches for it does not find it — let alone one who casts himself into trials, seeks a path other than the path of the soul's safety, acts contrary to its foundations, regards safety as destruction and destruction as safety. Safety among people has always been rare, especially in this age, and [sometimes] attaining it goes together with the harshness and harm of people, patience in the face of afflictions, taking expenses lightly, fleeing from things whose regard holds you back, and being content with less than what is available. If such a thing is not attained, then seclusion is called for; and if you are not able for that either, then at least close your mouth — and since you are not secluded, speaking about it brings you neither benefit nor harm, so why not stay silent? And if you have no way to that either, then choose change and travel around the cities, and cast yourself into the wilderness of destruction with a pure inner self, a humble heart and a patient body. Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has said إِنَّ الَّذِینَ تَوَفَّاهُمُ الْمَلائِکَةُ ظالِمِی أَنْفُسِهِمْ قالُوا فِیمَ کُنْتُمْ قالُوا کُنَّا مُسْتَضْعَفِینَ فِی الْأَرْضِ قالُوا أَ لَمْ تَکُنْ أَرْضُ اللهِ واسِعَةً فَتُهاجِرُوا فِیها [Surely (as for) those whom the angels cause to die while they are unjust to their souls, they shall say: In what state were you? They shall say: We were weak in the earth. They shall say: Was not Allah's earth spacious, so that you should have migrated therein?]. Obtain what is a spoil in the eyes of the good servants of Allah, do not compete with your peers, do not quarrel with your opponents, and whoever makes a claim before you, do not oppose it, and do not claim knowledge of anything even if you know it well and possess understanding of it, and do not disclose your secret except to one who is more noble than yourself in religion — and where will you find such nobility?! When you do this, you will remain in safety with Allah and without attachment to others.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): [Regarding His words] يا عِبادِيَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّ أَرْضِي واسِعَةٌ [O My servants who have believed, indeed My earth is spacious] (al-Ankabut 29:56) — meaning: do not obey the corrupt kings and rulers; if you fear that they will endanger your religion, My earth is spacious — go wherever you wish. Allah the Exalted says: فِیمَ کُنْتُمْ قالُوا کُنَّا مُسْتَضْعَفِینَ فِی الْأَرْضِ [In what state were you? They shall say: We were weak in the earth]. Allah said: أَ لَمْ تَکُنْ أَرْضُ اللهِ واسِعَةً فَتُهاجِرُوا فِیها [Was not Allah's earth spacious, so that you should have migrated therein?].