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alladhīna tatawaffāhumu l-malāʾikatu ẓālimī ʾanfusihim fa-ʾalqawu s-salama mā kunnā naʿmalu min sūʾin balā ʾinna llāha ʿalīmun bi-mā kuntum taʿmalūna
—Those whom the angels take away while they were wronging themselves. Thereat they submit: ‘We were not doing any evil!’ ‘Yes, [the angels say to them,] indeed Allah knows best what you used to do!
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah An-Nahl – Verse 28
28. “Those whom the angels take their lives while they are unjust to themselves. Then they would offer submission, (falsely saying:) ‘We used not to commit any evil act’. ‘Nay; Allah is definitely aware of what you used to do’.”
The unbelievers do both at the time when angels are taking their life: They offer their submission and they deny their evil past. However, neither that faith, to which they confess is of any kind of value, for it has its origin in ‘necessity’; nor is their denial acceptable from them, for Allah is always aware of everything. This noble verse with its particular interpretation, which provides a thought-provoking instructive lesson for awakening the ignorant and those who are unaware, describes the pagan as follows:
“Those whom the angels of death take their lives, while they are unjust to themselves…”
For, whatever tyranny one inflicts on others, it will first of all start with himself, and he will ruin his own house before that of the others. Nonetheless when man finds himself in his deathbed, and the curtains of his own arrogance and negligence are removed from before his eyes, he will immediately offer his submission, falsely claiming that he has not done anything wrong. The verse says:
“…Then they would offer submission, (falsely saying:) ‘We used not to commit any evil act’…”
Are they telling lies because, as a result of their habitual repetition, lying has become their inherent characteristic? Or else, they want to say that they know such acts which they have committed have been mistakes. It is probable that the two cases might be involved and both hold true. Nevertheless, they are soon reminded that they are liars and that they have committed many evil acts, saying that Allah is aware of whatever they have done as well as their intentions under all circumstances.
The verse says:
“…‘Nay; Allah is definitely aware of what you used to do’.”
Therefore, there is no room for them to deny or refute! And this ‘emergency faith’ of theirs, which is instantly expressed for pragmatic reasons, is of no use either.