الَّذي خَلَقَ المَوتَ وَالحَياةَ لِيَبلُوَكُم أَيُّكُم أَحسَنُ عَمَلًا ۚ وَهُوَ العَزيزُ الغَفورُ
He, who created death and life that He may test you [to see] which of you is best in conduct. And He is the all-mighty, the all-forgiving.
EXEGESIS
Yabluwakum: he may test, try, trial you. The root term balā means to try and test something to find out its properties. The common meaning in all of the derivatives of this root in the Quran is to make something change and turn. A result of this is that the properties of that thing become evident. Of course, when God tries someone or something, it is not to learn about its properties but to reveal them, or to turn its potentials to actuality. In other words, the qualities and actions that are ascribed to God should be divested of their non-existential and limited aspects. In such cases, what is meant is that God acts in such a way that has the same result as the action of one who is testing another being to learn about its properties.
Yabluwakum is a verb used in present tense. This, in Arabic, suggests the continuity of the action. Thus, mankind is constantly tested and trialled by the means of death and life.
EXPOSITION
This verse puts forth another reason for God’s blessedness. He is blessed and bounteous because He has created death and life in order to test mankind, so that they may perform righteous deeds and reach their perfection. He is also blessed because He is all-mighty and all-forgiving.
It might also be that this verse mentions the consequences and results of God’s kingdom and power: that He has created death and life, and tests mankind to manifest their righteousness.
Furthermore, the creation of life and death serves as a proof and evidence for God’s infinite power and all-pervasive kingdom, mentioned in the last verse. Indeed, mankind neither controls his life nor his death. We come into life without our will, and cannot stay indefinitely even if we will. ‘O He, who has overcome His servants by death and perishing.’ If we ponder upon how powerless we are against death and upon the stages by which we have come into life, we will realise the extent of God’s power and dominance. He has a kingdom and dominion that no one else has.
The verse explains why this world is created and organised in the form of death and life. God has created and placed death and life among mankind in order to reveal and actualise the potentials of those who are best in actions. Thus, death and life are the means to test and trial people so that the righteous and the unrighteous are separated from one another.
The verse does not explicitly mention those who are not good in actions, and does not talk about any punishment. Thus, it is inferred that the first and foremost purpose of creation is to give rise to the good-doers: My mercy embraces all things (7:156). That is the primary and essential reason. The creation of others – who will be punished – is an inseparable requirement of this main and primary purpose. It might also be that the verse does not mention those who are bad in conduct because they are not even worth mentioning. Thus, the verse also involves an aspect of admonition and warning to the wrongdoers.
The two attributes at the end of the verse serve to warn the evildoers and give tidings to the good-doers. God is all-mighty: no one can escape His kingdom or His command. At the same time, He is all-forgiving: both for the good-doers who may have committed some mistakes along the way, and for any sinner who turns back and repents. Thus, the term all-forgiving encourages the evildoers to repent, and prevents them from disappointment.
According to this verse, God has created death just as He has created life. This does not match the prevalent view that death is a deficiency and absence of life, because something non-existential cannot be created. However, the Quranic view on death is that it is an existential phenomenon. Death is merely a transition from one realm of existence to another. Therefore, one’s reality – which is one’s soul – does not expire or cease to exist at death; rather, it continues its existence in a different world. That is why in many places in the Quran, the verb tawaffā has been used for death. Tawaffā means to take something in full. According to the Quran, death means to be fully captured or received, and not to perish (4:15, 32:11); and it is our soul – not our body – that is captured and received (39:42).
An important factor for the trial of mankind is that God has concealed the time, place, and means of their death. This way, one has to be vigilant and obedient at all times and conditions, because one does not know when and how one will die. Otherwise, if one were to know when he will die, he would have no incentive to build himself spiritually and abstain from sins throughout his life, and would only repent and become pious toward the end of his life. Hence, the reader must awaken and realise the truth and certainty of death. The whole purpose of its concealment is so that we make ourselves prepared for it at all times, not that we ignore it and go heedless of it. How neglectful is man that he has totally dismissed this reality, and lives as if this life were all there is to his being?
By talking about life and death, this verse also sets the ground for the verses that follow concerning the hereafter.
This verse describes the purpose of the creation of death and life, and thus it should not be mixed with verse 51:56 which talks about the purpose of creation of mankind: I did not create the jinn and the humans except that they may worship Me. Of course, there is some connection between the two. In fact, the creation of death and life goes back to the creation of mankind, and if this verse is taken apart, it will reduce to verse 51:56. This verse talks about testing mankind to see or manifest who among them is best in conduct. Therefore, there must be some injunctions and commands (i.e. a religion) by which the best in conduct is assessed and determined. Abiding by these injunctions and commands is what has been referred to as worship in verse 51:56.
Adorning the earth with the beauties of creation is also for the purpose of testing the people of earth: Indeed We have made whatever is on the earth an adornment for it that We may test them [to see] which of them is best in conduct (18:7). Not only that, but the creation of all heavens and the earth (i.e. everything) has been for this purpose: It is He who created the heavens and the earth in six days – and His Throne was [then] upon the waters – that He may test you [to see] which of you is best in conduct (11:7). Further, if God has endowed us with faculties like sight and hearing, it is so that we can be tested: Indeed We created man from the drop of a mixed fluid so that We may test him. So We made him endowed with hearing and sight (76:2).
It is also notable that the verse does not talk about those who are good in conduct (as opposed to those who are bad or not good in conduct), but it talks about those who are best in conduct. This means that the Quran has aimed at the highest perfection for mankind, and not reaching the highest level of righteousness means failing the purpose of one’s creation.
The mention of God’s unrivalled kingdom in the previous verse provides the incentive for righteous and sincere conduct. Therefore, God has set the ground in the previous verse for what the servants are asked in this verse.
INSIGHTS FROM HADITH
- The Prophet was once asked about the meaning of which of you is best in conduct. He said: ‘[It means] which of you is best in reason (ʿaql).’ Then he said: ‘That is the one among you who is most complete in terms of reason, fears God most intensely, best observes what God has commanded and forbidden – even if he performs the least amount of supererogatory worships.’
Note: Some exegetes have elaborated on that by interpreting the verse as follows: that He may test you to see who among you remembers death the most and prepares himself for it the best, who is most patient on his death and the death of others, who is most obedient to what God has ordered, and who abstain the most from what God has forbidden. This is an example of the saying: ‘It is upon us to cast on you the roots, and it is upon you to derive the branches.’ In other words, these narrations provide a guideline and framework to understand the verse, and by no means do they limit the examples and instances to the ones they mention. The narration also proves that ʿamal (conduct, act) in the Quran is not limited to bodily actions, but also includes the actions of the heart. Furthermore, this narration links this verse to what comes later on in the chapter, especially verses 10-11, which talk about reasoning, obedience, and the fear of God.
- Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) said: ‘It does not mean one with the biggest volume of actions, but it means one with the most appropriate actions, and appropriateness is nothing but fearing God and having a sincere intention.’ Then he added: ‘Keeping an action sincere is more difficult than performing an action. A sincere action is one for which you do not want the praise of anyone other than God, exalted and majestic is He. Intention is superior to action. Lo! Indeed action is nothing but the intention.’ Then he recited the verse, Say: ‘Everyone acts according to his character’ (17:84) and said: ‘It means according to his intention.’
Note: The criterion that determines the value of an act as good or evil is not the apparent act per se, but it is the intention of the actor.
- It is reported that the Prophet used to say: ‘Indeed God has humbled man by death.’
Note: This tradition offers a reason for why the verse has mentioned death before life: as a reminder to mankind, and to take away their arrogance and haughtiness.
- Among the series of his admonitions to Ibn Masʿūd, the Prophet said: ‘The word of God, that He may test you [to see] which of you is best in conduct means which of you is most disinterested (azhad) in this world. Indeed, it [this world] is the abode of deceit; it is the home of one who has no [real] home; and for it gathers one who has no intellect. Indeed, the most foolish of the people is one who seeks this world.’
Note: The reason why indifference (zuhd) to this world is a matter of test is that it is the abode of deceit due to the many ornaments and temptations that are associated with it and which have a great outward attraction. And as verse 10 explicates, one who fails in this test is one who does not apply reason and intellect.
- Imam Ali (a) said: ‘God, glorified is He, says: If you help Allah, He will help you and make your feet steady [47:7], and says: Who is it that will lend Allah a good loan, that He may multiply it for him and [that] there may be a noble reward for him? [57:11]. He did not ask for your help because of any weakness, and He did not ask for your loan because of any shortage. He asked for your help while to Him belong the hosts of the heavens and the earth [48:7], and He is the all-mighty, the all-wise [3:6]; and He asked for your loan while to Him belong the treasuries of the heavens and the earth [63:7], and He is the all-sufficient, the all-laudable [31:26]. He only willed to test you [to see] which of you is best in conduct.’
REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE
Several reasons have been offered by the exegetes regarding why death has been mentioned before life in this verse. Of course, one need not limit himself to only one explanation: 1. Death is a more important phenomenon in the trial of people and in guiding them toward righteousness, and so death has been mentioned first because it is more pertinent to the purpose and theme of the verse. 2. The creation of life is quite evident to most people; however, it might not be as clear that death is also created. Therefore, the creation of death has been mentioned first in order to clarify this and emphasise it. 3. By one’s self and without God’s mercy and endowment, no human being – nor any other living creature – has any life or existence. Thus, by ourselves and in our essence, we are dead, and life is subsequent to that. In this interpretation, death would be equivalent to non-existence. 4. Death refers to the stages of man’s creation before the spirit is breathed into it, such as the stages of being a sperm or a blood clot. Then life would refer to the stage when life is blown in the body. In this context, one is first created dead (i.e. without a life or spirit) and then comes to life. This is confirmed by the verse, Indeed We created man from the drop of a mixed fluid so that We may test him. So We made him endowed with hearing and sight (76:2) 5. Death refers to our existence in this world (dunyā), and life refers to our existence in the hereafter. In other words, our life in this world is more like death when compared to the degree and strength of our life in the hereafter. However, even though the Quran considers the hereafter as true life (29:64), it never calls this world death, even in comparison to the hereafter. It is better to modify this explanation as follows: life refers to the hereafter (as in 29:64), and that comes after one’s death and departure from this world. That is why death has been mentioned before life. 6. It is only in this world that there is death, but there will be no death in the hereafter, and since this world is prior to the hereafter, death has been mentioned before life. The idea that there will be no death in the hereafter is based on the Quran (29:64, 37:58-59, 40:11, 44:35) and hadiths. 7. The subsequent part of the verse speaks about the tests and trials of mankind, which occur during one’s life. Therefore death has been mentioned first so that life would be adjacent to that He may test you. In this interpretation, that He may test you would only describe the objective behind the creation of life, and not the objective behind the creation of death. It is also possible to take the interpretation as only justification for the order in which death and life are mentioned.
Ālūsī has mentioned and rejected several interpretations for the created-ness of death, offered by those who consider death as a non-existential matter: 1. It means the creation of the means and instruments of death (‘means and instruments’ are implicitly conveyed through ‘death’). 2. It means the creation of the fixed timing of one’s death and life (in this case, ‘time’ is implicit). 3. The creation of death means the measurement and decree of death, which can apply to non-existential matters. It should be noted that no action can be done to non-existence qua non-existence. Therefore, even the measurement and decree of death cannot be created unless it is considered as the termination of life, which is something existential.
Death and life in this verse may also be interpreted more generally as difficulty and ease. Therefore, death would represent any tribulation, hardship, and affliction, in which one should show patience (89:16); and life would represent things like health, wealth, and any bounty by which God tests one’s gratitude (89:15). This general sense of death and life matches the purpose of testing that is mentioned in this verse: Every soul shall taste death, and We shall test you with good and ill by way of test (21:35).
[1] Tahqiq, under b-l-w; Raghib, under b-l-y.
[2] Tabrisi, 10/69; Razi, 30/55; Alusi, 15/6.
[3] Qaraati, 10/147.
[4] Alusi, 15/5.
[5] Bihar, 84/341, Imam Ali’s (a) Duʿāʾ al-Ṣabāḥ.
[6] Mizan, 19/349.
[7] Alusi, 15/6.
[8] Razi, 30/56; Mizan, 19/349.
[9] Mizan, 19/349; Qurtubi, 18/206.
[10] Alusi, 15/6.
[11] There is also another very similar tradition by the Holy Prophet; see Tabrisi, 10/69; Ibn Abi Hatim, 6/2006; Zamakhshari, 4/134.
[12] Tabrisi, 10/69; Qurtubi, 18/207.
[13] Wasail, 27/61-62, h. 51-52.
[14] Alusi, 15/6.
[15] Kafi, 2/16, h. 4.
[16] Tabari, 29/3.
[17] Makarim, p. 447.
[18] Nahj, sermon 183.
[19] Zamakhshari, 4/134; Alusi, 15/6.
[20] Razi, 30/55; Qurtubi, 18/206.
[21] Tabrisi, 10/69.
[22] Razi, 30/55; Qurtubi, 18/206-207.
[23] Razi, 30/55.
[24] Razi, 30/55; Bihar, 8/345.
[25] Qurtubi, 18/207.
[26] Rahmah, 4/353.
[27] This has also been mentioned in a narration in Qummi, 2/378.
[28] Alusi, 15/5.
[29] Tibyan, 10/57; Qurtubi, 18/206-207.