Al-Qur'an Surah Al-An'am Verse 61

Mufti Taqi Usmani

He is Dominant over His slaves, and He sends guardians over you until when death comes upon one of you, Our deputies take his soul in full, and they neglect nothing (from their duties).

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

He reigns supreme over all of His creation, and sends recording-angels, watching over you. When death comes to any of you, Our angels take their soul, never neglecting this duty.

Ruwwad Translation Center

He is the Subjugator over His servants and sends over you recording-angels until when death comes upon one of you, Our angels take his soul, and they never fall short in their duty.

A. J. Arberry

He is the Omnipotent over His servants. He sends recorders over you till, when any one of you is visited by death, Our messengers take him and they neglect not.

Abdul Haleem

He is the Supreme Master over His subjects. He sends out recorders to watch over you until, when death overtakes any of you, those sent by Us take his soul- they never fail in their duty.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And He is the supreme over His creatures, and He sendeth guardians over you until when death cometh unto one of you Our messengers take his soul, and they fail not.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

He is the irresistible, (watching) from above over His worshippers, and He sets guardians over you. At length, when death approaches one of you, Our angels take his soul, and they never fail in their duty.

Abul Ala Maududi

And He alone holds sway over His servants and sets guardians over you till death approaches any of you and Our deputed angels take his soul, neglecting no part of their task.

Ahmed Ali

He has power over His creatures, and appoints guardians to watch over them. When death comes to one of you, Our messengers take away his soul, and do not falter.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And He is Omnipotent over His bondmen and sends guardians over you; to the extent that when death comes to one of you, Our angels remove his soul, and they do not err.

Ali Quli Qarai

He is the All-dominant over His servants, and He sends guards to [protect] you. When death approaches anyone of you, Our messengers take him away and they do not neglect [their duty].

Ali Ünal

He is the All-Omnipotent over His servants; and He sends to you (angel) guardians (who watch over, and keep a record of, whatever you do). When death finally approaches any of you, Our envoys (the angels assigned to this duty) take his soul, and they do not neglect (any part of their tasks).

Amatul Rahman Omar

And He is the All-Dominant over His servants, and He goes on sending guardians to watch over you. When death comes to one of you, Our messengers (-the angels) take away his soul. They neglect (their duty) in no way.

English Literal

And He is the defeater/conqueror over His worshippers/slaves, and He sends on you caretakers/keepers/angels until if the death came (to) any of you, Our messengers made him die, and they do not neglect/waste .

Faridul Haque

And He is Omnipotent over His bondmen and sends guardians over you; to the extent that when death comes to one of you, Our angels remove his soul, and they do not err.

Hamid S. Aziz

Then are they returned to Allah, their true and just Sovereign. Is not His the judgment (or rule)? But He is the most swift at reckoning.

Hilali & Khan

He is the Irresistible, Supreme over His slaves, and He sends guardians (angels guarding and writing all of one's good and bad deeds) over you, until when death approaches one of you, Our Messengers (angel of death and his assistants) take his soul, and they never neglect their duty.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And He it is Who takes your souls at night, and He knows what you earn by day, then He raises you up therein that an appointed term may be fulfilled. Then to Him is your return, then He will inform you of what you did.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And He is the Supreme, above His servants, and He sends keepers over you; until when death comes to one of you, Our apostles cause him to die, and they are not remiss.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

He is the Omnipotent over His slaves. He sendeth guardians over you until, when death cometh unto one of you, Our messengers receive him, and they neglect not.

Muhammad Sarwar

He is Dominant over all His creatures and He sends guards to watch over you until death approaches you. Then His angelic Messengers will, without fail, take away your souls.

Qaribullah & Darwish

He is the Conqueror over His worshipers. He sends forth guardians who watch over you until death comes to one of you, when Our messengers take him, and they are not neglectful.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

He is the Qahir over His servants, and He sends guardians over you, until when death approaches one of you, Our messengers take his soul, and they never neglect their duty.

Wahiduddin Khan

He is the Absolute Master over His servants. He sends forth guardians [angels] who watch over you until, when death approaches one of you, Our angels take his soul, and they never fail in their duty.

Talal Itani

He is the Conqueror over His servants, and He sends guardians over you, until, when death overtakes one of you, Our envoys take him away, and they never fail.

Tafsir jalalayn

He is the Vanquisher, Superior, over His servants. And He sends guardians over you, angels, to record your deeds, until, when death approaches one of you, Our messengers, the angels charged with the seizing of the spirits, take him (tawaffathu; a variant reading has tawaffhu) and they neglect not, they do not fall short of what they have been commanded.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

وَهُوَ الْقَاهِرُ فَوْقَ عِبَادِهِ

He is the Qahir over His servants.

The Qahir means, the one who controls everything, all are subservient to His supreme grace, greatness and majesty,

وَيُرْسِلُ عَلَيْكُم حَفَظَةً

and He sends guardians over you,

angels who guard mankind.

In another Ayah, Allah said;

لَهُ مُعَقِّبَـتٌ مِّن بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ يَحْفَظُونَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ

For each (person), there are angels in succession, before and behind him. They guard him by the command of Allah. (13;11),

watching his deeds and recording them.

Allah said,

وَإِنَّ عَلَيْكُمْ لَحَـفِظِينَ

But verily, over you (are appointed angels in charge of mankind) to watch you. (82;10)

and,

إِذْ يَتَلَقَّى الْمُتَلَقِّيَانِ عَنِ الْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ الشِّمَالِ قَعِيدٌ

مَّا يَلْفِظُ مِن قَوْلٍ إِلاَّ لَدَيْهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٌ

(Remember!) that the two receivers (recording angels) receive, one sitting on the right and one on the left. Not a word does he utter, but there is a watcher by him, ready. (50;17-18)

Allah's statement,

حَتَّىَ إِذَا جَاء أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ

until when death approaches one of you...

refers to, when one's life span comes to an end and he is dying,

تَوَفَّتْهُ رُسُلُنَا

Our messengers take his soul...

meaning, there are angels who are responsible for this job.

Ibn Abbas and several others said that;

the Angel of Death has angels who pull the soul from its body and when it reaches the throat, the Angel of Death captures it.

Allah said;

وَهُمْ لَا يُفَرِّطُونَ



and they never neglect their duty.

They guard the soul of the dead person and take it to wherever Allah wills, to Illiyyin if he was among the righteous, and to Sijjin if he was among the wicked (disbelievers, sinners, etc.), we seek refuge with Allah from this end.

Allah said next