Transliteration:( Fakaifa izaa tawaffat humul malaaa'ikatu yadriboona wujoohahum wa adbaa rahum )
"How then shall it be when the angels will cause them to die, beating [69] their faces and their backs?"
This verse portrays the terrifying scene of the death of disbelievers. At the moment of death, the angels do not take their souls gently; rather, they strike them forcefully on their faces and backs with a mace, as a punishment for their arrogance and disbelief.
This violent and humiliating death is only the beginning—the torment continues after death in the grave and the Hereafter.
Such a description emphasizes the severe fate of those who reject Allah’s revelations and oppose His Messenger ﷺ.
The tafsir of Surah Muhammad verse 27 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Muhammad ayat 24 which provides the complete commentary from verse 24 through 28.
(47:27) But how will they fare when angels will take their souls at death and will carry them, striking their faces and backs?[37]
37. That is, in the world they adopted this attitude so that they may safeguard their interests and may protect themselves from the dangers of the conflict between Islam and infidelity, but how will they escape Allah’s wrath after death? At that time, no device of theirs will prove helpful for them to remain safe from the punishment by the angels.
This verse also is one of those verses that point to the torment of barzakh (i.e. torment of the grave). It clearly shows that the unbelievers and hypocrites start being afflicted with the torment right from the time of death, and this torment is different from the punishment which they will get on Resurrection after their cases will have been decided by Allah. For further explanation, see (Surah An-Nisa, Ayat 97); (Surah Al-Anaam, Ayat 93-94); (Surah Al-Anfal, Ayat 50); (Surah An-Nahl, Ayat 28, 32); (Surah Al-Muminun, Ayat 99-100); (Surah YaSeen, Ayat 26-27) note 22,23; (Surah Al-Mumin, Ayat 46) note 63.
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