Transliteration:( Wa jaaa'at sakratul mawti bilhaqq; zaalika maa kunta minhu taheed )
"And there comes the choking moment of death with truth [32]. This is from which you were trying to escape [33]."
The verse highlights the severity and reality of death, which is described as the choking moment. This is the inevitable moment when death approaches, and it serves as a reminder that death cannot be avoided or escaped. It emphasizes that death is a truth that everyone must face.
For a believer, the moment of death is marked by a beautiful vision of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). This sight provides comfort and eases the pain of the pangs of death, making it easier for the believer to face death without feeling its severity. Many traditions mention this comforting vision that makes the death of a believer less painful.
While everyone experiences the pangs of death, not everyone feels them in the same way. The believer, through the mercy of Allah, is given relief at this critical moment.
The verse is directed toward those who have rejected or neglected the truth of death and the Hereafter. For them, death is a source of fear and escape, as they have been engrossed in the worldly matters.
The angels will address such individuals, saying that they were afraid of death and tried to avoid it while they were alive. They were preoccupied with their worldly lives, ignoring the inevitability of death.
In contrast, the believer views death as a bridge or a ladder to be reunited with the Friend (Allah). For the pious, death is not feared but is seen as the final step to being with Allah. Thus, the death of a pious person is often referred to as the "Urs" (wedding), a joyous occasion where the soul is united with its Creator.
The tafsir of Surah Qaf verse 19 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Qaf ayat 16 which provides the complete commentary from verse 16 through 22.
(50:19) Lo, the agony of death has indeed come with the Truth.[22] That is what you had sought to avoid.[23]
22. “Come with the truth” implies that the agony of death is the starting point when the reality which had remained concealed in the world, begins to be uncovered. At this point man starts seeing clearly the other world of which the Prophet had forewarned him. Here, man also comes to know that the Hereafter is the very truth, and also this whether he is entering this second stage of life as favored or damned.
23. That is, this is the same reality which you refused to believe. You desired that you should live and go about as an unbridled rogue in the world, and there should be no other life after death, in which you may have to suffer for the consequences of your deeds. That is why you shunned the concept of the Hereafter and were not at all inclined to believe that this next world would ever be established. Now, you may see that the same next world is unveiling itself before you.
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