Malfuzat – Volume II — Page 257
257 the soul. Then, other events transpire. The angels Munkar and Nakeer arrive. Deeds come forward. Then, a window is opened. Then, the Holy Quran says that it is on the Day of Resurrection that the dead will be raised. ى ُ الْمَوْتٰ هلل َبْعَثُ ا ي It is written in Ma’alim that the dead do not return. An Important Point There are two aspects of the Holy Quran. Certain discussions are in the form of narratives whereas commandments are presented in the form of instructions. Whatever the Holy Quran presents in the form of an instruction, it does so, so that the people will accept it. For example, the Holy Quran states: 1 ْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُم اَنْ تَصُوْمُوْا And fasting is good for you. Now the Arabic word ‘sawm’ refers to the dung of an ostrich, but obviously in the verse just mentioned, this is not the meaning that is intended. The guidance of the Holy Quran is always clear. In the same vein, therefore, the guidance that it provides on the issue at hand is that first, the angel of death comes and then, a per- son is exalted. The Hadith supports this view. In one instance, the Holy Quran states: 2 َ الْمَوْت عَلَيْهَا فَيُمْسِكُ الَّتِيْ قَضٰى Meaning, when He issues a decree of death against a soul, He does not allow it to return. You see, this is the Word of God. The aforementioned statement is not in the nature of a narrative; it is in the form of guidance. Those who are unable to differentiate between narratives and points of guid- ance are forced to confront great difficulty; they only make it appear as though the Holy Quran were riddled with contradiction and, for all intents and pur- poses, forsake the Holy Quran. For God Almighty states in relation to the Holy Quran: 1 al-Baqarah, 2:185 2 az-Zumar, 39:43