Surah An-Najm 53:44
سُورَةُ النَّجۡمِ · Meccan · Verse 44 of 62
وَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ أَمَاتَ وَأَحْيَا
Translation
that it is He who gives death and life;
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
Wording
The Absolute Power of "He"
The verse, "And that He, He causes death and grants life" (وَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ أَمَاتَ وَأَحْيَا), is a profound declaration from Allah. It is a statement of ultimate control, revealing that no one shares His power in these fundamental aspects of existence. The plain meaning tells us that Allah, glory be to Him, causes death to whomever He wills among His creation, and grants life to whomever He wills, being uniquely singular in giving life and causing death.
A key to understanding the wording here lies in the repetition of `هُوَ` (Huwa), meaning "He." As Ibn Ashur explains, this pronoun serves to restrict or emphasize, signifying that *only Allah* causes death and grants life. This is a direct refutation of those who, in ignorance, attributed these acts to 'time' or other forces, as the pre-Islamic Arabs sometimes did. The verse makes it undeniably clear: this power belongs to Allah alone.
Death Before Life
You might notice that `أَمَاتَ` (He causes death) is mentioned before `أَحْيَا` (He grants life). This isn't accidental. Ibn Ashur connects this order to the preceding verse about laughter and tears, where a similar pattern appears. One reason for this specific ordering, he suggests, could be to address those who denied the resurrection, serving as an argument for the possibility of bringing the dead back to life. If Allah can cause death, and then bring something to life from a 'dead' state (like a drop of fluid becoming a living human), then resurrection is certainly within His power. Al-Razi also notes that this order might indicate that Allah first created the state of lifelessness in elements before combining them to create life, or it could be implying a future meaning, with the immediacy of its occurrence.
A Universal Truth
These two actions, `أَمَاتَ` and `أَحْيَا`, are presented as fundamental, contrasting realities of existence. Al-Razi calls them "opposite attributes" that are "characteristics of living beings." By stating them together, the verse highlights Allah's comprehensive dominion over every breath and every cessation of life. It reminds us of His absolute authority, inviting us to reflect on our own fragility and dependence on Him, the sole Giver of life and Causer of death.
Source: al-Muyassar, al-Razi, Ibn Ashur
Sources: al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf), al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb), Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir), al-Jalalayn, al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi)
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah An-Najm 53:44 is discussed in one study guide on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
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