إِنَّكَ مَيِّتٌ وَإِنَّهُم مَّيِّتُونَ
You will die, and they [too] will die
ثُمَّ إِنَّكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ عِندَ رَبِّكُمْ تَخْتَصِمُونَ
Then on the Day of Resurrection you will contend before your Lord
فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن كَذَبَ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَكَذَّبَ بِالصِّدْقِ إِذْ جَاءَهُ ۚ أَلَيْسَ فِي جَهَنَّمَ مَثْوًى لِّلْكَافِرِينَ
So who is a greater wrongdoer than him who attributes a falsehood to Allah, and denies the truth when it reaches him? Is not the [final] abode of the faithless in hell
وَالَّذِي جَاءَ بِالصِّدْقِ وَصَدَّقَ بِهِ ۙ أُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُتَّقُونَ
He who brings the truth and he who confirms it—it is they who are the Godwary
لَهُم مَّا يَشَاءُونَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ جَزَاءُ الْمُحْسِنِينَ
They will have what they wish with their Lord—that is the reward of the virtuous—
لِيُكَفِّرَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ أَسْوَأَ الَّذِي عَمِلُوا وَيَجْزِيَهُمْ أَجْرَهُم بِأَحْسَنِ الَّذِي كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
that Allah may absolve them of the worst of what they did, and pay them their reward by the best of what they used to do
أَلَيْسَ اللَّهُ بِكَافٍ عَبْدَهُ ۖ وَيُخَوِّفُونَكَ بِالَّذِينَ مِن دُونِهِ ۚ وَمَن يُضْلِلِ اللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ مِنْ هَادٍ
Does not Allah suffice [to defend] His servant? They would frighten you of others than Him. Yet whomever Allah leads astray, has no guide
وَمَن يَهْدِ اللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ مِن مُّضِلٍّ ۗ أَلَيْسَ اللَّهُ بِعَزِيزٍ ذِي انتِقَامٍ
and whomever Allah guides, there is no one who can lead him astray. Is not Allah an all-mighty avenger
وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُم مَّنْ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ لَيَقُولُنَّ اللَّهُ ۚ قُلْ أَفَرَأَيْتُم مَّا تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ إِنْ أَرَادَنِيَ اللَّهُ بِضُرٍّ هَلْ هُنَّ كَاشِفَاتُ ضُرِّهِ أَوْ أَرَادَنِي بِرَحْمَةٍ هَلْ هُنَّ مُمْسِكَاتُ رَحْمَتِهِ ۚ قُلْ حَسْبِيَ اللَّهُ ۖ عَلَيْهِ يَتَوَكَّلُ الْمُتَوَكِّلُونَ
If you ask them, ‘Who created the heavens and the earth?’ they will surely say, ‘Allah.’ Say, ‘Have you considered what you invoke besides Allah? Should Allah desire some distress for me, can they remove the distress visited by Him? Or should He desire some mercy for me, can they withhold His mercy?’ Say, ‘Allah is sufficient for me. In Him let all the trusting put their trust.’
قُلْ يَا قَوْمِ اعْمَلُوا عَلَىٰ مَكَانَتِكُمْ إِنِّي عَامِلٌ ۖ فَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ
Say, ‘O my people! Act according to your ability. I too am acting. Soon you will know
مَن يَأْتِيهِ عَذَابٌ يُخْزِيهِ وَيَحِلُّ عَلَيْهِ عَذَابٌ مُّقِيمٌ
who will be overtaken by a punishment that will disgrace him, and on whom a lasting punishment will descend.’
إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ لِلنَّاسِ بِالْحَقِّ ۖ فَمَنِ اهْتَدَىٰ فَلِنَفْسِهِ ۖ وَمَن ضَلَّ فَإِنَّمَا يَضِلُّ عَلَيْهَا ۖ وَمَا أَنتَ عَلَيْهِم بِوَكِيلٍ
Indeed We have sent down the Book to you with the truth for [the deliverance of] mankind. So whoever is guided is guided for his own sake, and whoever goes astray, goes astray to his own detriment, and it is not your duty to watch over them
اللَّهُ يَتَوَفَّى الْأَنفُسَ حِينَ مَوْتِهَا وَالَّتِي لَمْ تَمُتْ فِي مَنَامِهَا ۖ فَيُمْسِكُ الَّتِي قَضَىٰ عَلَيْهَا الْمَوْتَ وَيُرْسِلُ الْأُخْرَىٰ إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
Allah takes the souls at the time of their death, and those who have not died, in their sleep. Then He retains those for whom He has ordained death and releases the others until a specified time. There are indeed signs in that for a people who reflect
أَمِ اتَّخَذُوا مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ شُفَعَاءَ ۚ قُلْ أَوَلَوْ كَانُوا لَا يَمْلِكُونَ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَعْقِلُونَ
Have they taken intercessors besides Allah? Say, ‘What! Even though they do not control anything, and cannot reason?!’
قُل لِّلَّهِ الشَّفَاعَةُ جَمِيعًا ۖ لَّهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۖ ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ
Say, ‘All intercession rests with Allah. To Him belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth; then you will be brought back to Him.’
وَإِذَا ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ اشْمَأَزَّتْ قُلُوبُ الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْآخِرَةِ ۖ وَإِذَا ذُكِرَ الَّذِينَ مِن دُونِهِ إِذَا هُمْ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ
When Allah is mentioned alone, [thereat] shrink away the hearts of those who do not believe in the Hereafter, but when others are mentioned besides Him, behold, they rejoice
قُلِ اللَّهُمَّ فَاطِرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ عَالِمَ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ أَنتَ تَحْكُمُ بَيْنَ عِبَادِكَ فِي مَا كَانُوا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ
Say, ‘O Allah! Originator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the sensible and the Unseen, You will judge between Your servants concerning that about which they used to differ.’
وَلَوْ أَنَّ لِلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا مَا فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا وَمِثْلَهُ مَعَهُ لَافْتَدَوْا بِهِ مِن سُوءِ الْعَذَابِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ۚ وَبَدَا لَهُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يَكُونُوا يَحْتَسِبُونَ
Even if the wrongdoers possessed all that is on the earth, and as much of it besides, they would offer it on the Day of Resurrection to redeem themselves with it from a terrible punishment, and there will appear to them from Allah what they had never reckoned
وَبَدَا لَهُمْ سَيِّئَاتُ مَا كَسَبُوا وَحَاقَ بِهِم مَّا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ
The evils of what they had earned will appear to them, and they will be besieged by what they used to deride
فَإِذَا مَسَّ الْإِنسَانَ ضُرٌّ دَعَانَا ثُمَّ إِذَا خَوَّلْنَاهُ نِعْمَةً مِّنَّا قَالَ إِنَّمَا أُوتِيتُهُ عَلَىٰ عِلْمٍ ۚ بَلْ هِيَ فِتْنَةٌ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
When distress befalls man, he supplicates Us. Then, when We grant him a blessing from Us, he says, ‘I was given it by virtue of [my] knowledge.’ Indeed, it is a test, but most of them do not know
قَدْ قَالَهَا الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ فَمَا أَغْنَىٰ عَنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ
Those who were before them [also] said that, but what they used to earn did not avail them
فَأَصَابَهُمْ سَيِّئَاتُ مَا كَسَبُوا ۚ وَالَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا مِنْ هَـٰؤُلَاءِ سَيُصِيبُهُمْ سَيِّئَاتُ مَا كَسَبُوا وَمَا هُم بِمُعْجِزِينَ
So the evils of what they had earned visited them, and as for the wrongdoers among these, the evils of what they earn shall be visited on them and they will not frustrate [Allah]
أَوَلَمْ يَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَبْسُطُ الرِّزْقَ لِمَن يَشَاءُ وَيَقْدِرُ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ
Do they not know that Allah expands the provision for whomever He wishes and tightens it [for whomever He wishes]? There are indeed signs in that for a people who have faith
قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
Say [that Allah declares,] ‘O My servants who have committed excesses against their own souls, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed Allah will forgive all sins. Indeed, He is the All-forgiving, the All-merciful
وَأَنِيبُوا إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمْ وَأَسْلِمُوا لَهُ مِن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِيَكُمُ الْعَذَابُ ثُمَّ لَا تُنصَرُونَ
Turn penitently to Him and submit to Him before the punishment overtakes you, whereupon you will not be helped
وَاتَّبِعُوا أَحْسَنَ مَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُم مِّن رَّبِّكُم مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِيَكُمُ الْعَذَابُ بَغْتَةً وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَشْعُرُونَ
Follow the best of what has been sent down to you from your Lord, before the punishment overtakes you suddenly while you are unaware.’
English translation: Ali Quli Qarai
Triangulating five Arabic authorities — Ṭabarsī's Majmaʿ al-Bayān [tabarsi_majma_al_bayan], al-Qummī [qummi], al-Ṭūsī's al-Tibyān [tusi_al_tibyan], al-Baḥrānī's al-Burhān [bahrani_al_burhan], and al-Ṭabāṭabāʾī's al-Mīzān [tabatabai_al_mizan] — plus the published Enlightening Commentary [enlightening_commentary].
Human-review flags: al-Mīzān [tabatabai_al_mizan] carries three coarse bayān units (covering 21–37, 38–52, 53–61) straddling this passage; vv. 21–29 and 56–61 were summarized in brackets and several long bayān/baḥth runs faithfully abridged (
needs_human_review:true). al-Burhān [bahrani_al_burhan]'s final block (fetched at ayah 54) runs into 39:56; its long janb Allāh chain (9245–9262) glosses v. 56, just beyond this passage — rendered because it is the fetched text, but flagged. Qummī [qummi] at v. 42 shows a likely isnād-collapse ("ʿan Abī Hāshim ʿan Dāwūd b. al-Qāsim") where al-Burhān reads one narrator (Abū Hāshim = Dāwūd b. al-Qāsim al-Jaʿfarī);original_arkept byte-verbatim.
What the passage says. The arc opens on death as leveller — innaka mayyitun wa-innahum mayyitūn (30) — and the eschatological khuṣūma (31); contrasts the liar-against-God with al-ladhī jāʾa bi-l-ṣidqi wa-ṣaddaqa bihi (32–35); reassures the Prophet that God suffices His servant (36–37); rebuts idol-worship by the tawḥīd argument (38), the futility of false intercessors and li-llāhi l-shafāʿatu jamīʿan (43–44), and the recoil at God's sole mention (45); treats tawaffī al-anfus at death and in sleep (42); and climbs to the great mercy verse, yā ʿibādiya lladhīna asrafū... lā taqnaṭū min raḥmati llāh (53), and its call to repent, submit, and follow the best sent down (54–55).
Classical apparatus (Ṭabarsī, al-Ṭūsī). The two Imāmī giants share a near-identical structure, al-Ṭūsī being Ṭabarsī's source. Both anchor the qirāʾāt: at the preceding parable Ibn Kathīr and the Baṣrans read sāliman (active participle) against the majority salaman (verbal noun), Ṭabarsī [tabarsi_majma_al_bayan] keeping Abū ʿAlī's ḥujja that sāliman parallels the concrete shurakāʾ; at 39:41 they record quḍiya/qaḍā (passive/active), the active being "clearer." On jāʾa bi-l-ṣidq (33) both lay out the full view-spread — Muḥammad + the believers (Qatāda, Ibn Zayd), Gabriel + Muḥammad (al-Suddī), Muḥammad confirming his own message (Ibn ʿAbbās — Ṭabarsī's "strongest"), Prophet + Abū Bakr (al-Kalbī), the prophets + followers, and Muḥammad + ʿAlī (Mujāhid; al-Ḍaḥḥāk from Ibn ʿAbbās), which Ṭabarsī ties to "the Imams of guidance." On tawaffī (42) both transmit Ibn ʿAbbās's distinction of nafs (discernment, taken in sleep) from rūḥ (life, taken at death) and the al-ʿAyyāshī ḥadīth of the nafs ascending while the rūḥ stays, linked "like a sunbeam." On 53 both report Thawbān and ʿAlī's "no verse more expansive," and relay the Waḥshī sabab al-nuzūl — Ṭabarsī objecting it "is not sound," the sūra being Meccan and Waḥshī converting years later, so the verse holds on its generality (al-Ṭūsī instead foregrounds the ʿAlī/Ibn ʿAbbās–vs–Ibn ʿAmr dispute over the "most hope-giving verse" and reads forgiveness as possible "by grace / by the Prophet's intercession").
Narration-driven sources (Qummī, al-Burhān). Qummī [qummi] reads through ʿAlid taʾwīl: 30–31 concern "the Commander of the Faithful and the one who usurped his right"; al-ṣidq (32–33) is ʿAlī and his wilāya; yukhawwifūnaka (36) becomes "spare us from ʿAlī"; 53 was revealed "concerning the Shīʿa." Its long v.42 narration (the questioner answered by al-Ḥasan on where the sleeper's rūḥ goes) is the source-text Ṭabarsī and al-Burhān also carry. Al-Burhān [bahrani_al_burhan] amasses chains: al-Kulaynī's cosmic-death tradition (the Angel of Death himself last to die); many isnāds glossing jāʾa bi-l-ṣidq = ʿAlī; and on 45 al-Ṣādiq thrice declaring the man who reads "God alone" as ʿAlī "an associator... rather God meant Himself," with al-Baḥrānī's note that Abū l-Khaṭṭāb fell into ghuluww. These two carry material absent from the Sunnī-facing apparatus, rendered strictly as-attributed.
al-Mīzān's distinctive arguments. Al-Ṭabāṭabāʾī [tabatabai_al_mizan] reads 30–37 as one eschatological unit: 33's plural ulāʾika shows al-ladhī is generic — every prophet and believer who brings and confirms the truth "in word and deed" — treating the ʿAlī-reading as jary (application to the foremost instance). On shafāʿa (44) he gives two senses: the plain (all intercession is God's possession, granted only by His leave) and a "subtler" one (the true Intercessor is God, others mediating only through His attributes). On tawaffī (42) he argues Allāhu yatawaffā yields ḥaṣr (God alone, principally), the angel of death and helpers being intermediate causes, appending ʿAlī's exchange with ʿUmar distinguishing true dreams (the nafs with God) from devil-cast falsehoods. His v.53 is the crux: the ʿibād include the polytheists, and yaghfiru l-dhunūba jamīʿan covers even shirk but only through repentance (tawba), since intercession never reaches shirk; he judges the Waḥshī report weak and labels the ʿAlid applications, and janb Allāh, jary not tafsīr.
Convergences and divergences. All sources read 42's tawaffī as God's act and distinguish sleep from death; all confine 44's intercession to God's leave (web-verified). The chief divergence is register: the taʾwīl sources center ʿAlid wilāya, while al-Mīzān and the Enlightening Commentary [enlightening_commentary] frame those readings as application of the most evident instance, preserving the verses' generality. On 53's jamīʿan, al-Mīzān resolves the dispute (forgiveness with or without repentance; the place of shirk) toward tawba, while Ṭabarsī leaves room for grace or prophetic intercession. This synthesis describes those positions; it does not adjudicate the madhhab dispute.
Sources present: tabarsi_majma_al_bayan, qummi, tusi_al_tibyan, bahrani_al_burhan, tabatabai_al_mizan, enlightening_commentary; silent: none.