'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' His saying - glorified and exalted is He -: ﴿And He is the Subduer over His servants, and He sends upon you guardians, until when death comes to one of you, Our messengers take him, and they do not neglect﴾ ﴿Then they are returned to Allah, their true Lord. Unquestionably, His is the judgment, and He is the swiftest of accountants﴾. "The Subduer": If it takes the attribute of action - meaning the manifestation of subjugation by means of lightning, winds, and punishment - then it is correct to make "above" an adverb of direction; because these things are indeed observed by the servants from above them. If "the Subduer" takes the attribute of essence - meaning power and dominance - then "above" cannot be for direction; rather it is for the exalted status and rank, as you would say: "the ruby is above iron." ﴿And He sends upon you﴾; its meaning is: "He spreads them among you"; and "guardians" is the plural of "guardian"; like "writer" and "writers"; and what is meant by that is the angels assigned to record deeds. It has been narrated that they are the angels about whom the Prophet - blessings and peace be upon him - said: «"Angels take turns among you by night and by day";» and this was said by Al-Suddi and Qatadah. Some of the interpreters said: "Guardians who protect a person from everything until his appointed time comes"; and the first is clearer. And all of them - except Hamzah - read: "Our messengers take him"; in the feminine form of the plural; like His saying - glorified and exalted is He -: ﴿And certainly, messengers were denied before you﴾ [Al-An'am: 34]; and Hamzah read: "Our messengers take him"; and his proof is that the feminine is not real; and the apparent meaning of the verb is that it is past, like His saying: "And the women said"; and it is possible that it means: "They take him"; so the marker would be feminine. And Hamzah tilted in terms of the script of the mushaf without an alif; as if it were written in a tilted manner. And Al-Amash read: "Our messengers take him"; with the addition of a 'ya' at the beginning and in the masculine form. And His saying - glorified and exalted is He - "Our messengers" means - as mentioned by Ibn Abbas - may Allah be pleased with him and all the people of interpretation - angels accompanying the Angel of Death; assisting him and obeying him. And the majority of the people read: "do not neglect"; with emphasis; and Al-A'raj read: "they neglect"; with lightening. (p-380) And its meaning is: "They exceed the limit of what they were commanded"; Abu Al-Fath said: Just as the meaning in the reading of the general public is: "They do not fall short"; so too it is in this: "They do not exceed what they were commanded."

The wording returns in His saying: "Return"; from addressing to the third person; and the pronoun in "Return" refers back to those previously mentioned; and it appears that it returns to the servants; so it is an indication of the return of all; and the address with the "you" in His saying: "Upon you"; is to bring the admonition closer to the souls of the listeners; and "their Lord"; is a general term for the types of lordship; which exists between Allah, glorified and exalted is He, and His servants; such as provision; and support; and accountability; and ownership; and others; and His saying: "the truth"; is an attribute of "their Lord"; and its meaning is: that which is not false; nor metaphorical; and Al-Hasan ibn Abi Al-Hasan; and Al-Amash read: "the truth"; in the accusative; and it is for praise; and it is correct for the source.

﴿Indeed, His is the judgment﴾; is the beginning of a statement whose implication is to alert; and to shake the listener's soul; and "the judgment"; its definition is for the genus; meaning: "all types of actions concerning the servants"; and ﴿the swiftest of accountants﴾; is directed to the fact that Allah - Mighty and Majestic - His accounting of His servants is based on His knowledge of them; so He does not need in that to prepare; nor to exert effort; glorified is He; there is no Lord other than Him; and it was said to Ali ibn Abi Talib - may Allah be pleased with him -: How will Allah, glorified and exalted is He, account the servants at one time? He said: "Just as He provides for them at one time in this world."