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Friday 11 September 2020

99 Attributes of Allah: Al-Mumīt - The Creator of Death

Everything created by Allah has to come to an end or die at a time appointed by Allah for Allah is  Al-Mumīt " ٱلْمُمِيتُ " (pronounced Al Mumeet) - The Creator of Death.  It is He alone Who ordains what shall become lifeless and when.

Although Al-Mumīt is not mentioned as such as an attribute of Allah in the Qur'an but it has been derived from the word  " يُمِيۡتُ​ؕ "  which appears at numerous places in the Qur'an. For example it appears in the 156th verse of Surah 3. Al-i'Imran:

يٰۤـاَيُّهَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا لَا تَكُوۡنُوۡا كَالَّذِيۡنَ كَفَرُوۡا وَقَالُوۡا لِاِخۡوَانِهِمۡ اِذَا ضَرَبُوۡا فِى الۡاَرۡضِ اَوۡ كَانُوۡا غُزًّى لَّوۡ كَانُوۡا عِنۡدَنَا مَا مَاتُوۡا وَمَا قُتِلُوۡا ۚ لِيَجۡعَلَ اللّٰهُ ذٰ لِكَ حَسۡرَةً فِىۡ قُلُوۡبِهِمۡ​ؕ وَاللّٰهُ يُحۡىٖ وَيُمِيۡتُ​ؕ وَ اللّٰهُ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُوۡنَ بَصِيۡرٌ‏  

Believers, do not behave like those who disbelieved and say to their brothers (who meet some mishap) in the course of their journey for fighting: 'Had they remained with us, they would not have died nor been slain.' Allah makes such thoughts the cause of deep regrets in their hearts. For in truth it is Allah alone who grants life and deals death. Allah sees all that you do.

Similarly the word is repeated in the 158th verse of Surah 7 Al A'raf:

قُلۡ يٰۤاَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اِنِّىۡ رَسُوۡلُ اللّٰهِ اِلَيۡكُمۡ جَمِيۡعَاْ ۨالَّذِىۡ لَهٗ مُلۡكُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالۡاَرۡضِ​ۚ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَ يُحۡىٖ وَيُمِيۡتُ​ فَاٰمِنُوۡا بِاللّٰهِ وَرَسُوۡلِهِ النَّبِىِّ الۡاُمِّىِّ الَّذِىۡ يُؤۡمِنُ بِاللّٰهِ وَكَلِمٰتِهٖ وَاتَّبِعُوۡهُ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَهۡتَدُوۡنَ‏ 

[Say, O Muhammad]: 'O men! I am Allah's Messenger to you all - of Him to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. There is no god but He. He grants life and deals death. Have faith then, in Allah and in His Messenger, the ummi Prophet who believes in Allah and His words; and follow him so that you may be guided aright.

Thus it is He Allah alone Who causes the oppressors to die on account of their disrespect for Him. He causes the land to die, rendering it barren; free from vegetation, then He brings it back to life when it produces. He brings to life His Sunnah by causing His prophets to inherit it from their predecessors, and He causes the death of innovations through the life of knowledge.

Once the Messenger of Allah performed the hajj then stood over the safa, overlooking the House, the Ka`bah. Then he made three takbeers saying, "There is no god except Allah, the One and only God; there is no partner with Him; His is the kingdom; to Him is all Praise due; He brings to life and causes death; in His hand is all goodness, and He can do anything at all."

The two attributes Al Mumīt (the life-taker) and Al-Muhyi " ٱلْمُحْيِي "  (the life-giver) are opposites.

The 44th verse of Surah 53. An Najm conveys the same message:

وَاَنَّهٗ هُوَ اَمَاتَ وَ اَحۡيَا ۙ‏ 
"and that He it is Who causes death and grants life"

And yet again:
لَهٗ مُلۡكُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالۡاَرۡضِ​ۚ يُحۡىٖ وَيُمِيۡتُ​ۚ وَهُوَ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ قَدِيۡرٌ‏ 
His is the dominion of the heavens and the earth. He gives life and causes death, and He has power over everything. (Surah 57. Al-Hadid: 2)

Death is the antithesis of life. As long as there is life, everything looks beautiful, vibrant and lively. The moment water becomes stagnant, it gets rotten, when rains stop, earth dies and when winds stop the life of all living beings cases. Even the sleep is a form of death for during its period, man doesn't know where he is and what goes on about and around him. In absence of winds the pollen of flowers cannot spread and fresh flowers and crop cannot yield. The life and living of all living beings is dependent on the sole decision of Allah, the Al Mumīt, as to how long it is to stay alive and when to cease living, for there is time for everything.
Abu Tharr al-Ghifari, may Allah be pleased with him, is quoted as saying that whenever the Messenger of Allah was ready to go to bed at night, he would say, "In Your Name do we die and live," and whenever he woke up, he would say, "All Praise is due to Allah Who has brought us back to life after having caused us to die, and to Him is our final return." 
Here one should remember one thing: While all living creatures will cease to live one day, so would be the human beings, only temporary. For humans, there awaits yet another life which will be reward of their good deeds and sins. Man has been warned umpteen number of times in the Qur'an that this life here on the earth is a temporary abode for them, for an eternal life awaits in the Hereafter and its quality will depend on the deeds of this world. So now is still the time to shirk from sins and bad deeds and embark upon a journey full of good actions, helping others and loving more so as to be rewarded Jannah, the Paradise. Allah has created the entire universe, and on an appointed day, He creates its Death too. Be warned of that day and do good deeds before angel of death knocks at your door.

You may refer to our post "99 Attributes of Allāh" for complete list of 99 attributes of Allah Almighty with meaning and explanation.

You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Quran

Photo | References1 | 2 | 

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