'Abdullāh Ibn 'Abbās / Muḥammad al-Fīrūzabādī
تفسير : (who hath created life) resembling a white-and-black female horse which does not pass by, step on, or is smelled by a thing except that that thing becomes alive. this beast is smaller than a mule and bigger than an ass, one gallop can transport it as far as it can see. it is used as a means of travel by the prophets; (and death) resembling a ram whose wool is a mixture of white and black. this ram does not pass by, step on, or is smelled by, any thing except that that thing dies. it is also said that (he created death) means: he created the sperm drop; and (created life) means: he created the living being; (that he may try you) between life and death, (which of you is best in conduct) which of you is more sincere in works; (and he is the mighty) in retribution against those who disbelieve in him, (forgiving) he forgives those who repent and believe in him,
Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī
تفسير : [he] who created death, in this world, and life, in the hereafter — or both of them in this world, since the sperm-drop is imbued with life, [life being] that [power] by which sensation becomes possible, death being the opposite of this or the non-existence of it — these being two [alternative] opinions; in the case of the latter [life in the hereafter], ‘creation’ implies ‘ordainment’ — that he may try you, that he may test you in [this] life, [to see] which of you is best in conduct, [which of you] is most obedient to god, and he is the mighty, in his vengeance against those who disobey him, the forgiving, to those who repent to him;
Sahl al-Tustari
تفسير : ...and he has power over all things, ! he who created death and life…he said:death in this world is in disobedience, and life in the hereafter is in obedience. it was for this reason that god, exalted is he, addressed moses <img border="0" src="images/alyhialsalam.jpg" width="34" height="19"> saying, ‘o moses, truly the first of my creatures to die was iblīs, may god’s curse be on him, because he disobeyed me, and i count the one who disobeys me as being from among the dead.’then he said:death was created in the form of a handsome ram (kabsh amlaḥ). whatever it passes by and [merely] catches a whiff of it, lives. it has been related in a tradition that the people of paradise will fear death but the people of hell will wish for death. it will be brought in the form of a handsomeram. then it will be said, ‘this is death, so behold what god is going to do with it.’ then it will be turned on its side and slaughtered. thereupon god, exalted is he, will [re] make it in the form of a horse which will be set free to graze in paradise. whoever among the inhabitants of paradise sees it will enjoy its company, without realising that it is death. his words, exalted is he:
…that he may try you [to see] which of you is best in conduct…he said:that is, i keep him from error and i purify him. if he is correct [in conduct] but not sincere, he will not be accepted; ⸢while if he is sincere, but not correct [in conduct] he will not be accepted either⸣. [he will not be accepted] until he is at the same time correct and sincere [in his conduct].the one who is sincere (khāliṣ) is he who [lives] for god, exalted is he, with the full intention (irāda) of his heart, while the one who is correct (ṣawāb) is he who is on the path of the sunna and [lives] in accordance with the book.on another occasion he [sahl] said:that he may try you [to see] which of you is best in conduct, that is, in putting your trust in us, being satisfied with us and journeying [to us] after the renunciation of this world. truly,mindfulness of god (taqwā) and certainty (yaqīn) may be compared to the two scales of a balance, while trust (tawakkul) is the pointer, by which it indicates any increase or decrease. then it was asked of him : ‘what is trust?’he replied:it is to flee from trust, that is, from claiming to have trust. his words, exalted is he:
…and he is the mighty, the forgiving.he said:this means that he is the unassailable (al-manīʿ) in his rule, the wise (al-Ḥakīm) in his management of his creation, and the forgiving (al-ghafūr) with regard to the deficiency and faults which are apparent in his servants’ acts of obedience.his words, exalted is he:
