26. Say, “Its knowledge is with Allah. I am only a clear warner!”
27. When they see it (death) approaching, the faces of those who deny the knowledge of the reality will darken. And it will said, “This is that which you impatiently wanted to experience!”
28. Say, “Think! If Allah were to destroy me and those with me or give grace to us, who can save the deniers of the reality from the severe suffering?”
29. Say, “He is the Rahman; we believe He comprises our essence and we have placed our trust in Him. Soon you will know who is in clear error!”
30. Say, “Think! If your water was to recede, who could bring you flowing water (knowledge)?
Muhammad (saw), the Rasul of Allah says in regard to this chapter:
“It is like a barrier. It is a savior. It protects and saves man from the suffering of the grave.”[1]
We know that death is not about becoming inexistent or dying and waiting in a state of nonexistence... Death is an experience; hence, we’re told we’re going to ‘taste’ it! This body is going to become dysfunctional and obsolete and we’re going to be eqipped with a new body in the grave. We’re going to be alive and conscious, completely aware of everything around us, with the same mental activity as always.
I covered this topic in detail in Muhammad’s Allah in the chapter on death. Those who wish to obtain further information about how and why death is an ‘experience’ can refer to this book or to Man, Spirit, Jinn...
The event to which the Quran refers as ‘tasting of death’ is the conscious experience of being buried and making the transition to the life of the grave and thus the afterlife... Those who are unequipped or ill prepared for this will be subject to enormous suffering.
Hence, the Rasul of Allah (saw) advises us to recite this chapter as a precaution and preparation for the suffering of the grave, and says:
“There is a chapter composed of 30 verses in the Quran that acted as an intercessor for a man and he was forgiven. That is the chapter ‘Tabarakalladhee biyadihil Mulk.”[2]
Abdullah b. Masud (ra) narrates the words of the Rasul of Allah (saw) regarding the life of the grave:
“When a person is buried in his grave, the angels of suffering will approach his feet... Then the angels in charge of the chapter al-Mulk will object and say, ‘There is no passage for you through us, for he used to recite the chapter al-Mulk when he was alive.’ Then the angels of suffering will approach his breast and stomach, again they will say, ‘There is no passage through us for he used to recite the chapter al-Mulk when he was alive.’ Then they will try and approach from his head, again they will object with the same strength and reasoning. The chapter al-Mulk is a preventor. It prevents the suffering of the grave. Whoever reads it at night will have accrued great merit and will have done an excellent thing.”[3]