English tafsir from Ma'arif al-Qur'an by Mufti Muhammad Shafi (Maktaba-e-Darul-Uloom), via Quran.com.
إِنَّ اللَّـهَ عِندَهُ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِ وَيُنَزِّلُ الْغَيْثَ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْأَرْحَامِ ۖ وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ مَّاذَا تَكْسِبُ غَدًا ۖ وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ بِأَيِّ أَرْضٍ تَمُوتُ
Surely, it is Allah with whom rests the knowledge of the Hour, and He sends down the rain, and He knows what is in the wombs. And no one knows what he will earn tomorrow and no one knows in which land he will die. Surely, Allah is All Knowing, All Aware - 31:34.
Though, it has not been made explicit in the first three things that no one has their knowledge other than Allah, but the style of the statement is such that it seems to give the impression that the knowledge of these things rests limited to Divine Knowledge. As for the other two things mentioned later, there it has been explicitly said that no one has their knowledge other than Allah. These very five things have been called "keys to the Unseen" (مَفَاتح الغیب :mafatih al-ghayb) in a verse of Surah Al An` am: وَعِندَهُ مَفَاتِحُ الْغَيْبِ لَا يَعْلَمُهَا إِلَّا هُوَ (And with Him are the keys of the Unseen. No one knows them but He - 6:59). In Hadith, it has been referred as مَفَاتیح الغیب (mafatih al-ghayb). Both مَفَاتح (mafatih) and مَفَاتیح (mafatih) are the plural forms of مِفتَاح (miftah) meaning key which opens locks. It signifies sources of the Unseen that unravel its information.
The Issue of the ` Ilm ul-Ghayb عِلمُ الغَیب (Knowledge of the Unseen)
Necessary details about this issue have been given under the commentary on verse 65: قُل لَّا يَعْلَمُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ الْغَيْبَ إِلَّا اللَّـهُ (Say, 'No one in the heavens and the earth has the knowledge of the Unseen except Allah.' - 27:65) of Surah An-Naml (Ma’ ariful-Qur’ an, Volume VI). That the knowledge of the unseen is particular to Allah Ta’ ala in the absolute sense has been explicitly mentioned in this verse - and this has been the belief of the entire Muslim community from the earliest to the succeeding generations. As for the description of only five things particularly - that no created being has their knowledge and that it is Allah alone who knows these - it is not meant for particularization. Otherwise, it would pose a contradiction with the verse of Surah An-Naml quoted above. The fact is that these five things have been mentioned here to highlight their special significance.
There is a reason for this specific treatment and marked attention. Things of the Unseen that one is generally keen to find out are just these five. Then, there are astrologers and their kind who lay a claim to the knowledge of the unseen. Things they usually pick up to inform people about, and thereby prove that they are possessors of the knowledge of the unseen, are again these very five things. And in some narratives of Hadith it has been reported that someone had asked the Holy Prophet ﷺ about these five things whereupon this verse was revealed and wherein it has been stated that the knowledge of these five is particular with Allah Ta’ ala. (Ruh u1-Ma’ ani)
As for the statement of the Holy Prophet ﷺ reported on the authority of Sayyidna Ibn ` Umar and Ibn Mas` ؓ in Hadith: اُوتِیتُ مَفَاتِح کُلِّ شَیءِ اِلَّاالخَمس (I have been given the keys to everything except the five) (reported by Imam Ahmad - Ibn Kathir), the word: اُوتِیتُ (I have been given) itself makes it all clear. It shows that the knowledge of unseen things other than these five which came to the Holy Prophet ﷺ came in the form of revelation (wahy) from Allah Ta’ ala. Therefore, it is not included under the definition of the knowledge of the unseen ('Ilm ul-ghayb) because the news about things unseen given to the blessed prophets through wahy (revelation) and to the men of Allah (auliya' ) through ilham (inspiration) come from Allah Ta’ ala. In terms of their reality, they are not the knowledge of the unseen based on which they could be called the possessors of 'the knowledge of the unseen' (` alim ul-ghayb). They are, rather, اَنباُء الغَیب (news of the unseen). This is an area of Divine prerogative. Whenever Allah Ta’ ala so wills, and in whatever measure He wills, He would bestow such information on His angels, messengers and favored servants. These are called (anba 'ul-ghayb) in the noble Qur'an, for instance: تِلْكَ مِنْ أَنبَاءِ الْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهَا إِلَيْكَ (These are some reports from the Unseen (events) which We reveal to you - 11:49).
Therefore, the Hadith quoted above means that, no doubt, Allah Ta’ ala has made these five things so exclusive to Himself that no angel or messenger has been given their knowledge even as 'news' of the unseen. However, besides these, a fair amount of the knowledge relating to other unseen things is given out to the blessed prophets (علیہم السلام) through the medium of wahy (revelation).
Thus, from what has been discussed above, we now know one more reason why these five things have been mentioned specially.
A doubt and its answer
The cited verse proves that even in the absolute knowledge of the unseen which is an integral attribute of Allah Ta’ ala there are five particular things the knowledge of which is not given to any prophet even through wahy (revelation). This demands that these things should never become known to anyone. However, countless events relating to men of Allah (auliya' ) in the Muslim community have been reported to the effect that somewhere they gave the news of rain, or pregnancy, or someone doing or not doing a deed in the future, or someone's exact place of death. And this foreboding turned out to be true as well when observed.
Similarly, there are some astrologers or people well versed in the art of divination through what is known as Jafar and Ramal who would come up with some bits of information about these things and these, at some times, would turn out to be true as well. This raises the question: How, then, could these five things remain exclusive to Divine Knowledge?
One answer to this question is the same as has appeared in details under our Commentary on Surah An-Naml (27:65, Ma’ ariful-Qur an, Volume VI). A brief one has been given above to the effect that the Knowledge of the Unseen, in its real sense, is knowledge without the mediation of a physical cause - that is, sans medium, by itself. If these things are received by the blessed prophets through wahy (revelation), by men of Allah (auliya' ) through ilham (inspiration) and by astrologers and other claimants to divination or prediction through their calculations and physical causes, then, that is no knowledge of the unseen as such. Instead, these are 'news' of the unseen. If someone from among the creation of Allah were to receive such news relating to some partial or personal matter, it would not be contradictory of the cited verse. The reason is simple. According to the substance of the verse, the total knowledge of these five things, a knowledge which comprehends everything created as well as every relative condition, is something not given by Allah Ta'ala to anyone, neither through wahy (revelation) nor through ilham (inspiration). That someone gets to receive some partial knowledge through ilham (inspiration) in a stray case is not contradictory to it.
In addition to that, when we say 'ilm (knowledge), it means absolute knowledge. That no one has except Allah Ta’ ala. The knowledge a man of Allah (waliyy) receives through ilham (inspiration) is not absolute. Many probabilities of error or false perception exist in it. As for the information given out by astrologers and their ilk, it is a common observation that they hardly come up to the level of a single truth out of ten lies. How can that be called 'absolute knowledge'?
The issue of the Knowledge of the Unseen: An important note
My respected teacher, Shaykh ul-Islam Shabbir Ahmad 'Usmani has made a brief but comprehensive comment in his explanatory notes on the Holy Qur'an which helps remove all doubts and difficulties of the nature mentioned above. He has said that there are two kinds of al-Ghayb (the unseen): (1) Injunctions of the unseen (al- ahkam ul-ghaybiyyah), such as, the injunctions originating from revealed laws that include the knowledge of the Being and attributes of Allah Ta'ala as well and are called the knowledge of beliefs (al-` aqa'id). Also included therein are all injunctions of the Shari'ah or revealed law which tell us as to what sort of conduct meets the approval or disapproval of Allah Ta’ ala. It goes without saying that all these things belong to nowhere but the unseen.
(2) Cosmology of the unseen (al-akwan ul-ghaybiyyah), that is, the knowledge of the events occurring in the world. The knowledge of the unseen things of the first kind has been given by Allah Ta'ala to His prophets and messengers. This is mentioned in the Qur'an in the following words: فَلَا يُظْهِرُ عَلٰي غَيْبِهٖٓ اَحَدًا اِلَّا مَنِ ارْتَضٰى مِنْ رَّسُوْلٍ (He is the) Knower of the Unseen. So He does not let anyone know His Unseen, except a messenger whom He chooses (to inform through revelation) - 72:26-27.
As for the unseen events and occurrences of the other kind, their knowledge - the whole of it - is just not given by Allah Ta’ ala to anyone. That remains categorically exclusive to Him as His intrinsic attribute. But, He gives partial knowledge of particular events when He wills and as much He wills. As such, the real knowledge of the unseen - all of it - remains exclusive to Allah Ta’ ala. Then, as is His customary practice, He reveals to the blessed prophets the knowledge of the injunctions of the unseen from out of His knowledge of the unseen - and this very knowledge is the purpose of their mission. Then, there is the partial knowledge of the events and occurrences of the world. That too is given by Allah Ta’ ala to prophets through revelation (wahy) and men of Allah (auliya' ) through inspiration (ilham) at His discretion and to the measure of His choice. Thus, the part of knowledge so given is knowledge that has been bestowed on them by Allah Ta’ ala. In the real sense, this cannot be called: علم الغیب (` ilm ul-ghayb: the knowledge of the unseen). Instead, it is called: اَنباء الغیب "an[ m ] ba' il-ghayb: the news of the unseen."
Special note concerning the words of the verse
In this verse, the objective is to describe the exclusiveness of the knowledge of these five things with Allah Ta’ ala in a manner that shows marked care and attention. This objective obviously required that five things should have been enumerated under a single head saying that their knowledge is exclusive to Allah Ta’ ala and that no created entity has been given their knowledge. But, in the cited verse, this was not done. Instead, as for the knowledge of the initial three things, it was mentioned positively as being exclusive to Allah - while, in the later two things, the statement was negative declaring that no one other than Allah has their knowledge. Let us go back to the initial three things. Here, a variation in style becomes fairly visible even in these three. We see that the knowledge of the Hour has been mentioned in the following manner: إِنَّ اللَّـهَ عِندَهُ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِ (Surely, it is Allah with whom rests the knowledge of the Hour). Then the mode changes. The second thing has been taken up in the form of a verbal sentence by saying: يُنَزِّلُ الْغَيْثَ (and He sends down the rain). It simply has no mention of the knowledge of rain. Instead, it mentions the sending down of rain. The third thing was mentioned with a changed mode once again and it was said: وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْأَرْ حَامِ (and He knows what is in the wombs). This change of modality can only be taken as a sampling of versatility in eloquence of speech. If one were to ponder, there are other elements of wisdom embedded here. The respected author of Bayan ul-Qur'an has described these in his Tafsir.
In brief, the last two things - what will one earn tomorrow and in which land will one die - are states connected with the human person. It was probable that one would try to seek the relevant knowledge about these. Therefore, in both these cases, the acquiring of such knowledge on the part of anyone other than Allah was negated. Also proved effectively through this statement was the absence of the knowledge of the first three things for anyone other than Allah. The argument was simple. Here is someone who does not know about his doings and earnings tomorrow. Then, he does not know the end of it all, the point when and where he will die. How could he, then, be expected to know the heavens and the coming of rains and the thing hidden in the dark layers of a mother's womb? Finally, when mentioning the last thing, it was said that one does not know the place of one's death. Yes, the text mentions 'place' only - although, one does not know one's time of death too just like the place of death. The reason is that the place of death, even if not known definitely, is something one can guess in terms of one's outward living conditions. One can naturally assume that the place where one is settled would be the place where one would die, and at the least, the place where one is to die is, after all, present somewhere in the world. This is contrary to the time of death. This time is in the future and the future is not here yet. So, a person who cannot know about his place of death, despite that it is present actually, how can it be imagined about him that he would come to know his time of death which simply does not exist then?
So, the negation of one thing here makes the negation of others obvious in the first degree. Therefore, the text takes up both these things in the negative mode. As for the first three things, they are by themselves outside the scope of human access under perceptible conditions. That human knowledge has nothing to do with it is all too clear. Therefore, a positive mode was chosen to describe their exclusiveness to Allah Ta’ ala.
Before parting with the subject, a few words about the use of nominal form in the first sentence and the verbal one in the later two sentences may be useful. Perhaps, the wisdom therein is to suggest that the Qiyamah or the Last Day is a definite imperative with no change in it. This is contrary to the coming of rain and the period of pregnancy. Their conditions keep changing - and the verbal sentence is suggestive of change. Therefore, that is what was used in both these cases. Then, we notice a delicacy of treatment within these two as well. When dealing with the conditions of pregnancy, what was mentioned was Divine knowledge: وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْأَرْحَامِ (and He knows what is in the wombs - 34) while in taking up the subject of the coming of rain, there is just no mention of knowledge. There is a reason for it. Here, by mentioning the sending down of rain, it was tacitly suggested that the rain to which are tied thousands of human benefits is something that comes at the bidding of Allah alone and that no one else exercises the ultimate control over it. As for the essential exclusiveness of its knowledge being with Allah, it already stands proved from the very context of the statement....
Al-hamdulillah
The Commentary on Surah Luqman ends here.
Commentary
At this place, the word: نَّذِيرٍ (nadhir: warner) in: مَّا أَتَاهُم مِّن نَّذِيرٍ (to whom no warner has come.. -3)means a rasul or messenger.The sense is that no messenger had appeared amidst the Quraish of Makkah before the Holy Prophet t. This does not mean that the call of the messengers had just not reached them until that time, because it was clearly said in another verse of the Qur'an: وَإِن مِّنْ أُمَّةٍ إِلَّا خَلَا فِيهَا نَذِيرٌ (And there was no community without a warner having passed among them - 35:24). In this verse, (i.e. the verse 35:24) the word: نَّذِيرٍ (warner) appears in its general lexical sense, that is, one who calls people towards Allah, whether a messenger or prophet or one of their deputies, khali'fah or the ` alim of din. So, from this verse, it seems that the call of pure monotheism (tauhid) had reached all communities and groups. That is correct in its place and certainly the dictate of universal Divine mercy. Commentator Abu Hayyan says that the call to tauhid and 'iman has never ceased in any time or place or people. And wherever a long time passed after the appearance of a prophet, it resulted in the dearth of those having the knowledge of the legacy of prophethood. Thereupon, some new prophet or messenger was sent. This requires that the call to tauhid should have reached the Arab peoples definitely, and much earlier. But, for this it is not necessary that the call should have been brought in by some prophet or messenger in person. It is possible that it may have reached through the learned serving as deputies to the prophetic mission. Therefore, the verses of this Surah, Surah Ya Sin and others which prove that no nadhir (warner) had appeared amidst the Quraish of Arabia before the Holy Prophet ﷺ must be approached with the necessary consideration that the word: نَّذِيرٍ (nadhir) used there should mean a prophet and messenger in the technical sense denoting that no prophet and messenger had come amidst those people before the Holy Prophet ﷺ - even though, the call to tauhid and 'iman may have reached there too through other means.
Before the period of فَترَۃ fatrah, that is, before the appearance of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، it stands proved about some blessed souls who firmly adhered to the faith of Sayyidna Ibrahim and Ismail (علیہما السلام) . They believed in the Oneness of Allah and were averse to the worship of and sacrifices for idols.
Ruh-ul-Ma’ ani reports from the Maghazi of Musa Ibn 'Uqbah about one such person whose name was Zayd Ibn ` Amr Ibn Nufayl. He had also met the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، before he was ordained as a prophet. But, it was still before his prophethood that he died in the year the Quraish had built the edifice of the Baytullah - and this happened five years prior to his prophethood. About him, Musa Ibn 'Uqbah says, ` He used to stop the Quraish from indulging in the worship of idols. He opposed the offering of sacrifices in the name of idols as an evil practice and would not eat the meat from animals slaughtered by the Mushriks.'
Abu Dawud Tayalisi has reported from Sayyidna Said Ibn Zayd Ibn Amr ؓ ، the son of Zayd Ibn ` Amr Ibn Nufayl, one of the celebrated ten (عَشرۃ مُبَشّرّۃ) among the noble Sahabah, that he had submitted before the Holy Prophet ﷺ saying: "You already know about my father that he adhered to pure monotheism and rejected idolatry. Can I, then, pray for his forgiveness?" The Holy Prophet ﷺ said, "Yes, for him the prayer of forgiveness is permissible. He will, on the day of Qiyamah, rise as a community of his own." (Ruh-ul-Ma’ ani)
Similarly, Warqah Ibn Nawfal ؓ who was present during the initial period of the prophethood and the revelation of the Qur'an was an adherent of pure monotheism (tauhid). He had expressed his resolve to help the Holy Prophet ﷺ but he died soon after. These examples prove that the people of Arabia were though not totally deprived of the Divine call to faith and monotheism, but that no prophet had appeared amidst them as such. Allah knows best.
All three verses cited above carry an affirmation of the veracity of the Qur'an and the Prophet of Islam.
Commentary
The length of the day of Qiyamah
The text in verse 5 cited above says: فِي يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ مِّمَّا تَعُدُّونَ (in a day the measure of which is a thousand years according to the way you count - 5). And it appears in a verse of Surah Al-Ma` arij:... (in a day the extent of which is fifty thousand years - 70:4).
A simple explanation of this is what appears in Bayan-ul-Qur'an - since this day will be horrendous, people would find it very long. Then, this length will be felt in terms of one's measure of faith and deeds. Big criminals will find the day longer while the small ones will find it comparatively shorter, so much so that the day some would feel to be of a thousand years, to others, it would appear as of fifty thousand years.
Tafsir Ruh-ul-Ma’ ani reports several other explanations from the ` Ulama' and Sufiya'. But, all these are nothing but conjectures. Something which can be traced back to a proved meaning of the Qur'an or something which can be believed in is just not there. Therefore, the most sound approach in this matter is the same as was taken by the early elders of Islam, the Sahabah and the Tabi` in: They had left the knowledge of this difference of one and fifty to Allah without explaining it on the basis of human whims and, on their part, they had found it sufficient to say, ` we do not know.'
About it, Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn ` Abbas ؓ said:
ھُمَا یَومَانِ ذَکَرَھُما اللہُ تَعَالٰی فِی کِتَابِہٖ اللہُ تَعَالٰی اَعلَمُ بِھِمَا وَاَکرَہُ اَن اَقُولَ فِی کِتَابِ اللہِ مَالَا اَعلَمُ
They are two days mentioned by Allah Ta’ ala in His Book. Allah Ta’ ala knows best about them and I dislike to say in the matter of the Book of Allah that which I do not know.
Everything is good in this world. Evil comes through its wrong use.
In verse 7, it was said: الَّذِي أَحْسَنَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقَهُ "Who made well whatever He created good”. The reason is that Allah Ta’ ala has made whatever He has created in this world under the dictate of His wisdom, and under the essential consideration of what is beneficial for the whole system. Therefore, everything has a beauty of its own. And the most beautiful and better than all is the making of man as it was said: لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ فِي أَحْسَنِ تَقْوِيمٍ (Surely, We did create man in the best of symmetry - 95:4).
Then there are creations other than man that may outwardly be taken as bad. In fact, dogs, pigs, snakes, scorpions and wolfs are commonly considered bad because they are either poisonous or beastly. But, in terms of the expedient benefits of the world as a whole, none of these is really bad. A proverbial poetic observation in Urdu puts it as:
نہیں ہے چیز نکمّی کوئی زمانے میں کوئی بُرا نہیں قدرت کے کارخانے میں
There is nothing useless in the world
There is no one bad in the workshop of nature.
The author of Bayan ul-Qur'an has said, 'the text's كُلَّ شَيْءٍ (whatever) includes all substances and accidents, that is, also things which have corporeal substance, such as, animals, plants and minerals etc. as well as incorporeal things which include even morals and deeds. So much so that morals which are identified as bad - anger, greed, desire and their likes - are not bad in themselves. The bad about them emerges when they are used out of place. If they stay in their proper place, there is nothing bad in them. But, the sense being driven home here relates to the objective of their creation ( takwin )and introduction of these things - for that is nothing but good according to divine wisdom. However, the qualities of 'good' and 'bad' are attached to them in relation to the human acts and their effects on individuals. We can call it one's right or choice employed in doing something. Then, in those terms, everything is not good, in fact, it is circumscribed by a little detail, that is, whatever has not been allowed by Allah Ta` Hla is not good, but is, rather bad.' Allah knows best.
The sentence that follows next reads: وَبَدَأَ خَلْقَ الْإِنسَانِ مِن طِينٍ (and started the creation of man from clay - 7). Earlier, it was said that Allah Ta’ ala has made everything 'good' in this world. Mentioned thereafter was man, the most beautiful of all. Then, to give expression to His most perfect power alongside, it was also said that the making of man as the most superior form of creation was not because the essential ingredient of his creation was most noble, elegant and superior, which may have made it so. In fact, as for the essential ingredient that went into his making, it was something as mean and lowly as the semen. Thereafter, the rest was a masterpiece of His perfect power and profound wisdom. It was this great combination that took something so low to such a height that man was rated as the most noble Divine creation.
Commentary
In verse 11, it was said: قُلْ يَتَوَفَّاكُم مَّلَكُ الْمَوْتِ الَّذِي وُكِّلَ بِكُمْ (Say, "The angel of death who has been assigned for you will take you in full" -11). In the verse previous to it, the deniers of the Qiyamah were warned and an answer was given to their wondering as to how would they be brought back to life once again after they had died and become dust. In the verse cited above, such people are being reminded, 'Think of your death which is, in itself, a great manifestation of the perfect power of Allah Ta’ ala. Your heedlessness and ignorance make you think that one's death comes all by itself, just like that. This is not how it is. In fact, fixed for your death there is a time with Allah and for this there is a standing system run through angels. Sayyidna ` Izra'il (علیہ السلام) is the foremost among them, the one who is the master-manager of death throughout the world. Whenever and wherever a person is destined to die, it is precisely at that time that he draws out his soul from his body.' This is what has been stated in the cited verse. It should be noted that مَلَکُ المَوت (malakul maut: angel of death) has been mentioned in the singular form. It means Sayyidna ` Izra'il (علیہ السلام) . Please compare it with another verse where it is said: الَّذِينَ تَتَوَفَّاهُمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ (the ones to whom the angels brought death - 16:28).
Here, the word: مَلَائِكَةُ (mala'ikah: angels) has been used in the plural form. This releases the hint that Sayyidna ` Izra'il ill does not do this alone. Many angels under him take part in accomplishing this duty.
Some details about the Exacting of Soul and the Angel of Death
Tafsir authority, Mujahid has said, 'before the angel of death, the whole world is very much like an open tray before a human being sprinkled in which there are grains and he picks up whichever he wants.' The same subject has also appeared in a mar' hadith, that is, traceable to the Holy Prophet ﷺ . (As mentioned by al-Qurtubi in At-tadhkirah)
According to a hadith, once the Holy Prophet ﷺ saw the angel of death standing behind the head of an Ansari sahabi on his death bed. He said, 'make it easy on my sahabi.' The angel of death said, 'Rest assured. I make it easy on every believer,' then, he added, ` just imagine the number of people living in towns or villages and in forests, mountains or waters, I see every one of them five times a day, therefore, I am directly acquainted with everyone of them, young or old.' Then, he concluded by saying, '0 Muhammad t, all this I am telling you about is nothing but what happens with the will and command of Allah. Otherwise, if I wanted to take the life of even a mosquito, I do not have the power to do so - unless there comes the very command of Allah Ta’ ala that I have to do it.'
The soul of animals: Does the angel of death exact that too?
From the hadith report mentioned above, it seems that it is the angel of death who, subject to Divine permission, exacts the soul of a mosquito too. Imam Malik (رح) has also said this while answering a question. But, some other reports show that this exacting of the soul is particular to human beings - because of their nobility and distinction. As for the animals, they will die under Divine will without the medium of the angel. (Mentioned by Ibn ` Atiyyah from al-Qurtubi)
The same subject has been reported by Abu ash-Shaikh, ` Uqaili, Dailami and others on the authority of Sayyidna Anas i narrating it from the Holy Prophet ﷺ . According to this report, the Holy Prophet ﷺ said, "All animals and insects keep glorifying Allah (for this is their life). When this glorification stops, Allah Ta’ ala takes their soul. The death of animals has not been entrusted with the angel of death". Another related hadith has been reported from Sayyidna Ibn ` Umar ؓ . (Mazhari)
It appears in yet another hadith, 'when Allah Ta’ ala handed over to Sayyidna ` Izra'il (علیہ السلام) the charge of managing the death of everyone in the world, he pleaded, "0 my Lord, You have put such a service in my charge that the entire race of the children of 'Adam living in the world is going to give me a bad name to the extent that every time I am remembered, I shall be dubbed as evil." Allah Ta’ ala would say, "We have taken care of that by placing some obvious diseases and causes of death in the world due to which everyone will attribute death to these diseases and causes and you will remain safe from their adverse comments." (Al-Qurtubi in his Tafsir and A1-tadhkirah)
And Imam al-Baghawi reports on the authority of Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said, "All diseases, and things like pain and wound, are the universal message-bearers of death. They remind every human being of his or her death. After that, when comes the time of death, the angel of death turns towards the dying person and says, '0 servant of God, how many notices have I served on you and how many message-bearers have I sent to you one after the other! All these diseases and accidents delivered at your doors were simply to warn you that you should get ready for death. Now, here I am after whom no bearer of some message will come to you anymore. Now you have got to say yes to the order of your Lord necessarily, whether willingly or unwillingly." (Mazhari)
Ruling:
The angel of death does not know the time of anyone's death in advance - until he is ordered to exact the soul of a certain person. (Deduced by Ahmad and Ibn Abi ad-Dunya from Ma'mar, Mazhari)