The instances of khalaa and tawaffaa in the Quran in the verb form mentioned in the table below are reviewed together to better understand their meanings in different contexts keeping in mind that the Arabic words may have different meanings in the different contexts:
Note: The above table is populated with data obtained from the corpus.quran.com.
Details of instances of khalaa
25 instances of khalaa in the verb form I meaning “to pass away” found in 25 verses across 15 surahs in the Quran are detailed below:
[2:14] When they (hypocrites) have met the believers, they say, “We have believed,” and when they have gone away to their devils (khalaw ilaa shayaateenihim), they said, “Indeed, we are with you (devils); we are only mockers.”
[2:76] And when they (hypocrites) have met those who have believed, they said, “We have believed,” and when they have gone away of them to other (khalaa ba`duhum ilaa ba’din), they said, “Do you tell them of what God has open to you that they may argue you with it at your Lord? Do you then not understand?”
[2:134] That was a community certainly has passed away (til’ka ummatan qad khalat); for it what it has earned, and for you what you have earned, and you will not be asked about what they have done to accomplish.
[2:141] That was a community certainly has passed away (til’ka ummatan qad khalat); for it what it has earned, and for you what you have earned, and you will not be asked about what they have done to accomplish.
[2:214] Or do you think that you will enter the Paradise, while does not come to you like those who have passed away before yourselves (mathalu alladheena khalaw min qablikum)? There has touched them the adversity and the hardship, and they had been shaken until the messenger and those who had believed with him said, “When is God’s help?” No doubt! Indeed, God’s help is near.
[3:119] Lo! You are those – you love them, while they do not love you, and you believe in the scripture, all of it. When they have met you they said, “We have believed,” but when they have gone away (wa-idhaa khalaw), they have bitten the fingers out of the rage towards you. Say, “Die with your rage.” Indeed, God is Knower of what in the breasts.
[3:137] Certainly, there has passed consequences before yourselves (qad khalat min qablikum sunanum); so travel in the land, then see how has been end of the deniers.
[3:144] Muhammad is not but a messenger, certainly had passed away the messengers before himself (qad khalat min qablihi al-rusulu). So if he had died or had been killed, would you turn back on your heels? And whoever turns back on his heels, then he does not hurt God in anything, while God rewards the grateful ones.
[5:75] The Messiah, son of Mary was not but a messenger, certainly, had passed away the messengers before himself (qad khalat min qablihi al-rusulu), and his mother was a saint. They both had done to eat the food. You shall see how we make clear the revelations for them, then you shall see how they are deviated.
[7:38] He said, “Enter among communities, certainly has passed away before yourselves from the jinn and the human (qad khalat min qablikum mina al-jinni wal-insi) in the Fire.” Every time a group has entered, its sister (group) has cursed until when you shall overtake one another in it all, the last of them said for the first of them, “Our Lord, these have misled us. So give them a double punishment of the Fire.” He said, “For each there is double, but you do not know.”
[10:102] Then do they wait except like days of those who had passed away before themselves (mith’la ayyaami alladheena khalaw min qablihim)? Say, “Then wait; indeed, I am waiting with you among the waiters.”
[12:9] “Kill Joseph, or cast him to a land to be free for you to your father’s face (yakhlu lakum wajhu abeekum) and you would be after that righteous people.”
[13:6] And they ask you (prophet) to hasten the evil before the good, and certainly has occurred the similar punishments before themselves (wa-qad khalat min qablihimu al-mathulaatu). And indeed, your Lord are surely possessing of forgiveness for the people about their wrongdoing, and indeed, your Lord is surely severe in the retribution.
[13:30] Thus that we have sent you to a community, certainly has passed communities of its before (qad khalat min qablihaa umamun) that you may recite to them what we have revealed to you, while they disbelieve in the Gracious. Say, “He is my Lord, there is no god except He. Upon Him I put my trust and to Him is my return.”
[15:13] They do not believe in him (messenger), and certainly, has passed a system from the former people (wa-qad khalat sunnatu al-awalineena).
[24:34] And certainly, we have revealed to you clear revelations, and example of those who have passed away before yourselves (alladheena khalaw min qablikum) and admonition for the righteous.
[33:38] There has not been any discomfort upon the prophet in what God has decreed for him, is a God’s system about those who have passed away before (sunnata allahi feel alladheena khalaw min qablu). And God’s command has been a destined decree.
[33:62] A God’s system about those who had passed away before (sunnata allahi fee alladheena khalaw min qablu), and you will not find any change to God’s system.
[35:24] Indeed, we have sent you a bearer of good news and a warner with the truth, and there is no community except had passed in it a warner (wa-in min ummatin illaa khalaa feehaa nadheeran).
[40:85] It would not benefit them their faith, when they have seen our punishment, is a God’s system which certainly has passed among His servants (sunnata allahi alladhee qad khalat fee `ibaadihi); and has lost the disbelievers there.
[41:25] And we have appointed for them companions, then they have made fair-seeming to them what was before themselves and what was behind themselves, and has justified the punishment against them among communities certainly have passed away before themselves (fee umamin qad khalat min qablihim) from the jinn and the human. Indeed, they have been losers.
[46:17] And who has said to his parents uff to both of you, “Do you promise me that I will be brought back, and certainly has passed away the generations before me (wa-qad khalati al-quruuni min qabli-i)?” And they both seek help for God, “Woe to you; please believe! God’s promise is truth.” Then he says, “Not is this except tales from the people of the past.”
[46:18] Those – the ones against them has proved true the punishment among communities certainly has passed away before themselves from the jinn and the human (qad khalat min qablihim mina al-jinni wal-insi); indeed, they have been losers.
[46:21] And mention brother of Aad when he had warned his people at the dunes, and certainly has passed away the warners before himself and after himself (wa-qad khalati al-nudhuru min bayni yadayhi wa-min khalfihi) that you shall not worship except God. Indeed, I fear for you the punishment of a great day.
[48:23] A God’s system, which has passed before (sunnata allahi alladhee qad khalat min qablu), and you will not find any change to God’s system.
Details of instances of tawaffaa
24 instances of tawaffaa in the verb form V meaning “to put to death” found in 24 verses across 16 surahs in the Quran are detailed below:
[2:234] And those who are died among you (wa-alladheena yutawaffawna minkum) and leave wives, they should wait four months and ten days for themselves. Then when they have reached their term, then there is no blame upon you for what they have done about themselves in a fair manner. And God is Cognizant of what you do.
[2:240] And those who are died among you (wa-alladheena yutawaffawna minkum) and they leave wives behind, there should make a will of provision for the year for their wives without driving out. But if they have left, then there is no blame upon you in what they have done about themselves as righteous. And God is Almighty, Wise.
[3:193] “Our Lord, indeed, we have heard a caller calling to the faith that you shall believe in your Lord, so we have believed. Our Lord, then forgive for us our sins, and remit from us our evil deeds, and put us to death with the righteous (wa-tawaffanaa ma`a al-abraari).”
[4:15] And those who commit adultery from your women, then you shall call to witness against them four from you. Then if they have testified, then you shall confine them in their houses until the death comes to them (hattaa yatawaffaahunna al-mawtu) or God makes a way for them.
[4:97] Indeed, those whom the angels have put them to death in a state of wrongdoing to their souls (inna alladheena tawaffahumu al-malaaikatu zaalimee anfusihim), they said, “In what have you been?” They said, “We have been oppressed in the earth.” They said, “Would not God’s earth be spacious that you could emigrate in it?” So, those have their abode in Hell, and it has been an evil destination.
[5:117] “I (Jesus) have not said to them except what You had commanded me with it that you shall worship God, my Lord and your Lord, and I have been a witness over them so long as I have been among them; then when You had put me to death (falammaa tawaffaytani-i), You have been the Watcher over them and You are a Witness over everything.”
[6:60] And He is the One who puts you to death in the night (wa-huwa alladhee yatawaffakum bi-al-layli), while He knows what you have done in the day. Then He raises you up in it (day) that (until) a specified term is fulfilled. Then to Him will be your return, then He will inform you of what you had done to accomplish.
[6:61] He is the Supreme over His servants and He sends guardians over you until when the death has come to anyone of you, has put him to death our messengers (tawaffathu rusulunaa), while they do not fail.
[7:37] So who is more unjust than whoever has invented a lie about God, or has denied His revelations? Those – their share will reach them from the scripture, until when has come to them our messengers to put them to death (hattaa idhaa jaa-athum rusulunaa yatawaffawnahum), they said, “Where is whom you have done to invoke other than God?” They said, “They have strayed from us.” They have borne witness against themselves that they have been disbelievers.
[7:126] And you (Pharaoh) do not take revenge from us only that we (magicians) have believed in our Lord’s signs when they have come to us. “Our Lord, shower upon us patience and put us to death as submitters (wa-tawaffanaa mus’limeena).”
[8:50] And if you could see when the angels put to death those who have disbelieved (idhaa yatawaffaa alladheena kafaruu al-malaaikatu), striking their faces and their backs (saying): “Taste the punishment of the blazing Fire.”
[10:46] Whether we show you a portion of that which we have promised them, or we put you to death that to us is their return (aw natawaffayannaka fa-ilaynaa maji`uhum), then God is a Witnesses over what they do.
[10:104] Say, “O people, if you have been in doubt of my religion, then I (Muhammad) do not worship those whom you worship other than God but I worship God, the One who put you to death (wa-laakin a`budu allaha alladhee yatawaffakum). And I have been commanded that I would be with the believers.”
[12:101] “My Lord (Joseph), indeed, You have given me the kingship and have taught me the interpretation of the statements. Initiator of the heavens and the earth, You are my Protector in the world and in the Hereafter. You put me to death as a submitter, and include me with the righteous (tawaffani-i mus’liman wa-alhiq’ni-i bil-saaliheen).”
[13:40] Whether that we show you a portion of which we have promised them, or we put you to death (aw natawaffayannaka) , then only upon you is the conveyance, while upon us is the reckoning.
[16:28] Those whom the angels put them to death in a state of wrongdoing to their souls (alladheena tawaffahumu al-malaaikatu zaalimee anfusihim). Then they would offer the peace: “We have not been in doing any evil.” Nay, indeed. God is Knower of what you have done to accomplish.
[16:32] Those whom the angels put them to death in a state of righteous saying (alladheena tatawaffaahumu al-malaaikatu tayyibeena yaquuluuna), “Peace upon you. Enter the Paradise for what you have done to accomplish.”
[16:70] And God has created you, then He puts you to death (wa-allahu khalaqakum thumma yatawaffaakum). And among you whoever is sent back to the worst age, so that he would not know after knowledge of anything. Indeed, God is Knower, Powerful.
[22:5] O people, if you have been in doubt about the resurrection, then indeed, we have created you from dust, then from a drop (semen), then from a hanging (embryo), then from an embryonic lump (fetus) being developed and undeveloped that we may make clear to you. And we cause to remain in the wombs whatever we will for an appointed term. Then we bring you out as a child. After that you may reach your maturity, while from you there is whoever is put to death (wa-minkum man yatawaffaa) and from you there is whoever is returned to the worst age so that he does not know after knowledge of anything. And you see the earth is barren, then when we have sent down the water on it, it has stirred and has swollen and has grown of every beautiful pair.
[32:11] Say, “The angel of death will put you to death (yatawaffaakum malaku al-mawti), who has been placed in charge of you, then to your Lord you will be returned.”
[39:42] God takes the souls at the time of their death (allahu yatawaffaa al-anfusa heena mawtihaa), and the one who does not die in their sleep. Then He keeps the one whom He has decreed the death upon them and sends the others for a specified term. Indeed, in that there are signs for a people to reflect.
[40:67] He is the One who has created you from dust, then from a drop (semen), then from a hanging (embryo), then He brings you out as a child, then He lets you reach your maturity, then He lets you be old, while from you there is whoever is put to death earlier (wa-minkum man yatawaffaa min qablu) and He lets you reach a specified term, and that you may understand.
[40:77] So you shall be patient. Indeed, God’s promise is truth. Then whether we show you (Muhammad) a portion of which we have promised them, or we put you (Muhammad) to death (aw natawaffayannaka), then they will be returned to us.
[47:27] Then how was it when the angels have put them to death striking their faces and their backs (fa-kayfa idhaa tawaffathumu al-malaaikatu yad’ribuuna wujuuhahum wa-adbaarahum)?
Even the two instances, khalaa and tawaffaa are grammatically different but their meanings are very close to understand the departure of souls from our bodies, while the angel of death has been placed in charge of us to terminate our lives on the earth to return to God. Thus it would be better if we can reflect that for each soul what it has earned to prepare ourselves for the Hereafter. He has confirmed that those who are unjust have invented lies about God, or have denied His revelations, while He has appointed companions for the disbelievers and the hypocrites to make fair-seeming to them what was before themselves and what was behind themselves to justify the punishment against them.
God has explained death including our birth so that we do not have any doubt about our return to Him to understand what to do for our return to a better place with Him. Many of us are not clear about the compensation upon our death, which starts at the moment of our death. Thus, the death occurs in two distinct ways. The angels put to death the disbelievers and the hypocrites striking their faces and their backs saying, “Taste the punishment of the Blazing fire,” while the angels put to death the righteous believers saying, “Peace upon you. Enter the Paradise for what you have done to accomplish.”
Peaceful Friday, salaam and God bless.
Tafazzal (04/28/2023).