The Perfect Attributes of Allaah: Al-Muhyee (the One Who brings to life) and Al-Mumeet (the One Who puts to death)

Allaah (Ta’ala) says in His Own Praise,

قُلِ اللَّهُ يُحْيِيكُمْ ثُمَّ يُمِيتُكُمْ ثُمَّ يَجْمَعُكُمْ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ

“Say (to them), ‘Allaah gives you life, then causes you to die, then He will assemble you on the Day of Resurrection about which there is no doubt.’” [Surat Al-Jathiyah (45:26)]

Evidence from the Prophetic Sunnah:

Hudhaifah (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) reported, “Whenever the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) lay down for sleep at night, he would place his (right) hand under his (right) cheek and supplicate,

‏اللهم باسمك أموت وأحيا‏

“Allaahumma bismika amutu wa ahya”

“O Allaah, with Your Name I will die and live (wake up).”

And when he (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) woke up, he would supplicate,

الحمد لله الذي أحيانا بعد ما أماتنا وإليه النشور

“Al-hamdu lillahil-ladhi ahyana ba’da ma amatana, wa ilaihin-nushur.”

“All praise is due to Allaah, Who has brought us back to life after He has caused us to die, and to Him is the return.” ¹[Al-Bukhaari (6312)]

Linguistic Meaning:

Hayaat (life): The opposite of death; rain is (also) called Hayaat because the earth comes to life through it. ²Mu’jam Maqayees al-Lughah (2/122) and Lisaan al-Arab (2/1075)

Mawt (death): The opposite of Hayaat

Al-Mawtaan: It is the earth that has not yet come to life by plantation or reformation. ³Al-Lisaan (7/4294-4297) and Mu’jam Maqayees al-Lughah (5/283)

Shar’ee Meaning:

Allaah is the Muhyee (the One Who brings to life) and the Mumeet (the One Who causes death). It is Allaah Who created life and death; there is no creator except Him. Allaah is praised for causing death just like He is praised for bringing to life so that it be known that both good and evil are from Him, and benefit and loss are from Him. He has no partner in His Dominion. He Alone is Ever-Living, and He has written extinction for His creation.

Allaah’s giving life and death is of two kinds: physical and spiritual

1. Physical Life and Death

He is the Muhyee – the One Who gives life to His creation i.e., He creates life in them and makes a dead sperm live – by which a living creature comes into being.

He gives life to the earth after its death by sending rain down upon it, and by growing vegetation and pastures. It is through these two factors that life comes into being and it survives, and worn-out bodies will be given life (again) – by the returning of the souls upon resurrection. 

He is the Mumeet – the One Who causes death to the living and weakens the power of the healthy and strong ones with death.

He – all Praise be to Him – gives life and death, and He is Able to do everything.

2. Spiritual Life and Death

He – all Praise be to Him – gives life to dead hearts and souls with the light of guidance, knowledge, Eeman (faith), and Yaqeen (certainty). It is through Him that hearts are brought back to life from Kufr (disbelief), ignorance, and denial.⁴See, Ishtiqaaq Asmaa’ Allaah (140), Sha’n ad-Dua (79-80), Tawheed by Ibn Mundah (2/84), Al-A’tiqaad (36), and al-Asnaa (1/383-384) – loosely based on these sources

Allaah (Ta’ala) says in Surat Al-An’aam (6:122):

أَوَمَنْ كَانَ مَيْتًا فَأَحْيَيْنَاهُ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُ نُورًا يَمْشِي بِهِ فِي النَّاسِ

“Is he who was dead (without faith by ignorance and disbelief), and We gave him life (by knowledge and faith) and set for him a light (of belief) whereby he can walk among men…”

Allaah (Ta’ala) causes death to the hearts with the darkness of ignorance, Shirk and Kufr. Allaah’s Messenger (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “The likeness of the one who remembers Allaah and the one who does not remember Him, is like the living and the dead.”⁵Al-Bukhaari (6407)

Source:

At-Ta’aleeq Al-‘Ulaa fee Sharh Asmaa’illahil Husnaa wa Sifaatihil-‘Ulaa, by Maahir Muqaddim