Two Deaths (Waffa & Mawt)

The Quran typically uses two words for death: “waffa” ( وَفَّىٰ ) and “mawt” ( مَوْت ).

The triliteral root for the word “waffa” ( وَفَّىٰ ) is “Waw-Fa-Ya” ( و ف ي ). This root occurs 66 times in the Quran, approximately 24 times in the context of death. The root is used most of the time; it means to repay in full or, more generally, to fulfill. Below is a list of derivative meanings from this root:

to reach the end; keep one's promise; fulfill; pay a debt; perform a promise; to die; death; to cause to die; protect from death; pay in full; take away the soul

The triliteral root for “mawt” ( مَوْت ) is “Mim-Waw-Ta” ( م و ت ). This root occurs 165 times in the Quran and is used exclusively in the context of death.

So, what is the difference between these two words when referencing death, and do we see any patterns when God uses one word over the other? There happens to be five verses where both these roots are used. God willing, let’s look at how the two words are used in contrast to one another in these five verses to see if we can figure this out.

Verse #1

[3:185] Every person tastes death (l-mawti), then you will be paid in full (tuwaffawna) your recompense on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever misses Hell, barely, and makes it to Paradise, has attained a great triumph. The life of this world is no more than an illusion.

 كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلْمَوْتِ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ فَمَن زُحْزِحَ عَنِ ٱلنَّارِ وَأُدْخِلَ ٱلْجَنَّةَ فَقَدْ فَازَ وَمَا ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَآ إِلَّا مَتَـٰعُ ٱلْغُرُورِ

1	kullu	كُلُّ	Every
2	nafsin	نَفْسٍ	soul
3	dhāiqatu	ذَآئِقَةُ	tastes
4	l-mawti	ٱلْمَوْتِ	[the] death,
5	wa-innamā	وَإِنَّمَا	and only
6	tuwaffawna	تُوَفَّوْنَ	you [all] will be paid in full
7	ujūrakum	أُجُورَكُمْ	your reward
8	yawma	يَوْمَ	(on the) Day (of)
9	l-qiyāmati	ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ	[the] Resurrection.

According to this verse, first, one experiences mawt, and then waffa will be fulfilled on the Day of Judgement.

Verse #2

[4:15] Those who commit adultery among your women, you must have four witnesses against them, from among you. If they do bear witness, then you shall keep such women in their homes until death fulfills them, or until GOD creates an exit for them.

 وَٱلَّـٰتِى يَأْتِينَ ٱلْفَـٰحِشَةَ مِن نِّسَآئِكُمْ فَٱسْتَشْهِدُوا۟ عَلَيْهِنَّ أَرْبَعَةً مِّنكُمْ فَإِن شَهِدُوا۟ فَأَمْسِكُوهُنَّ فِى ٱلْبُيُوتِ حَتَّىٰ يَتَوَفَّىٰهُنَّ ٱلْمَوْتُ أَوْ يَجْعَلَ ٱللَّهُ لَهُنَّ سَبِيلًا

10	fa-in	فَإِن	And if
11	shahidū	شَهِدُوا۟	they testified / bore witness
12	fa-amsikūhunna	فَأَمْسِكُوهُنَّ	then keep them [you all]
13	fī	فِى	in
14	l-buyūti	ٱلْبُيُوتِ	the houses / homes
15	ḥattā	حَتَّىٰ	until
16	yatawaffāhunna	يَتَوَفَّىٰهُنَّ	[it] fulfills them
17	l-mawtu	ٱلْمَوْتُ	[the] death
18	aw	أَوْ	or
19	yajʿala	يَجْعَلَ	[He] makes
20	l-lahu	ٱللَّهُ	God
21	lahunna	لَهُنَّ	for them
22	sabīlan	سَبِيلًا	a way / exit.

So far, we see that the two words are interlinked with death and that “waffa” ( وَفَّىٰ ) is used to fulfill or pay in full.

Verse #3

These next two verses now use the terms in conjuction with the angel who takes the souls at the time of death.

[6:61] He is Supreme over His creatures, and He appoints guards to protect you. When the death comes to any of you, our messengers put him to death without delay.

 وَهُوَ ٱلْقَاهِرُ فَوْقَ عِبَادِهِۦ وَيُرْسِلُ عَلَيْكُمْ حَفَظَةً حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءَ أَحَدَكُمُ ٱلْمَوْتُ تَوَفَّتْهُ رُسُلُنَا وَهُمْ لَا يُفَرِّطُونَ

5	wayur’silu	وَيُرْسِلُ	and He sends
6	ʿalaykum	عَلَيْكُمْ	over you [all]
7	ḥafaẓatan	حَفَظَةً	guardians
8	ḥattā	حَتَّىٰٓ	until
9	idhā	إِذَا	when
10	jāa	جَآءَ	[it] came
11	aḥadakumu	أَحَدَكُمُ	(to) one of you [all]
12	l-mawtu	ٱلْمَوْتُ	the death
13	tawaffathu	تَوَفَّتْهُ	[it] puts him to death / takes his soul
14	rusulunā	رُسُلُنَا	our (angel) messengers,
15	wahum	وَهُمْ	and they
16	lā	لَا	(do) not
17	yufarriṭūna	يُفَرِّطُونَ	[they] neglect (their duty).

Verse #4

[32:11] Say, “You will be put to death by the angel of death in whose charge you are placed, then to your Lord you will be returned.”

 قُلْ يَتَوَفَّىٰكُم مَّلَكُ ٱلْمَوْتِ ٱلَّذِى وُكِّلَ بِكُمْ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمْ تُرْجَعُونَ

1	qul	قُلْ	Say,
2	yatawaffākum	يَتَوَفَّىٰكُم	“[He] puts you [all] to death / takes your soul
3	malaku	مَّلَكُ	angel (of)
4	l-mawti	ٱلْمَوْتِ	[the] death
5	alladhī	ٱلَّذِى	the one who
6	wukkila	وُكِّلَ	he was put in charge
7	bikum	بِكُمْ	of you [all].
8	thumma	ثُمَّ	Then
9	ilā	إِلَىٰ	to
10	rabbikum	رَبِّكُمْ	your Lord
11	tur’jaʿūna	تُرْجَعُونَ	you [all] will return.”

Until now, the verses have not clearly distinguished the differences between these two terms. Aside from the fact that they are interlinked with the idea of death, all we can say is that “mawt” ( مَوْت ) causes “waffa” ( وَفَّىٰ ). But does it work the other way?

Verse #5

The verse that clearly distinguishes between the use of these two words for death is the following verse from Sura 39, The Throngs (Al-Zumar / الزمر).

[39:42] GOD puts to death (yatawaffā) the souls at the time of its death (mawtihā), and those who are not dead (tamut) during their sleep. Thus, He keeps upon whom He decreed its death (l-mawta) [during sleep], while others are allowed to continue living until their appointed term. This should provide lessons for people who reflect.

 ٱللَّهُ يَتَوَفَّى ٱلْأَنفُسَ حِينَ مَوْتِهَا وَٱلَّتِى لَمْ تَمُتْ فِى مَنَامِهَا فَيُمْسِكُ ٱلَّتِى قَضَىٰ عَلَيْهَا ٱلْمَوْتَ وَيُرْسِلُ ٱلْأُخْرَىٰٓ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

1	al-lahu	ٱللَّهُ	God
2	yatawaffā	يَتَوَفَّى	[He] takes souls / puts to death
3	l-anfusa	ٱلْأَنفُسَ	the lives / souls
4	ḥīna	حِينَ	(at the) time (of)
5	mawtihā	مَوْتِهَا	their death,
6	wa-allatī	وَٱلَّتِى	and whose
7	lam	لَمْ	not
8	tamut	تَمُتْ	dead
9	fī	فِى	during
10	manāmihā	مَنَامِهَا	their sleep.
11	fayum’siku	فَيُمْسِكُ	Then He keeps
12	allatī	ٱلَّتِى	whom
13	qaḍā	قَضَىٰ	He decreed
14	ʿalayhā	عَلَيْهَا	upon it
15	l-mawta	ٱلْمَوْتَ	the death,
16	wayur’silu	وَيُرْسِلُ	and He sends
17	l-ukh’rā	ٱلْأُخْرَىٰٓ	the other(s)
18	ilā	إِلَىٰٓ	for
19	ajalin	أَجَلٍ	an appointed term
20	musamman	مُّسَمًّى	predetermined.
21	inna	إِنَّ	Indeed,
22	fī	فِى	in
23	dhālika	ذَٰلِكَ	that (are)
24	laāyātin	لَـَٔايَـٰتٍ	surely signs / proofs / lessons
25	liqawmin	لِّقَوْمٍ	for a people
26	yatafakkarūna	يَتَفَكَّرُونَ	(who) [they] reflect.

This informs us that “waffa” ( وَفَّىٰ ) occurs when one is sleeping and also when one’s predetermined life span is complete, while “mawt” ( مَوْت ) is the physical death of the body. Or put another way, “mawt” ( مَوْت ) is the biological death when one’s body dies, while “waffa” ( وَفَّىٰ ) is when one’s consciousness is gone, which occurs when the soul is taken from the body.

The term “waffa” ( وَفَّىٰ ) is used again in the context of sleep in the following verse.

[6:60] He is the One who puts you to death during the night, and knows even the smallest of your actions during the day. He resurrects you every morning, until your life span is fulfilled, then to Him is your ultimate return. He will then inform you of everything you had done.

 وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى يَتَوَفَّىٰكُم بِٱلَّيْلِ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا جَرَحْتُم بِٱلنَّهَارِ ثُمَّ يَبْعَثُكُمْ فِيهِ لِيُقْضَىٰٓ أَجَلٌ مُّسَمًّى ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ مَرْجِعُكُمْ ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

1	wahuwa	وَهُوَ	And He (is)
2	alladhī	ٱلَّذِى	the One who
3	yatawaffākum	يَتَوَفَّىٰكُم	He puts you [all] to death
4	bi-al-layli	بِٱلَّيْلِ	by the night
5	wayaʿlamu	وَيَعْلَمُ	and He knows
6	mā	مَا	what
7	jaraḥtum	جَرَحْتُم	you [all] had done / earned
8	bil-nahāri	بِٱلنَّهَارِ	by the day.
9	thumma	ثُمَّ	Then
10	yabʿathukum	يَبْعَثُكُمْ	He raises you [all] up
11	fīhi	فِيهِ	therein,
12	liyuq’ḍā	لِيُقْضَىٰٓ	so that [it] may be fulfilled
13	ajalun	أَجَلٌ	an appointed term
14	musamman	مُّسَمًّى	predetermined.
15	thumma	ثُمَّ	Then
16	ilayhi	إِلَيْهِ	to Him (is)
17	marjiʿukum	مَرْجِعُكُمْ	your ultimate return
18	thumma	ثُمَّ	then
19	yunabbi-ukum	يُنَبِّئُكُم	He will inform you [all]
20	bimā	بِمَا	about what
21	kuntum	كُنتُمْ	you [all] used to
22	taʿmalūna	تَعْمَلُونَ	[you all] do.