Allah says He created death and life to test us all, to see who is the BEST, and distinguished in deeds. He سبحانه وتعالى doesn’t say who is MOST in deeds. It’s not about quantity, rather it is about the quality.

There are two conditions for deeds to be accepted. It must be:1) sincerely for Allah (Ikhlaas) and 2) in accordance to the Sunnah of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم

The word خَلَقَ translates to Allah created and no one else can create what He creates. When we “create”, we construct/design/add on to something that is pre-existing, think about it, mankind only uses already existing resources. But when Allah subhana wa ta’ala says He created, it means He brought it into existence from absolutely nothing, zilch. كُن فَيَكُونُ (“Be,” and it is”) [Surah An’am: Verse 73]

In the verse, “حَياةَ” is used for life, a lifespan that has an ending, “the life of the dunya”, everything will eventually die. This is distinguishable with the word “حَيَوَانُ” which also translates to life, but is an everlasting life; it has no ending.

وَمَا هَٰذِهِ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا لَهْوٌ وَلَعِبٌ ۚ وَإِنَّ الدَّارَ الْآخِرَةَ لَهِيَ الْحَيَوَانُ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ

❝And this life of the world is only amusement and play! Verily, the home of the Hereafter, that is the life indeed (i.e. the eternal life that will never end), if they but knew.❞ [Surah ‘Ankabut: Verse 64] So this life is short and everything in it will come to an end.

Grammar rule, صيغة المبالغ is in action here again, extreme emphasis: وَهُوَ العَزيزُ الغَفورُ
And He (Allah) is the extremely Omnipotent/Mighty/Powerful and the Most Forgiving.

#GoldenTreasureSideNote: When you are saying “Astagfirullah”, you are asking Al-Ghaffur to cover you, and cover your sins from being exposed to the people. You are also asking Allah to forgive you for the actual sin.

Shaykh ‘Uthaymeen: ❝It [Istaghfar] is derived from the word Al-Mighfar, which covers a person’s head during battle and protects him from arrows.❞ Maghfirah also can translate to an egg shell (covers/protects the egg). (MIND = BLOWN)

He continues, ❝So the root word combines the meanings of covering and protection. Similarly, Al-Maghfirah combines both meanings: covering the sin and protecting its doer from its punishment.❞