In some reports it is stated that a man may have thirty years of his life remaining, then sever his ties of kinship, and his remaining lifespan is reduced to three days. Another man may have three days of his life remaining, then maintain his ties of kinship, and his lifespan is extended to thirty years.

Abd al-Wahid al-Mulayhi informed us; Abu Mansur al-Sam'ani informed us; Abu Ja'far al-Rayani related to us; Humayd ibn Zanjawayh related to us; Abdullah ibn Salih related to us; al-Layth ibn Sad related to me; Ziyadah ibn Muhammad al-Ansari related to me, from Muhammad ibn Kab al-Qurazi, from Fudalah ibn Ubayd, from Abu al-Darda—may Allah be pleased with him—who said: The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said: “Allah descends during the last three hours remaining of the night. During the first of these hours, He looks into the Mother of the Book, which none besides Him may behold, and He effaces what He wills and confirms what He wills” (1).

It was also said that the meaning of the verse is that the recording angels write down all the deeds and words of the children of Adam. Allah then erases from the register of the recording angels whatever entails neither reward nor punishment, such as a person’s saying, “I ate,” “I drank,” “I entered,” or “I went out,” and similar statements in which he speaks truthfully. He confirms what entails reward or punishment. This was the view of al-Dahhak and al-Kalbi.

Al-Kalbi said: They record every utterance. Then, when Thursday comes, they discard from it everything that entails neither reward nor punishment.

Atiyyah related from Ibn Abbas: It refers to a man who performs acts of obedience to Allah, then returns to disobedience of Allah and dies upon misguidance: he is the one whom He effaces. The one whom He confirms is the man who acts in obedience to Allah and dies while in obedience to Allah; he is the one whom He confirms.

Al-Hasan said: “Allah effaces what He wills”—that is, when a person’s appointed term comes, He takes him away; and He confirms the one whose appointed term has not yet come, until his appointed term.

Sa'id ibn Jubayr said: “Allah effaces what He wills” of His servants’ sins, and thus forgives them; and He confirms whatever He wills, and thus does not forgive it.

Ikrimah said: “Allah effaces what He wills” of sins through repentance, and in place of sins He confirms good deeds, as Allah, Most High, says: “It is they whose evil deeds Allah will replace with good deeds” (al-Furqan 25:70).

Al-Suddi said: “Allah effaces what He wills” refers to the moon, while “and confirms” refers to the sun. This is explained by His saying, Most High: “We made the sign of the night devoid of sight, and We made the sign of the day illuminating” (al-Isra 17:12).

Al-Rabi said: This concerns the souls: Allah takes them during sleep. Whoever He wills to die, He effaces and retains,