As for anyone who supposes that this means the Lord Himself is near the jugular vein, or that He Himself is nearer to the dying person than his family are, this interpretation is extremely weak. Those who say that He is everywhere, or that He Himself is near everything, do not single out some things rather than others. No Muslim could say that Allah is near the dying person but not his family, or near the jugular vein but not the other organs.

How could this statement be sound according to their own premise? In their view, He is throughout the human body, or near the entire human body; or He is within the dying person’s family just as He is within the dying person. How, then, could He say, “We are nearer to him than you are,” if He is with him and with them in exactly the same way? And could He be nearer to Himself than His own Self?

The context of both passages indicates that what is meant is the angels. For He says:

“And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein.”

“When the two recording angels record, one seated on the right and the other on the left.”

“He utters no word but that beside him is a watchful observer, ready.”

He thus qualifies this nearness by specifying this time: when the two recording angels record, one seated on the right and the other on the left. These are the two guardian angels who write down his deeds, as He says:

“He utters no word but that beside him is a watchful observer, ready.”

Clearly, if what was meant were the nearness of the Lord Himself, it would not be confined to this circumstance, and mentioning the two seated angels and the terms “watchful” and “ready” would have no relevant meaning.

The same applies to His words in the other passage:

“Then why, when the soul reaches the throat”

“while you at that moment