The primary argument of the traditional scholars and exegetes is that the word tawaffā (توفيٰ) in the expression innī mutawaffīka (اِنِّيْ مُتَوَفِّيكَ) should not be used unhesitatingly in the meaning of death. The reason is that the verb tawaffā is used metaphorically for death, and its literal meaning is ‘to take something completely’ (akhdha al-shaya wāfiyan) or ‘to take something in its entirety’ (akhadha al-shaya bi tamāmihī). The determination of whether a word is used in its literal or metaphorical meaning in a sentence depends on the sentence, textual context, and other indicators in the discourse. The context of the statement clearly indicates that this word has not been used in its metaphorical sense. Rather it has been used in its literal meaning. Therefore, the expression innī mutawaffīka means ‘I will take you completely,’ implying that Allah will take the entirety of Jesus’s being, both soul and body, into His custody. This interpretation aligns with evidence from Arabic linguistics, parallels in the Qur’an, and hadith narratives. Anwar Shah Kashmiri in his book Hayāt-e Ibn-e Maryam[32] states:
Take the word tawaffā. All its derivatives are used to mean to receive something entirely and completely. This is why, in respect of important and esteemed personalities, instead of using ‘mawt’ (death), the word tawaffā is used to show reverence and respect. Yes, sometimes the word ‘mawt’ (death) is also used as needed.
In short, the word tawaffā in the verse is undoubtedly used in its literal and significant meaning, the usage has not deviated from the convention in the least. This is also not possible, as if this word became synonymous with death and meant exactly death, then the intention of the speaker, i.e., expression of protection and sanctity, would be lost. (122)
Syed Abul A'la Maududi also interpreted this word as ‘receiving completely’ rather than giving death. He explains the terms under study to mean recalling someone from duty. He writes:
In fact, the word mutaffīka has been used. The literal meaning of the word tawaffi is to take and receive. To give death (Urdu: ruh qabz karna) is the figurative usage of the verb, not the literal significant meaning. Here, this word is used in the sense of the English word ‘to recall’, which means to call back an official from his position. Since the Israelites had been continuously disobedient for centuries, despite repeated warnings and admonishments, their national character was deteriorating. They had killed several prophets and were thirsty for the blood of any righteous person who invited them towards goodness and righteousness. Therefore, Allah decided to complete the argument against them and give them one final chance by simultaneously sending two noble prophets, Jesus and John, peace be upon them both, who were accompanied by such clear signs of their divine mission that only those could deny who were extremely hostile to the truth and whose audacity and boldness against the truth had reached its limit. However, the Israelites also lost this last opportunity. They not only rejected the invitation of these two prophets but one of their chiefs publicly beheaded a noble person like John at the request of a dancer, and their scholars and jurists conspired to get Jesus sentenced to death by the Roman Empire. After that, it was utterly useless to spend more time and effort in admonishing the Israelites. Therefore, Allah called His prophet back and decreed a life of disgrace for the Israelites until the Day of Judgment. (Tafheem al-Qur’an 1/257)
Pir Karam Shah Azhari, citing Zubaydi’s Taj al-Urus and Qurṭubi’s Al-Jāmi li Ahkam al-Qur’an, stated that the word tawaffā carries both literal and metaphorical meanings. Its literal meaning is to take something entirely, and its metaphorical meaning is death or sleep. The principle of language and expression is that if a word carrying both literal and metaphorical meanings is used in a sentence, it should first be interpreted in its literal sense. If the sentence does not accept it or if the context and textual indicators oppose it, only then should one turn to its metaphorical meaning. It is not correct to rush towards prioritizing the metaphorical meaning. In the cited verse, there is no indicator that serves an argument for that tawaffā should be taken in its metaphorical sense. On the contrary, there are two indicators for taking it in its literal sense: firstly, the occasion of revelation (shān-e nuzul) of the verses reveals that they address the Christians of Najrān who had come in a delegation to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Since they believed in the divinity of Jesus (PBUH) these verses refute this false belief. The second indicator is from the Hadiths about the descent of Jesus (PBUH), which clearly affirm the that he is alive. Therefore, these pieces of evidence demand that tawaffā be interpreted in its literal sense of taking something entirely. He writes:
The established rule of semantics dictates that when a word has both a literal and a metaphorical meaning, the literal meaning should be preferred over the metaphorical. When clear indicators make the literal meaning impossible, the metaphorical meaning should be used instead. Insisting on the metaphorical meaning in the presence of strong indicators supporting the literal meaning, however, is akin to challenging conventional norms. Now consider the meaning of the word tawaffā. The author of the lexicon Taj al-Urus describes the word waffā (وفي) as: tawaffā hu, meaning ‘he took it entirely, leaving nothing of it’. Imam Abu Abd Allah al-Qurtubi writes in his, Al-Jāmi li Ahkām al-Qur’an: [They say]: tawaffāytu mālī min fulān, meaning ‘I took back all the possessions from him.’ This is the literal meaning of tawaffā.
Yes, it is also used in the sense of death, but that is its metaphorical meaning, as stated in Taj al-Urus: ‘Its figurative meanings including: adrakat hu al-wafāt, meaning death (wafāt/ maniyyah) caught him.’ They say: ‘tuwuffiyā fulān, to mean: he died. Tawaffā hu Allāhu, God took his life.’ Now you can judge how unjust it is to ignore the literal meaning of a word and insist on its metaphorical meaning without any textual indicators. Moreover, not only is there no indicator for the metaphorical meaning in this case, but there are strong indications for its literal meaning. You might ask which are those indicators; in this regard, one thing is that the context of this verse is a strong indicator of this conclusion. For instance, the context of these verses shows they were addressed to the Christians of Najrān, who believed in the divinity of Jesus. The objective of the statement is to affirm the unity of God and refute the divinity of Christ. If Jesus had died, it would have been straightforward to tell the Christians that the one they consider God is dead, so how can someone who has passed away be God? However, the Qur’an’s choice of not adopting this approach but rather using this style is clear evidence that this verse does not discuss the death of Jesus (PBUH).
Second clear indication is the following saying of the Prophet Muhammad: Hasan (RA) said that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) told the Jews that Jesus had not died, and he would return to them before the Day of Judgment.’
In the presence of such explicit statements, the literal meaning cannot be overlooked in favor of the figurative one. Therefore, the majority of exegetes, keeping the literal meaning in view, write:
متوفيك اي مستوفي اجلك ومؤخرك الي اجلك المسمي عاصمًا اياك عن قتلهم
Allah will keep you alive until your appointed time and save you from being killed. (Baydāwī)
متوفيك اي مستوفي اجلك معناه اني عاصمك من ان يقتلك الكفار.
Mutawaffīka, that is, I will complete your appointed term. It means: ‘I will protect you from being killed by the disbelievers’ (Al-Kashshāf)
Imam Ibn Jarīr writes:
واولي الاقوال بالصحة عندنا قول من قال معني ذلك اني قابضك من الارض ورافعك اليّ لتواتر الاخبار من رسول اللّٰه صلي اللّٰه تعاليٰ عليه وآله وسلم –
In my opinion, the most accurate view of those who say:, ‘O Jesus, I will take you in custody from the Earth and raise you to Myself,’ because the mutawatir narratives from Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) confirm that Jesus (PBUH) was raised alive to the heavens. (Diya al-Qur’an 1/235-236)