DEATH

Brother Mustafa

DeathAllah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) takes souls at the time of their death and (the souls) of those that do not die during their sleep. He retains those souls for which He has ordained death, whereas He releases the rest for an appointed term. (39:42)

Imam Ibn al Qayyim identifies over 90 supporting statements from the Quraan, the Sunnah and sayings of the Sahaabah (Companions), which altogether give a complete picture of the nature of the human soul and the conditions which surround it.

If you could see when the wrong-doers taste the pangs of death and the angels stretch their hands out, (saying), ‘Deliver up your souls. This day you will be awarded a degrading punishment.’ (6:93)

Here, it is stated that death is painful for the disbelievers. Although they are ordered to surrender their souls to the angels, they are unwilling; therefore, the soul must be forced out as it does not wish to meet its punishment. (Qurtubi)

According to Hadeeth:
The Angel of Death... (says), ‘O you foul soul! Come out to the anger and wrath of your Lord.’

The soul inside the disbeliever’s body is overcome by terrible fear (and does not want to deliver itself up), whereupon the Angel of Death violently pulls it out like multi-pronged skewers being yanked out of wet wool - tearing with them the arteries and nerves.

Hadhrat Umme Salamah reported: Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa)’s Messenger (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam) entered upon Abu Salamah (i.e., his corpse), whose eyes were wide open. The prophet closed the lids and then said, ‘When the Rooh (Soul) is taken out, the eyesight follows it (i.e., watches it ascend).’ (Muslim & Ahmed)

The Angel of Death comes to the (dying) believer, sits at his head and says:
‘O you good soul! Come out and receive your Lord’s forgiveness and pleasure.’

Then the soul flows out effortlessly just as water flows from the mouth of a waterskin.

Hadhrat Abu Hurairah narrated that Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa)’s Messenger (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam) said: When the soul of a believer comes out (of its body), two angels receive it and rise with it towards the heavens, whereupon the inhabitants of the heavens say, “A good soul has come from the earth. Allah has blessed you and the body which you used to occupy.” (Muslim)

The experience of death:
Every soul will taste death. (3:185)

Hardships and agonies:
And the agony of death comes, in truth; that is what you wished to avoid. (50:19)

In this verse the phrase “Sakraat ul Mawt” is used to indicate the swoon of death. This verse implies that every dying person must experience some pain and torment. (See al-Alusi’s Ruh-ul-Ma’ani and Qurtubi’s Tafseer)

Hadhrat ‘Aaishah related:
(On the occasion of his approaching death), Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa)’s Messenger (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam) had a small vessel of water placed before him. He began to dip his hands in the water, and wiping his face with them. He said: There is none worthy of worship except Allah. Indeed death brings with it agonies! Then he raised his hand up and kept repeating, ‘In the most exalted company’ until his soul was taken and his hand fell limp. (Bukhari)

Hadhrat ‘Aaishah reported: Truly, I saw the messenger of Allah when death approached him. He had a container with some water in it into which he dipped his hand and then wiped his face. Then he said: O Allah help me to overcome the agonies of death.

Appearance of Shaitaan (Satan):
Hadeeth:
Verily Satan comes to you at all circumstances and affairs of your life, even at the time of eating. (Muslim)

Al-Qurtubi mentions that a great number of pious and depend-able scholars are known to have witnessed the presence of Satan at death. He relates that he heard one of his own respected teachers, Imam Abul-’Abbaas Ahmad bin ‘Umar al-Qurtubi, say, “I visited the brother of our teacher, Shaikh Abu Ja’far Muhammad al-Qurtubi at Cordova and found him near death. It was said to him, ‘Repeat Laa ilaaha illAllah,’, to which he replied, ‘No! No!’ When he came to senses, we mentioned what had occurred. He said, ‘Two devils came to me, one on my left and the other on my right. One of them said, “Die as a Jew, for verily it is the best of religions,” while the other said, “Die as a Christian, for truly it is the best of religions.” So I answered them saying, “No! No! How dare you say such a thing to me!”

Repentance before death:
Hadeeth:
When any of you completes the last Tashahhud in his Salaah, let him seek refuge in Allah from four things, saying, ‘O Allah, verily I seek refuge in you from the punishment of the Hellfire and the torment of the grave; from the fitnah of life and of death; and from the evil fitnah of the false messiah. (Muslim, Nasai & others)

Allah accepts the repentance of the servant so long as his spirit has not arrived at his throat. (Tirmizi, al-Haakim, Ibn Hibbaan)

Their faith was of no use to them once they saw Our doom.(40:85)

Forgiveness is not for those who continue to do evil deeds up until when death comes to one of them (and) he says, ‘Truly, I repent now!’(4:18).