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DEATH.. which way do you want YOUR Soul to be
taken out ???
In one hadeeth it has been
narrated that when Allah ta'aalaa becomes pleased with any
servant He says to the Angel of Death, Bring the soul of a
certain person. I want to give him comfort. He has successfully
completed his test as I desired.
Malakul Mawt (Angel of Death) comes to him in the company of
five hundred angels. Each one of these angels give him such
glad tidings which the other has not mentioned. They bring the
branches of sweet basil (rayhaan) and the roots of saffron
along with them. All the angels stand in two rows on both
sides. When Iblees sees this scene, he holds his head and
begins to wail and cry. His attendants rushing towards him ask,
'O Master! What has happened?' He replies, 'O Wretched! Do you
not see what is happening. Where have you failed?' They reply,
'O our Leader! We tried but he protected himself from sins.'
When the death of Hadhrat Jaabir Ibne Zayd rahmatullahi alayhi
approached, someone asked, 'Do you wish for anything?' He
replied, 'I wish to meet Hasan.' When Hadhrat Hasan Basri
rahmatullahi alayhi arrived the people informed him. Hadhrat
Jaabir said, 'Brother! This is the time for my departure. I do
not know whether it is towards Jannah or Jahannam.'
Hadhrat Tameem Daari radhiyallahu anhu says that Allah ta'aalaa
tells the Angel of Death, 'Go to my certain friend and bring
his soul. I have tested him in both happiness and sorrow. He
has passed successfully as I desired. Bring him so that he may
be relieved from the difficulties of this world.' The Angel of
Death comes to him with five hundred angels. All of them come
with the shrouds of Jannah. In their hands they hold a bouquet
of sweet basil (rayhaan) which is made up of twenty different
colours and in each colour there is a different fragrance.
(Amongst the things they bring with them) is a white silken
cloth from which the fragrance of musk emits. The Angel of
Death sits at his head-side while the rest of the angels gather
around him. They place their hands on all the parts of his
body. The silken cloth is then placed under his chin and a door
of Jannah is opened in front of his eyes. He is entertained and
diverted by the many new fascinating things of Jannah like the
household folk will divert a crying child's attention towards
different things. At times the damsels of Jannah are brought
forward, at times the fruit of Jannah and at times excellent
clothing. In short, different bounties of Jannah are brought
forward. The damsels of Jannah jump with joy. Viewing this
scene his soul in the body palpitates and throbs (like an
animal would flutter to come out of the cage).
The Angel of Death tells him, 'O blessed soul! Come towards
thornless lote trees, layers of bananas, spacious and wide
shade and flowing waters.'
(These are some of the scenes towards which the Qur'aan
indicates in Soorah Waaqi'ah.)
Amidst thornless lote-trees and layers
of bananas and spreading shade. (Soorah Waaqi'ah
28-30)
The Angel of Death speaks to him in such a soft tone as a
mother would speak to her child because he knows that his soul
is a favourite of Allah ta'aalaa. He approaches this soul very
kindly so that Allah ta'aalaa may become pleased with him. This
soul comes out of the body so easily as hair is taken out of
dough. When the soul is extracted all the angels greet it and
extend to him the glad tidings of entry into Jannah.
The Qur'aan has mentioned it in this manner:
Those whom the angels cause to die in
the state of purity. (Soorah Nahl 32)
And if he is amongst the favourite servants then it is
mentioned with regard to him in Soorah Waaqi'ah:
Then, if he is amongst the near ones
there shall be rest, satisfaction and a garden of delight for
him. (Soorah Waaqi'ah 88-90)
When the soul leaves, it addresses the body, 'May Allah
ta'aalaa grant you the best rewards. You were quick in obeying
Allah ta'aalaa. You avoided disobeying Allah ta'aalaa. May this
day be blessed day for you. You have saved both yourself and
myself from punishment.' The body then addresses the soul in
the very same manner at the time of separation. The portion of
earth where upon he used to make excessive ibaadat cries. The
heavenly doors through which his deeds used to ascend and
sustenance used to descend also weep. Thereafter five hundred
angels gather around the deceased person. When those bathing
him turn him from side to side, the angels quickly turn him and
before the people can enshroud him with kafan they (the angels)
quickly enshroud with the kafan they brought. Before the people
can apply itr (perfume) on him they quickly apply the perfume
on him which they brought. Then they form a line on both sides
from the door of his home till the grave. They welcome him with
du'aa and they seek forgiveness on his behalf. Looking at this
spectacle, Shaytaan cries so loud that his bones begin to
break. He says to his army, 'May you be destroyed. How did he
escape from you?' They reply, 'He was protected.' Thereafter,
the Angel of Death takes his soul and proceeds upwards. Hadhrat
Jibra'eel alayhis salaam welcomes him with seventy thousand
angels. These angels give him glad tidings from the side of
Allah ta'aalaa. Thereafter the Angel of Death takes him to the
Throne of Allah ta'aalaa. Reaching there the soul falls in
sajdah (prostration).
Allah ta'aalaa says:
Take my servant's soul to the
thornless lote-trees and cluster of bananas. (Soorah
Waaqi'ah 28 - 29)
When his body is placed in the grave his Salaat stands on his
right hand side, fast (sawm) on his left, recitation of the
Qur'aan and remembrance (zikr) of Allah ta'aalaa above his
head, the steps he took for Salaat with congregation stand next
to his legs and patience upon calamities and refraining from
sin stand in one corner of grave. Thereafter, punishment enters
the grave and stretches its neck to reach the deceased person.
If it tries to reach from the right hand side, Salaat says,
'Keep away! By Allah! This person always bore difficulty in the
world. Now he has the opportunity to sleep with ease.'
Punishment now tries to approach from the left hand side, but
sawm (fasting) prevents him in the similar manner. Thereafter,
it tries to approach from the head but the recitation of the
Qur'aan and zikr block him saying, 'You have no right to
approach from this way.' In short, it cannot reach the deceased
from where it wants to enter because ibaadaah protects the
friend of Allah ta'aalaa from all sides. Punishment then
becomes helpless and returns. At this instance patience who was
standing in one corner says to the various ibaadaah, 'I was
waiting to assist that side which may have appeared weak
(because of any type of deficiency caused in its execution)
but, all praise is due only to Allah, you have protected him
collectively. Now I will be of help to him when his deeds will
be weighed on the Scale.'
Thereafter, two angels approach the deceased person; their eyes
shine like lightning, their voice sounds like loud thunder,
their canine teeth are as big as the horns of a bull, flames of
fire emit from their mouths, their long hair hangs down towards
their feet and the distance between their two shoulders could
be covered only after several days of journeying. They do not
even have a touch of affection and softness, (however, they do
not treat the Mu'mineen severely, nevertheless, their
appearance alone is sufficient to scare a person). These two
angels are called Munkar and Nakeer. Each one of them holds
such a huge and heavy hammer that if all human beings and jinns
in this world wish to lift it they will be unable to do so.
They approach the deceased person and instruct him to sit up.
The person immediately sits up and the shroud falls from his
head to his hips. They question him, 'Who is your Rabb (Lord)?
What is your religion? What is the name of your Nabee?' The
person replies, 'My Rabb is Allah, the One Who has no partners,
the Sovereign Master. My religion is Islaam and My Nabee is
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam, the Seal of all Prophets.'
Both the angels say, 'You have replied correctly.' Thereafter,
they remove the walls of the grave from all sides because of
which it becomes very spacious from the top and in all four
directions: the right, the left, the head and the legs sides.
Then they say to him, 'Raise your head.' When he raises his
head he sees a door through which Jannah appears. They say, 'O
friend of Allah! This is your place of abode because you obeyed
Allah ta'aalaa.' Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam says,
'By the oath of the Being in Whose control is my life, the
deceased person experiences such happiness which will not
return.' Then the angels tell him, 'Look towards your feet.'
When he does so, he sees through a door of Jahannam the
condition of Jahannam. The angels tell him, 'O Friend of Allah!
You have been saved from entering this door.' Again he
experiences such happiness which will not return. Thereafter
seventy seven doors are opened in his grave towards Jannah from
which the cool breeze and fragrant smell of Jannah continuously
blows upon him. This will be his condition until the Day of
Qiyaamah.
Now listen to the condition of the disobedient person. Allah
ta'aalaa instructs the Angel of Death, 'Go to My enemy and
bring his soul. I gave him everything in abundance. I showered
My bounties upon him from all four sides in the world and yet
he was disobedient to Me. Bring him so that I may punish him.'
The Angel of Death approaches him in a very frightening form.
In this form he has twelve eyes. He holds a very thick and huge
iron-club made from the fire of Jahannam which is with thorns.
He has five hundred angels under his command. They bring a
large blade of copper with them. They hold big and huge burning
charcoals of Jahannam in their hands and whips of blazing fire.
As soon as the Angel of Death approaches him he hits him with
the thick and huge iron-club, the thorns of which penetrate
into every vein and fibre of his. Then he pulls it out. The
other angels begin to strike his face and hips with their whips
causing him to become unconscious. Thereafter, they extract his
soul from the toes and stop it in his heels and begin whipping
him. Then they extract it from the heels and stop it in the
knees. They extract the soul from here and stop it at various
places in order to cause pain and difficulty to him for a
longer period. They stop the soul in the stomach and from here
they extract it until it reaches the chest. The angels then
place the copper and the blazing charcoal of Jahannam under his
chin. Thereafter, the Angel of Death says, 'O Accursed soul!
come out and proceed to that Jahannam which has been described
as follows:
In such a fire, boiling water and a cloud of black smoke which
will not be cooler nor will it give comfort (rather it will be
very painful).'
(Soorah Waaqi'ah 42 - 44)
Then when his soul is extracted from the body it says to the
body, 'May Allah ta'aalaa punish you. You always hastened me in
the disobedience of Allah ta'aalaa and you were always slow in
obeying Allah ta'aalaa. You have destroyed both of us.' The
body speaks to the soul in the very same manner. The earth upon
which he used to disobey Allah ta'aalaa curses him and the army
of Shaytaan runs quickly to their leader, Iblees, to give the
good news that one person has reached Jahannam. When his dead
body is placed in the grave the ground closes in upon him so
that one side of his ribs penetrates into the other. Black
serpents are let loose upon him which begin biting him from the
nose on one side and the toes of the feet on the other until
they meet in the centre. Then Munkar and Nakeer (whose
appearance was already mentioned) approach him. They question
him, 'Who is your Rabb (Lord)? What is your religion? Who is
your Nabee?' After each question he expresses his ignorance. On
this reply he is hit so severely with the club that the sparks
of the club spread all over the grave. Then he is ordered to
look up. He looks up through an open door of Jannah at the
gardens and beauty of Jannah. The angels tell him, 'O enemy of
Allah! Had you been obedient to Allah this would have been your
abode.' Nabee sallallahu alayhi wasallam says, 'By the Oath of
that Being in Whose control my life is, at this time he
experiences such regret which he never experienced before.'
Then a door of Jahannam is opened and the angels says, 'O enemy
of Allah! This is your abode because you disobeyed Allah
ta'aalaa.' Thereafter, seventy seven doors of Jahannam are
opened upon his grave from which hot winds, smoke, etc. blows.
The Muhadditheen (Traditionists) questioned the chain of
narration of this Hadeeth but it's subject matter is
corroborated by many other narrations, especially the
narrations of Hadhrat Aboo Hurayrah radhiyallahu anhu which
appear in the "Books of Funerals" and in the "Chapter which
confirms and establishes the Punishment of the Grave" in
Mishkaat Shareef.
The scene (of death) should constantly be remembered since it
is a very severe matter. Such happenings have been mentioned in
the Ahaadeeth excessively. For the sake of brevity only one
Hadeeth was translated. Hadhrat Aa'ishah radhiyallahu anhaa
says, 'There is destruction for the sinful inmates of the
grave. Upon them black serpents will be let loose. These
serpents will bite them starting from the head on one side and
from the feet on the other side until they meet in the middle.'
This is the punishment of Barzakh (period between death and
resurrection) which the Qur'aan has described as:
And before them lies Barzakh until the day they are resurrected.
(Soorah Mu'minoon 100)
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