A Great Hadith about Death

 

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ. الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ وَصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ خَاتَمِ النَّبِيِّينَ وَعَلَى جَمِيعِ الأَنْبِيَاءِ وَالْمُرْسَلِينَ.

All Praise is due to Allah, we praise Him, and we seek help from Him. We ask forgiveness from Him. We repent to Him; and we seek refuge in Him from our own evils and our own bad deeds. Anyone who is guided by Allah, he is indeed guided; and anyone who has been left astray, will find no one to guide him. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, the Only One without any partner; and I bear witness that Muhammad, peace and blessings on him, is His servant, and His messenger.

Dear Brothers and Sisters …

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

إِنَّ اللهَ لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ وَمَا لَكُمْ مِنْ دُونِ الله مِنْ وَلِيٍّ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ-التوبة:116

At Tawbah (9) 116: Indeed, to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth; He gives life and causes death. And you have not besides Allah any protector or any helper.

Death is a major certain fact. No one has the ability to repel, deny or delay it. Even if someone does not believe in Allah Almighty or His books or His messengers or the hereafter, he must believe in death.  Because he witnesses death in front of him so he is not able to deny it.  And this great lengthy hadith about death [Ahmad 18557, Abu Dawood 4753, Ibn Majah 1549, Nisai 2001] that the Prophet ﷺ stated on the occasion of a burial, describes the state of a believer and the state of a disbeliever at the last moments of this worldly life and the first moments in the grave with the most precise description and eloquent explanation. Baraa bin Azeb (may Allah be pleased with him) said:

 خَرَجْنَا مَعَ النَّبِي -صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ- فِي جَنَازَةِ رَجُلٍ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ، فَانْتَهَيْنَا إِلَى الْقَبْرِ وَلَمَّا يُلْحَدْ، فَجَلَسَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ -صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ- وَجَلَسْنَا حَوْلَهُ، وَكَأَنَّ عَلَى رُؤُوسِنَا الطَّيْرَ، وَفِي يَدِهِ عُودٌ يَنْكُتُ فِي الأَرْضِ، فَرَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ فَقَالَ: اسْتَعِيذُوا بِاللَّهِ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ مَرَّتَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلاَثًا،

We went out with the Prophet ﷺ in a funeral procession of a man from the Ansar. Then we reached his grave and it was not yet dug. So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sat down and we sat down around him as if birds were on our heads. He had in his hand a stick with which he was marking the ground. He then raised his head and said: Seek refuge with Allah from the punishment of the grave. He said it two or three times.

 ثُمَّ قَالَ: إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ الْمُؤْمِنَ إِذَا كَانَ فِي انْقِطَاعٍ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَإِقْبَالٍ مِنَ الآخِرَةِ نَزَلَ إِلَيْهِ مَلاَئِكَةٌ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ بِيضُ الْوُجُوهِ، كَأَنَّ وُجُوهَهُمُ الشَّمْسُ،

He then said, “When a believer is about to leave the world and go forward to the next world, angels with radiant faces as if their faces were the sun come down to him from heaven.

 مَعَهُمْ كَفَنٌ مِنْ أَكْفَانِ الْجَنَّةِ، وَحَنُوطٌ مِنْ حَنُوطِ الْجَنَّةِ، حَتَّى يَجْلِسُوا مِنْهُ مَدَّ الْبَصَرِ،

with one of the shrouds of paradise and some of the perfume of paradise and sit away from him as far as the eye can see

 ثُمَّ يَجِيءُ مَلَكُ الْمَوْتِ  -عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ- حَتَّى يَجْلِسَ عِنْدَ رَأْسِهِ, فَيَقُولُ: أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الطَّيِّبَةُ, اخْرُجِي إِلَى مَغْفِرَةٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانٍ,

Then the angel of death comes and sits at his head and says, ‘Good soul, come out to forgiveness and acceptance from Allah.’

 قَالَ: فَتَخْرُجُ تَسِيلُ كَمَا تَسِيلُ الْقَطْرَةُ مِنْ فِي السِّقَاءِ, فَيَأْخُذُهَا فَإِذَا أَخَذَهَا لَمْ يَدَعُوهَا فِي يَدِهِ طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ,

It then comes out as a drop flow from a water-skin, and he takes it; and when he does so, they do not leave it in his hand for an instant,

 حَتَّى يَأْخُذُوهَا, فَيَجْعَلُوهَا فِي ذَلِكَ الْكَفَنِ وَفِي ذَلِكَ الْحَنُوطِ, وَيَخْرُجُ مِنْهَا كَأَطْيَبِ نَفْحَةِ مِسْكٍ وُجِدَتْ عَلَى وَجْهِ الأَرْضِ,

but take it and place it in that shroud and that perfume, and from it comes a fragrance like that of the sweetest musk found on the face of the earth.

 قَالَ: فَيَصْعَدُونَ بِهَا, فَلاَ يَمُرُّونَ -يَعْنِى بِهَا- عَلَى مَلأٍ مِنَ الْمَلاَئِكَةِ إِلاَّ قَالُوا: مَا هَذَا الرُّوحُ الطَّيِّبُ,

They then take it up and do not pass a group of angels without them asking, “Who is this good soul?

 فَيَقُولُونَ: فُلاَنُ بْنُ فُلاَنٍ, بِأَحْسَنِ أَسْمَائِهِ الَّتِي كَانُوا يُسَمُّونَهُ بِهَا فِي الدُّنْيَا, حَتَّى يَنْتَهُوا بِهَا إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا, فَيَسْتَفْتِحُونَ لَهُ فَيُفْتَحُ لَهُمْ, فَيُشَيِّعُهُ مِنْ كُلِّ سَمَاءٍ مُقَرَّبُوهَا إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الَّتِي تَلِيهَا, حَتَّى يُنْتَهَى بِهِ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ السَّابِعَةِ,

to which they reply, ‘So and so, the son of so and so,’ using the best of his names by which people called him on earth. They then bring him to the lowest heaven and request that the gate be opened for him. This is done, and from every heaven its close angels escort him to the next heaven till he is brought to the seventh heaven.

 فيَقُول اللهُ -عَزَّ وَجَلَّ-: اكْتُبُوا كِتَابَ عَبْدِي فِي عِلِّيِّينَ, وَأَعِيدُوهُ إِلَى الأَرْضِ, فَإِنِّي مِنْهَا خَلَقْتُهُمْ, وَفِيهَا أُعِيدُهُمْ وَمِنْهَا أُخْرِجُهُمْ تَارَةً أُخْرَى,

Then Allah Almighty says, ‘Record the book of My servant in a high station and take him back to earth, for I created mankind from it, I shall return them into it, and from it I shall bring them forth another time.’

 قَالَ: فَتُعَادُ رُوحُهُ فِي جَسَدِهِ, فَيَأْتِيهِ مَلَكَانِ, فَيُجْلِسَانِهِ فَيَقُولاَنَ لَهُ: مَنْ رَبُّكَ, فَيَقُولُ: رَبِّي اللهُ, فَيَقُولاَنِ لَهُ: مَا دِينُكَ, فيَقُول: دَينِي الإِسْلاَمُ, فَيَقُولاَنِ لَهُ: مَا هَذَا الرَّجُلُ الَّذِي بُعِثَ فِيكُمْ, فيَقُول: هُوَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ -صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ- فَيَقُولاَنِ لَهُ: وَمَا عِلْمُكَ, فيَقُولُ: قَرَأْتُ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ فَآمَنْتُ بِهِ وَصَدَّقْتُ, فَيُنَادِي مُنَادٍ فِي السَّمَاءِ: صَدَقَ عَبْدِي, فَافْرِشُوهُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ, وَأَلْبِسُوهُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ, وَافْتَحُوا لَهُ بَابًا إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ, أَنْ قَالَ: فَيَأْتِيهِ مِنْ رَوْحِهَا وَطِيبِهَا, وَيُفْسَحُ لَهُ فِي قَبْرِهِ مَدَّ بَصَرِهِ, قَالَ: وَيَأْتِيهِ رَجُلٌ حَسَنُ الْوَجْهِ, حَسَنُ الثِّيَابِ, طَيِّبُ الرِّيحِ, فيَقُول: أَبْشِرْ بِالَّذِي يَسُرُّكَ, هَذَا يَوْمُكَ الَّذِي كُنْتَ تُوعَدُ, فيَقُولُ لَهُ: مَنْ أَنْتَ, فَوَجْهُكَ الْوَجْهُ يَجِيءُ بِالْخَيْرِ, فَيَقُولُ: أَنَا عَمَلُكَ الصَّالِحُ, فَيَقُولُ: رَبِّ أَقِمِ السَّاعَةَ حَتَّى أَرْجِعَ إِلَى أَهْلِي وَمَالِي…

Then his soul is restored to his body and two angels come to him and sit him up and say to him, ‘Who is your Lord? مَنْ رَبُّكَ He replies, رَبِّي اللهُ  ‘My Lord is Allah.’ They ask, مَا دِينُكَ ‘What is your religion?’ and he replies, ‘My religion is Islam.’ They ask, مَا هَذَا الرَّجُلُ الَّذِي بُعِثَ فِيكُمْ ‘Who is this man who was sent among you?’ and he replies, هُوَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ -صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم‘He is Allah’s messenger ﷺ.’ They ask, ‘What is your [source of] knowledge?’ and he replies, قَرَأْتُ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ فَآمَنْتُ بِهِ وَصَدَّقْتُ ‘I have read Allah’s Book, believed in it and affirmed it.’ Then a caller from heaven calls: ‘My servant has spoken the truth, so make a spread from paradise for him, clothe him from paradise, and open a gate for him into paradise.’ Then some of its comfort and fragrance comes to him, his grave is made spacious for him as far as the eye can see, and a man with a beautiful face, beautiful garments and a sweet fragrance comes to him and says, ‘Rejoice in what pleases you for this is your day which you have been promised.’ He asks, ‘Who are you, for your face bears good?” He replies, ‘I am your good deeds.’ He then says, ‘My Lord, bring the last hour, so that I may return to my family and wealth.’

As death is a certain fact, Allah Almighty has made it a proof of His Lordship, glory be to Him.

كَيْفَ تَكْفُرُونَ بِاللهِ وَكُنْتُمْ أَمْوَاتًا فَأَحْيَاكُمْ ثُمَّ يُمِيتُكُمْ ثُمَّ يُحْيِيكُمْ ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ-البقرة:28

Al Baqarah (2) 28: How can you disbelieve in Allah when you were lifeless and He brought you to life; then He will cause you to die, then He will bring you [back] to life, and then to Him you will be returned.

And in this great hadith is a reminder about death. And the Prophet ﷺ did not narrate its news except for consideration and taking heed and to perform deeds for what comes after death. And for that he ﷺ commanded remembering death. And urged visiting the graves to see the abodes of the deceased. And to awaken the hearts from their slumber. And to alert it from its heedlessness. Then the worldly concerns and distractions do not make him forget about remembrance of death.

And people see the deceased every day either in person or on screens. And they see the dead spread on the ground. And every day there is news about the deceased. And a period does not pass without them grieving over a relative, a friend or a colleague. To the point that the news of death and seeing it hardly leaves the people.

 قَالَ: وَإِنَّ الْعَبْدَ الْكَافِرَ إِذَا كَانَ فِي انْقِطَاعٍ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا, وَإِقْبَالٍ مِنَ الآخِرَةِ, نَزَلَ إِلَيْهِ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَلاَئِكَةٌ سُودُ الْوُجُوهِ, مَعَهُمُ الْمُسُوحُ, فَيَجْلِسُونَ مِنْهُ مَدَّ الْبَصَرِ,

But when a disbeliever is about to leave the world and proceed to the next world, angels with darkened faces come down to him from heaven with a rough garment from fire and sit away from him as far as the eye can see.

 ثُمَّ يَجِيءُ مَلَكُ الْمَوْتِ حَتَّى يَجْلِسَ عِنْدَ رَأْسِهِ, فيَقُول: يَا أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْخَبِيثَةُ, اخْرُجِي إِلَى سَخَطٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَغَضَبٍ,

Then the angel of death comes and sits at his head and says, ‘Wicked soul, come out to displeasure from Allah.’

 قَالَ: فَتُفَرَّقُ فِي جَسَدِهِ فَيَنْتَزِعُهَا كما يُنْتَزَعُ السَّفُّودُ مِنَ الصُّوفِ الْمَبْلُولِ, فَيَأْخُذُهَا, فَإِذَا أَخَذَهَا لَمْ يَدَعُوهَا فِي يَدِهِ طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ

Then it becomes dissolved in his body, and he draws it out as a hard thorn is drawn out from moistened wool. He then seizes it, and when he does so they do not leave it in his hand for an instant

 حَتَّى يَجْعَلُوهَا فِي تِلْكَ الْمُسُوحِ, وَيَخْرُجُ مِنْهَا كَأَنْتَنِ رِيحِ جِيفَةٍ وُجِدَتْ عَلَى وَجْهِ الأَرْضِ,

But put it in that rough garment from fire and from it comes a stench like the most offensive stench of a corpse found on the face of the earth.

 فَيَصْعَدُونَ بِهَا فَلاَ يَمُرُّونَ بِهَا عَلَى مَلأٍ مِنَ الْمَلاَئِكَةِ إِلاَّ قَالُوا: مَا هَذَا الرُّوحُ الْخَبِيثُ, فَيَقُولُونَ: فُلاَنُ بْنُ فُلاَنٍ بِأَقْبَحِ أَسْمَائِهِ الَّتِي كَانَ يُسَمَّى بِهَا فِي الدُّنْيَا, حَتَّى يُنْتَهَى بِهِ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا, فَيُسْتَفْتَحُ لَهُ فَلاَ يُفْتَحُ لَهُ,

They then take it up and do not bring it past a group of angels without them asking, ‘Who is this wicked soul?’ to which they reply, ‘So and so, the son of so and so,’ using the worst names that he was called in the worldly life. When he is brought to the lowest heaven, a request is made that the gate be opened for him, but it is not opened for him.

 ثُمَّ قَرَأَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ -صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ- [لَا تُفَتَّحُ لَهُمْ أَبْوَابُ السَّمَاءِ وَلَا يَدْخُلُونَ الجَنَّةَ حَتَّى يَلِجَ الجَمَلُ فِي سَمِّ الخِيَاطِ] {الأعراف:40},

(Allah’s messenger then recited, Al Araf (7) 40: The gates of Heaven will not be opened for them, nor will they enter Paradise until a camel enters into the eye of a needle [i.e., never].

فيَقُولُ اللهُ -عَزَّ وَجَلَّ-: اكْتُبُوا كِتَابَهُ فِي سِجِّينٍ فِي الأَرْضِ السُّفْلَى, فَتُطْرَحُ رُوحُهُ طَرْحًا, ثُمَّ قَرَأَ, [وَمَنْ يُشْرِكْ بِاللهِ فَكَأَنَّمَا خَرَّ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ فَتَخْطَفُهُ الطَّيْرُ أَوْ تَهْوِي بِهِ الرِّيحُ فِي مَكَانٍ سَحِيقٍ] {الحج:31}

Then Allah Almighty says: ‘Record his book in the lowest depths,’ and his soul is thrown down. (He then recited, Al Hajj (22) 31: ‘And he who associates with Allah – it is as though he had fallen from the sky and was snatched by the birds, or the wind carried him down into a remote place.

  فَتُعَادُ رُوحُهُ فِي جَسَدِهِ  وَيَأْتِيهِ مَلَكَانِ فَيُجْلِسَانِهِ  فَيَقُولاَنِ لَهُ: مَنْ رَبُّكَ, فيَقُولُ: هَاهْ هَاهْ, لاَ أَدْرِي, فَيَقُولاَنِ لَهُ: مَا دِينُكَ, فيَقُول: هَاهْ هَاهْ, لاَ أَدْرِي, فَيَقُولاَنِ لَهُ: مَا هَذَا الرَّجُلُ الَّذِي بُعِثَ فِيكُمْ, فيَقُولُ: هَاهْ هَاهْ, لاَ أَدْرِى, فَيُنَادِي مُنَادٍ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ: أَنْ كَذَبَ, فَافْرِشُوا لَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ, وَافْتَحُوا له بَابًا إِلَى النَّارِ, فَيَأْتِيهِ مِنْ حَرِّهَا وَسَمُومِهَا, وَيُضَيَّقُ عَلَيْهِ قَبْرُهُ حَتَّى تَخْتَلِفَ فِيهِ أَضْلاَعُهُ, وَيَأْتِيهِ رَجُلٌ قَبِيحُ الْوَجْهِ, قَبِيحُ الثِّيَابِ, مُنْتِنُ الرِّيحِ, فيَقُول: أَبْشِرْ بِالَّذِي يَسُوءُكَ, هَذَا يَوْمُكَ الَّذِي كُنْتَ تُوعَدُ, فيَقُول: مَنْ أَنْتَ, فَوَجْهُكَ الْوَجْهُ يَجِيءُ بِالشَّرِّ, فيَقُولُ: أَنَا عَمَلُكَ الْخَبِيثُ, فيَقُولُ: رَبِّ لاَ تُقِمِ السَّاعَةَ», رَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ وَأَهْلُ السُّنَنِ إِلَّا التِّرْمِذِيَّ.

His soul is then restored to his body, two angels come to him, and sit him up and say to him, ‘Who is your Lord?’. He replies, aah, aah, I do not know.’ They ask, ‘What is your religion?’ and he replies, aah, aah, I do not know.’ They ask, ‘Who is this man who was sent among you?’ and he replies, aah, aah, I do not know.’ Then a caller calls from heaven, ‘He has lied, so make a spread from hell for him, clothe him from hell, and open a door for him into hell.’’ Then some of its heat and hot air comes to him, his grave is made narrow for him so that his ribs are pressed together, and a man with an ugly face, ugly garments and an offensive odour come to him and says, ‘Be grieved with what displeases you, for this is your day which you have been promised.’ He asks, ‘Who are you, for your face bears evil?’ He replies, ‘I am your wicked deeds.’ He then says, ‘My Lord, do not establish the last hour.’  [Ahmad 18557, Abu Dawood 4753, Ibn Majah 1549, Nisai 2001].

Allah Akbar. In this great hadith is a reminder about death. And the Prophet ﷺ did not narrate its news except for consideration and taking heed and to perform deeds for what comes after death. And for that he ﷺ commanded remembering death. And urged visiting the graves to see the abodes of the deceased. And to awaken the hearts from their slumber. And to alert it from its heedlessness. Then the worldly concerns and distractions do not make him forget about remembrance of death.

How cruelty and negligence has overwhelmed the hearts and closed them tightly from the remembrance of death. And from this hadith and others we learn that a person is between two types of graves, and that his destiny is one of two fates and that he will have one of two conclusions.

Did the one falling short in praying in congregation or neglecting Fajr prayer change and make amends upon reflecting upon death when he saw the funeral procession being carried to the grave?

And does the one dealing in extortion take heed when he witnesses people dying around him? And does the oppressor stop oppressing when he witnesses death overtaking the most powerful? And does every sinner repent from their sin? For if death passes by him today to reach someone else, certainly one day it will pass someone else to reach him. Is it not time to repent before that day?

We ask Allah Almighty to soften our hearts and make us among those who take heed from death and amend our lives. Indeed, Allah is All Hearing, Answering.

I conclude with this and send prayers of blessings and peace upon our Prophet as your Lord commanded:

Allahumma Sallai Al’a Muahmmad’n wa’aila Muhammad

أَقُولُ مَا تَسْمَعُونَ وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ  لِي وَلَكُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ ذَنْبٍ فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ  إِنَّهُ هُوَ الغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ