Taking out of the Souls of Believing and Unbelievers

“I heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), say, ‘Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, commands the angel of death to return the soul of a believing person, make it easy for him, and then take it out in the most comfortable way. People then say, “It (dying) was very difficult for so and so.” In fact it is the way Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, provides him comfort.’ He then said, ‘It (comfort) is denied him if he is of those with whom Allah is angry, or Allah dislikes him. He commands him (the angel) to pull out his soul just as frying-bar is pulled out of wool soaked in water and people say, “Allah has made dying very easy for him.’””

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah once visited a man of his companions in dying condition. He then said, ‘O angel of death, make it easy for my companion; he is a believing person.’ He then said, ‘O Muhammad, I am a friend of every believing person. O Muhammad, please note that when I take away the soul of the sons of Adam, his family then cries and mourns. I stand on the side of their room and say, “What is this crying and mourning! By Allah, we have not done it before the due time and we have not done anything wrong. If you consider and bear patience, you will be rewarded but if you cry and howl, you sin and transgress. You should know that we come to you repeatedly; you should be on your guard and beware! There is no household in the East, West, urban, or countryside whose faces I do not study five times every day. I know their grownups and the young ones better than they themselves do. Even if I decide to take away the soul of a bug, I cannot do so without permission from its Lord.’” The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘He studies their faces at the times of Salah (prayer). If they observe proper times of performing their prayers, he dictates them the testimony of belief: “No one deserves to be worshipped except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah” and the angel of death drives Satan away from him.’”

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘The Messenger of Allah once visited a man from Ansar (people of Madinah) and he was of a good status before the Messenger of Allah. He visited him in his dying condition and looked at the angel of death near his head. The Messenger of Allah said, ‘Be kind to my companion; he is a believing person.’ The angel of death then said, ‘O Muhammad, be pleased and delighted; I am a very kind friend of every believer. O Muhammad, please consider that I visit the sons of Adam in their dying conditions and when I take their souls away, their families cry at that time. I then move away to the side of the room, with his spirit with me, and say to them, “By Allah, we have not done any injustice to him or come before the due time or rushed his measures. It is not our fault. If you agree with what Allah has done to him and bear patience, you will be rewarded and admired. If you howl and become angry, you sin and transgress; and you will not have any credit with us. Our work about you is not yet finished. So be on your guard, and beware! There is no household in urban or countryside, on land or water whose faces I do not study five times every day at the time of Salah (prayer), so much so that I know them better than they themselves do. If I, O Muhammad, decide to take away the soul of a bug, I cannot do so without the command of Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, to do so. I dictate to a believer the testimony of belief at the time of his death: “No one deserves to be worshipped except Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.’””