What happens exactly to a person when he is dying?
When a person is dying, significant spiritual and physical events occur according to Islamic teachings. The experience varies greatly between believers and disbelievers.
For believers, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ described a comforting scene. He said: When a believer is near death, the angels of mercy come to him with a white shroud and say: 'Come forth content and contenting, to the Spirit of Allah and sweet fragrance and a Lord who is not angry.' Then the soul departs like the best scent of musk, and they hand it over to one another until they bring it to the gate of heaven, where they say: 'What an excellent scent comes to you from the earth.' Then they bring it to the souls of the believers, who rejoice at it more than any of you rejoices at one absent.
Sunan an-Nasa'i 21:16. This narration portrays the gentle and honored transition of the believer's soul, highlighting the joy and welcome it receives in the afterlife.
On the other hand, the experience for disbelievers is starkly different. The angels of torment come to them with black shrouds, stating: "Come forth angry and reviled unto the torment of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic." The disbeliever's soul departs with a foul odor, described as "the stench of a carcass," which signifies the severe punishment awaiting them. They are then taken to the gate of the earth, where it is remarked, What is this scent?
Sunan an-Nasa'i 21:16. This indicates the rejection the disbeliever faces from the heavenly realm.
Additionally, Al-Kafi mentions that when the dead person dies, the souls gather around him and ask about those who preceded and those who remain
Al-Kafi 3:484. This highlights the gathering of souls and the awareness they have of each other's presence in the moments surrounding death.
Overall, the transition at the moment of death is a profound experience, marked by either the comfort of the angels of mercy for the believer or the torment for the disbeliever, illustrating the significant spiritual consequences of one's faith and actions in life.
Sources
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Sunan an-Nasa'i 21:16
Sunan an-Nasa'i · Book 21, Hadith 16 · Narrated by Abu Huraira
The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "When a believer is near death, the angels of mercy come to him with a white shroud and say: 'Come forth content and contenting, to the Spirit of Allah and sweet fragrance and a Lord who is not angry.' Then the soul departs like the best scent of musk, and they hand it over to one another until they bring it to the gate of heaven, where they say: 'What an excellent scent comes to you from the earth.' Then they bring it to the souls of the believers, who rejoice at it more than any of you rejoices at one absent. They ask: 'What did so-and-so do?' They say: 'Leave him; he was in the distress of this life.' When asked if he has come to you, they say: 'They have taken him to the pit of Hell.' But when a disbeliever is near death, the angels of torment come with black shrouds and say: 'Come forth angry and reviled unto the torment of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.' The soul departs like the stench of a carcass until they bring it to the gate of the earth and say: 'What is this scent?' Then they bring it to the souls of the disbelievers.
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Al-Kafi 3:484
Al-Kafi · Book 3, Hadith 484
When the dead person dies, the souls gather around him and ask about those who preceded and those who remain. If the deceased is really dead and does not respond, they say: He has fallen. Some say to others: Leave him until he is tranquillized from what passes over him of death. — OR — He said, "When Bani Israel would offer the sacrifice, a fire would emerge and consume the accepted sacrifice. Allah made Ihram the place of sacrifice." — OR — A group of our companions narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Musa ibn Ja'far from Amr ibn Sa'id from Musaddiq ibn Sadaqah from Ammar from Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him) about a man who owns a slave girl and his grandson has intercourse with her before the grandfather has done so, or if a man commits adultery with a woman: Is it lawful for the father to marry her? He said: No. Only if the man has married her and had intercourse with her, then his son commits adultery with her will not harm him, because the haram does not invalidate the halal, and the same applies to the slave girl.
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