2. The approach of death and related matters
2.1. Definition of the approach of death
The approach of death is when death becomes imminent.
2.2. The agonies and throes of death
2.2.1. Definition of the agonies and throes of death
The word sakarat (translated above as agonies) is the plural of sakrah (lit. intoxication), which is the opposite of sobriety.
The agony of death is its intensity, in which the dying person loses consciousness because the soul is being pulled out of his body.
The throes of death are its agonies which overwhelm the dying person, covering his mind so that he loses consciousness.
Ibn Jarir said, “The word gharamat (translated above as throes) comes from a root referring to that which covers other things.”
2.2.2. Evidence from the Qur’an and Sunnah which proves that the agonies and throes of death occur
i. Evidence from the Holy Qur’an
a. Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning), "If you O Muhammad could but see the evildoers when they are in the throes of death and the angels are stretching out their hands saying: Give up your souls!" (al-An‘am 6:93)
Al-Sa‘di said, “After condemning the wrongdoers, Allah then mentions what He has prepared of punishment at the moment of death and on the Day of Resurrection: If you (O Muhammad) could but see the evildoers when they are in the throes of death that is, their great terror and dreadful anguish, you would see something indescribably frightening. And the angels are stretching out their hands towards those dying wrongdoers, beating and tormenting them.”
b. Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, said (interpretation of the meaning), "The throes of death will bring the truth before his eyes: This is what you have been trying to avoid." (Qaf 50:19)
Ibn ‘Ashur said, “The sakrah (agony, throes) is what happens to a person of pain or distress and prevents him from thinking rationally, so he is no longer able to understand what is going on around him, and he loses consciousness.”
c. Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning), "Indeed, when the departing soul reaches the throat, and it is said: Is there any healer who could save him now? And the dying person realizes that it is his final departure, and agony is heaped on agony; on that day, he will be driven unto your Lord." (al-Qiyamah 75:26-30)
Al-Sa‘di said, “Here Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, admonishes His slaves and reminds them of the situation of the dying person: when his soul reaches his throat, at that point he will be in great distress and will seek every means that he thinks will help him to attain healing and relief.
Hence Allah says, "And it is said, 'Is there any healer (who could save him now)?'" That is, anyone who could perform ruqyah, because they have lost all hope of regular ways of healing, so there is nothing left but to pursue divine means. But when the divine will and decree comes, it cannot be put back. And (the dying person) realises that it is his final departure from this world, and agony is heaped on agony that is, hardships come one after another and are heaped up on one another, and the matter becomes serious and his distress becomes immense, and the soul that is used to being in the physical body is meant to depart, but it is still with it, and soon it will be driven to Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, so that He may requite it for its deeds and make it admit its misdeeds. This rebuke which Allah mentions should make the individual pay attention to what will save him and should deter him from what will lead to his doom. But the stubborn person who does not benefit from the revelations will still persist in his transgression, disbelief and obstinacy.”
ii. Evidence from the Sunnah
a. It was narrated from ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that there was a container of water in front of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and he started putting his hand in the water and wiping his face with it, saying, “La ilaha illa Allah (there is no god worthy of worship except Allah), indeed death has agonies.” Then he held his hand up and started saying: “With those on high,” and he kept saying it until his soul was taken and his hand dropped. (Al-Bukhari)
Al-Kirmani said, "His saying, 'The agonies of death' refer to its intensity, distress, and overwhelming nature. His saying, 'With those on high' means: admit me among them. In other words: I have chosen death."
b. It was narrated that Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "When the Prophet’s sickness grew worse, he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) began to lose consciousness, and Fatimah (peace be upon her) said: How distressed my father is! He said to her, 'Your father will have no more distress after today.'" (Al-Bukhari)
Al-Khattabi said, “What is meant by his words ‘Your father will have no more distress after today’ is: he will not suffer any distress or trouble that could cause him anguish after today, when he moves to the hereafter, perpetual safety and everlasting bliss.”
Abu Hamid al-Ghazali said, “You should understand that if there was no distress, calamity or suffering ahead of this poor human except the agonies of death only, that would be enough to undermine his joy in life and spoil his happiness, and he would no longer be negligent or heedless, for he would always be thinking about it and would strive hard to prepare for it, especially when he could die with every breath he takes… And you should understand that no one knows how intense the immense pain of the agony of death is except the one who experiences it.”
2.2.3. The agonies of death are something inevitable which all creatures must undergo
All creatures will experience the agonies of death. This is indicated by the general meaning of the verse in which Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning), "Every soul will taste death." (Al ‘Imran 3:185)
And the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, “Indeed, death has agonies.” (Al-Bukhari) But creatures vary in the extent to which they will feel those agonies.
2.3. Prompting the dying person to say La ilaha illa Allah
It was narrated from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, “Prompt your dying ones to say La ilaha illa Allah.” (Muslim)
In this hadith, the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) teaches us that we should prompt the dying person to say La ilaha illa Allah. In other words: Say it to the one who is going through the agonies of death, and repeat it to him, so that he will say it. This is advice from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to his ummah, highlighting the importance of the word of Tawhid in life and at the time of death, because this word will protect the life of everyone who says it in this world, and if the one who is departing this world for the hereafter says it, there is the hope that it will protect him from the punishment of the hereafter just as it protected him from the punishment of this world.
2.4. The opportunity to repent comes to an end when death becomes imminent
Repentance to Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is accepted when the necessary conditions are met, one of which is that it should come before death is imminent. Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning), "Allah only accepts the repentance of those who do evil in ignorance and repent soon afterwards; to them will Allah turn in mercy, for Allah is All-Knowing, Most Wise. But of no avail is the repentance of those who continue to do evil until, when death approaches any one of them, he says; Now I repent, nor the repentance of those who die as disbelievers; for them have We prepared a painful punishment." (al-Nisa’ 4:17-18)
Ibn Kathir said, “Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says that He only accepts repentance from the one who does evil in ignorance, then he repents before he sees the Angel of Death coming to take his soul, which is before the death rattle sounds… These hadiths indicate that the one who repents to Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, while still expecting to live, his repentance will be accepted from him… But when he has despaired of living and sees the angel, and his soul reaches his throat, his chest becomes tight, and the death rattle sounds, then no repentance will be accepted at that time, for it is too late.”
2.5. The presence of the Shaytan at the time of death
At the time of death, the Shaytan is very keen to get hold of the individual so that he will not escape from him. Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning), "And say: My Lord, I seek refuge with You from the goading of the devils.
And I seek refuge with You, my Lord, lest they come near me." (al-Mu’minun 23:97-98)
Ibn Kathir said, “The words And I seek refuge with You, my Lord, lest they come near me mean: in any of my affairs. Therefore it is enjoined to mention Allah when starting anything – in order to drive away the devils – when eating, having intercourse, slaughtering an animal for food, and other matters.”
Al-Shinqiti said, "The apparent meaning of the words And I seek refuge with You, my Lord, lest they come near me is: I seek refuge with You lest the Shaytan comes near me in any of my affairs, no matter what it is, whether that is at the time of reciting Qur’an, as Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning), 'When you recite the Qur’an, seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Shaytan.' (al-Nahl 16:98), or when death is imminent, or in any affairs at any time. And Allah knows best."
It was narrated from Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, “The Shaytan is present with any one of you in all his affairs.”
Al-Nawawi said, “This hadith contains a warning against the Shaytan, which alerts us to the fact that the Shaytan is always with a person in whatever situation he is in, so we should be careful and take precautions against him, and we should not be deceived by what he makes fair-seeming to us.”
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to say in his supplication, 'Allahumma inni a‘udhu bika min ‘adhab il-qabri wa min ‘adhabi’n-nari wa min fitnat il-mahya wa’l-mamati wa min fitnat il-masih id-dajjal (O Allah, I seek refuge with You from the punishment of the grave and the punishment of the Fire, and from the trials of life and death, and from the turmoil of the Dajjal (antichrist).'" (Al-Bukhari, Muslim)
Ibn Daqiq al-‘Eid said, “The trials of life’ refer to what a person is exposed to throughout his life of the temptations of worldly glamour, whims and desires, and ignorance, the most serious and greatest of which – Allah forbid – is how one’s life ends at death. As for ‘the trials of death,’ it may be that what is meant is trial at the time of death. It is mentioned in conjunction with death because it occurs when one is very close to death. Based on that, the trials of life are what happens before that, during the person’s lifetime, and how he conducts himself in this world. Whatever is close to something is subject to the same rulings as it, so when death is approaching a person, that is similar to death, and is not regarded as part of this world. Or it may be that what is meant by the trials of death is the trial of the grave.”
2.6. The coming of the Angel of Death and his helpers to take the person’s soul
When the appointed time comes and Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, wants to take a person’s soul, He sends the Angel of Death to him, accompanied by other angels who help him to take the soul of that person.
Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning), "Say O Muhammad: The Angel of Death, who has been given charge of you, will take your souls in death." (al-Sajdah 32:11) "He is Dominant over His slaves. He sends keepers to watch over you, then when death comes to one of you, Our envoys angels take his soul, and they never fail in their duty." (al-An‘am 6:61)
In other words, your Lord protects you and records your deeds during your life, through angels who are appointed to watch over you, until death comes to you. At that time, His angels take your soul, and they do not add or detract even a moment from what Allah has willed and decreed, and they only do that in accordance with the divine decree. They are not negligent with regard to where the soul of the deceased should go; rather they keep it with them and take it wherever Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, wills. If the person was one of the righteous, then he will be in ‘Illiyyin in elevated gardens of Paradise, and if he was one of the evildoers, he will be in Sijjeen in the depths of Hell.
Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “The Angel of Death has helpers among the angels.”
When a person is dying, the soul reaches the throat and those present see what the dying person suffers of the agonies of death, without seeing the angels who are pulling out his soul.
Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says regarding the state of the one who is dying (interpretation of the meaning), "Then why do you not intervene, when the soul of the dying person reaches the throat, whilst you are looking on, when We are nearer to him than you, but you do not see?" (al-Waqi‘ah 56:83-85)
Al-Sa‘di said, “What is meant is: We are nearer to him than you by virtue of Our knowledge and Our angels, but you do not see.”
2.7. The state of the one who is dying
For those who are dying, whose souls the angels take, their state varies according to their level of faith or of their disbelief and evil deeds.
2.7.1. The state of the believer at the time of death
Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning), "Verily, those who say: Our Lord is Allah, then remain steadfast, to them the angels will come down at the time of death, saying: Fear not, nor grieve; but receive the glad tidings of paradise which you were promised. We have been your close friends in the life of this world and will remain so in the hereafter. There you will have all that your souls desire and there you will have all that you ask for, a recompense from One Who is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (Fussilat 41:30-32)
Ibn Kathir said, “Everyone who follows the Messenger, the Unlettered Prophet, will enjoy eternal bliss. They will have no fear concerning the future and they will not grieve for what they leave behind.”
Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning), "Those whose souls the angels take in death in a state of purity, saying to them, 'Peace be upon you; enter paradise as a reward for your deeds.'" (an-Nahl 16:32)
Al-Sam‘ani said, “The words those whose souls the angels take in death in a state of purity mean: they are pure and free of shirk. It was said that what it means is that their death will be good and easy. saying to them: Peace be upon you it was said that what is meant here is the greeting of the angels, who will convey the greeting of Allah to them.”
Ibn Rajab said, “When death comes to the believer who is prepared for it, he thinks positively of his Lord and receives glad tidings from Allah, so he likes to meet Allah and Allah likes to meet him. The evildoer is the opposite of that. At that time, the believer rejoices and is happy because of what he sent on ahead and what he is going to enjoy as a result of that, but the one who was heedless feels regret and says, 'Alas! I neglected my duty towards Allah.' (al-Zumar 39:56)”
It was narrated that Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, 'When the deceased is placed on the bier and the men lift it up onto their shoulders, if the deceased was righteous, he says: ‘Hasten forward with me.’ And if he was not righteous, he says: ‘Woe to me! Where are you taking me?’ And his voice is heard by everything except humans, and if any human heard it he would fall unconscious.'" (Al-Bukhari)
Ibn ‘Uthaymin said, “Hastening with the funeral means hastening to prepare the body, hastening to take it to the graveyard, and hastening to bury it. That is because when the person dies, he is either righteous or otherwise. If he was righteous, then delaying him is like keeping him away from that which Allah has prepared for him of blessings in his grave, because he is moving from this world to something better than it, for when death came to him and he went through the agonies of death, he was given glad tidings, and it was said to his soul: Rejoice in the mercy of Allah and His pleasure. So he longs for the fulfilment of those glad tidings and loves to hasten and be hastened with, and if he is delayed, that is like mistreating him and keeping him from what Allah has prepared for him of bliss. But if he was not righteous – Allah forbid – then he should not remain among us and we should hasten to rid ourselves of him.”
2.7.2. The state of the disbeliever or evildoer at the time of death
The disbelievers and those who were heedless of Allah’s commands will ask Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, at the time of death to let them go back to the life of this world so that they can rectify what they did wrong throughout their lives in this world.
Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says regarding them (interpretation of the meaning), "Until, when death comes to one of them, he says: My Lord, send me back,
so that I may do the righteous deeds that I have failed to do. Nay, it is but a word he says. And behind them is a barrier, until the day they are resurrected." (al-Mu’minun 23:99-100)
And Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning), "O you who believe, do not let your wealth and your children distract you from the remembrance of Allah. Whoever does that, it is they who are the losers. And spend from that which We have provided for you, before death comes to one of you and he says: My Lord, if only You would grant me a reprieve for a little while, then I would give in charity and be among the righteous. But Allah will not grant a reprieve to any soul when its appointed time has come, and Allah is well aware of all that you do." (al-Munafiqun 63:9-11)
When the angels come down to take their souls, they rebuke them, strike them and give them tidings of the Fire.
Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning), "Verily, when the angels take in death the souls of those who have wronged themselves, they ask them: What was the matter with you? They reply: We were weak and oppressed in the land. They say: Was Allah’s earth not spacious enough for you to migrate to some other place? For those, their ultimate abode is hell, an evil journey’s end." (an-Nisa’ 4:97)
Ibn Baz said, “In this verse, Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, tells us that the angels say to the Muslim who dies in the land of shirk and did not migrate: Was Allah’s earth not spacious enough for you to migrate to some other place, after He tells us that they wronged themselves by staying among the disbelievers when they were able to migrate.”
Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning), "If only you could see when the angels take the souls of the disbelievers in death, striking their faces and backs saying: Taste the punishment of the scorching fire! This is because of what your hands wrought. For Allah is never unjust to His slaves." (al-Anfal 8:50-51) Ibn al-Qayyim said, “This tasting of the punishment begins at the moment of death.”
It was narrated that al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "We went out with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) for the funeral of an Ansari man. We came to the grave but it had not been dug yet. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sat down and we sat around him as if there were birds on our heads. He had a stick in his hand with which he was tapping the ground, then he raised his head and said: “Seek refuge with Allah from the torment of the grave,” two or three times. Then he said: “…Verily, when the believing slave is about to depart this world and enter the Hereafter, there come down to him angels from heaven with white faces, as if their faces are the sun. They bring with them one of the shrouds of Paradise and some of the perfume of Paradise. They sit with him as far as the eye can see. Then the Angel of Death (peace be upon him) comes to him and sits by his head and says, ‘O pure soul, come out to the forgiveness and pleasure of Allah.’ Then his soul comes flowing out like a drop of water flowing from a cup. Then he takes the soul, and when he takes it, they do not leave it in his hand for an instant before they take it and place it in that shroud and perfume. Then out of it comes the most excellent fragrance of musk to be found on the face of the earth. Then they ascend with it … But when the disbelieving slave is about to depart this world and enter the Hereafter, there come down to him from heaven angels with black faces, bringing sackcloth, and they sit around him as far as the eye can see. Then the Angel of Death comes and sits by his head, and he says, ‘O evil soul, come forth to the wrath of Allah and His anger.’ Then his soul disperses inside his body, then the angel pulls it out, like a skewer pulled out through wet wool. When he seizes it, they do not leave it in his hand for an instant before they take it and put it in that sackcloth, and there comes from it a stench like the foulest stench of a dead body on the face of the earth. Then they ascend with it…” (Abu Dawud, al-Nasa’i, Ibn Majah, Ahmad. Sahih)
2.8. The prophets are given the choice at the time of death
It was narrated that ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say, 'There is no prophet who falls sick but he is given the choice between this world and the hereafter. During his final illness, his voice became very husky and I heard him saying, "With those whom Allah has blessed of the Prophets, the strong and true in faith, the martyrs and the righteous. And I knew that he had been given the choice." (Al-Bukhari, Muslim)
aqadia
