When someone begins to die the Angel of Death or Izraeel comes to
take the soul out of the body and puts it in a place called the
Barzakh. "Say: 'The Angel of Death, put in charge of you, will (duly) take your souls. Then shall you be brought back to your Lord." (32:11)
"Wherever you are, Death will find you out, even if you are
in towers built up strong and high! " (4:78)
For those who led a life of evil, the removal of the soul is tough and difficult. Sometimes, more than one angel has to work together to beat the face and back of the deceased. But for those who lived a good life, the soul yearns to meet its Lord and leaves the body with ease, like a drop of water pouring out. A light like the sun's ray and a sweet fragrance come out to the soul. Then it ascends amid rows of angels, but those who are there cannot see or smell this.
The deceased is questioned, punished, beaten, and wails, and cries
out. All this happens while they lie dead and their family is around
them, but they neither hear nor see it.
After the soul is taken, if it is a pure soul and has relatives in
the Next World who are people of the Garden, they come to meet the
soul with yearning and great joy. They ask it about the condition of
those who are still alive and 'suffering' in this world. The angels
then bear the soul from one heaven to the next until it comes into
the presence of Allah, Then it returns and sees the washing of the
body, its shrouding, and the funeral procession. It says either,
'Take me forward! Take me forward!' or 'Where are you taking me?'
The living, of course, hear none of this. The soul comes back and
stays floating above the body and when the corpse is placed in the
grave, the soul inserts itself between the body and the shroud so
that the questioning can take place.
Whenever someone died, the prophet (saw) would stand for awhile at
the burial site and then say, "Seek forgiveness for your (Muslim)
brother and pray for his steadfastness since he is now being
questioned." [Abu Dawud]
The angels pray for the soul of the believer in the heavens just as
people pray over the body on earth. The soul hears the receding
footfall of the last of the people who followed the funeral and the
earth is levelled over them. The earth or even a rock hollowed out
and sealed over with lead, would not prevent the two angels, Munkar
and Nakir from reaching it.
This is all narrated in the following sound hadith of the prophet
(saw):
"When the believer is about to depart from this world and go forward
into the Next World, angels with faces as bright as the sun descend
from the heavens and sit around him in throngs stretching as far as
the eye can see. Then the Angel of Death comes and sits at his head
and says, "Good soul, come out to forgiveness and pleasure from
Allah!"
Then his soul emerges like a drop of water flows from a
water-skin and the angel takes hold of it. When he has grasped it,
the other angels do not leave it in his hand even for the twinkling
of an eye.
They take it and place it in a perfumed shroud and
fragrance issues from it like the sweetest scent of musk found on the
face of the earth.'
"Then they bear it upwards and whenever they take it past a company
of angels, they ask, 'Who is this good soul?' and the angels with the
soul reply, 'So-and-so the son of so-and-so,' using the best names by
which people used to call him in this world. They bring him to the
lowest heaven and ask for the gate to be opened for him. It is
opened for him and angels who are near Allah from each of the heavens
accompany him to the subsequent heaven until he reaches to the heaven
where Allah the Great is. Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says,
'Register the book of My slave in 'Illiyun and take him back to
earth. I created them from it and I return them to it and I will
bring them forth from it again.'
"His soul is then returned to his body and two angels come to him.
They make him sit up and say to him, 'Who is your Lord?' He replies, 'My Lord is Allah.'
They ask him, 'What is your religion?' He
replies, 'My religion is Islam.'
They ask him, 'Who is this man who
was sent among you?' He replies, 'The Messenger of Allah.'
They ask him, 'How did you come to know these things?.' He replies, 'I read
the Book of Allah, believed it, and declared it to be true.' Then a
Voice from on high declares, 'My slave has spoken the truth, so
spread out carpets from the Garden for him and open a gate of the
Garden for him!'
"Then some of its fragrance and perfume comes to him, his grave is
expanded for him as far as the eye can see, and a man with beautiful
garments and a fragrant scent comes to him and says, 'Rejoice in what
delights you for this is the day which you were promised.' He asks,
'Who are you? Yours is a face which presages good.' He replies, 'I
am your good actions.' Then he says, 'O Lord, let the Last Hour come
soon so that I may rejoin my family and my property!'
"When an unbeliever is about to depart from this world and go forward
into the Next World, angels with black faces descend from the heavens
carrying rough hair-cloth and sit around him in throngs stretching as
far as the eye can see. Then the Angel of Death comes and sits at his
head and says, 'Foul soul, come out to the wrath and anger of Allah!'
Then his soul divides up in his body and it is dragged out like a
skewer is pulled out of wet wool. Then the angel takes hold of it.
When he has grasped it, the other angels do not leave it in his hand
even for the twinkling of an eye. They take it and wrap it in the
rough haircloth and a stench comes out of it like the worst stench of
a corpse on the face of the earth.'
"Then they take it up and whenever they take it past a company of
angels, they ask, 'Who is this foul soul?' and the angels with the
soul reply, 'So-and-so the son of so-and-so,' using the worst names
by which people used to call him in this world. They bring him to
the lowest heaven and ask for the gate to be opened for him. It does
not get opened.'
"The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
then recited, 'The gates of heaven will not be opened to them nor
will they enter the Garden until the camel passes through the eye of
the needle.' (7:40) Then Allah the Mighty and Majestic, will say,
'Register his book in Sijjin in the lowest earth.' Then his soul is
flung down. The Prophet then recited, 'Whoever associates anything
with Allah, it is as though he has fallen from heaven and the birds
snatch him away or the wind sweeps him headlong into a place far
away.' (22:31)
"Then his soul is returned to his body and two angels come and say to
him, 'Who is your Lord?' He replies, 'Alas, alas, I do not know!'
Then a voice calls from on high, 'My slave has lied, so spread out
carpets from the Fire for him and open a gate of the Fire for him!'
then a hot blast from it comes to him, his grave is made so narrow
for him that his ribs are pressed together, and a man with a hideous
face and clothing and a foul odour comes to him and says, 'Grieve on
account of what has brought you disgrace for this is the day which
you were promised.' He asks, 'Who are you? Yours is a face which
presages evil.' He replies, 'I am your bad actions.' Then he says, 'O
Lord, do not let the Last Hour come!'"
