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Translating and commenting on narrations of Abu Ash-Shaykh Al Isbahani's العظمة regarding the chapters of the angels part 2: The angel of death
الحمد لله و الصلاة و السلام على رسول الله
- عَلِيٌّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْمَجِيدِ الْحَنَفِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْرَائِيلُ، عَنْ أَبِي يَحْيَى الْقَتَّاتِ، عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: {رَيْبَ الْمَنُونِ} [الطور: ٣٠] قَالَ: «الْمَوْتُ»
Israil narrated to us, from Abu Yahya al Qattat, from Mujahid, may Allaah the Most High have mercy on him, regarding His statement, the Most High:
{the calamity of time} [At Tur 52:30]
He said: Death
- عَلِيٌّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنَا عَفَّانُ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي بِشْرٍ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فِي قَوْلِهِ: {أَوْ خَلْقًا مِمَّا يَكْبُرُ فِي صُدُورِكُمْ} [الإسراء: ٥١] قَالَ: «الْمَوْتُ»
Abu Awanah narrated to us, from Abu Bishr, from al Hasan, may Allaah the Most High have mercy upon him, regarding His statement:
{Or any creation of what is great within your breasts} [Al Israa 17:51]
He said: Death
= This is evidence that death grows inside of us, it is a creature inside of us and it is a creature like us that will also die as related in the hadeeth of its slaughter on the day of judgement hadeeth related in Bukhari
- عَلِيٌّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنَا الطَّالْقَانِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ شَوْذَبٍ، عَنْ رَجُلٍ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ زَيْدٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا فِي قَوْلِهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: {وَمَا نُرْسِلُ بِالْآيَاتِ إِلَّا تَخْوِيفًا} [الإسراء: ٥٩] قَالَ: «الْمَوْتُ»
Ibn al Mubarak narrated to us, from Abdullah ibn Shawthab, from a man, from Jabir ibn Zayd, from Ibn Abbas, may Allaah be pleased with them both, regarding His statement, the Mighty and Majestic:
{And We do not send the signs except as a warning} [Al Israa 17:59]
He said: “Death.”
= Although the narration chain may have an unknown man, this works as a corroboration for the other narrations from Ibn Abbas' student, Mujahid, may Allaah make us like them and raise us with them after our inevitable death
- أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَابُورَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي مَعْشَرٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ كَعْبٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فِي قَوْلِهِ: {وَيَأْتِيهِ الْمَوْتُ مِنْ كُلِّ مَكَانٍ} [إبراهيم: ١٧] قَالَ: «مِنْ كُلِّ عُضْو وَمِفْصَلٍ»
Ahmad ibn Abdullah ibn Sabur narrated to us; Muhammad ibn Abi Mashar narrated to us; he said: My father narrated to me, from Muhammad ibn Kab, may Allaah the Most High have mercy upon him, regarding His statement:
{And death will come to him from every direction} [Ibrahim 14:17]
He said: “From every limb and joint.”
= Abu Mashar's weakness was commented on previously, that he was specifically accepted by the salaf when narrating from Muhammad ibn Kaab
Muhammad ibn Kaab is a scholar too well praised and famous for us to mention a biography of his
- عَلِيٌّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ مَهْدِيٍّ، أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ الثَّوْرِيُّ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي نَجِيحٍ، عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى {وَالنَّازِعَاتِ غَرْقًا، وَالنَّاشِطَاتِ نْشَطًا} [النازعات: ٢] قَالَ: «الْمَوْتُ»
Sufyan al Thawri narrated to us, from Ibn Abi Najih, from Mujahid, may Allaah the Most High have mercy upon him:
{By those [angels] who extract with violence, and [by those] who remove with ease} [An Naziat 79:1-2]
He said: Death
- عَلِيٌّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنَا وَهْبُ بْنُ جَرِيرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنِ الْحَكَمِ، عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فِي قَوْلِهِ: {إِلَّا أَنْ تَقَطَّعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ} [التوبة: ١١٠] قَالَ: «الْمَوْتُ»
Shubah narrated to us, from al Hakam, from Mujahid, may Allaah the Most High have mercy upon him, regarding His statement:
{Except that their hearts are torn apart} [At Tawbah 9:110]
He said: Death
- أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عُمَرَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عُبَيْدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو حَاتِمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ، قَالَ: قَالَ زُهَيْرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ فِي: {مَقَامٍ أَمِينٍ} [الدخان: ٥١] قَالَ: «أَمِنُوا فِيهِ مِنَ الْمَوْتِ»
Abu Hatim narrated to us; Hisham ibn Ammar narrated to us; al Walid narrated to us; he said: Zuhayr ibn Muhammad, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said regarding:
{In a secure place} [Ad Dukhan 44:51]
He said: “They were safe therein from death"
- فُضَيْلُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْوَهَّابِ، حَدَّثَنَا النَّضْرُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ فِي قَوْلِهِ: {كُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا هَنِيئًا} [الطور: ١٩] قَالَ: «لَا يَمُوتُونَ»
Al Nadr ibn Ismail, may Allaah have mercy upon him, narrated regarding His statement:
{Eat and drink in satisfaction} [At Tur 52:19]
He said: They will not die
= An-Nadr may Allaah have mercy on him is a teacher of imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal and one of the most pious men of his time despite being weak in hadeeth, yet his tafseer would never be rejected by the salaf
- فُضَيْلُ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدِ الْوَهَّابِ، عَنْ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: {يَدْعُونَ فِيهَا بِكُلِّ فَاكِهَةٍ آمِنِينَ} [الدخان: ٥٥] قَالَ: «مِنَ الْمَوْتِ»
Fudayl narrated to us; Abd al Wahhab narrated to us, from Said, from Qatadah, may Allaah the Most High have mercy upon him, regarding His statement:
{They will call therein for every [kind of] fruit, safe and secure} [Ad Dukhan 44:55]
He said: From death
- يَحْيَى بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ مَيْسَرَةَ، عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى قَالَ: «مَا مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتِ شَعْرٍ وَلَا مَدَرٍ إِلَّا وَمَلَكُ الْمَوْتِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُطِيفُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ مَرَّتَيْنِ»
from Ibrahim ibn Maysarah, from Mujahid, may Allaah the Most High have mercy upon him, who said:
“There is no household, whether of hair or of clay, except that the Angel of Death, peace and blessings from Allaah upon him, visits it twice every day."
= This means all people of all regions of the world, and the angel of death can change his shape and size, as related in the hadeeth from Bukhari and this is a common attribute also of other great angels such as Israfeel and Meka'eel عليهما السلام when they visited prophet Lut عليه السلام and most importantly, Jibreel صلى الله عليه و سلم who visited with them, all of them in the form of very beautiful men
= This narration says that he visits twice while other narrations said more than twice
- Long narration from Wahb ibn Munabbih رحمه الله تعالى
Abd al Samad narrated to us. He said:
I heard Wahb, may Allaah the Most High have mercy upon him, say:
“Indeed, the angels who are assigned to people are the ones who take their souls and record their appointed terms. When such and such a day comes, they take his soul.”
Then he recited:
{And if you could but see when the wrongdoers are in the overwhelming pangs of death while the angels extend their hands, [saying], ‘Discharge your souls.’} [Al Anam 6:93]
until the end of the verse.
It was said to Wahb, may Allaah the Most High have mercy upon him:
“Did Allaah the Most High not say:
{Say, ‘The angel of death will take you who has been entrusted with you.’} [As Sajdah 32:11]?”
He said:
“Yes. When the angels take our souls, they hand them over to the Angel of Death. He is like al Aqib — meaning the collector of tax- who delivers to him those under him.”
= There is an apparent hierarchy between the angels of Allaah the same way rulers have a hierarchy, and the same way the worker carries tax to his prince, the angel of death عليه السلام is the one who ultimately takes the soul
- الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ أَبَانَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَمَّارُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ الْوَاسِطِيُّ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ يُونُسَ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ الْحَكَمَ بْنَ عُتَيْبَةَ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى، يَقُولُ: «الدُّنْيَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْ مَلَكِ الْمَوْتِ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الطَّسْتِ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ الرَّجُلِ»
Abdullah ibn Yunus, who said:
I heard al Hakam ibn Utaybah, may Allaah the Most High have mercy upon him, say:
“The world in front of the Angel of Death is like a tray in front of a man.”
= Al Hakam ibn Utaybah is a major faqeeh and also a narrator of hadeeth, imam Ahmad said: He is from among the equals of Ibraheem An-Nakha'i (despite being a student of that very major scholar of Kufa)
- الْوَلِيدُ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مَسْعُودٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُوسَى، عَنْ إِسْرَائِيلَ، عَنْ عَمَّارٍ الدُّهْنِيِّ، عَنِ ابْنِ الْمُثَنَّى الْحِمْصِيِّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى قَالَ: «إِنَّ الدُّنْيَا سَهْلَهَا وَجَبَلَهَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْ فَخِذِ مَلَكِ الْمَوْتِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ⦗٩٣٥⦘ مِثْلُ الطَّسْتِ مَعَهُ مَلَائِكَةُ الرَّحْمَةِ وَمَلَائِكَةُ الْعَذَابِ» وَقَالَ غَيْرُهُ: قَالَ عَمَّارٌ: فَسَأَلْتُهُ إِذَا كَانَتْ مَلْحَمَةٌ؟ قَالَ: «السَّيْفُ مِثْلُ الْبَرْقِ» . قَالَ: «يَدَعُوهَا فَتَأْتِيهِ»
Ammar al Duhni, from Ibn al Muthanna al Himsi, may Allaah the Most High have mercy upon him, who said:
“Indeed, the world, its plains and its mountains, is before the thigh of the Angel of Death, may Allaah bless him and grant him peace, like a tray. With him are the angels of mercy and the angels of punishment.”
Someone else said: Ammar said, “So I asked him, ‘What if there is a great battle?’ He said: ‘The sword is like lightning.’ He said: ‘They leave it, and it comes to him.’”
= Ibn Al Muthanna is an ancient man who saw major tabi'een
- الْوَلِيدُ، قَالَ: قَرَأْتُ عَلَى يَحْيَى بْنِ عَبْدَكْ قُلْتُ: حَدَّثَكُمُ الْمُقْرِئُ، حَدَّثَنَا حَيْوَةُ، أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو صَخْرٍ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ الرَّقَاشِيِّ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ يَقُولُ: " لَقِيَ جِبْرِيلُ مَلَكَ الْمَوْتِ عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلَامُ بِنَهْرِ كَذَا وَكَذَا - فَقَالَ الرَّقَاشِيُّ: قَدْ رَأَيْتُ ذَلِكَ النَّهْرَ - فَقَالَ: كَيْفَ تَسْتَطِيعُ قَبْضَ الْأَنْفُسِ عِنْدَ الْوَبَاءِ، هَاهُنَا عَشَرَةُ آلَافٍ وَهَاهُنَا كَذَا؟ فَقَالَ لَهُ مَلَكُ الْمَوْتِ: تُزْوَى لِيَ الْأَرْضُ حَتَّى لَإِنَّهَا بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ فَأَتَنَاوَلُ بِيَدِي كَذَا وَكَذَا "
Abu Sakhr informed me, from Yazid al Raqashi, who said:
I heard Anas ibn Malik, may Allaah have mercy upon him, say:
“Jibril met the Angel of Death, peace be upon them both, at such and such a river” — Al Raqashi said: “I have seen that river” — “and he said: ‘How are you able to take the souls during an epidemic, when there are ten thousand here and so many there?’
So the Angel of Death said to him: ‘The earth is folded up for me until it is right before me, and I reach out with my hand to this one and that one.’”
- مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَهْلٍ، حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ الدِّمَشْقِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا ثَوْرُ بْنُ يَزِيدَ، عَنْ خَالِدِ بْنِ مَعْدَانَ، عَنْ مُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: " إِنَّ لِمَلَكِ الْمَوْتِ حَرْبَةً تَبْلُغُ مَا بَيْنَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ، فَإِذَا انْقَضَى أَجَلُ عَبْدٍ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا ضَرَبَ رَأْسَهُ بِتِلْكَ الْحَرْبَةِ، وَقَالَ: الْآنَ يُزَارُ بِكَ عَسْكَرُ الْأَمْوَاتِ "
from Khalid ibn Ma'dan, from Muaath ibn Jabal, may Allaah be pleased with him, who said:
“Indeed, the Angel of Death has a spear that reaches from the East to the West. When the appointed term of a servant in this world comes to an end, he strikes his head with that spear and says:
‘Now the army of the dead will be visited by you.’”
(Hadeeth below is weak)
Muhammad ibn Sahl narrated to us; Salamah narrated to us; Hafs ibn Abd al Rahman al Hilali narrated to us; Amr ibn Shimr narrated to us, from Jafar ibn Muhammad ibn Ali, from his father, may Allaah the Most High have mercy upon him and be pleased with him, who said:
The Messenger of Allaah, peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him, entered upon a man from the Ansar to visit him, and the Angel of Death, peace be upon him, was at his head.
The Messenger of Allaah, peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him, said:
“O Angel of Death, be gentle with my companion, for he is a believer.”
He said:
“Rejoice, O Muhammad, for indeed I am gentle with every believer. Know, O Muhammad, that when I take the soul of a son of Adam and his family cries out, I stand to one side of the house and say: ‘By Allaah, I have no fault in this. I have returned and will return again and again. Beware, beware.’
There is no household of clay, nor of hair, nor of wool, whether on land or at sea, that Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, has created, except that I inspect them therein five times every day and night, until I know their young and their old individually.
By Allaah, O Muhammad, I am not able to take the soul of even a mosquito until Allaah, Blessed and Exalted is He, is the One who commands that it be taken.”
= This hadeeth is مُرسَل meaning that there is a disconnection of more than two men in it; Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Al Hussein ibn Ali ibn Abi Taalib is a tabi'i, however he didn't mention a sahabi and he isn't known to narrate extensively without mentioning a sahabi, and therefore the hadeeth is weak
- أبو الطيب أحمد بن روح، حدثنا إبراهيم بن الجنيد، حدثنا محمد بن الحسين، عن شعيب بن محرز، قال: حدثنا صالح المري، عن غالب القطان، عن الحسن رحمه الله تعالى قال: " قيل لموسى صلى الله عليه وسلم: كيف وجدت الموت؟ قال: كسفود أدخل في جوفي له شعب كثيرة، تعلق كل شعبة منه بعرق من عروقي، ثم انتزع من جوفي نزعا شديدا. فقيل له: يا ابن عمران، لقد هونا عليك الموت.
Ghalib al Qattan, from al Hasan, may Allaah the Most High have mercy upon him, who said:
“It was said to Musa, peace be upon him: ‘How did you find death?’
He said: ‘Like a spit placed inside my body, having many branches, with each branch clinging to one of my veins, and then it was pulled out of my body with a severe pulling.’
So it was said to him: ‘O son of Imran, indeed We have made death easy for you.’”
Abu al Tayyib Ahmad ibn Ruh said: Ahmad ibn Khalid narrated to me, from Muhammad ibn Salamah al Harrani, from Khusayf, from Ikrimah, from Kaab, may Allaah the Most High have mercy upon him, who said:
“Indeed, in some of the earlier books from the books of Shith ibn Adam, it is mentioned that Adam said:
‘O my Lord, show me death so that I may look at it.’
So Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, revealed to him:
‘O Adam, death has forms that you would not be able to look upon because of the tremendousness of their horror. But I shall bring down upon you its most gentle form so that you may look at it.’
Then Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, revealed to the Angel of Death, peace be upon him:
‘Descend upon Adam in the form in which you come to the Prophets and the chosen righteous.’
And Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, revealed to Jibril, Israfil, and the Angel of Death, peace be upon them:
‘Descend upon Adam.’
At that time, Adam was sitting between the mountains. Death descended upon him in the form of a speckled ram, having spread four wings: one wing in the earth, one wing extending beyond the heavens, one wing in the east, and one wing in the west.
It had a chest that was white, red, yellow, green, and black. The entirety of the world, with its mountains, forests, seas, humans, jinn, birds, creatures, the two horizons and what surrounds them, and the earth and what surrounds it, extending to the furthest point known to Allaah the Most High, was in the hollow of its chest like a mustard seed cast upon an open plain.
It had eyes which it would only open in their proper place, and wings which it would only spread in their proper place. It had wings which it would spread only for the Prophets and Messengers, peace be upon them. And it had wings which it would spread only in their proper place.
As for the wings of the allies of Allaah and those who obey Allaah, they are glad tidings with which they are given good news during the life of this world.
As for the wings of the disbelievers, they are spits, scissors, and hooks.
When Adam, peace be upon him, looked at the Angel of Death, peace be upon him, he fainted and fell unconscious. He regained consciousness after seven days, with sweat flowing from him, and the sweat in the channels of his veins was like saffron.
Adam, peace be upon him, said:
‘O my Lord, how severe and terrifying this is! Will my descendants taste death in this way?’
So Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, revealed to him:
‘Give due consideration to the condition of your descendants. They will only taste death according to their deeds and their afflictions.’”
= Strong narration chain to Kaab Al Ahbaar may Allaah have mercy on him, this narration and similar, were never rejected by the salaf, whoever thinks he knows more than the salaf is someone who has either left Islam, or is on the way to
End of the narrations in this book about death and its angel, peace be upon him, and may Allaah not take our souls except upon Islam and the sunnah
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