It has been mentioned before that when a believer dies, the angels of death cry out `Come out good soul`.
Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,
As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
(May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)
One of our brothers/sisters has asked
this question:
It has been
mentioned before that when a believer dies, the angels of death cry out `Come
out good soul` and so on, and when a disbeliever dies, they cry out `Come out
wicked soul` and so on.
But what happens to a Muslim who has been neglecting his prayers, and how will
his soul be taken away? Or if a Muslim has been regular in prayer, fasting,
haj, charity but yet has more of bad deeds than good ones, how will his soul be
taken away?
Appreciate your clarification and thanks.
(There may be some grammatical and spelling
errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from
questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in
confidentiality.)
Answer:
How soul taken out
by Angels
In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask
for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever
He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that
there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that
Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.
What exactly happens to one’s soul after death is
obviously from amongst the knowledge of the ‘unseen’, and the knowledge of the
‘unseen’ is known to none save Allah Subhanah.
Regarding any knowledge of the ‘unseen’, the believers who sincerely
believe in Allah and the Last Day should rely only and we reiterate, only on
the information related to them by their Lord in His Glorious Quran, and what
the Lord Most High chose to inform Prophet Mohamed (saws) who in turn informed
it to the believers.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 8 Surah
Anfaal verses 50-51:
50 If thou couldst see when the Angels take the souls of the
unbelievers (at death) (how) they smite their faces and their backs (saying):
"Taste the penalty of the blazing fire
51 Because of (the deeds) which your (own) hands sent forth: for Allah
is never unjust to His servants.”
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 47 Surah
Muhammad verses 27-28
27 But how (will it be) when the Angels take their souls at death and
smite their faces and their backs?
28 This because they followed that which called forth the Wrath of
Allah and they hated Allah's good pleasure; so He made their deeds of no
effect.
Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 1627 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah
The Prophet (saws) said, "The Angels are
present with one who dies, and if a
believer dies, they say, 'Come out,
good soul, which was in the good
body; come out praiseworthy and be happy
with rest and provision and a Lord Who is not angry.' That continues to be said to it till it
comes out. It is then taken up to
Heaven and the door is opened for
it. The angels are asked who this is and
reply that he is so and so, whereupon these words are spoken: 'Welcome, good soul, which was in the good body; enter
praiseworthy and be happy with rest and provision and a Lord Who is not angry.' That continues to be said to it till it
comes to the Heaven where Allah is. But
when it is a disbeliever it is said,
'Come out, wicked soul, which was
in the wicked body; come out blameworthy
and be grieved by a boiling liquid, one dark and intensely cold, and other kinds of its type.' That continues to be said to it till it
comes out. It is then taken up to
Heaven, and the door is asked to be opened for it. The question will be asked who this is and
the reply given that it is so and so, whereupon these words are spoken: 'There is no welcome for the wicked soul
which was in the wicked body; go back
blameworthy, for the gates of Heaven
will not be opened for you.' It will
then be sent away from Heaven and come to the grave."
Your Question: But
what happens to a Muslim who has been neglecting his prayers, and how will his
soul be taken away? Or if a Muslim has been regular in prayer, fasting, haj,
charity but yet has more of bad deeds than good ones, how will his soul be
taken away?
Absolutely regardless
of the intentions one holds in one’s heart, or regardless of the deeds one does
or does not do, any human being who verbally declares the ‘shahaadah’ or
testification of faith that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah Subhanah Alone, and Mohamed (saws) is
Allah’s Last and Final Messenger will be considered a ‘legal’ muslim in the
Sight of Shariah Law in the life of this world.
It is only in the Hereafter where Allah Subhanah will
Determine and Judge with His Absolute Knowledge and Justice who amongst those
who claimed to be ‘muslim’ were ‘real’ muslims and who amongst them were
liars.
In light of the above quoted guidance of the Glorious
Quran and the Sunnah, it would be safe to assume that the closer one’s belief
and deeds are to a ‘real’ muslim, the more honorable will be the release of his
soul at the time of his death….and the further one’s belief and deeds are from
a ‘real’ muslim, the more humiliating and painful will be the release of his
soul. And Allah Alone Knows Best.
Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only
due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me
alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is
the Only Source of Strength.
Your brother and
well wisher in Islam,
Burhan