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The angel of death addresses the Believers and Disbelievers

Please mention the narration regarding the angel addressing the deceased before he passes away and how the angel addresses the Believer and Disbeliever.

Answer

You are probably referring to the lengthy Hadith recorded in Musnad Ahmad and other Hadith collections. The parts in question are as follows:

Sayyiduna Bara ibn ‘Azib (radiyallahu ‘anhu) reports that Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “…When a Believer is leaving this world and heading for the Hereafter, angels with white radiant faces descend, as though their faces are [as bright] as the sun, they have shrouds of Jannah and [fragrance] from Jannah. They sit from him as far as his eyes can see. Then the angel of death comes, sits by his head and says, ‘O pure soul! Come out to the forgiveness and happiness of Allah…

And when a disbeliever is leaving this world and heading for the Hereafter, angels with black faces descend with coarse fabric. They sit from him as far as his eyes can see. Then the angel of death comes, sits by his head and says, ‘O dirty soul! Come out to the displeasure and wrath of Allah…’”

(Musnad Ahmad, vol. 4 pg. 287/288)

‘Allamah Haythami (rahimahullah) has declared the narrators reliable (rijaluhu rijalus sahih).

(Majma’uz Zawaid, vol. 3 pg. 49/50)

And Allah Ta’ala Knows best.

Answered by: Moulana Suhail Motala

Approved by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar

This answer was collected from HadithAnswers.com. The answers were either answered or checked by Moulana Haroon Abasoomar (rahimahullah) who was a Shaykhul Hadith in South Africa, or by his son, Moulana Muhammad Abasoomer (hafizahullah), who is a Hadith specialist. 

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