Hadith And Sunna Of Prophet Muhammed (pbuh)

Soul Of Believer And Disbeliever

Imam Ahmad narrated that al-Bara’ ibn ‘Aazib (may Allah be pleased with him) 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.’
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Then his soul comes flowing out like a drop of water flowing from a cup. Then he takes the soul, and no sooner does he seize it but 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 and they do not pass by any group of angels but the angels ask: ‘Who is this pure soul?’ and they reply: ‘It is So and so the son of So and so’ – using the best names by which he was known on earth.
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Then they bring it to the lowest heaven, and ask for it to be opened, and it is opened for him. Those who are of high rank in each heaven accompany it until they approach the next heaven, and so it goes until it reaches the seventh heaven.
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Then Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says: ‘Record the book of My slave in ‘Illiyoon (the highest heaven) and take him back to the earth, for I created them from it, and I shall return them to it, then I shall take them out from it again.’
Then his soul is returned to his body and two angels come and make him sit up.”
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Then the hadith mentions the questioning in the grave, then it mentions how the soul of the disbeliever is taken, then it says:
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“Then they ascend with it and they do not pass by any group of angels but the angels ask: ‘Who is this evil soul?’
and they reply: ‘It is So and so, the son of So and so’ – using the worst names by which he was known on earth.
Then they bring it to the lowest heaven, and ask for it to be opened, and it is not opened for him.”
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Then the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recited: “… For them the gates of heaven will not be opened, and they will not enter Paradise until the camel goes through the eye of the needle” (7:40)
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Then He (ﷺ) said: “Then Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says: ‘Record the book of My slave in Sijjeen (the lowest Hell) in the lowest earth. Then his soul is cast down.”
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Then He (ﷺ) recited: “… and whoever assigns partners to Allah, it is as if he had fallen from the sky, and the birds had snatched him, or the wind had thrown him to a far off place.” (22:31)
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He (ﷺ) said: “Then his soul is returned to his body and two angels come and make him sit up”
Then it mentions the questioning in the grave.
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With regard to the period between the departure of the soul and burial and questioning in the grave, for the believer it is the first stage of eternal happiness, as he is given the glad tidings of Paradise and eternal bliss, and his book is recorded in ‘Illiyoon (the highest heaven); then his soul will rejoice and be happy, and will never feel misery again.
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But for the disbeliever, it is the first stage of eternal torment, as Allah is angry with him and does not give permission for the gates of heaven or the gates of mercy to be opened to him, and his book is recorded in Sijjeen (the lowest Hell); then his soul will be wretched and he will never feel happy again.
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[Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami‘ (1676)]