Angel of Death Taking Many Souls at the Same Time

1-9-2003 | IslamWeb

Question:

Clarify according to Ahadith or Qur'an the number of Angels of Death. If them is only one, how does he take the souls of many people at the same time?

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

The Angel of Death that takes the souls of creatures away is only one, but he has many assistants and we do not know their numbers. Allah Says (what means): {And He is the subjugator over His servants, and He sends over you guardian-angels until, when death comes to one of you, Our messengers take him, and they do not fail [in their duties].} [Quran 6:61]

Ibn Katheer said in his Tafseer:

“In fact, many Angels are appointed for that job. Ibn Abbas and others said: ‘The Angel of Death has his assistants who bring out the soul from the body, when it reaches the throat the Angel of Death takes it.”

There is a Hadeeth that supports this fact. Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet said: “When the believing person's soul reaches the end of its time on earth, the Angel of Death comes and sits by his head and pronounces, 'O blessed soul, come out to the forgiveness and pleasure of Allah.' The soul will then come out like a drop of water coming out of the mouth of a waterskin.” [Ahmad and others]

As for, how can the Angel of Death take different souls from different places at the same time, the answer is that Allah rolls up all the distances for him and they become just like a plate in front him. It is reported from Al-Qurtubi who narrated from Mujahid that he said: “The whole world before the Angel of Death is like a plate before a man, so he can take from wherever he wants.”

It is assumed that it is also reported from the Prophet .

Allah knows best.