Commentary

In verse 11, it was said: قُلْ يَتَوَفَّاكُم مَّلَكُ الْمَوْتِ الَّذِي وُكِّلَ بِكُمْ (Say, "The angel of death who has been assigned for you will take you in full" -11). In the verse previous to it, the deniers of the Qiyamah were warned and an answer was given to their wondering as to how would they be brought back to life once again after they had died and become dust. In the verse cited above, such people are being reminded, 'Think of your death which is, in itself, a great manifestation of the perfect power of Allah Ta’ ala. Your heedlessness and ignorance make you think that one's death comes all by itself, just like that. This is not how it is. In fact, fixed for your death there is a time with Allah and for this there is a standing system run through angels. Sayyidna ` Izra'il (علیہ السلام) is the foremost among them, the one who is the master-manager of death throughout the world. Whenever and wherever a person is destined to die, it is precisely at that time that he draws out his soul from his body.' This is what has been stated in the cited verse. It should be noted that مَلَکُ المَوت (malakul maut: angel of death) has been mentioned in the singular form. It means Sayyidna ` Izra'il (علیہ السلام) . Please compare it with another verse where it is said: الَّذِينَ تَتَوَفَّاهُمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ (the ones to whom the angels brought death - 16:28).

Here, the word: مَلَائِكَةُ (mala'ikah: angels) has been used in the plural form. This releases the hint that Sayyidna ` Izra'il ill does not do this alone. Many angels under him take part in accomplishing this duty.

Some details about the Exacting of Soul and the Angel of Death

Tafsir authority, Mujahid has said, 'before the angel of death, the whole world is very much like an open tray before a human being sprinkled in which there are grains and he picks up whichever he wants.' The same subject has also appeared in a mar' hadith, that is, traceable to the Holy Prophet ﷺ . (As mentioned by al-Qurtubi in At-tadhkirah)

According to a hadith, once the Holy Prophet ﷺ saw the angel of death standing behind the head of an Ansari sahabi on his death bed. He said, 'make it easy on my sahabi.' The angel of death said, 'Rest assured. I make it easy on every believer,' then, he added, ` just imagine the number of people living in towns or villages and in forests, mountains or waters, I see every one of them five times a day, therefore, I am directly acquainted with everyone of them, young or old.' Then, he concluded by saying, '0 Muhammad t, all this I am telling you about is nothing but what happens with the will and command of Allah. Otherwise, if I wanted to take the life of even a mosquito, I do not have the power to do so - unless there comes the very command of Allah Ta’ ala that I have to do it.'

The soul of animals: Does the angel of death exact that too?

From the hadith report mentioned above, it seems that it is the angel of death who, subject to Divine permission, exacts the soul of a mosquito too. Imam Malik (رح) has also said this while answering a question. But, some other reports show that this exacting of the soul is particular to human beings - because of their nobility and distinction. As for the animals, they will die under Divine will without the medium of the angel. (Mentioned by Ibn ` Atiyyah from al-Qurtubi)

The same subject has been reported by Abu ash-Shaikh, ` Uqaili, Dailami and others on the authority of Sayyidna Anas i narrating it from the Holy Prophet ﷺ . According to this report, the Holy Prophet ﷺ said, "All animals and insects keep glorifying Allah (for this is their life). When this glorification stops, Allah Ta’ ala takes their soul. The death of animals has not been entrusted with the angel of death". Another related hadith has been reported from Sayyidna Ibn ` Umar ؓ . (Mazhari)

It appears in yet another hadith, 'when Allah Ta’ ala handed over to Sayyidna ` Izra'il (علیہ السلام) the charge of managing the death of everyone in the world, he pleaded, "0 my Lord, You have put such a service in my charge that the entire race of the children of 'Adam living in the world is going to give me a bad name to the extent that every time I am remembered, I shall be dubbed as evil." Allah Ta’ ala would say, "We have taken care of that by placing some obvious diseases and causes of death in the world due to which everyone will attribute death to these diseases and causes and you will remain safe from their adverse comments." (Al-Qurtubi in his Tafsir and A1-tadhkirah)

And Imam al-Baghawi reports on the authority of Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said, "All diseases, and things like pain and wound, are the universal message-bearers of death. They remind every human being of his or her death. After that, when comes the time of death, the angel of death turns towards the dying person and says, '0 servant of God, how many notices have I served on you and how many message-bearers have I sent to you one after the other! All these diseases and accidents delivered at your doors were simply to warn you that you should get ready for death. Now, here I am after whom no bearer of some message will come to you anymore. Now you have got to say yes to the order of your Lord necessarily, whether willingly or unwillingly." (Mazhari)

Ruling:

The angel of death does not know the time of anyone's death in advance - until he is ordered to exact the soul of a certain person. (Deduced by Ahmad and Ibn Abi ad-Dunya from Ma'mar, Mazhari)