No one dies and they stand over him crying and saying, 'O what a great man he was! O how respectful he was,' except that two angels are appointed for him to poke him, saying: Were you like that?

Arabic text

عن أبي موسى رضي الله عنه مرفوعاً: «ما من ميِّت يموت فيقوم باكِيهم فيقول: واجَبَلَاه، واسَيِّدَاه، أو نحو ذلك إلا وُكِّلَ به مَلَكَان يَلْهَزَانِه: أهكذا كُنت؟».

Translation

Abu Mūsa (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No one dies and they stand over him crying and saying, 'O what a great man he was! O how respectful he was,' except that two angels are appointed for him to poke him, saying: 'Were you like that?'"

Explanation

If a Muslim dies and someone wails and cries over him or her, stating that the deceased was like a mountain for him or her to lean upon at times of hardship, and that he or she was a refuge and so on, two angels come to the deceased person, prod him or her in the chest, and ask him or her mockingly: "Are you like that?"

Topics

• Jurisprudence and Juristic Principles
• Jurisprudence of Acts of Worship
• Funerals
• Death and Its Rulings