Angel of Death and the departure of spirit

Nahj al-Balāgha|Volume 1|Book 1|Chapter 112

Nahj al-Balāgha

Book 1, Chapter 112

Angel of Death and the departure of spirit
2 Aḥadīth
Ḥadīth 1

ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام) ذكر فيها ملك الموت وتوفية الانفس وعجز الخلق عن وصف الله

About the Angel of Death and departing of spirit and man’s incapacity to describe Allāh

Ḥadīth 2

هَلْ تُحِسُّ بِهِ إِذَا دَخَلَ مَنْزِلاً؟ أَمْ هَلْ تَرَاهُ إِذَا تَوَفَّى أَحَداً؟ بَلْ كَيْفَ يَتَوَفَّى الْجَنِينَ فِي بَطْنِ أُمِّهِ؟! أَيَلِجُ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ بَعْضِ جَوَارِحِهَا؟ أَمِ الرُّوحُ أَجَابَتْهُ بَإِذْنِ رَبِّهَا؟ أَمْ هُوَ سَاكِنٌ مَعَهُ فِي أَحْشَائِهَا؟ كَيْفَ يَصِفُ إِلهَهُ مَنْ يَعْجَزُ عَنْ صِفَةِ مَخْلُوق مِثْلِهِ؟!

Do you feel when the Angel of Death enters a house, or do you see him when he takes out life of anyone? How does he take out the life of an embryo in the womb of his mother? Does he reach it through any part of her body or the spirit responded to his call with the permission of Allāh? Or does he stay with him in the mother’s interior? How can he who is unable to describe a creature like this, describe Allāh?