Assalaamualaikum-wa-rahmathullahi-wa-barakatuhu

Praise be to Allaah. And Allaah’s blessings be upon our beloved Prophet( peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him)

This is with reference to the article “Yes the Prophet Sallahu Alayhi Wasallam is Alive in His
Grave” by brother “Abdul Mustafa”
Firstly, brother I ask Allah to guide all the ummah to that in which his pleasure is. Ameen
And guide us all to the Haq(truth) Ameen.

• Brother, you have not given any references for the hadith of the angel of death and
Musa(Alai salaatu wassalaam) and you have misquoted it. There is a need to be very
careful with the words of Nabi-e-kareem (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him). Let me quote the hadith with its correct wordings and reference to you.
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 55, Number 619:
Narrated Abu Huraira(may Allaah be pleased with him):
The Angel of Death was sent to Moses(a.s) when he came to Moses(a.s), Moses(a.s) slapped him
on the eye. The angel returned to his Lord and said, "You have sent me to a Slave who does not
want to die." Allah said, "Return to him and tell him to put his hand on the back of an ox and for
every hair that will come under it, he will be granted one year of life." Moses(a.s) said, "O Lord!
What will happen after that?" Allah replied, "Then death." Moses(a.s) said, "Let it come now."
Moses(a.s) then requested Allah to let him die close to the Sacred Land so much so that he would
be at a distance of a stone's throw from it." Abu Huraira(radh) added, "Allah's Apostle(peace be
upon him) said, 'If I were there, I would show you his grave below the red sand hill on the side of
the road."
Brother if u see this hadith properly I don’t think there is anything to clear. As u see Moses(a.s)
said, "O Lord! What will happen after that?" Allah replied, "Then death." Thus it implies it was
only extension of death not by-passing it altogether. And this also refutes that Messengers don’t
die as Allaah Himself is telling Moosa(a.s) that after that death will come.
This is the reason why care has to be taken while quoting a Hadith of our Beloved Prophet
(peace be upon him).
• About the name of the angel of death

It is widely assumed that the name of the Angel of Death is Azraa’eel, but there is nothing in the
Qur’aan or saheeh Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to
indicate that this is his name. Rather this is narrated in some reports which may be from among
the Israa’eeliyyaat (reports from Jewish sources).
Based on this, we cannot be certain whether this is his name or not. So we cannot affirm that the
name of the Angel of Death is Azraa’eel, nor can we deny it. Rather we should refer this matter
to Allaah and call him as Allaah calls him, the ‘Angel of Death”. Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
“Say: The angel of death, who is set over you, will take your souls. Then you shall be brought to
your Lord”
[al-Sajdah 32:11]
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Say: The angel of death, who is set over you, will take your souls. Then you shall be brought to
your Lord”
[al-Sajdah 32:11]
Al-Sindi said: There is no marfoo’ hadeeth [one that can be traced back to the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him)] which mentions his name.
Al-Manaawi said in Fayd al-Qadeer (3/32), after stating that the Angel of Death is known by the
name ‘Azraa’eel: I have never seen anyreport giving his name as such.
Shaykh al-Albaani said in his comment on the words of al-Tahhaawi, “We believe in the Angel
of Death who is appointed to take the souls of all creatures”:
This (“the Angel of Death”) is what he is called in the Qur’aan. With regard to the name
‘Azraa’eel which is widely known among the people, there is no basis for this, rather it comes
from the Israa’eeliyyaat.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:
“The Angel of Death” is well known by the name ‘Azraa’eel, but this is not correct, rather this
was narrated from Jewish sources. So we should not believe in this name, and we should call the
one who is appointed over death “the Angel of Death,” as Allaah called him in the verse
(interpretation of the meaning):
“Say: The angel of death, who is set over you, will take your souls. Then you shall be brought to
your Lord”
[al-Sajdah 32:11]
Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 3/161
And Allaah knows best.

• Brother you also mentioned about the angel of death asking permission to enter
from our Prophet (peace be upon him).

As regards to this question, there are many ahaadeeth about the death of the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him). Many such reports have been narrated, but the saheeh ones are
mixed with the false ones, and many people are careless about quoting reports which have no
basis or which have been narrated via unsound isnaads. The one who is seeking sound reports on
this subject should refer to the saheeh ahaadeeth, which are sufficient and in which he will
information about the incidents surrounding the death of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him), and in which there are important lessons to be learned.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Bidaayah wa’l-Nihaayah
(5/256):
Al-Waaqidi and others narrated many reports concerning the death (of the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him)) in which there are many strange things. We have refrained
from mentioning many of them because of their weak isnaads and dubious content, especially
those narrated by many storytellers, later writers and others. Many of them are undoubtedly
fabricated. In the saheeh and hasan ahaadeeth which are narrated in the well known books there
is sufficient information and we have no need of lies and reports whose isnaads are unknown.
And Allaah knows best. End quote.
After researching the reports about the death of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) there are ahaadeeth about the Angel of Death asking the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) for permission, in wording similar to that mentioned by the questioner.
But these are weak (da’eef) ahaadeeth which the scholars judged to be false and fabricated. For
example:
There is a hadeeth narrated by ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn from his father, telling a long story in which
the Angel of Death asks for permission to enter upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) and speaks with him.
This story was narrated by al-Tabaraani in al-Mu’jam al-Kabeer (3/129) and in Kitaab al-Du’aa’
(1/367).
Al-Haythami said in Majma’ al-Zawaa’id (9/35): Its isnaad includes ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Maymoon
al-Qaddaah, whose reports are worthless.
He was also judged as such by al-Haafiz al-‘Iraaqi in Takhreej al-Ihya’ (4/560); al-Haafiz ibn
Hajar in Ajwabah Ba’d Talaameedhatihi (1/87) and Ibn Katheer in al-Bidaayah wa’l-Nihaayah
(5/290). Al-Albaani said in al-Silsilah al-Da’eefah (5384): it is mawdoo’ (fabricated).
There is another hadeeth which was narrated by Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him),
in which it mentions the Angel of death seeking permission to enter upon the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) during his final illness. This was narrated by al-Tabaraani in al-
Mu’jam al-Kabeer (12/141).
Al-Haythami said in Majma’ al_Zawaa’id (9/36): its isnaad includes al-Mukhtaar ibn Naafi’,
who is da’eef (weak).
Al-‘Iraaqi said in Takhreej al-Ihya’ (4/560): It isnaad includes al-Mukhtaari ibn Naafi’, whose
hadeeth is rejected.
With regard to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) being given the choice
between death and staying in this world, and his saying, “Rather the Higher Companion,” this is
proven in al-Saheehayn in the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her),
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about the story of the death
of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): it is mentioned in some books of
history that the Angel of Death came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
in the form of a Bedouin and asked for permission to enter upon him. How true is this?
He (may Allaah have mercy on him) replied:
This is not correct. The Angel of Death did not come to him or ask permission to enter upon him,
rather the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) delivered a speech at the end of
his life in which he said: “Allaah has given a slave the choice between immortality in this world
for as long as Allaah wills, or meeting his Lord, and he has chosen to meet his Lord.” This is
what he said at the end of his life. Abu Bakr wept, and the people were surprised that Abu Bakr
wept at these words. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was the one who
was given the choice, and Abu Bakr knew the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) better than any of the people. This is what has been narrated. As for the idea
that the Angel of Death came to him and asked him for permission, this is not correct. End quote
from Liqa’ al-Baab il-Maftooh (2/340)
Anyone who wants to read more saheeh ahaadeeth about the story of the death of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) may refer to the book al-Bidaayah wa’l-Nihaayah
by Ibn Katheer (5/248), the chapter of the last days and death of the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him); and Saheeh al-Seerah al-Nabawiyyah by Ibraheem al-‘Ali, chapter 6:
The illness and death of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
And Allaah knows best.

• The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is alive in his grave in the
sense of the life of al-barzakh,

So he enjoys the blessings that Allaah has prepared for him as a reward for his great good actions
that he did in this world. But the life in the grave is not like the life of this world, or the life in the
Hereafter. Rather it is the life of al-barzakh which comes in between his life in this world and his
life in the Hereafter. Hence we know that he died as other Prophets and other people before him
died. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And We granted not to any human being immortality before you (O Muhammad); then if you
die, would they live forever?”
[al-Anbiya’ 21:34]
“Whatsoever is on it (the earth) will perish.
And the Face of your Lord full of Majesty and Honour will remain forever”
[al-Rahmaan 55:26,27]
“Verily, you (O Muhammad) will die, and verily, they (too) will die”
[al-Zumar 39:30]
And there are other verses which also indicate that Allaah caused him to die. Moreover, the
Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) washed him, shrouded him, offered the funeral
prayer for him and buried him; if he had been alive in the worldly sense, they would not have
done the same as is done for others who die.
Faatimah (may Allaah be pleased with her) asked Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him)
for her inheritance from her father (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) because she was
convinced that he had died, and no one among the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them)
differed with her concerning that. Rather Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him) responded
to her request by saying that nothing could be inherited from the Prophets.
The Sahaabah agreed unanimously to choose a khaleefah for the Muslims to succeed the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and that was done with the appointment of Abu
Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him) as khaleefah. If the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) had been alive in a worldly sense, they would not have done that. So this
indicates that there was consensus among them that he had indeed died.
When the tribulations (fitan) and problems increased during the time of ‘Uthmaan and ‘Ali (may
Allaah be pleased with them both), and before and after that, they did not go to his grave to
consult him or ask him for a way out of those tribulations and problems, or the way to solve
them. If he had been alive in a worldly sense, they would not have overlooked that when they
were in such great need of someone to save them from the trials that surrounded them.
With regard to the soul of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), it is in the
highest part of ‘Illiyyeen, because he is the best of creation, and because Allaah has given him
al-waseelah which is the highest position in Paradise.
The life of al-barzakh is a special life. The Prophets and the shuhada’ (martyrs) are alive in al-
barzakh as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The Prophets are alive
and they pray in their graves.” (Narrated by al-Mundhiri and al-Bayhaqi who classed it as saheeh
because of corroborating reports in al-Saheehayn.)
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And say not of those who are killed in the way of Allaah, ‘They are dead.’ Nay, they are living,
but you perceive (it) not”
[al-Baqarah 2:154]
This is a special life, the nature of which is known to Allaah. It is not like the life of this world in
which the soul remains with the body.
The basic principle concerning the dead is that they do not hear the words of the living sons of
Adam, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“but you cannot make hear those who are in graves”
[Faatir 35:22]

Allaah confirmed that those whom he (the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him))

was calling to Islam could not hear, by likening them to the dead. There is nothing in the Qur’aan

or in the saheeh Sunnah to indicate that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)

can hear every du’aa’ or call from human beings. Rather it is proven that the only thing that

reaches him (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is the blessings and salaams of those

who send blessings and salaams upon him. This was narrated by Abu Dawood, 2041, with a

hasan isnaad from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said that the Prophet

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no one who sends salaams upon me

but Allaah will restore to me my soul so that I may return his salaams.” This does not mean that

he hears the words of the one who sends salaams. Rather it is possible that he comes to know of
those salaams when the angels convey that to him. If we assume that he hears the words of the

one who sends salaams, this is an exception from the general rule, as in the case of the dead

hearing the footsteps of those who carry his bier, and as in the case of the slain kuffaar in the

well at Badr who heard the call of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be

upon him) when he said to them: “Have you found your Lord’s promise to be true? For we have

found our Lord’s promise to be true.” (See Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 1/313, 318, 321).

And brother the hadith Prophet (peace be upon him) being existent before

Adam (a.s) is a fabricated hadith a lie attributed to our beloved Prophet(peace be upon him)

Allaah is the source of all that is good.

We worship him alone and seek his help

M’assalaam