Fatwa

Did Musa Alayhis Salaam slap the angel of death

Question

Is it true that hazrat Musa slapped the angel of death real hard that he lost an eye?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

See the following hadith of Bukhari,

عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه، قال: أرسل ملك الموت إلى موسى عليهما السلام، فلما جاءه صكه، فرجع إلى ربه، فقال: أرسلتني إلى عبد لا يريد الموت، فرد الله عليه عينه وقال: ارجع، فقل له: يضع يده على متن ثور فله بكل ما غطت به يده بكل شعرة سنة، قال: أي رب، ثم ماذا؟ قال: ثم الموت، قال: فالآن، فسأل الله أن يدنيه من الأرض المقدسة رمية بحجر ، قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: فلو كنت ثم لأريتكم قبره، إلى جانب الطريق، عند الكثيب الأحمر

Translation: Abu Huraira reported that the angel of death was sent to Musa Alayhis Salaam to inform him of his death. When he came, he boxed him and his eye was knocked out. The angel of death came back to Allah and said: You sent me to a servant who did not want to die. Allah restored his eye to its proper place (and revived his eyesight) and then said: Go back to him and tell him that if he wants life, he may place his hand on the back of an ox, and he would be granted as many years of life as the number of hair covered by his hand. Musa Alayhis Salaam said: My Lord, what would happen then? Then death. Musa Alayhis Salaam said: Then let it be now. And he supplicated to Allah to bring him close to the sacred land (Jerusalem) a stone throws distance. Thereupon Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said: If I were there, I would have shown you his grave beside the road at the red mound. (Bukhari – 1339)

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Mufti Bilal Pandor

Concurred by
Mufti Muhammad Patel

Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah
Lusaka, Zambia

www.daruliftaazambia.com