THE TRIP OF A NONBELIEVER’S SOUL

 FAJR REMINDER: THE TRIP OF A NONBELIEVER’S SOUL

By: Umm ‘Affān

Jumādā al-Ākhirah 19, 1447 (11-December-2025)

If only one could witness how the soul of a nonbeliever is extracted; it becomes overwhelmed with fear and clings tightly to the body, yet it is forcefully and noisily removed, causing the veins and nerves to rupture. Immediately after death, the soul of a nonbeliever is taken by the Angels of Punishment.

Al-Barā’ Ibn ‘Āzib (Raḍiyallāhu ‘Anhu) narrates that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Every Angel between the heavens and the earth, and every Angel in the heavens curses him. The gates of the heavens are shut, and the guardians of every gate implore Allāh that his soul does not descend in their direction. When he (the Angel of Death) takes the soul, they (i.e., the Angels of Punishment) do not keep it in his hand for as little as the blinking of an eye. They wrap it in a tough fabric, from which emanates the most repugnant odor of a decaying cadaver ever to exist on earth.”q

The Ḥadīth further states: “The Angels then ascend with it. As they pass gatherings of Angels, they inquire, ‘Who is this malicious soul?’ They respond, ‘He is so-and-so, son of so-and-so,’ using the worst names by which he was called in his former life. Upon reaching the lowest heaven, they seek admission, but the gates are not opened for him: ‘For them the gates of heaven will not be opened, and they will not enter Paradise until the camel goes through the eye of the needle (which is impossible).’ [Sūrah Al-A’raf (7): 40] Allāh then commands, ‘Write his record (that he will be) in Sijjīn, in the lowest earth.’ It is also said, ‘Take him back to earth, for I promised them: From it We created them, into it We return them, and from it We raise them a second time.’ [Sūrah Taha (20): 55]

For a nonbeliever, there is nothing but punishment. The Ḥadīth mentioned by Al-Barā’ Ibn ‘Āzib (Raḍiyallāhu ‘Anhu) continues: “His soul is then cast down from the heaven without consideration, and it falls back into his body. ‘For the one who associates partners with Allāh, it is as if he plummets down from the skies, whereupon birds seize him, or the wind casts him away to a place far distant from Allāh’s Mercy.’ [Sūrah Al-Ḥajj (22): 31] His soul is returned to his body so that, indeed, he hears the footsteps of his companions as they depart from him.” [Musnad Aḥmad 18534]

I beseech Allāh not to test us with Kufr and Shirk. Aameen.