The short answer
At death, the angel of death and his helpers take the soul. For the believer, angels come with peace and good news of Allah's pleasure, so he loves to meet Allah; for the one who rejected Allah, the soul is taken harshly. Death is not the end but a move to the next stage.
The Quran describes the moment the soul reaches the throat while family look on, and says Allah's angels "are nearer to him than you, but you do not see" 1. It calls the pangs of death the "intoxication of death" that brings the truth 2. The one who takes the soul is "the angel of death ... who has been entrusted with you", and then "to your Lord you will be returned" 3.
For the believer, death is gentle in meaning even if the body struggles. The angels take them "good and pure", saying: "Peace be upon you. Enter Paradise for what you used to do" 4. The soul is addressed: "O reassured soul, return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing [to Him]" 5. The Prophet ﷺ said that when death approaches a believer he receives "the good news of Allah's pleasure with him", so nothing is dearer to him than meeting Allah, and Allah loves to meet him 6.
For the disbeliever and the wrongdoer it is the opposite. The Quran shows angels extending their hands and saying, "Discharge your souls! Today you will be awarded the punishment of [extreme] humiliation" 7. When a disbeliever's death approaches he receives news of Allah's punishment, and he hates to meet Allah 6.
The Prophet ﷺ said: "If anyone's last words are 'There is no god but Allah' he will enter Paradise" 8. Scholars often remark that last words tend to reflect a whole life. So the real preparation for death is to live with la ilaha illallah now: pray, repent often, keep your tongue busy with Allah's remembrance, and think well of your Lord.
When the soul reaches the throat, Allah's angels are nearer to the dying person than those present.
فَلَوۡلَآ إِذَا بَلَغَتِ ٱلۡحُلۡقُومَ ٨٣ وَأَنتُمۡ حِينَئِذࣲ تَنظُرُونَ ٨٤ وَنَحۡنُ أَقۡرَبُ إِلَيۡهِ مِنكُمۡ وَلَٰكِن لَّا تُبۡصِرُونَ ٨٥
83 Then why, when the soul at death reaches the throat 84 And you are at that time looking on 85 And Our angels are nearer to him than you, but you do not see
The intoxication of death brings the truth.
وَجَآءَتۡ سَكۡرَةُ ٱلۡمَوۡتِ بِٱلۡحَقِّۖ ذَٰلِكَ مَا كُنتَ مِنۡهُ تَحِيدُ ١٩
And the intoxication of death will bring the truth; that is what you were trying to avoid
The angel of death entrusted with you takes you, then you return to your Lord.
۞قُلۡ يَتَوَفَّىٰكُم مَّلَكُ ٱلۡمَوۡتِ ٱلَّذِي وُكِّلَ بِكُمۡ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمۡ تُرۡجَعُونَ ١١
Say, "The angel of death will take you who has been entrusted with you. Then to your Lord you will be returned
Angels take the good in death with a greeting of peace and the command to enter Paradise.
ٱلَّذِينَ تَتَوَفَّىٰهُمُ ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ طَيِّبِينَ يَقُولُونَ سَلَٰمٌ عَلَيۡكُمُ ٱدۡخُلُواْ ٱلۡجَنَّةَ بِمَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ ٣٢
The ones whom the angels take in death, [being] good and pure; [the angels] will say, "Peace be upon you. Enter Paradise for what you used to do
The reassured soul is called to return to its Lord, well-pleased and pleasing.
يَٰٓأَيَّتُهَا ٱلنَّفۡسُ ٱلۡمُطۡمَئِنَّةُ ٢٧ ٱرۡجِعِيٓ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةࣰ مَّرۡضِيَّةࣰ ٢٨ فَٱدۡخُلِي فِي عِبَٰدِي ٢٩ وَٱدۡخُلِي جَنَّتِي ٣٠
27 [To the righteous it will be said], "O reassured soul 28 Return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing [to Him] 29 And enter among My [righteous] servants 30 And enter My Paradise
At death the believer receives good news and loves to meet Allah; the disbeliever receives news of punishment.
Narrated 'Ubada bin As-Samit:The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Who-ever loves to meet Allah, Allah (too) loves to meet him and who-ever hates to meet Allah, Allah (too) hates to meet him". `Aisha, or some of the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "But we dislike death." He said: It is not like this, but it is meant that when the time of the death of a believer approaches, he receives the good news of Allah's pleasure with him and His blessings upon him, and so at that time nothing is dearer to him than what is in front of him. He therefore loves the meeting with Allah, and Allah (too) loves the meeting with him. But when the time of the death of a disbeliever approaches, he receives the evil news of Allah's torment and His Requital, whereupon nothing is more hateful to him than what is before him. Therefore, he hates the meeting with Allah, and Allah too, hates the meeting with him
حَدَّثَنَا حَجَّاجٌ، حَدَّثَنَا هَمَّامٌ، حَدَّثَنَا قَتَادَةُ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، عَنْ عُبَادَةَ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " مَنْ أَحَبَّ لِقَاءَ اللَّهِ أَحَبَّ اللَّهُ لِقَاءَهُ، وَمَنْ كَرِهَ لِقَاءَ اللَّهِ كَرِهَ اللَّهُ لِقَاءَهُ ". قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ أَوْ بَعْضُ أَزْوَاجِهِ إِنَّا لَنَكْرَهُ الْمَوْتَ. قَالَ " لَيْسَ ذَاكَ، وَلَكِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ إِذَا حَضَرَهُ الْمَوْتُ بُشِّرَ بِرِضْوَانِ اللَّهِ وَكَرَامَتِهِ، فَلَيْسَ شَىْءٌ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِمَّا أَمَامَهُ، فَأَحَبَّ لِقَاءَ اللَّهِ وَأَحَبَّ اللَّهُ لِقَاءَهُ، وَإِنَّ الْكَافِرَ إِذَا حُضِرَ بُشِّرَ بِعَذَابِ اللَّهِ وَعُقُوبَتِهِ، فَلَيْسَ شَىْءٌ أَكْرَهَ إِلَيْهِ مِمَّا أَمَامَهُ، كَرِهَ لِقَاءَ اللَّهِ وَكَرِهَ اللَّهُ لِقَاءَهُ ". اخْتَصَرَهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَعَمْرٌو عَنْ شُعْبَةَ. وَقَالَ سَعِيدٌ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ عَنْ سَعْدٍ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم.
Angels extend their hands to the wrongdoers at death, saying "Discharge your souls".
وَمَنۡ أَظۡلَمُ مِمَّنِ ٱفۡتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَوۡ قَالَ أُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ وَلَمۡ يُوحَ إِلَيۡهِ شَيۡءࣱ وَمَن قَالَ سَأُنزِلُ مِثۡلَ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُۗ وَلَوۡ تَرَىٰٓ إِذِ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ فِي غَمَرَٰتِ ٱلۡمَوۡتِ وَٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ بَاسِطُوٓاْ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ أَخۡرِجُوٓاْ أَنفُسَكُمُۖ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ تُجۡزَوۡنَ عَذَابَ ٱلۡهُونِ بِمَا كُنتُمۡ تَقُولُونَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ غَيۡرَ ٱلۡحَقِّ وَكُنتُمۡ عَنۡ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ تَسۡتَكۡبِرُونَ ٩٣
And who is more unjust than one who invents a lie about Allah or says, "It has been inspired to me," while nothing has been inspired to him, and one who says, "I will reveal [something] like what Allah revealed." And if you could but see when the wrongdoers are in the overwhelming pangs of death while the angels extend their hands, [saying], "Discharge your souls! Today you will be awarded the punishment of [extreme] humiliation for what you used to say against Allah other than the truth and [that] you were, toward His verses, being arrogant
Whoever's last words are "There is no god but Allah" will enter Paradise.
Narrated Mu’adh bin Jabal :The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: If anyone's last words are "There is no god but Allah" he will enter Paradise
حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْوَاحِدِ الْمِسْمَعِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا الضَّحَّاكُ بْنُ مَخْلَدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْحَمِيدِ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، حَدَّثَنِي صَالِحُ بْنُ أَبِي عَرِيبٍ، عَنْ كَثِيرِ بْنِ مُرَّةَ، عَنْ مُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَنْ كَانَ آخِرُ كَلاَمِهِ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ " .
This answer was compiled with the help of AI, using only the verified texts shown here. Every reference links to its source. If you find a mistake, please report it. Updated 2026-09-24