43/42. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 2372a — Musa’s Death
The Virtues Of Musa, Peace Be Upon Him
Hadith About Musa and the Angel of Death
Sahih Muslim : 2372a
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 2372a
وَحَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رَافِعٍ، وَعَبْدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ، قَالَ عَبْدٌ أَخْبَرَنَا وَقَالَ ابْنُ رَافِعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنِ ابْنِ طَاوُسٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ أُرْسِلَ مَلَكُ الْمَوْتِ إِلَى مُوسَى عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُ صَكَّهُ فَفَقَأَ عَيْنَهُ فَرَجَعَ إِلَى رَبِّهِ فَقَالَ أَرْسَلْتَنِي إِلَى عَبْدٍ لاَ يُرِيدُ الْمَوْتَ - قَالَ - فَرَدَّ اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ عَيْنَهُ وَقَالَ ارْجِعْ إِلَيْهِ فَقُلْ لَهُ يَضَعُ يَدَهُ عَلَى مَتْنِ ثَوْرٍ فَلَهُ بِمَا غَطَّتْ يَدُهُ بِكُلِّ شَعْرَةٍ سَنَةٌ قَالَ أَىْ رَبِّ ثُمَّ مَهْ قَالَ ثُمَّ الْمَوْتُ . قَالَ فَالآنَ فَسَأَلَ اللَّهَ أَنْ يُدْنِيَهُ مِنَ الأَرْضِ الْمُقَدَّسَةِ رَمْيَةً بِحَجَرٍ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " فَلَوْ كُنْتُ ثَمَّ لأَرَيْتُكُمْ قَبْرَهُ إِلَى جَانِبِ الطَّرِيقِ تَحْتَ الْكَثِيبِ الأَحْمَرِ " .
Abu Hurairah Narrated from:
The Angel of Death was sent to Moses (peace be upon him) to inform of his Lord's summons. When he came, he (Moses) boxed him and his eye was knocked out. He (the Angel of Death) came back to the Lord 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 must 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.He (Moses) said: My Lord what would happen then He said: Then you must court death. He said: Let it be now. And he supplicated Allah to bring him close to the sacred land. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: If I were there, I would have shown you his grave beside the road at the red mound.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 2372aIn-book reference : Book 43, Hadith 206USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 30, Hadith 5851
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 2372a
This hadith about Musa and the Angel of Death describes a serious moment near the end of Musa’s life. The Angel of Death was sent to Musa, and after the first meeting, the angel returned to Allah. Allah restored the angel’s eye and sent him back with a choice: Musa could place his hand on the back of an ox and live as many years as the hairs covered by his hand. Musa asked what would come after that, and the answer was death. He then said, “Let it be now,” and asked Allah to bring him close to the sacred land. The narration ends with the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم saying he could have shown Musa’s grave near the road at the red mound.
What we learn from this hadith
- Even a long life would still end in death, as the narration states.
- Musa asked what would happen after the extra years before choosing death now.
- Musa supplicated to be brought close to the sacred land.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم described Musa’s grave as being near the road at the red mound.
