Tradition 5

"We continued on our way until we saw an Angel sitting down and in his hand was a tablet of light. That Angel looked at what was written on the tablet with sadness and gloom on his face and paid no attention to what was happening around him except when someone came close to him.

I asked Jibra'il, `Who is this Angel?' Jibra'il said, `This is the Angel of Death (Malak ul‑Mawt), and he is busy taking the souls (of people).' I said, `Take me closer to him.'

We went closer to him and Jibra'il introduced me to the Angel. I greeted him. He welcomed me, returned the greeting and sent salutations upon me. He said to me, `O' Muhammad give the glad tidings to your Ummah since I see good and moral works only from them.'

I thanked Allah  only because of this blessing and said to him that this was from the grace of my Lord. Jibra'il said, `The Angel of Death is the most diligent Angel when it comes to carrying out his responsibility.' I asked him, `Does `Izra'il (another name for the Angel of Death) take the soul of anyone who has died or anyone who will die?' Jibra'il replied, `Yes, it is so.'

I then asked the Angel of Death, `Do you see where the people are?' He replied, `Yes. I see then and (I also see) the entire universe which is in front of me.' The Angel of Death continued, `Allah  has given me the permission to have complete awareness over all of them. They are to me just like a dirham (coin) in the hand of a person, such that any way he wants to hold the coin, he can (so too, he has control and perception over all of Allah's creations). There is not a single house which I do not visit five times per day. I say to the people of each house, "Do not cry over your deceased because I will continuously come and go from your house, until the time comes when not a single person will remain there."'

"I asked Jibra'il, `Is death enough for the one who is facing trials and tribulations?' He replied, `After death, the trials are increased.'"

From Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 18, p. 322-323, Bab 3 - Ithbaat al-Mi`raaj wa ma`anaahu wa kayfiyyatuhu wa sifatuhu wa ma jaraa feehi wa wasf al-buraaq, Hadith 34.